The 2024 Pyramyd Cup is one of the biggest and most prestigious airgun competitions in North America. This year’s Pyramyd Cup will be held September 11-14, 2024 at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio. With a wide selection of disciplines (Gunslynger, Field Target, and Benchrest), this year’s competition is set to be one of the most exciting and competitive in the event’s history. If you want to participate, CLICK HERE to Register.
The 2024 Pyramyd Cup will feature top-tier competitions, including the precision-driven 100 yard Benchrest, the action-packed Gunslynger showdown, and the World Class Field Target competition. As always, top airgunners from around the world will gather to test their skills and vie for top prizes.
John McCaslin, President of AirForce Airguns, stated: “We are excited to sponsor this year’s Pyramyd Cup. We are grateful to Val Gamerman, the owner of Pyramyd Air for graciously hosting this event and bringing the airgun community together for [a great] event.”
Field Target Discipline Is Challenging
“Field Target is one of the most difficult shooting disciplines out there,” says recent Pyramyd Air Cup Match Director, Tyler Patner. “Combine the multiple skills required to rise to the top of your game, with the myriad of factors you take into account at each lane, and you’ve got a challenging sport.”
“Targets are small, metal silhouettes of animals that consist of a kill zone and a colored paddle,” explains Pyramyd’s Tyler Patner. “Placed at unknown distances from between 10 yards to as far as 55 yards, the targets have kill-zones ranging in size from 3/8 inch to 1 1/2 inches. When the pellet passes through the kill zone and hits the paddle, the target falls and you’re awarded a point. It’s a game of precision and practice. You range-find with your scope, dope for distance, take the wind into account, and then you have to execute. There are different restrictions based upon your selected class, but the challenges remain the same. Wind-doping, range-finding, and remaining mentally tough over the entire course of fire are the biggest hurdles competitors face.”
Huge Prize Table for Competitors
Competition prizes are being provided by many airgun, optics, and gear manufacturers including: Accu-Tac, AirForce Airguns, Air Arms, Air Venturi, Athlon, ATN, Crosman, Birchwood Casey, Diana, Firebird Targets, FX Airguns, Hatsan USA, H&N, Hawke, Hill Air Pump, Hawke Sport Optics, JTS Airguns, Leapers, Norica, Predator, Pyramyd, RAW, RX Target Systems, Saber Tactical, Sightron, Sportsmatch, Umarex, Vortex, Weihrauch and more. “You’d be hard-pressed to find an airgun competition with a better selection of prizes for its winners,” says says Pyramyd Air CEO, Joshua Ungier. “Our winner’s packages help assure shooters that if they’re limited to traveling to only one competitive shooting event, they recognize the Pyramyd Air Cup as the industry’s premier event.”
CLICK HERE for full list of 2024 Pyramyd Cup Sponsors.
Tired of spending $15-$25 for a can of spray lube that doesn’t last that long? For about the same price as a single 10 oz. can you can make your own effective spray lube that should last for multiple seasons and lube thousands of cases quickly and easily.
In the YouTube video embedded below, our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com shows how to make your own case lube using simple, inexpensive ingredients. As recommended by the 6.5 Guys, this Liquid Lanolin + Isopropyl Alchohol mix works well and is very cost-effective. You can make a pint of this home-brew Lanolin case lube that will lube thousands of cases — many more than a typical commercial aerosol spray can (that’s mostly compressed air).
Gavin describes the exact mixing process on his Ultimate Reloader website. Gavin says this lube mix is a good complement to the Hornady One-Shot (pistol) and Dillon DCL (rifle) lubes he has used for pistol and rifle reloading sessions. CLICK HERE to read more.
This evening, Shooting USA TV will feature a major U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) competition — the USPSA Production Class Nationals. Watch the broadcast at 9:00 pm Eastern/Pacific, 8:00 PM Central on the Outdoor Channel. SEE Shooting USA info. This week’s show also features a review of the new ZEISS Conquest HD Binoculars — great for hunters.
The USPSA Production division is easily the most approachable in terms of equipment. These are virtually out of the box guns with minimal enhancements. Even so the national championship chase is highly contested and the level of competition is extremely high.
