Sierra Bullets rolled out few new products for SHOT Show 2012. The one new bullet is a .30-caliber flat-based bullet, the 125gr OTM (open-tip match HP) MatchKing, item #2121. This unique flat-based bullet was designed in conjunction with AAC (Advanced Armament Corporation) and Remington for the new .300 AAC Blackout (BLK) cartridge, a relatively small cartridge based on the .223 Rem necked up to .30 caliber. The bullet length is tailored to correctly fit and feed from AR-15 platform magazines. The relatively light weight of Sierra’s new 125gr MK allows it to reach fairly impressive velocities even with a modest powder charge. Of course it can also be used in subsonic mode, running at sub-Mach velocities. However, it is more typical for .300 BLK shooters to run a heavier bullet, such as the 240gr SMK, for subsonic applications (the heavier projectile delivers much more downrange energy at subsonic MVs).
The projectile’s Open Tip is pinched for greater uniformity in the same manner as Sierra’s Palma Competition bullets. The G1 BC is surprisingly high for a relatively short, flat-based bullet: 0.310 (below 1600 fps), 0.330 (1,600-2,000 fps), 0.338 (2000 – 2650 fps), and 0.349 (above 2650 fps). Though it will perform well at low velocities in the .300 BLK, this bullet can handle the higher velocities produced by common .30 cal mid-sized cartridges, such as the .30-30.
The new 125gr Matchking is now being loaded in factory ammo, including Remington’s Premier Match, which retails for $34.00 for a 20rd box. These 125gr bullets are available now from MidwayUSA for $34.99 per hundred.
Each year, at SHOT Show, we get a chance to meet up with the Kelbly clan. Jim Kelbly and his family-run operation always have something new and interesting on display, and this year was no exception. Jim explained to us that 2012 marks the historic 40th Anniversary of the Firearms Industry Super Shoot. Jim is expecting the largest turn-out ever for the short-range benchrest event, held annually at the Kelbly Range. And Jim said that 50-60 foreign shooters may join the fun in 2012. The Super Shoot already has the highest attendance of any 100/200-yard benchrest match on the planet — even more than the World Championships. Jim said he is planning some extra surprises to help celebrate the 40th Super Shoot anniversary.
On the hardware side, Kelbly’s had some some new March scope options on display and Jim noted that Kelbly’s now produces 30mm and 34mm scope rings for both Davidson and Picatinny-type scope rails. These new rings have an improved clamping design with a floating side clamp piece providing direct lateral tension. This strong design replaces the squeezing-type ring base found on Kelbly’s older rings. This provides more positive clamping force and it also allows more repeatable tensioning.
$2,300.00 Kelbly Atlas Custom Rifle
Ian Kelbly provided the big news — Kelbly’s is now offering a “factory custom” rifle. The Kelbly Atlas Custom Rifle features a Stolle Atlas action in a bedded Bell & Carlson T-1000 stock with aluminum chassis. Each gun will feature a precision-chambered, Krieger cut-rifled barrel. (You won’t find those on other “factory customs”). You have a wide choice of chamberings including: .223 Rem, 22-250, .243 Win, .308 Win, 300 WSM and 7mm WSM. The Atlas rifles come with a crisp, Rifle Basix two-pound trigger.
The good news is that this complete package — with your choice of stock finish — is just $2,300.00 complete. That’s a good price considering the quality of the components. We’ve seen other vendors asking $3,500.00 or more for rifles with “plane Jane” Remington actions and “no-name” barrels. And we were pleased to hear that you don’t have to wait a year or more for a Kelbly Atlas Custom Rifle. Kelbly’s has over two dozen rifles in stock, ready to ship right now.
We dropped by the Stiller Precision Firearms SHOT Show booth to see the latest product roll-out from Jerry Stiller and his crew. Jerry showed off some of his hot new action designs, including the long-awaited Copperhead rimfire benchrest action. Along with two rimfire actions, Jerry unveiled his hot-selling P1000 Benchrest Action, and his new TAC30 AW bottom metal system for Rem-clone actions.
