Fans of the Top Shot TV series will soon be able to enjoy a Top Shot-style experience at the new Texas Triggers shooting facility. Created by Top Shot host Colby Donaldson and his brother Reid Donaldson, Texas Triggers is a “theme park” for shooters. Over the course of a 3-day ranch stay, you can sample a wide variety of weapons, including exotic military arms such as a full-auto M2 Browning Machine Gun, an M60, a Barrett m107 50-Cal, select fire AR-platform rifles, and even M79 grenade launchers. In addition, you can shoot a host of different handguns and shotguns in Top Shot-style challenges with a variety of reactive targets from 10m to 1000 yards. There will also be a selection of historic arms, such as Winchester lever guns, single action revolvers, and black powder rifles.
Promo Video for Texas Triggers (Click Gear Icon for 720p HD)
At Texas Triggers, paying participants get to shoot a vast arsenal of weapons, including guns that most people could never afford. And, if you live in a jurisdiction where select-fire weapons are not legal, Texas Triggers gives you the chance to taste the “forbidden fruit”. All that participants need to bring is their enthusiasm (and a checkbook). Texas Triggers supplies all the guns and ammo, along with on-site bunkhouse-style facilities. What does it all cost? Texas Triggers has not announced prices, but you can email email inquiries to: info [at] texastriggers.com. NOTE: The official www.texastriggers.com website is not yet ready, but should “go live” within a few weeks.
Visitors to Texas Triggers won’t be limited to punching paper. To make the experience more exciting, Texas Triggers has invested heavily in reactive targets, including automated LaRue rifle silhouettes, dueling trees, re-settable steel plate arrays, and arcade-style target bays. There is even an elevated zipline like you’ve seen on the Top Shot TV show. This is very much a “Shooters’ Disneyland” that can provide a once-in-a-lifetime firearms experience. Colby Donaldson says: “Texas Triggers is THE ultimate shooting experience. It’s an adventure. It’s the exclusive opportunity to come down to the ranch for three days and train with the world’s top marksmen, using the most impressive weapons ever produced.”
While serving as a U.S. Army Blackhawk pilot, Trevor Baucom lost the use of his legs after a serious helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Through hard work and dedication, Trevor has overcome his disabilities to become the first-ever sponsored shooter who competes from a wheelchair.
Trevor Baucom’s story is the focus of this week’s episode of Shooting USA, which airs tonight, June 13th, on the Outdoor Channel. This episode covers Baucom’s journey from a Blackhawk pilot/flight leader flying assault missions, to become the shooting industry’s first professionally-sponsored disabled shooter.
While serving with the Army’s 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade in Afghanistan, Baucom was paralyzed (from the waist down) in a helicopter crash. He was then medically discharged after 13 years of distinguished service. During his rehabilitation process, Baucom got involved in the shooting sports (Read Full Story). In short order, Baucom showed remarkable results, and now he is a sponsored member of Team Smith & Wesson. The first pro shooter who competes from a wheelchair, Baucom has also earned sponsorship from Atlanta Arms and Ammo, Ithaca Gun Company, Safariland, and Nevco Targets.
Baucom now serves as an inspiration for other wounded warriors as well as all disabled shooters. Trevor has competed in the Bianchi Cup, NRA Action Pistol events, the USPSA-operated Steel Challenge, and the IDPA Indoor Nationals. More shooting sports are on his schedule in the months ahead, including Trap and Sporting Clays, and NRA Bullseye Competition. Through this Shooting USA “Special Edition”, viewers will witness the positive impact Baucom has had on those around him. From Baucom’s return to the air as part of a special honor flight at Fort Campbell, KY, to his first competition at the NRA Bianchi Cup, this story gives credence to the “never-say-quit” attitude that is the hallmark of every United States serviceman and servicewoman. Watch Baucom’s passage from combat veteran to professional shooter today, June 13th on the Outdoor Channel. The show airs at 3 pm, 8 pm, and midnight EST.
