You can help support marksmanship training by participating in a major rimfire fun match — Metal Madness — an action shooting contest for all skill levels. The event takes place September 14, 2024 at the Grand Rivers Shooting Range in Kentucky. MidwayUSA Foundation has partnered with the Metal Madness Shooting Sports Association (MMSSA) to organize this event. Each entry donation is matched by the Foundation to benefit the youth shooting program of your choice. To learn more about Metal Madness, visit MMSSA.net.
MMSSA is a rimfire shooting sport offering the instant gratification of ringing steel targets. No special or fancy “raceguns” are needed — most any .22 LR firearm will work.
What is Metal Madness?
Metal Madness is a speed and accuracy-based shooting sport where participants shoot rimfire rifles or pistols at steel plates. Each competitor will shoot through 10 stages, moving to a new shooting lane each time. Each lane has randomized numbered metal plates, which must be shot in numerical order.
Scoring is time-based, plus penalties for missed plates or shooting plates out of sequence. With misses costing 2 seconds each, hitting plates in the proper order is extremely important. The eight fastest times from ten lanes fired are added together for each shooter’s bracket time.
$25 Per Entry — All Rimfire Ammo is Provided
At the fundraising match on September 14, every $25 donation is good for one 10-stage session. For each $25 session, competitors will fire through 10 different shooting lanes, with each lane featuring multiple steel targets. The .22 rimfire ammunition required to participate will be provided.
There is no limit on the number of entries a competitor may have. Competitors may participate in multiple sessions, with the same gun or different guns. All .22 caliber firearms are allowed to shoot Metal Madness.
Grand Rivers Shooting Range Address: 787 Dover Road, Grand Rivers, Kentucky
If you have a question about MidwayUSA Foundation’s Metal Madness Event, contact Sarah Hall, Project/Events Manager: shall@MidwayUSAFoundation.org | 573-303-8869.
John Whidden is a 6-time National High Power Long Range Champion. He has also won major Palma matches in the USA and abroad. But John’s stellar marksmanship skills are not just limited to long range centerfire shooting. This month John added to his impressive list of shooting titles with a notable victory in the 2024 CMP Smallbore (.22 LR Rimfire) Championship match held at Camp Perry, Ohio.
In today’s Sunday GunDay story, John examines that CMP Championship match and the smallbore match rifle he used. This is a unique, one-of a kind rig, put together with a combination of premium components from multiple manufacturers. John’s ultra-accurate .22 LR rifle features a PQP 2500X action, Tec-Hro Fanatic stock, MullerWorks barrel, Uptagrafft Tuner/Bloop Tube, and Anschutz trigger. For different segments of the smallbore competition the rifle is fitted with iron sights or a Nightforce scope.
CMP Match Report — Whidden Wins Match with Final Shot
The 2024 National Smallbore Prone 6400 Aggregate Championship came down to millimeters. The event was part of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s 2024 National Matches and was the culmination of four straight days of prone competition. Tight qualification matches saw the top three places separated by one point each, with John Whidden of Nashville, GA, leading the pack on the last leg of the match.
Whidden had been consistent throughout his entire National Matches appearance, having only dropped five points in the previous 15 rounds of the competition. His confidence continued as he took each shot. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled one left — just grazing the edge line of the 10-ring. An eye opener, to be sure.
Despite the close call, he pressed on. “A Prone 6400 Match is a marathon, and this, essentially, was a photo finish,” said Brad Donoho, CMP Smallbore Manager.
Whidden took his final shot, another 10. With a sigh of relief, John packed up his gear and walked off the firing line with a perfect score of 400 and the overall Open win in the Smallbore Prone 6400 Aggregate with a score of 6395-515X. “He finished out the match really strong”, Donoho said. “To see it all come down to the last shot was really incredible.”