The advanced Copperhead rimfire BR action, “in development” for years, is finally a reality. This is a pure benchrest-quality action, built from the ground up to deliver the smallest groups with today’s rimfire ammo. The Copperhead’s innovative design features DUAL firing pins at 6 and 12 o-clock. This serves to make rimfire ignition as consistent as possible. This action also has an Anschutz-style feed ramp to aid feeding of single-shot rounds. Being very complex to manufacture, the Copperhead commands a fairly high pricetag — roughly $1300.00. For those in the highly competitive rimfire benchrest game, who demand the very best rimfire receiver available, the high price is can be justified by the action’s superior performance. Prototypes have already earned top places ijn many notable rimfire BR matches.
Along with the Copperhead, Stiller Precision offers a nicely-detailed, smooth-running 40x clone rimfire action that will fit any stocks inletted for the Remington 40 Rimfire rifles. This 40X Rem clone action is in stock and available know for about $950.00.
Yet another unique action from Stiller Precision is the Tac-30 AW. This is a Rem-footprint action made as a purpose-built tactical rifle foundation. It has beefy #8 screws for scope base attachment along with the ability to add rail pins to a picatinny rail to reduce the possibly of any screw failures. Along with that, it is specifically made to work in concert with Stiller’s detachable magazine bottom metal and Accuracy International AW magazines. The entire action, bottom metal and magazine combination is available for about $1,100.00. The AW magazine is superior to the standard AICS mag; the AW design is easier to load, and it holds ten rounds in a more compact (shorter) box.
Last but not least, Stiller showed us a P1000 action which is becoming more popular in the long range benchrest realm and is available in standard and magnum bolt faces for short and long action calibers. This dual-port action is only available in a right-bolt, left-port, right eject configuration. It is also available in 2 diameters – 1.350” and 1.550” in case weight is an issue. Interestingly, the P1000 is made to work without the standard recoil lug as you can see it has recesses cut in the bottom that will act as a recoil lug surface. Similar to other Stiller’s actions, the P1000 has a small size (0.068″ diameter) firing pin for enchanced accuracy.
Stiller Precision is working hard to catch up on existing orders as well as continuing to develop innovative, state-of-the-art actions for discerning customers. Most of the actions on display at SHOT show are in stock and ready to ship. In addition, Stiller hopes to resume production of his popular Viper and Diamondback actions in just a few months. Jerry cautions “be patient” if you are looking for a drop-port or other classic benchrest not currently in inventory.
Our 2012 SHOT Show Media day adventure kicked off with some serious firepower. After arriving at the Boulder City Rifle range and signing the obligatory legal release forms, Jason Baney and I made a beeline for the Colt shooting bay where an amazing Bulldog 1877 repro Gatling Gun was on display. These fully-functional, authentic replicas are crafted by the Bulldog company for Colt. You can buy one if you have a cool $50,000.00 to spend. You heard it right — fifty thousand dollars.
Jason is friends with Gatling project director John Buhay, who let both of us send some 45-70 rounds downrange. While the Bulldog Gatling can dispense a prodigious amount of lead in a few seconds (rate of fire determined by how fast the operator cranks), this firearm is not considered an NFA machine gun. Because an advancement of the crank is required for each shot to be fired, this Gatling is not subject to the severe restrictions imposed on Class III arms. You can purchase a Bulldog Gatling, so long as you would otherwise qualify to legally own a long gun.
Three things surprised me about this Gatling. First was the stunning appearance of the unit. It is beautifully machined and every polished metal component shown like gold in the morning sun. The stability of the unit was also surprising. Because the Bulldog is so big and heavy, it barely bobbles as it sends round after round through its five barrels. And surprisingly little force is required to work those barrels. The crank spins easily. I could see how a trained team of Gatling operators could, back in the 19th century, burn through thousands of rounds of ammunition in a few minutes.
While we were somewhat disappointed that we didn’t see many all-new precision rifles at Media Day 2012, there were plenty of new riflescopes on display. Among the most impressive new optics were rugged new high-zoom-range, First Focal Plane (FFP) tactical scopes from Hensoldt (Carl Zeiss), Leupold and Trijicon. These new scopes all featured fat tubes, compact overall length, and abundant elevation travel. These lastest top-end FFP tactical scopes offer as much as 26-power in a form factor not much bigger than a “normal” 4-16X scope.