Broadcast Times: Wednesday 9:00 PM Eastern/Pacific, 8:00 PM Central on Outdoor Channel.
You can also subscribe for $1.99/month to watch broadcasts “on demand” at any time on Vimeo: vimeo.com/ondemand/shootingusa
About the USPSA — Active Sports Group Nationwide
The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) is a leading competitive shooting organization dedicated to promoting safe, fair, and fun practical shooting sports. Members engage in dynamic and challenging courses of fire, where speed, accuracy, and power are equally tested. USPSA shooters of all skill levels can enjoy shooting on the clock at steel and reactive targets. Whether you’re a seasoned shooter or new to the sport, USPSA offers fun and well-run competitions.
Hit Factor Scoring Based on Time AND Accuracy
Scoring is more complicated than fixed time events or steel shooting where your time is your score. In USPSA and IPSC each stage is worth a specific number of points. After a competitor completes a stage, the total score they shoot on the targets is divided by the time it takes to finish the stage. This establishes their hit factor. The competitor with the highest hit factor wins the stage and earns the total number of points available for that specific course of fire. The remaining competitors receive a percentage of the stage points based on their hit factors.
Top photo credit: Paul Erhardt, U.S. Air Force, Public Domain, Wikimedia.org.
Ever wondered what caused a particular bulge or marking on a case? And more importantly, does the issue make the case unsafe for further use? Sierra Bullets Ballistic Technician Duane Siercks offers some insight into various issues and their causes in two Case Diagnostic articles from the Sierra Blog.
Incipient Case-Head Separation
This is a Winchester .308 Win case that has a real issue. This case has a very obvious incipient case head separation in the process of becoming a complete failure.
This is most commonly caused by over-sizing the case causing there to be excess headspace on the case. After a few firings and subsequent re-sizing, this case is just about ready to come completely apart. Proper die adjustment is certainly a requirement here. Of course this case is not safe to reuse.
Excessive Pressure (Load Too Hot)
If you will notice in the picture of the case rim, there are two pressure signs to notice. First, look at the primer. It is basically flattened to about the max of what could be considered safe. If this was the only pressure sign noted, I would probably be fine with this load, but would constantly keep an eye on it especially if I was going to use this load in warmer temperatures. This load could easily cross into the “excess pressure” realm very quickly.
There is another sign of pressure that we cannot ignore. If you’ll notice, there is an ejector mark apparent that is located over the “R” of the R-P headstamp. This absolutely tells us that this load would not have been in the safe pressure range. If there were any of these rounds loaded, they should not be fired and should be dis-assembled. This case should not be reloaded.
Split Case-Neck
Here we have an R-P .22-250 case that has died the death. Everything looks fine with this case except the neck is split. This case must be tossed.
A split neck is a normal occurrence that you must watch for. It is caused by work-hardening of the brass. Brass cases get harder with age and use. Brand new cases that are stored for a period of time can become hard enough that they will split like this case within one to two firings. I have had new factory loads do the same thing. Then as we resize and fire these cases repeatedly, they tend to get harder and harder. Eventually they will split. The life of the case can be extended by careful annealing practices. This is an issue that would need to be addressed in an article by itself. Of course this case is no longer usable.
In the classes that I teach, I try to use examples like this to let the students see what they should be looking for. As always, if we can assist you, whether you are new to reloading or very experienced, contact us here at Sierra Bullets by phone at 1-800-223-8799 or by email at sierra@sierrabullets.com.
Dented Case Body
Here we have a Lake City 7.62×51 (.308 Win.) case with two heavy marks/dents in the case body.
This one may be a bit of a mystery. It appears as if this case may have been caught in the action of a semi-auto rifle when the firearm jammed or the case failed to clear during the cycling process. I probably would not reload this case just to prevent any feeding problems. This also appeared to be a factory loaded round and I don’t really see any pressure issues or damage to the case.
Multiple Problems — Lake City 5.56×45 unknown year.