Winning 2024 CMP Smallbore Prone Championship at Camp Perry
Report by John Whidden
The 2024 CMP Smallbore Prone National Championships are in the history books now. On the day before the match started, the CMP held a metric Dewar match. This was a bit of a warmup match and was well attended. The course of fire was 30 shots at 50 meters and 30 shots at 100 meters. I knew the match would be exciting as I got out of the car — the wind almost took the car door out of my hands! Yes, it was that kind of day.
Usually at the range, I can read the wind acceptably well, but there are occasionally some days when it just won’t come to me. The metric Dewar session was one of those days that I just couldn’t understand the wind indicators. I finished with a score of 575-24X which was below what I’d hoped for. I was feeling slapped around at this point!
Fortunately, the first day of the prone Championships was better. While still fairly windy, I found it much easier to read and finished up with 1599-103X leading the event. We shot iron sights for the first two days, and on day 2 Levi Clark shot the highest score and made up a point on my lead.
Days 3 and 4 are both shot with scopes on the gun. Usually with these scores, we see fewer points dropped. Shane Barnhart won day 3 with a blistering 1600-149X. Going into the last day I was only 1 point ahead and behind on X count. I knew with this tough group of shooters if I shot a 9 anywhere on day 4 I probably wouldn’t win it. I shot very carefully and tried to protect my points lead even if it meant giving up a few Xs along the way.
The day went well but I had a big scare on the next to the last shot. The wind picked up and I shot a 10.0 (these electronic targets will score in decimals) which is ALMOST a 9. I gathered myself for the last shot and felt my heart beating hard. I knew it had to be a good one because second place Nick Mowrer was breathing down my neck. Thankfully the shot stayed in the 10 Ring and I knew I had won the match.
Unique Rimfire Rifle with Premium Action, Stock, Barrel, & Tuner
The rifle I used for the match had just recently been built in our shop. Since opening the rimfire ammunition test range in May of 2024 we had the chance to observe some top-quality components in testing. After noting what was shooting really well, I decided to order a PQP 2500X action, a MullerWorks barrel, and a Uptagrafft Tuner/Bloop Tube. I had already purchased a Tec-Hro Fanatic aluminum stock suitable for the project and had an Anschutz trigger set aside.
MullerWorks has a highly respected standing for their barrels, especially in the rimfire community. I chose a MullerWorks 1:16″-twist barrel and finished it at 26″ OAL. I fitted a Tuner/Bloop Tube from Uptagrafft to the muzzle. This allows me to make the sight radius longer for iron sight matches and has a tuner integrated into the design.
The parts went together well. In the stock, I modified an action adapter that was intended to fit an Anschutz 54 into the Tec-Hro stock. I placed the action as far rearward in the stock as I could to make reaching the loading port easier. A benefit of the Anschutz trigger is that the trigger shoe is more forward than the Remington-type trigger, and this was a noticeable benefit in allowing the action to be mounted far back in the stock.
Call to Action-Maker about Fitting Anschutz Trigger
These PQP 2500X actions accept Remington pattern triggers but I use Anschutz triggers on all of my other prone guns. Because of familiarity I really wanted the Anschutz trigger on the new rifle. On the day before my action was to arrive I contacted Jerry Stiller who designed the action. I asked Jerry if the tang was long enough to retrofit an Anschutz trigger onto the action (Anschutz triggers are very large). He said he didn’t think it would fit. Well, things went well and the next evening I sent him a picture of my Anschutz trigger installed on the action. It has performed marvelously.
Once the rifle was all fitted and assembled, it was time to go to the test range. I shot through all of the ELEY and Lapua ammunition that we had available. One particular lot of ELEY Tenex and one lot of Lapua Center-X stood out as the winners. I shot several groups with each one and couldn’t determine a winner. Accuracy was excellent with group sizes averaging about 13.3mm (0.52″) outside to outside at 50 meters. The next evening I shot some more of each lot of ammunition and again neither ammo type was clearly better than the other. NOTE: 13.3 mm outside to outside is .303″ center to center.