Jim Scoutten Explains the Back-Story To learn more about Trevor Baucom, read The Story Behind Trevor’s Story by Jim Scoutten. Jim explains: “The credit for this story really goes to an accident of our office / studio location. We share a large office-warehouse building with a high-end physical therapy company. That’s where Chief Warrant Officer Trevor Baucom was heading in his wheelchair when we first struck up a conversation. I invited Trevor and his flying buddy, Apache Pilot CW3 Jeff Lamprecht, who had driven Trevor down from Clarksville, TN, in to tour our studio and offices and have a look at our inventory of firearms.” READ MORE…
Lapua has a very cool video — “eye candy” for any precision shooter. Definitely WATCH THIS VIDEO. This 12-minute video contains a surprising amount of “hard” info on Lapua products. As well, there are some amazing segments showing Lapua brass and rimfire ammo being produced. Watch carefully and you’ll see most of the processes used for forming and loading brass. Another short segment shows a Lapua technician inspecting a case for run-out. Neat.
The video spotlights some of the important American and international records set with Lapua ammo. You’ll see top 300m and Olympic rifle shooters in action, and there are also short comments from many champions, including American Benchrest legend Tony Boyer.
NOTE: This is long video — you may need to let it buffer (pre-load) for 10 seconds before playback. If that doesn’t work, let the entire video load, then hit the replay button. Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this VideoPress video.
Yes, this video is first and foremost a marketing tool, but that doesn’t lessen that fact that it is fascinating to watch. Lapua’s video also does a great job making our sport seem important and exciting — NRA take note! We suspect many of you will want to save the video to your computer for future viewing. That’s easy to do. Just click on the link below. (Note: After downloading, we suggest that PC users play it back through Windows Media Player. You can then drag the Media Player corners to expand the video viewing size.)
The NRA/Springfield M1A Match takes place August 5, 2012 at Camp Perry, Ohio. This special M1A match revives interest in the M14, and its modern derivatives. (Springfield’s M1A is a commercially-produced, semi-auto version of the M14.) At one time, M14-based match rifles dominated Service Rifle matches, but that’s history. Now M16/AR15 platform rule the roost in the Service Rifle game. But many shooters loved the old wood, .30-caliber rifles, leading to the creation of a special National Match just for M1A rifles. Renewed interest in the M1A, coupled with big-money sponsorship from Springfield Armory, led to the the first dedicated Camp Perry M1A match in 2008. That first-ever match proved a huge success, drawing over 500 shooters. Hundreds of M1A shooter are expected again this year.
Nick Till in 2009 M1A Match. Nick was the 2007 Service Rifle Nat’l Champion. Photo courtesy NRA Blog.
Over $27,000 Worth of Prizes for 2012 M1A Match
This year’s M1A Match will be the richest ever — with over $27,000 in cash and merchandise up for grabs. Springfield Armory has kicked in additional sponsorship to provide more payouts and prizes. The top three civilians receive prizes of $2,500, $1,500 and a M1A Rifle respectively. High Military, Woman and Senior receive $500 and a Springfield pistol each. The High Junior also receives $500 and an additional $500 is donated to their Junior Club. For everyone else who hasn’t already won a prize, $200 will be given out to 25 competitors using Lewis Class scoring. In addition, four Springfield pistols and two Springfield rifles will be awarded through prize drawings held during the match. No expert marksmanship needed for these — names are drawn out of a hat, all competitors have a chance to win.
M1A Match Course of Fire
Equipment rules allow pretty much all types/grades of M1As in the match. The one-day course of fire consists of 50 shots at 300 yards on the NRA MR-65F target, as follows: 5 sighters; 20 shots slow-fire prone; 10 shots rapid-fire prone; 10 shots rapid-fire, kneeling or sitting; and 10 shots slow-fire standing.
Video of 2009 M1A match at Camp Perry (NOTE: Loud wind noise — turn down speakers.)
Story based on reports by Kyle Jillson in the NRA Blog.
The anti-hunting Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and six other groups last week filed a lawsuit designed to pressure the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into banning traditional ammunition containing lead components. EPA has twice denied petitions filed by CBD to ban traditional ammunition, citing correctly that it does not have the authority to regulate ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act. If bullets with lead components are restricted, this would affect target shooters as well as hunters because nearly all match bullets employ a lead core.