This case has suffered multiple failures and cannot be re-used. First its has have a very rounded shoulder that is split. Upon first look it was obvious that this round had been a victim of excess pressure. The firearm (perhaps an AR?) was apparently not in full battery, or there was possibly a headspace issue also. While taking a closer look, the primer was very flat and the outside radius of the primer cup had been lost. High pressure! Then I also noticed that there was an ejector mark on the case rim. This is most certainly an incident of excessive pressure. This case is ruined and should be discarded.
It is very important to observe and inspect your cases before each reloading. After awhile it becomes second nature to notice the little things. Never get complacent as you become more familiar with the reloading process. If ever in doubt, call Sierra’s Techs at 1-800-223-8799.
With major forest fires this past year in Western states, many have wondered about hazards faced by gun owners in fire zones. This important video shows what really happens when loaded ammunition burns. You will probably be surprised. Contrary to Hollywood notions, the ammo doesn’t ignite in a massive explosion. Far from it… basically the rounds “cook off” one by one, and the bullets release at relatively low velocity. We’ve featured this SAAMI research project before, but it is worth reprising for those who have not yet seen the burn tests.
A few years back, SAAMI released an important video concerning ammo and fire. With professional fire-fighters standing by, over 400,000 rounds of ammo were incinerated in a series of eye-opening tests. If you haven’t had the chance to view this video yet, you should take the time to watch it now
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) has produced an amazing 25-minute video that shows what actually happens to sporting ammunition involved in a fire. This video shows the results of serious tests conducted with the assistance of professional fire crews. We strongly recommend you watch this video, all the way through. It dispels many myths, while demonstrating what really happens when ammunition is burned, dropped, or crushed.
Watch SAAMI Ammunition Testing Video
Video Timeline
2:10 Impact Test (ignited outside firearm)
3:40 65-foot Drop Test
5:08 Bullet Impact (.308 Win firing)
7:55 Blasting Cap Attacks
9:55 Bulldozer and Forklift Tests
12:20 Boxed Ammo Bonfire
15:37 Bonfire without Packaging
17:21 Retail Store Simulation Burn
20:55 Truck Trailer Burn
Over 400,000 rounds of ammunition were used in the tests. Some of the footage is quite remarkable. Testers built a bonfire with 28,000 rounds of boxed ammo soaked in diesel fuel. Then the testers loaded five pallets of ammo (250,000 rounds) in the back of a semi-truck, and torched it all using wood and paper fire-starting materials doused with diesel fuel.
The video shows that, when ammo boxes are set on fire, and ammunition does discharge, the bullet normally exits at low speed and low pressure. SAAMI states: “Smokeless powders must be confined to propel a projectile at high velocity. When not in a firearm, projectile velocities are extremely low.” At distances of 10 meters, bullets launched from “cooked-off” ammo would not penetrate the normal “turn-out gear” worn by fire-fighters.
We are not suggesting you disregard the risks of ammo “cooking off” in a fire, but you will learn the realities of the situation by watching the video. There are some amazing demonstrations — including a simulated retail store fire with 115,000 rounds of ammo in boxes. As cartridges cook off, it sounds like a battery of machine-guns, but projectiles did not penetrate the “store” walls, or even two layers of sheet-rock. The fire crew puts out the “store fire” easily in under 20 seconds, just using water.
Additional Testing: Drop Test, Projectile Test, Crush Test, Blasting Cap Test
Drop Test
The video also offers interesting ammo-handling tests. Boxes of ammo were dropped from a height of 65 feet. Only a tiny fraction of the cartridges discharged, and there was no chain-fire. SAAMI concludes: “When dropped from extreme heights (65 feet), sporting ammunition is unlikely to ignite. If a cartridge ignites, it does not propagate.”
Rifle Fire Test
SAAMI’s testers even tried to blow up boxes of ammunition with rifle fire. Boxes of loaded ammo were shot with .308 Win rounds from 65 yards. The video includes fascinating slow-motion footage showing rounds penetrating boxes of rifle cartridges, pistol ammo, and shotgun shells. Individual cartridges that were penetrated were destroyed, but adjacent cartridges suffered little damage, other than some powder leakage. SAAMI observed: “Most of the ammunition did not ignite. When a cartridge did ignite, there was no chain reaction.”