Trying to break the ammunition tie, I decided to adjust the tuner on the third evening. I worked the tuner back and forth and arrived at the best setting. Up until now, I had shot the rifle with the tuner set as it arrived in the box, in this case setting number 500. On this particular rifle moving the tuner shrunk the group diameter by 4%. On some of my other rifles, I had seen a larger effect in the 14-15% range. I wasn’t unhappy though as the rifle was shooting well and importantly it was doing so very consistently.
When dry-fire training indoors, the rifle is fitted with a device on the end of the barrel that tracks barrel movement and shot location on a special electronic target. The device and target are sold together as the SCATT USB Dry-Fire Shooter Training System.
Secrets of a Rimfire Prone Champion — Whidden Wisdom 1. Shoot a High Volume of Ammo. There is really no substitute for rounds down range. The picture shows hundreds of spent cases — just a fraction of the several thousand rounds of ammo I shot from prone before the national events this summer.
2. Recognize the Difference between Training and Practicing. Training to me means that I have a defined goal that I’d like to achieve during that session. For example I may go shoot a match for training and my goal is to shoot all of my shots in the exact same wind condition and without making a sight adjustment for wind. This would help further my ability to recognize my desired wind condition.
3. Demand Top-level Accuracy from Your Rifle and Ammo. Often shooters are not objective enough about their testing and will excuse a bad shot with “I must have pulled that one” or similar comments. To win matches one needs reliable and durable accuracy across different temperatures and environmental conditions.
Major Benefits of Extensive Rimfire Ammunition Testing
Before the Championship at Camp Perry, I did significant rimfire ammunition testing, which proved very valuable. First I shot 10-round groups of all of the available lots. Next I shot 3 more 10-round groups of the lots that looked most promising. This is the same procedure we use for customer’s rifles when we test them. The worst of the initial 10 round groups was 25.4mm (1 inch) at 50 meters and the best was 12.4mm (0.49″) at 50 meters (measured outside edge to outside edge).
I want to illustrate the value of testing right here. Among the top ammunitions available one lot shot about half the diameter of a different lot. It’s just not possible to buy ammunition at random and expect the very best accuracy that way. The ammunition I chose averaged 13.3mm (0.52″) outside edge to edge at 50m across several groups. I decided to shoot the ELEY Tenex in the end. The performance of both ammunitions was equal but another of my rifles also shoots well with this lot of Tenex so that’s a bonus. Don’t think I didn’t also grab some of that Lapua Center-X and set it back for the right occasion!
Whidden Gunworks operates a state-of-the-art ammunition testing facility. You can visit the facility or ship your rifle to be tested with different lots of rimfire ammo. The Whidden facility features two testing lanes — one for testing ELEY ammo at 50 meters and a second for testing other brands (e.g. Lapua, SK, Norma, and RWS) at both 50 meters and 100 meters simultaneously, registering results for BOTH distances. For more info, visit Whiddengunworks.com/ammunition-testing.
Are you looking to get started in PRS and NRL practical precision rifle competition? Or perhaps you’d like to advance your skill set so you can place higher in big matches (and get your hands on those prize table items)? Of course there is no substitute for trigger time in the field, but there ARE some great print resources. These four books can help you select the right equipment, improve your shooting skills, make better wind calls, increase your fitness, and develop a more efficient between-match training program.
1. Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals
Frank Galli, $20.50 Paperback, $15.99 Kindle
Frank Galli (aka “LowLight”) is the founder/head honcho of SnipersHide.com, the most active tactical community on the internet. Galli is also a retired USMC scout-sniper. Practical Precision Rifle shooting is one of the hottest trends in competitive shooting today. PRS and NRL matches draw big turn-outs and boast impressive prize tables. Galli’s Precision Rifle Marksmanship (#ad) book covers the fundamentals of precision marksmanship with easy-to-understand methodology. The book uses the same instruction process that Galli uses in his live marksmanship classes.