New 3.5-26x50mm Hensoldt Was Outstanding
Hensoldt showcased a very impressive, prototype 3.5-26x56mm FFP tactical scope. Though this scope offers a whopping 7.4X zoom range and 26-power on top, this new Hensold is relatively compact. The reticle in these prototype versions was a very useful (and simple) milradian-based reticle that we hope Hensoldt retains in the production versions. The Hensoldt boasted an impressive 36 Mils of total elevation travel in two (2) turns of the turret. The new Hensoldt still shares the same superior glass and compact size that puts these scopes at the top of their class. We tested a prototype mounted to an Accuracy International AX 338. Expect the production version to be the same size and cost approximately $4000.00.
As you can see in the video, the new Hensoldt coupled with the new Accuracy Int’l AX in 338 Lapua Magnum worked very effectively at 900 meters in some tricky winds. This combination made it fairly easy to break clay pigeons on the bank at 900 meters. Off camera this combination continued to show great accuracy and very effective design features.
New Leupold MK-8
Leupold showed off a brand new MK-8 3.5-25x56mm with a Horus reticle and a beefy main tube. Again, this featured a lot of elevation in one turn as well as a pinch-and-turn locking turrets. This is a big leap forward for Leupold and we feel this will be well-received in the tactical world. Along with the new MK8, we also sampled Leupold’s new MK6 3-18x50mm. This shared similar features as the 3.5-25, and was incredibly compact as well. We expect the MK8 to sell near $4000 and the MK6 to be substantially less, likely under $3000 according to company reps.
Trijicon made a departure from their standard fare and jumped into the tactical scope world with a beefy Front-Focal Plane 3-15x50mm. This featured a well-executed MOA-based reticle and turrets with 30 MOA per turn (a Milrad version offers 10 Mils per turn). The Trijicon showcased the “short and fat” appearance that seems to be the latest design trend in tactical scopes. But though the Trijicon had a fairly short OAL (for its zoom range), it was still quite heavy at 47 ounces. The glass in this prototype version was disappointing for a scope that will retail in the $4K range. Reps told us the production version glass would be much improved. (It had better be, if Trijicon hopes to play in this stratospheric price range.)
It was apparent at Media Day 2012 that scope companies have worked hard to provide more features and more performance in their high-end tactical scopes. Consequently, the latest generation of scopes offer some very interesting and useful innovations — wider zoom range, more compact size, more elevation travel per rotation, and “goof-proof” turret mechanisms. We can only hope that, with more competition in this market, prices may become more reasonable. $4000 is an awful lot of money to pay for a scope.
Ruger has introduced a modern bolt-gun, the Ruger American Rifle (RAR), that combines smart featurea of popular rifles made by Tikka, Browning, and Savage. The New Ruger American Rifle features a three-lug bolt with short 70° bolt lift. Dual cocking cams are used to lighten the bolt lifting force so the bolt can be manipulated easily. This rifle uses a barrel nut like a Savage, and it also has a safety trigger similar in appearance to the Savage Accutrigger, though the mechanics of the Ruger trigger are different. Currently the RAR is available in a comfortable yet somewhat flexy synthetic stock, with pillars and a deep channel to free-float the barrel.
We liked the beefy action, which has as positive tang safety along with a nice rotary magazine. This gun offers many good features considering the affordable price (under $500.00 without optics). We hope Ruger expands the RAR line-up to include a heavy-barreled varmint version with a longer stiffer stock. The RAR will be offered in both short-action and long-action versions.
Eleven-Time NRA National High Power Champion David Tubb knows a bit about long-range shooting. One of the key factors in long-range accuracy is making sure that the tilt/cant of your rifle does not change throughout your shot string. In the clip below, the first in McMillan’s Master Class Video series, David Tubb explains the importance of keeping your rifle level. He explains that, at 1000 yards, your Point of Impact can change dramatically by canting the rifle either right or left. David states that, when shooting at 1000 yards, if your rifle is level and your shot is centered-up on a 72″ (six-foot) square target, you can actually put your next shot OFF PAPER by canting your rifle. That means you can move Point of Impact (POI) three feet or more, just by canting your rifle! Bryan Litz confirms Tubb’s observation. Bryan tells us that, as a general rule of thumb (for common cartridges), a 1° cant will produce five (5) inches of lateral displacement at 1000 yards. Thus, if you cant your rifle just 8°, the POI would move 40″ from the center of the target, putting the shot off the edge of a 72″-wide target.