Bulldozer Crush Test
The test team also did an amazing “crush-test” using a Bulldozer. First boxes of loaded ammo, then loose piles of ammo, were crushed under the treads of a Bulldozer. A handful of rounds fired off, but again there was no chain-fire, and no large explosion. SAAMI observed: “Even in the most extreme conditions of compression and friction, sporting ammunition is unlikely to ignite. [If it does ignite when crushed] it does not propagate.”
Blasting Cap Test
Perhaps most amazingly, the testers were not able to get ammunition to chain-fire (detonate all at once), even when using blasting caps affixed directly to live primers. In the SAAMI test, a blasting cap was placed on the primer of a round housed in a large box of ammo. One cartridge ignited but the rest of the boxed ammo was relatively undamaged and there was no propagation.
While Accurateshooter.com concentrates on high-accuracy rifles, we know that many of our readers enjoy handguns. We are often asked “What is your favorite handgun — Glock? HK? SIG Sauer?” The answer to that question may be surprising. This Editor’s favorite handgun, at least the one that gets shot most often, is a rimfire revolver — that’s right, a wheelgun.
This Editor’s first really accurate handgun was a .22 LR Smith & Wesson Model 617 that could easily stack ten shots in a dime at 10 yards. It remains my favorite and most-used handgun. What can we say about the Model 617? The single-action trigger pull is superb, and the accuracy surpasses most any semi-auto rimfire pistol, except for a few, very expensive target pistols. We like the 6″ version for the longer site radius, but the 4″-barrel 617 is also very accurate, and it balances better.
S&W Model 617 now has a 10-round cylinder, but early models were six-shooters.
We strongly recommend that new pistol shooters start off with a .22 LR rimfire handgun. The .22 LR cartridge is accurate but has very low recoil, less “bark” than a centerfire, and very little smoke and muzzle flash. New shooters won’t have to fight muzzle flip, and won’t develop a flinch from the sharp recoil and muzzle blast common to larger calibers. With the .22 LR, the trainee can focus on sight alignment, breathing, and trigger pull.
Smith & Wesson Model 617 Video Reviews
Here are two video reviews of the Smith & Wesson Model 617, both 4″-barrel and 6″-barrel versions. Both videos demonstrate the 617’s great accuracy. The reviewers concede that this handgun is pretty expensive, but all agree that the Model 617 will last a lifetime, and hold its value.
This Video Features the Full-size 6″-Barrel Model 617:
Recommended .22 LR Revolver Training Targets
The .22 LR cartridge makes small bullet holes in paper. These can be hard to see if you’re shooting at large, black bulls-eyes, particularly at an indoor range. Also, when shooting rimfire, you’ll go through ammo quickly. For that reason we recommend targets with bright-colored, multiple aiming points.
The 19″x25″ Sight-Seer target (left) is great for pistol practice. It features eight red bulls on a 1″-square grid. Ultra bright fluorescent red inks, printed on heavy, 60-lb vellum paper, are highly visible, even indoors. You can use a classic Six O’Clock hold with this target, putting the bottom of each circle on top of your revolver’s front sight.
The smaller, 8.5″x11″ Sinclair Fluorescent Sight-In Target (right) has four small diamonds surrounding a large center diamond overlaid on a 1-inch grid. Diamonds and grid are printed in fluorescent red/orange on white, heavy-grade paper so your shots print nice and clean. A 25-pack is $6.99 at Brownells.
Recommended .22 LR Ammo Box
When we go to the range with rimfire handguns or rifles we bring this handy ” target=”_blank”>$13.99 MTM ammo caddy. The compact carry case will hold boxed ammo, plus you can lay out your ammo in 10-round rows (with 100 rounds nose-down). This makes it easy to fill the 10-Rd cylinder on your Model 617. This ammo case is offered in both blue or red (rust) and there is room in the center for more ammo boxes. One recent purchaser notes: “Very handy box for .22 LR makes knowing your shot count easy”.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
1. Brownells — Labor Day Sale PLUS 15% Off Discount Code
⏺ Huge number of discounted items plus 15% savings with Code LD15
If you’re looking to save money on a wide range of shooting gear check out the Labor Day Sale at Brownells. Many items are on sale and you can get 15% off nearly everything in stock with Promo Code “LD15″ at checkout. Don’t miss this chance to grab quality gun parts and accessories on sale. NOTE: The Labor Day Sale deals and 15% discount end Monday, September 2, 2024 at 11:59 pm CDT.