As Sniper’s Hide guru Frank Galli explains, there is no voodoo when it comes to precision rifle marksmanship, but there are techniques that, when practiced, make the difference between good marksmanship and great marksmanship. Understanding the reasons that a bullet hits or doesn’t hit its intended target at ultra-long distances is a crucial element to learning. Galli’s explanations of how to understand and compensate for wind speed and direction are excellent — great wind-reading advice.
Published in 2020, this 272-page well-illustrated book covers the latest equipment (scopes, LRFs, chassis systems, mags, bags, bipods, tripods) favored by tactical competitors in PRS/NRL type matches.
2. Long Range Shooting Handbook
Ryan Cleckner, $22.46 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook (#ad) is the best-selling modern book on practical rifle skills. A former U.S. Army sniper instructor, Cleckner is knowledgeable, and his text is well-organized and chock full of good information. You can view Sample Chapters on Amazon.com.
Ryan Cleckner’s highly-regarded Long Range Shooting Handbook is designed as an intro to important fundamental concepts such as MOA vs. Mils, External Ballistics, and Environmental Effects. Included are personal tips and advice based on Cleckner’s years of experience as a sniper instructor and special operations sniper.
The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. This book will benefit any long-range shooter, not just PRS/NRL competitors.
3. IMPACT! — Training and Preparing for Precision Rifle Matches
Rodney Maze, $14.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Impact!, by PRS competitor Rodney Maze, is an entry/intermediate level guide to preparing yourself and your equipment to compete in precision rifle type matches. It will also benefit anyone looking to learn about practical-style long range and precision shooting. We recommend you check it out for yourself — there are 20 Pages of free sample content (#ad) on Amazon. Topics covered include:
— Rifle, optic, and equipment selection
— Setting up your rifle, bags, tripods for PRS/NRL matches
— Understanding ballistics and how to record and use ballistic data
— Techniques for using holdovers for multi-target stages
— Gun skills, rapid fire techniques, clearing malfunctions
— Shooting off of barricades, and specialty stages
— Effects of wind and how to improve your wind calls
— Tips for live fire and dry fire practice
— Preparing yourself and your equipment for a match
— Mental strategies and techniques
Impact! is illustrated with plenty of photographs. Topics are divided logically, and concepts are explained in clear language. Also included is an extensive glossary of terms used in precision shooting and a list of additional resources you can use to further pursue your precision shooting knowledge. This book also includes a handy Appendix with formatted pages for recording data about your rifle, scope, and ammunition. There is also a Wind table for recording your rifle “dope” and wind hold-offs. Lastly, Impact! has a useful table of unit conversions.
4. Practical Shooter’s Guide
Marcus Blanchard, $19.99 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training) (#ad). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
GunGoddess.com features a variety of products and shooting accessories especially chosen for lady shooters. You’ll find colorful apparel, carry purses, holsters, and even jewelry crafted from bullet castings.
GunGoddess.com was started by Athena Means, an active IDPA and USPSA pistol shooter. Athena, whose husband Mike served 20 years in the military, was inspired to create the site after searching in vain for shooting apparel and accessories in colors other than black, green, and tan. Athena wanted something with more appeal to the feminine eye: “I set out to find fabulous products that women shooters would love, and bring them all together here. Ladies who love to shoot will find all the traditional gear they need, but in neon pink and leopard print instead of traditional black!”
GunGoddess.com Has Gift Items for All Members of the Family
Though it specializes in products for women, GunGoddess.com also offers gift selections that will work for gun guys as well. If you’re looking for a gift for a guy, you’ll find unisex holsters, range bags (for pistols), compact gun safes, ear muffs, shooting glasses, indoor concealment furniture, and more. There are many unique items on the GunGoddess webstore that will make great holiday gifts.
Today’s Saturday video showcase is a wheelgun extravaganza. We offer eight videos covering some of the most famous double-action revolvers in existence. Check out reviews of Colt, Smith & Wesson, Korth, Dan Wesson, Ruger, and other models, in a variety of chamberings, both centerfire and rimfire. We think every serious gun enthusiast should have at least two revolvers in his collection — one centerfire and one rimfire. This Editor owns a stainless, 10-shot .22 LR Smith & Wesson Model 617. It has probably shot more rounds than all my other pistols combined, and it is still performing flawlessly after 25 years.