David explains that, after one of his students has made two or three 1000-yard, X-Ring hits with a LEVEL rifle, “then I’ll have him take his rifle, and cant it to the right. I’ll have him shoot a shot. He will MISS the six-foot-square frame off to the right. Then I’ll have him cant his gun to the left and shoot another shot. He will miss the six-foot-square frame to the left.”
Rifle Hold and Canting — Consistency Counts Remember that you must maintain the exact same amount of rifle cant from shot to shot. Yes, some iron sights shooters do tilt their rifle slightly to achieve a better hold or to index their sights better. However, these shooters do not change the tilt from shot to shot — the amount of cant remains the same on every shot.
When shooting prone with a scoped rifle it’s probably best to keep the rifle dead level, with the scope’s vertical crosshair straight up and down. Use a rifle-mounted bubble level to maintain a level hold, and avoid canting the gun either to the left or to the right. Affordable bubble levels that mount to your scope or scope rail can be purchased from Brownells and other vendors, starting at about $15.00.
Montana X-Treme has an impressive line of aluminum-handled, coated cleaning rods. Introduced in 2010, these rods feature twin thrust bearings in hardened stainless steel retainers to ensure the coated, steel shafts spin smoothly even under heavy load. That’s good news for us. This ham-fisted Editor has managed to “stuff up” the bearings on both Dewey and Bore-Stix Cleaning Rods. If the Montana X-Treme thrust bearings are more durable, that’s a huge plus. We also like the fact that the machined aluminum handles have a slim profile for better clearance on the rear of the stock. The handles are long enough to get a good grip while a radiused section in the front allows you to push with your thumb. All rods have female-threaded tips, allowing use of most commercial jags without adaptors. The shafts have a proprietary non-embedding coating. Montana X-Treme claims its shaft coatings should be very long-lasting. Time will tell. These new cleaning rods look very well made — but they are pretty pricey. MidwayUSA is currently selling the new rods for $49.99.
Color Coding and Big-Bore Sizes up to 56″ Long
Montana X-Treme cleaning rods come in 12 different, color-coded sizes, with lengths up to 56″. Currently, however, 42″ is the max length for a a 17-20 or 22-264 (6mm) rod. We would like to see at least a 46″ 22-264 rod for use with 30-32″ barrels.
UltimateReloader.com created an informative video that shows how to use the new Hornady Lock-N-Load Concentricity Gauge and Ammo Straightener. This tool can measure run-out on both the bullet and on the case-necks. Run-out is deviation from the cartridge centerline axis. Too much run-out, i.e. poor concentricity, can reduce accuracy, although when you seat bullets into the lands, a certain amount of bullet self-straightening can take place.
Hornady Tool Supports Cartridge on Both Ends
The new Hornady Concentricity Tool supports the case at two ends. As a result, the Hornady Tool will tend to yield lower run-out figures than a tool such as the Sinclair concentricity checker which supports the cartridge on the case body alone, giving the bullet unrestricted movement as the case body is rotated. As UltimateReloader explains: “Each measurement tool measures run-out differently, so you’ll need to factor that into your goals for your own match ammunition.”
Bullet ‘Straightening’ with Hornady Concentricity Tool
The Hornady Tool can be used to push seated bullets to one side or the other, reducing measured run-out. The Hornady tool has a threaded pusher that side-loads the bullet. As you screw the pusher inwards in you can see the run-out on the dial indicator decrease. That straightening process is shown in the Hornady-produced video below, at the 25-second mark. In Sinclair Intl’s Reloading Press blog, Pete Petros reports: “It can take a little bit of trial and error to get this just right, but it does work.”
Is Bullet Straightening Really That Effective?