“This is a frivolous lawsuit clear and simple,” said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel for NSSF. “There is no sound science that shows the use of traditional ammunition has harmed wildlife populations or that it presents a health risk to humans who consume game taken with such ammunition.” NSSF called on industry members, hunters and shooters to support an amendment to the Farm Bill that contains legislation that would clarify the exemption.
Larry Potterfield, the founder of MidwayUSA, and other Potterfield family members have (collectively) sold the Potterfield family’s interest in Battenfeld Technologies Inc. (“Battenfeld”). Battenfeld produces a wide variety of products, under a collection of familiar brand names: Frankford Arsenal, Caldwell Shooting Supplies, Fajen Gunstocks, Wheeler Engineering, Tipton Gun Cleaning Supplies, PAST Recoil Protection and others. Most shooters are familiar with the green Caldwell front rests, the handy Tipton Gun Vises, and Frankford Arsenal tumblers and reloading accessories. These are all popular Battenfeld products, and most of them are marketed aggressively through MidwayUSA.
In a buy-out transaction, the entire Potterfield family ownership interest in Battenfeld Technologies, Inc. was sold to Clearview Capital (a private equity group) and to members of Battenfeld’s existing management team. In connection with the sale of ownership, current CEO Russell Potterfield will step down, and three current Battenfeld Vice Presidents will assume leadership, “working together in a joint effort”. Taking over the reigns at Battenfeld are: Jim Gianladis (current VP of Products and Marketing), Bob Zara (current VP of Sales), and Adam Birk (current VP of Engineering and Operations).
Gianladis stated “We are extremely excited about the future of Battenfeld; we have always been committed to designing high quality, innovative products and look forward to continuing that legacy. We are proud to be a part of the Clearview Capital family.”
“New ownership is going to be able to take Battenfeld in new and exciting directions, helping them to continue their proud heritage of innovation and market-leading new product introductions,” says Russell Potterfield, former Battenfeld CEO. “I’m hugely proud of what the Battenfeld team has been able to accomplish and what they will be able to accomplish as an entity outside of the Potterfield Group umbrella of companies.”
Battenfeld’s Production Facilities and Workforce Remain in Place
Battenfeld will continue to operate from its current facility and all contact information will stay the same. The workforce will remain unchanged. “There will be absolutely no disruption to customer service or shipping,” says current Sales VP, Bob Zara. Brandon Butler, Battenfeld Marketing Manager, added that: “Nothing’s really changed as far as Battenfeld’s future plans. We will continue to invent and develop new products and expand distribution to meet consumer demand.”
Battenfeld Will Expand Relationships with Multiple Retailers
Becoming an independent company should benefit Battenfeld in the long run. Butler explained: “The ownership change breaks down a lot of barriers with retailers other than MidwayUSA, so that our products can be more widely distributed. Over the years, as both MidwayUSA and Battenfeld Technologies grew, there became more and more perception of a potential conflict of interest between Battenfeld and our customers. It made sense that certain retailers were leery of supporting a company that indirectly supported their competition. The sale of Battenfeld to Clearview Capital removes that potential conflict,” said Butler. However, MidwayUSA will continue to distribute Battenfeld products, remaining a key retail partner.
Creedmoor Sports offers an Air Rifle that mates an Olympic-quality Anschütz 8000-series barreled action (and Anschütz 5065 trigger) with AR15-style stock, chassis, and sights. This system, dubbed the AiR-15™ National Match Air Rifle, allows Service Rifle and High Power competitors to cross-train between centerfire matches and during the off-season. Although the rifle is supplied with a mock magazine (for correct off-hand ergonomics), the gun is a single-shot, using manual-fed 0.177 pellets.
Creedmoor sells the complete AiR-15 (including Anschütz 8001 barreled action) for $1850.00. The receiver sleeve, front sight housing, carry handle, and handguard are all machined from solid aluminum. The remaining components, such as the butt stock, pistol grip, sling swivels, front sight post, and rear sight are genuine Bushmaster parts.