Multiple Revolver Line-up: S&W, Colt, Ruger, Taurus, Dan Wesson, Chiappa, Charter Arms, Webley and More
This 12-minute video provides a quick introduction to eleven interesting wheelguns: Smith & Wesson Model 29 (00:22), Colt Python (1:22), Ruger GP100 (2:25), Taurus Model 66 (3:40), Smith & Wesson Model 686 (4:38), Charter Arms Bulldog (5:41), Chiappa Rhino (6:32), Webley Revolver (7:27), Dan Wesson 715 (8:21), H&R Model 929 (9:59), Taurus Judge Public Defender (10:52). NOTE: This video also includes a review of the Bersa .380 which is NOT a revolver, so the video title is a little misleading. There are 12 handguns, but only 11 revolvers.
Colt Python .357 Mag 1000-Round Test
How well do modern wheelguns hold up to extended use? This video provides an answer. Honest Outlaw’s testers put 1000 rounds through a new-generation Colt Python chambered for the legendary .357 Magnum round. The Python showed outstanding accuracy, and the tester praised the trigger. Testing was done indoors and outdoors, both rapid-fire and slow-fire. After a couple hundred rounds, the Python needed a thorough cleaning of cylinder and barrel, but otherwise the revolver performed really well.
Hickok45 Shoots the New Colt Anaconda in .44 Magnum
Hickok45 is a respected YouTube video reviewer. In this detailed 19.5-minute video, Hickok45 reviews and tests a new generation Colt Anaconda revolver, chambered for the powerful .44 Magnum cartridge. This Hickok45 review is one of the most popular wheelgun videos on YouTube, having logged over 1.4 million views in three years.
Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR Revolver
This TFB Showtime episode examines the new .22 LR rimfire Colt King Cobra Target. The King Cobra Target .22 LR features a 10-shot cylinder, and the same adjustable target sights as the .357 Magnum version.
At the NRA Annual Meetings in 2022, Colt Manufacturing introduced an impressive new rimfire revolver — the King Cobra Target .22 LR. Colt states: “From competition to plinking and small game hunting, this baby Cobra does it all and packs 10-rounds of .22 LR in its cylinder”. The King Cobra Target 22 LR is available with 4.25-inch and 6-inch barrel lengths, both with 1:16″ RH rifling twist. MSRP is $999.00.
The Massive Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum X-Frame
If bigger is better, then a Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum should be in your collection. This jumbo-size wheelgun shoots a huge 50-caliber cartridge, the .500 S&W Magnum. Even with compensator slots on the end of the barrel, the recoil is massive — enough so that we would NOT recommend this big revolver to novice shooters.
In 2003 the engineers at Smith & Wesson wanted to deliver maximum power for serious handgun hunters. The power they sought required an entirely new frame, the massive “X-Frame”. That became the basis for the new Model S&W 500, the most powerful production revolver in the world.
Colt vs. Smith & Wesson
Here’s a pretty informative video, with two qualified experts, Bill Wilson and Ken Hackathorn. This covers the basic differences between Smith & Wesson and Colt revolvers. This video explores the classic “Ford vs. Chevy debate” of the revolver world. Both S&W and the Colt revolvers have their die hard loyalists. In this episode, the Gun Guys weigh the merits of Bill’s Colt Shooting Master and Ken’s S&W Registered Magnum.
Korth Super Sport STX Revolver — $4,393.00 Wheelgun
Germany’s Korth Arms makes some of the best revolvers on the planet. Korth’s machining tolerances are second to none. The triggers are superb and the accuracy is excellent. At the 2022 IWA Outdoor Classics Expo, Korth featured a “badass” black heavy-barreled wheelgun, the Super Sport STX Revolver. This features a full-length scope rail and slab sides, for use in Bianchi Cup-type competitions.