2. Graf & Sons — Bushnell Optics Clearance Sale
⏺ Save 22% or more on scopes, binoculars, and more
Bushnell makes quality riflescopes, binoculars, spotters, and night vision units, and Bushnell offers a strong warranty. Right now get major savings on Bushnell optics with the Bushnell Clearance Sale at Graf’s. All the sale items are at least 22% off with savings up to 25%. For example, if you need a deer hunting scope, you can grab a Bushnell 3-9x40mm Trophy scope for just $105.78 a 22% savings. This Bushnell Sale is a great opportunity to get optics for your next project or hunt.
3. Amazon — Lyman 8-station Turret Press, $269.97
⏺ 8-station turret press is great for loading multiple cartridge types
The 8-station Lyman Brass Smith All-American 8 Press (#ad) is an impressive product. This sturdy turret press is made from heavy-duty cast iron. The 8-die station turret will hold up to four 2-die sets. Below the turret is a rigid cast iron frame, housing a 1″-diameter ram and compound linkage. NOTE: With a $269.97 price on Amazon, the 8-station Lyman is $130 cheaper than the $399.99 7-station Redding T-7. No question, that’s a significant price advantage.
4. Creedmoor Sports — Pre-Fit Criterion Barrels on Sale
⏺ Very accurate barrels for AR Platform, Garand, M1903-A3 and more
Pre-fit Criterion barrels are a great value. For $285 – $340 you can get a quality, accurate Criterion barrel that is threaded, chambered, and ready to install on your AR-15, M1 Garand, or M1903-A3. No special gunsmithing is required, though you should check the chamber length before you load ammo for the new barrel. This is a great option for GSSM match shooters and Service Rifle shooters. Go to Creedmoor Sports for these Criterion Pre-Fit Barrel Bargains.
5. Amazon — Lyman Case Prep Xpress, $144.96
⏺ Popular case prep machine with five stations
The popular Lyman Case Prep Xpress (#ad) has five stations (with a high-torque gear motor) so you can run multiple case prep tools on one machine. This allows you to chamfer cases inside and out, brush case-necks, clean/uniform primer pockets, and ream military crimps. The Case Prep Xpress ships with case neck brushes and multiple tool heads. Included with the machine are: Inside Deburr (VLD) Tool, Primer Pocket Uniformers (Sm/Lg), Primer Pocket Reamers (Sm/Lg), Primer Pocket Cleaners (Sm/Lg), Case Neck Brushes (.25, .30, .38, .45 Cal), and Clean-up Brush. A dump pan provides easy clean up of brass shavings.
6. Midsouth — Frankford Arsenal Tumbler Lite + Media, $109.99
⏺ Rugged, effective tumbler sold with or without media
Have you wanted to get a wet tumbler but don’t need a giant one? Consider the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Case Tumbler Lite. Choose either the basic model for $94.99 (no media) or the Combo Kit with two pounds of stainless media for $109.99. A compact version of the popular Frankford Platinum Series Tumbler, the Tumbler Lite can hold up to 300 pieces of .223 brass. With its proven durability and direct-drive electric motor, this is a good tumbler choice at a great price. It can be used with media or with just water and cleaning solution.
7. EuroOptic — Walther PPQ M2 9mm Pistol, $629.99
⏺ Save hundreds on great 9mm handgun for gun games
The Walther Q5 M2 Match — a great choice for IDPA and other action pistol competitions — has a very good trigger and impressive accuracy. It boasts fully adjustable LPA sights with a red fiber optic front. The slide can also take a Red Dot sight. The grip is comfortable and ergonomic, with interchangeable backstraps. We like the trigger much better than Glock triggers — this Walther has a clean trigger pull with fast reset. With this EuroOptic deal you can save $350.00 on the Walther Q5 M2 Match.