Get $300.00 Gift Certificate with Purchase of AiR-15 Rifle
Right now if you buy an AiR-15, you can get a $300.00 Gift Certificate good on other Creedmoor Sports merchandise. That $300.00 certificate can be used to buy ammo, brass, dies, optics, pretty much anything in the Creedmoor Sports catalog. This is a super deal if you’ve been thinking about getting an Air Rifle. Please note — this is a LIMITED TIME offer. Also, the gift certificate cannot be used toward the purchase of the rifle. The $300.00 Gift Certificate will be attached to the AiR-15 NMAR packing slip.
Benefits of Air Rifle Cross-Training
Dennis DeMille, past Camp Perry Champion and Creedmoor Sports General Manager, believes Service Rifle and High Power shooters can greatly benefit from Air Rifle cross-training with the AiR-15 . Dennis tells us: “Look, you can shoot this in your basement in the dead of winter. The ergonomics are identical to the AR15. The sights, front and rear, are in exactly the same position. And by using Anschütz 8001 barreled actions and triggers, the system offers superb accuracy. The AR Air Rifle will deliver one-pellet-hole accuracy at 10 meters. I’ve visited the Anschütz factory. Every one of these barreled actions is tested and they all come with test targets verifying their accuracy.”
Dennis wanted to stress that practice with the AiR-15 can benefit even the best High Power shooters improve their scores. Dennis explained: “While this air rifle is capable of one-hole accuracy (at 10m), it is also very unforgiving of flaws in form or hold. Because the pellets are moving so slowly (about 575 ft/sec.), any mistake will move you out in the scoring ring. This air rifle will help you develop perfect trigger control, perfect follow-through, and perfect natural point of aim. Trust me — you can’t BS any part of your hold with an air rifle. I know if you train with an air rifle in the off season, your centerfire scores will improve.”
The AiR-15 for CMP Air Rifle National Match Program
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has developed a National Match Air Rifle (NMAR) discipline consisting of High Power-style matches shot at reduced distances with air rifles. NMAR is a multi-faceted air rifle competition fired indoors or outdoors on 10-meter ranges. NMAR events simulate High Power rifle shooting and are fired on reduced-size High Power rifle targets. At the CMP’s NMAR tournaments, you can use sporter, precision or AR-type air rifles to shoot in 10-meter standing and three-position (prone, sitting and standing) courses of fire that simulate outdoor High Power rifle shooting.
Creedmoor Gift Certificate tip by EdLongrange. We welcome user submissions.
The Remington-Bushmaster 2012 Long Range Regional Championship was held at Reade Range in Fallen Timbers, Pennsylvania on June 1, 2, and 3. We had a great turn out of over 60 shooters. Half of these shooters showed up on Friday to participate in the practice and team match. The weather had other plans for the shooters though and the second half of the team match was rained out.
Saturday started off sunny, but cool and windy, with 62 shooters registering in Sling (43), F-TR (7) and F-Open (12). Pit service was provided by the Boy Scouts, and had a rocky start. With the help of some shooter volunteers, pit operations smoothed out throughout the day and the first three 1000-yard Matches ran without incident. The wind pretty much held a steady 2 MOA left throughout the day, and some high scores were fired.
After the Saturday matches were finished and daily scores posted, Bryan Litz conducted a wind clinic, and then the Reade Range Staff provided a wonderful meal of ca-bobs, salads, fresh fruit and beverages. Then came the prize raffle. Over 50 prizes were raffled off, including a Vortex Spotting Scope, gift certificates, and other merchandise items worth over $6000.
Sunday morning started off overcast and the same wind as the day before. Conditions remained constant and the pits ran smoother than ever with more volunteers helping the scout troops. Rain was forecasted to start at 3:00 pm so the shooters were eager to move through the matches and beat the rain. Mission accomplished, as a cease fire was called just before 3:00 pm, ending the last match. Scores were quickly figured and awards were promptly given. Bryan Litz, of Applied Ballistics LLC, announced the winners of each individual match, Tom Ferraro announced the aggregate match winners, and finally Ken Roxburgh presented the winners with guns on behalf of Remington-Bushmaster. The rain showed up as the final name was announced.
Bryan Litz remarked: “We would like to thank everyone who participated in this match and all of those who helped make it a great weekend. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again next year!”