This bullet straightening procedure, whether done with the Hornady tool or other device, is a somewhat controversial technique. Some folks say that straightening bullets simply transfers run-out back down to the case neck. Petros notes: “One concern that comes up is what are you doing to the neck of the case in terms of neck tension.”
On the other hand, many shooters claim their ammo shoots better after they straightened rounds which initially showed excessive run-out. One Hornady Concentricity Tool user writes: “The straightening feature on the Hornady tool makes bullet/case concentricity easy to correct and after using this tool, I wouldn’t be without one. Variations on [my] cast bullets have gone .020″ and when straightened, I can get down to below .001″. It takes a bit of practice, but it’s possible to make every round straight. At the 100-yard range yesterday using my straightened rounds … five-shot groups averaged .500. Before I would always have flyers and now I can see why this time I didn’t have any flyers. Straight rounds produce more consistent groups!”. Read more.
Bullet straightening with the Hornady Tool or other devices can certainly make a difference in run-out that shows up on the dial. Whether that improvement in perceived concentricity actually produces better accuracy remains an open question. Using high-quality dies with good bullets, seated in good, straight brass, you should be able to load ammo with very low run-out from the get-go. It may be better to try to achieve low run-out during your normal loading process rather than rely on the “band-aid” of bullet straightening as a last resort. On the other hand, if you are starting with factory-loaded ammo, re-aligning bullets in the case-necks may be a useful exercise. We invite our readers to comment on their experiences with bullet straightening. Has the straightening process worked for you?
Bryan Richardson of Powder Valley let us know that PVI is running some great specials on bullets and ammo right now. Check out these deals at PowderValleyInc.com:
BULLET Specials Z-Max Varmint Bullets
Hornady Z-Max bullets on “Pre-Order Special”. These are basically V-Max bullets with a green tip. It’s a heck of a deal at 20-25% less than the standard V-Max bullets and they are offered in 500-count boxes.
Hornady Free Box of Bullets with Purchase of 1000 Bullets
Order 1000 V-Max bullets and receive a free box of Hornady .224 55gr V-Max (100 ct) bullets. Order 1000 Match or A-Max bullets and receive a free box of Hornady .308 168gr BTHP Match (100 ct) bullets.
Nosler Bullet Sale
Nosler Partitions are still on sale at a 25% Discount.
AMMO Specials PVI Closeout Special on Wolf Ammunition
All Wolf Rifle Ammunition is $5.00 per box (of 20).
All Wolf Pistol Ammunition is $12.00 per box.
(Pistol ammo mostly out of stock.)
Hornady SWAG Offer
Order 3 boxes of Hornady Superformance Ammunition and receive a free Hornady hat. Order 10 boxes of Hornady Rifle Ammunition and receive a free weathered long-sleeve shirt.
Jason is friends with Gatling project director John Buhay, who let both of us send some 45-70 rounds downrange. While the Bulldog Gatling can dispense a prodigious amount of lead in a few seconds (rate of fire determined by how fast the operator cranks), this firearm is not considered an NFA machine gun. Because an advancement of the crank is required for each shot to be fired, this Gatling is not subject to the severe restrictions imposed on Class III arms. You can purchase a Bulldog Gatling, so long as you would otherwise qualify to legally own a long gun.
Trijicon made a departure from their standard fare and jumped into the tactical scope world with a beefy Front-Focal Plane 3-15x50mm. This featured a well-executed MOA-based reticle and turrets with 30 MOA per turn (a Milrad version offers 10 Mils per turn). The Trijicon showcased the “short and fat” appearance that seems to be the latest design trend in tactical scopes. But though the Trijicon had a fairly short OAL (for its zoom range), it was still quite heavy at 47 ounces. The glass in this prototype version was disappointing for a scope that will retail in the $4K range. Reps told us the production version glass would be much improved. (It had better be, if Trijicon hopes to play in this stratospheric price range.)
Remember that you must maintain the exact same amount of rifle cant from shot to shot. Yes, some iron sights shooters do tilt their rifle slightly to achieve a better hold or to index their sights better. However, these shooters do not change the tilt from shot to shot — the amount of cant remains the same on every shot.
Z-Max Varmint Bullets
PVI Closeout Special on Wolf Ammunition