⏺ Comfortable slim NRR23 muffs with high-gain microphones
Walker’s Razor Slim Electronic Shooting Earmuffs (#ad) amplify ambient noise for situational awareness yet provide good protection with a non-bulky design. These Razor Slim muffs have a good noise reduction rating (NRR) of 23 dB. (For optimal protection run plugs under the muffs.) The Razor series muffs feature Walker’s comfort fit headband for all-day shooting. NOTE: These are Amazon’s #1 Best Seller in Hunting & Shooting Earmuffs. This $38.80 price is a very good deal.
10. Amazon — REXBETI Digital Micrometer, $39.99
⏺ Very good unit for the price, with nice, large display
Want to upgrade to a digital micrometer? The EXBETI Digital Micrometer (#ad) is a great value at $39.99. This unit can provide ultra-precise measurements with 0.0001″ accuracy. The unit is easy to use and has a large, clear LCD display. This comes with a handy hard case for storage. NOTE — this type of micrometer does NOT work for measuring case-wall thickness. You’ll need a ball micrometer for that task.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
The Rimfire Challenge Shooting Association (RCSA) will host its annual World Championship next month. The 2024 RCSA World Championship will take place October 19-20, 2024 at the Cavern Cove Competitive Shooting facility in Woodville, Alabama. This RCSA World Championship event will feature multiple stages with metal targets, shot with both rimfire rifle and rimfire pistol. See Rimfire Challenge action from last year’s RCSA Championship below:
Watch Action from the 2023 Rimfire Challenge Championship at Cavern Cove Range in Alabama
The RCSA promotes rimfire competition nationwide, supports beginning competitors and clubs, and solicits support for rimfire events from industry businesses. The RCSA is now an official partner of the +ONE Movement, a mentorship program organized by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). NSSF +ONE programs encourage mentorship related to firearm safety, firearm basics, shooting sports, and hunting. The +ONE program focuses on peer-to-peer development in shooting sports and hunting.
About the Rimfire Challenge Shooting Association
Designed to introduce new shooters to shooting sports in an exciting, family-friendly format, Rimfire Challenge matches focus on competition with .22 LR rifles and pistols. Matches are open to shooters of all shooting experience levels, with events conducted at ranges nationwide. The video below shows the Rimfire Challenge Shooting Association 2022 Championship.
This article is Copyright 2023 AccurateShooter.com. No reproduction on any other site is permitted.
We like the swivel (“S”) version of the Harris bipod. The swivel (actually tilting) capability of the bipod allows you to tilt (cant) your rifle around the bore axis to level the rifle on a side slope or uneven ground. Unfortunately, the swivel tensioner (friction knob) that comes standard with a Harris swivel bipod leaves much to be desired. The tensioning knob is hard to adjust with your fingers. The small knurled ring doesn’t offer enough leverage. When it’s tight enough to prevent movement it’s hard to release. For this reason, many folks replace the standard knurled ring with a rotating adjustment lever with push-button release. This works great and is easy to install.
While you can buy levers from various sources, EABCO (E. Arthur Brown Co.) has a tried-and-true system that works with both Harris and Caldwell XLA-S swivel bipods: “Our S-Lever Tension Lever is an economical replacement for the friction tensioning knob to give you much better control and leverage.” The EABCO Lever is just $16.95. Or for $29.95 EABCO also sells the KMW Pod-Lok S Bipod Lever, which is a bit shorter. Shown below are instructions for installing the $16.95 EABCO S-Lever.
As a Labor Day Weekend bonus for our readers, we thought we’d celebrate the beauty of highly-figured wood with a collection of custom rifles. In our Shooters’ Forum, there is a long-running Gun Glamour thread that showcases many beautiful wood-stocked rifles. Today we feature some very handsome rifles from that Forum Thread as well as other rifles we’ve featured in the Daily Bulletin.