Final Scores:
Sling Class
F-TR
F-Open
1st: Bryan Litz 1194-70
1st: James Crofts 1141-27
1st: Don Nagel 1172-41
2nd: Trevor Hengehold 1190-65
2nd: Brad Sauve 1134-25
2nd: Bob Woodward 1169-49
3rd: Jon Howell 1188-60
3rd: William Litz 1122-19
3rd: Jim Murphy 1159-38
Gun Winners by Gun Class:
High Palma: Bill Bowers 1180-43
Any/Iron: Bryan Litz 598-36
Any/Any: Jon Howell (pictured) 597-35
Jr. Any/Iron: Tommy Ferraro 557-12
Jr. Any/Any: Joe Hendricks Jr. 571-14
High Grand Senior: David Brantner 1164-42
High Senior: Gerry Sanders 1179-47
High F-TR: James Crofts 1141-27
High F-Open: Don Nagel 1172-41
American Olympic Shooters will be able to train together as a team in Europe prior to the 2012 London Olympic Games, thanks to a contribution from Dallas Safari Club (DSC). With DSC funding, the USA Shooting Team has secured exclusive use of a shooting range in Denmark for a pre-Olympic Games Training Camp. Prior to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the USA Shooting Team conducted a similar camp in Korea. That move was considered a key factor behind the team’s successful showing with six medals, 12 top-5 finishes and two Olympic records. Hopefully, the Training Camp in Denmark can likewise help our shooters in their Olympic quest.
Immediately before the London Games, which begin July 27, the range in Copenhagen, Denmark, will be specifically dedicated for use by the USA Shooting Team for training around the clock in a distraction-free environment. In addition, the camp will be used to enhance team unity and commodore as well as solidify the athlete support structure.
The partnership between DSC and USA Shooting has been building for several years. DSC has provided pivotal funding to help underwrite the cost of sending emerging elite junior athletes to the World Shooting Championships and the World Clay Target Championships. With this support, USA junior team members won 10 individual medals and 10 team medals.
“We’re especially grateful for the support that Dallas Safari Club continues to provide the USA Shooting Team,” said Buddy DuVall, executive director of the USA Shooting Team Foundation. “With [the] boost they’re providing for our London-bound athletes, DSC has been a valuable team member and is raising our competitive abilities.”
It’s vitally important to keep your ammo at “normal” temps during the hot summer months. Even if you use “temp-insensitive” powders, studies suggest that pressures can still rise dramatically when the entire cartridge gets hot, possibly because of primer heating. It’s smart to keep your loaded ammo in an insulated storage unit, possibly with a Blue Ice Cool Pak if you expect it to get quite hot. Don’t leave your ammo in the car or truck — temps can exceed 140° in a vehicle parked in the sun.
Insulated Case Does Double-Duty
Standard plastic coolers work fine, but if you don’t want to borrow the family’s food carriers, consider this Norchill insulated Cooler Bag. When not used to keep your ammo cool, the 7″ wide x 12″ high x 14″ long small Norchill Bag doubles as a gear carrier. Norchill bags feature dual-temp insulation and a waterproof inner liner. With side-zip compartments, Norchill Cooler Bags are more versatile than typical plastic coolers. These Norchill cooler bags are soft, collapsible and can be rolled up to fit into your carry on luggage. When not in use for ammo, they can be used to as a suitcase, or carry bag for cameras, optics, and electronic gear.
Norchill Bags come in three sizes and a variety of colors. Price starts at $39.99 for the small bag (12-can capacity) is $39.99. The 10″x12″x18″ medium bag has double the capacity (24 cans) and costs $49.99. There is also a jumbo 48-can capacity bag, 13″x13″x21″. But this is probably more capacity than you’d ever need.
To learn more about how ambient temperature (and primer choice) affect pressures (and hence velocities) you should read the article Pressure Factors: How Temperature, Powder, and Primer Affect Pressure by Denton Bramwell. In that article, the author uses a pressure trace instrument to analyze how temperature affects ammo performance. Bramwell’s tests yielded some fascinating results.