Korth states: “In addition to the National Standard Super Sport STX, we present the weight-reduced ALX version. Both weapon types are equipped with a 4-position rear sight”. You’ll need serious bucks to buy a Korth Super Sport STX. Currently the 8-shot STX model in .357 Magnum sells for €4,077.00 Euros (about $4,393.00 U.S.). Below are a trio of blued Korth revolvers:
Smith & Wesson Model 648 in .22 WMR
We love Smith & Wesson rimfire revolvers. We have put thousands of rounds through S&W Model 617 revolvers, with 4″ and 6″ barrels. These stainless .22 LR handguns are accurate, superbly reliable, and they hold their value. In general we’ve found that Smith & Wesson rimfire revolvers may be less fussy with ammo, and more trouble-free than typical semi-auto rimfires. Bottom line, we feel that everyone should have an S&W rimfire wheelgun in their collection.
Along with its .22 LR wheelguns, S&W now offers another very impressive Rimfire Revolver option — the “revived” Model 648 in .22 WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire). This stainless Model 648 brings a more powerful cartridge to S&W rimfire revolver fans.
Report based on NSSF News Release
We congratulate the USA Shooting team on its achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where team members earned five medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze). The 2024 Paris Olympics saw many firsts for USA Shooting, marking a significant chapter in the history of U.S. shooting sports. See all of Team USA’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games medals below:
Vincent Hancock: Gold, Men’s Skeet
Conner Prince: Silver, Men’s Skeet
Austen Smith: Bronze, Women’s Skeet
Vincent Hancock and Austen Smith: Silver, Mixed Team Skeet
Sagen Maddalena: Silver, Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle
Vincent Hancock Secures Gold in Men’s Skeet and Silver in Mixed Skeet
Vincent Hancock’s victory in Paris cements his place among the greatest Olympic shooters ever. Earning his fourth gold medal in men’s skeet, Hancock joins an elite group of athletes who have also won four gold medals — competitors such as Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis, and Katie Ledecky. Competing at the Châteauroux Shooting Range, Hancock delivered an almost flawless performance. In the finals, Hancock hit 58 out of 60 targets, securing the gold medal.
Conner Prince Takes Silver in Men’s Skeet
In his Olympic debut, Conner Prince delivered a remarkable performance, claiming silver in Men’s Skeet. His achievement, alongside Hancock’s, marks the first time Team USA has secured multiple medals in this event at a single Olympic Games.
Austen Smith Earns Two Medals in Skeet Events
In Women’s Skeet, Austen Smith earned a well-deserved bronze medal. Her consistency and focus were evident as she navigated a highly competitive field. Smith also partnered with Vincent Hancock in the Mixed Team Skeet event, where the pair earned a silver medal.
Sagen Maddalena Wins Silver in Women’s Smallbore Rifle
Sagen Maddalena demonstrated exceptional resilience in the Women’s 50m Smallbore Rifle, 3 Positions event. Maddalena’s skill and determination allowed her to execute a series of impressive shots in the single-shot eliminations, ultimately securing the silver medal.
NEXT UP — Paris Paralympic Games Commence August 28
American Shooters Will Compete in 2024 Paralympics August 28 – September 8
The Paris 2024 Olympics will be remembered as a historic moment for the USA Shooting team. With five medals and history-making performances. The excitement continues with the upcoming Paris Paralympic Games, where USA Shooting’s Paralympians will compete from August 28 to September 8.
Paralympics Shooting Finals event will be broadcast on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service. CLICK HERE to review the full Paralympics Shooting Sports broadcast schedule.
Find Shooting Sports Events Near You
August is National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM). This coast-to-coast celebration spotlights the fun and enjoyment of target shooting. The NSSF’s ShootingSportsMonth.org website offers a comprehensive, searchable database. This lets you search by state to find ranges, events, and sales promotions near you. Visit the NSSF online database of NSSM shooting events to find matches, clinics, training sessions, special sales — and much more.