Two F-Open Beauties with Walnut Laminates
Cerus-stocked Special from Cigarcop
Forum member Keith W. (aka “Cigarcop”) of KW Precision LLC is a talented riflesmith whose projects display outstanding finish work and attention to detail. Keith does some of the best bedding work we’ve ever seen. Back in 2018, Keith built a stunning .284 Win F-Class rig for a shooter in Delaware. It’s a beauty, that’s for sure.
Check out the stunning Cerus F-Open stock. This features multiple laminations with highly-figured Walnut on the sides. This certainly ain’t your “off-the-shelf” laminated stock. This just shows the beauty that can be achieved with carefully-chosen lamination layers (plus 12 coats of clear).
This beautiful F-Open rig features a laminated wood stock with stunning figured walnut on the outside.
A Beauty for the Boss (of Grizzly.com)
This F-Class rifle belongs to Shiraz Balolia, Chairman/CEO of Grizzly Industrial. Shiraz finished the stock himself: “I installed the bottom wider track for my rear bag and also carved out the finger grooves in the grip. The blank was quite long so I cut off approximately two inches from the front end of each stock and also deepened the large tracking cavity under the fore-end. I went ahead and inlaid my name in Mother-of-Pearl on the Walnut stock.” The stock was then sent to Sims Guitar Finishing for clear coating with “wet look” finish. This rifle is chambered for the .300 Shiraz wildcat, an improved .300 WSM.
F-0pen Stock made of highly-figured Walnut with Curly Maple inner laminations.
Beautiful Rifles from our Forum Gun Glamour Thread
Here are a variety of handsome wood-stocked rifles from our Forum Gun Glamour thread. In that thread, member Kurz posted a dream gun owned by a friend in England. Kurz included a quote from a book created by the rifle’s owner: “There, with my father’s words ringing in my ears, I shall take that ‘step forward’ and order a perfect machine based on the Mauser ’98 action, built from metal and wood by master craftsmen who truly understand that ‘reliable’ and ‘mechanical integrity’ have as much relevance today as they did all those years ago.”
A gun can “shoot dots” and still be handsome. Here is a short-range benchrest rifle with a stunning, exhibition-grade Walnut stock. Forum member Josh B found this beauty.
Forum member JRS submitted a stunner from Europe. This beauty features a truly exquisite piece of wood with elaborately engraved receiver. It also has escutcheons and special metal work on the grip.
Lever-action Falling Block rifles can be beautiful too. This one features a color case-hardened receiver and handsome two-piece fancy wood stock. This was submitted by Forum member Kurz who notes: “Besides exhibition grade walnut, I like the variations available in spalted maple for rifle stocks.”
Here is member Oldduc’s Stevens 44 1/2, .38-55 Black Powder Cartridge Rifle, with an extra .218 Mashburn Bee barrel. Very nice blueing along with the figured wood stocks and fore-arms.
A competition rifle must be “performance first”. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be handsome too. Forum member XTR’s rifle, an F-TR rig, features Maple wood with Bubinga tips.
Here is “something completely different” — a classic lever-activated Martini Martini Cadet chambered in .20 Vartarg (rimmed). Look at the figure on that fore-end. Remarkable!
And wood can work for Benchrest rifles too, when cleverly fashioned in thin carbon-reinforced laminates. Photo from member mdman352.
“Wood is Good” — as demonstrated by all the rifles showcased above. In the photo below, master stock-builder Doan Trevor handcrafts a highly-figured wood stock.
Shooting USA TV will feature a major U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) competition — the USPSA Production Class Nationals. Watch the broadcast at 9:00 pm Eastern/Pacific, 8:00 PM Central on the Outdoor Channel. SEE 
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (
We are not suggesting you disregard the risks of ammo “cooking off” in a fire, but you will learn the realities of the situation by watching the video. There are some amazing demonstrations — including a simulated retail store fire with 115,000 rounds of ammo in boxes. As cartridges cook off, it sounds like a battery of machine-guns, but projectiles did not penetrate the “store” walls, or even two layers of sheet-rock. The fire crew puts out the “store fire” easily in under 20 seconds, just using water.