For example, barrel temperature was a key factor: “Both barrel temperature and powder temperature are important variables, and they are not the same variable. If you fail to take barrel temperature into account while doing pressure testing, your test results will be very significantly affected. The effect of barrel temperature is around 204 PSI per F° for the Varget load. If you’re not controlling barrel temperature, you about as well might not bother controlling powder temperature, either. In the cases investigated, barrel temperature is a much stronger variable than powder temperature.”
Fans of the Top Shot TV series will soon be able to enjoy a Top Shot-style experience at the new Texas Triggers shooting facility. Created by Top Shot host Colby Donaldson and his brother Reid Donaldson, Texas Triggers is a “theme park” for shooters. Over the course of a 3-day ranch stay, you can sample a wide variety of weapons, including exotic military arms such as a full-auto M2 Browning Machine Gun, an M60, a Barrett m107 50-Cal, select fire AR-platform rifles, and even M79 grenade launchers. In addition, you can shoot a host of different handguns and shotguns in Top Shot-style challenges with a variety of reactive targets from 10m to 1000 yards. There will also be a selection of historic arms, such as Winchester lever guns, single action revolvers, and black powder rifles.
Visitors to Texas Triggers won’t be limited to punching paper. To make the experience more exciting, Texas Triggers has invested heavily in reactive targets, including automated LaRue rifle silhouettes, dueling trees, re-settable steel plate arrays, and arcade-style target bays. There is even an elevated zipline like you’ve seen on the Top Shot TV show. This is very much a “Shooters’ Disneyland” that can provide a once-in-a-lifetime firearms experience. Colby Donaldson says: “Texas Triggers is THE ultimate shooting experience. It’s an adventure. It’s the exclusive opportunity to come down to the ranch for three days and train with the world’s top marksmen, using the most impressive weapons ever produced.”
While serving as a U.S. Army Blackhawk pilot, Trevor Baucom lost the use of his legs after a serious helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Through hard work and dedication, Trevor has overcome his disabilities to become the first-ever sponsored shooter who competes from a wheelchair.
While serving with the Army’s 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade in Afghanistan, Baucom was paralyzed (from the waist down) in a helicopter crash. He was then medically discharged after 13 years of distinguished service. During his rehabilitation process, Baucom got involved in the shooting sports (
To learn more about Trevor Baucom, read 
Nick Till in 2009 M1A Match. Nick was the 2007 Service Rifle Nat’l Champion. Photo courtesy 
The anti-hunting Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and six other groups last week filed a lawsuit designed to pressure the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into banning traditional ammunition containing lead components. EPA has twice denied petitions filed by CBD to ban traditional ammunition, citing correctly that it does not have the authority to regulate ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act. If bullets with lead components are restricted, this would affect target shooters as well as hunters because nearly all match bullets employ a lead core.
Larry Potterfield, the founder of 
Get $300.00 Gift Certificate with Purchase of AiR-15 Rifle
Benefits of Air Rifle Cross-Training
The AiR-15 for CMP Air Rifle National Match Program
Saturday started off sunny, but cool and windy, with 62 shooters registering in Sling (43), F-TR (7) and F-Open (12). Pit service was provided by the Boy Scouts, and had a rocky start. With the help of some shooter volunteers, pit operations smoothed out throughout the day and the first three 1000-yard Matches ran without incident. The wind pretty much held a steady 2 MOA left throughout the day, and some high scores were fired.
American Olympic Shooters will be able to train together as a team in Europe prior to the 2012 London Olympic Games, thanks to a contribution from Dallas Safari Club (DSC). With DSC funding, the USA Shooting Team has secured exclusive use of a shooting range in Denmark for a pre-Olympic Games Training Camp. Prior to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the USA Shooting Team conducted a similar camp in Korea. That move was considered a key factor behind the team’s successful showing with six medals, 12 top-5 finishes and two Olympic records. Hopefully, the Training Camp in Denmark can likewise help our shooters in their Olympic quest.
Immediately before the London Games, which begin July 27, the range in Copenhagen, Denmark, will be specifically dedicated for use by the USA Shooting Team for training around the clock in a distraction-free environment. In addition, the camp will be used to enhance team unity and commodore as well as solidify the athlete support structure.
Insulated Case Does Double-Duty
To learn more about how ambient temperature (and primer choice) affect pressures (and hence velocities) you should read the article 