Great FREE Targets for Fun at the Range
To promote National Shooting Sports Month, the NSSF offers 17 FREE Downloadable Targets. There are regular bullseyes, as well as Darts, Golf, and more. We really like the Billiards target and kids love the Water Balloons target. You can download all 17 targets for free, and then print them out, ideally with a color printer. Below are six of our favorite targets. Click HERE to download these six targets (3.5 mb ZIP).
Fall hunting season is coming soon. When you’re trekking many miles in the back-country on a hunt, rifle weight DOES matter. Many hunters want to keep their rifle weight as low as possible to reduce the overall load they must carry in the field. Howa now offers a series of Super Lite rifles that weigh under four and a half pounds (without scope, sling, or ammo). That’s impressive.
Howa claims that its Super Lite rifle is the “absolute lightest centerfire rifle on the market”. We can’t confirm that. But at a listed 4 pounds, 7 ounces (without optics), the carbon-fiber stock Super Lite model is very low in weight and mass (4.4375 pounds to be exact, without scope). And there is a Super Lite Short Barrel model (with 16.25″ barrel) that is just 4 pounds, 3 ounces (without scope). Either version is VERY light indeed — an important plus for hunters carrying their gear for long hours in the field.
Both standard and short-barrel versions of the Howa Super Lite rifle are currently available in .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 Rem, and .308 Winchester, four very popular hunting chamberings.
Photo shows Howa Super Lite Rifle with Kyptek Altitude Camo finish.
For 2024 the Howa Super Lite is offered with six carbon stock finishes, including three impressive camo types: Kryptek Obskura Transitional, Kryptek Altitude, and XK7 Kings Camo. Fitted with the strong but light Stocky’s Carbon Fiber stock, these Super Lite models feature a black webbing and soft touch for added texture and enhanced grip on the low-mass carbon stock. Howa also offers a walnut-stocked version of the Super Lite rifle. This weighs a bit more — 5 pounds, 9 ounces.
Howa Super Lite Rifle Features
Stock Options: Gray, Tan, Green, Kryptek Obskura Transitional Camo, Kryptek Altitude Camo, XK7 Kings Camo, and Walnut Wood (no wood for short barrel models)
Rifle Weight: Standard 4 lbs. 7 oz. | Short Bbl 4 lbs. 3 oz. | Walnut Stock, 5 lbs. 9 oz.
Chamberings: .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08, .308 Win
Stock: Stocky’s Carbon Fiber Stock with Accublock patented Lug Bed
Standard Barrel: 20″ Blued barrel threaded (½”-28) and Suppressor Ready
Short Barrel: 16.25″ Blued
Trigger: 2-Stage Match Trigger with 3-position Safety
Optics Mounting: Included one-piece Picatinny Rail
Stock Feature: Limbsaver Butt Pad
Warranty: Lifetime Howa Warranty
Accuracy Claim: Sub-MOA 3-shot group at 100 yards with premium factory ammo
The Howa Super Lite also has some interesting mechanical features, including machined receiver and gorged bolt, tool-less firing pin removal, and a reliable M-16 style extractor/ejector. CLICK HERE for more INFO on HOWA Super Lite rifles and the rest of the Legacy Sport International product line.
Hunting season is starting soon. We know many of our readers will be driving to other states. If you plan to travel across state lines with your guns, this book can really help. With over 100 changes from last year, the 2024 edition of Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States is a must-read for anyone planning to travel around the country with firearms. In addition, the book also covers the firearms travel laws for Canada and Mexico.
For $15.95 you can purchase a state-by-state Traveler’s Guide to firearms laws. This book can help ensure you comply with all state laws during your trip. Highways Magazine states: “If you carry a weapon in your rig, you need this book.” This 68-page guide covers all firearms types and all 50 states. It even has info for Canada and Mexico. The Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States has sold more than 2,000,000 copies since it was first released in 1996.
This 27th edition of the Traveler’s Guide covers important topics such as carry of firearms in a motor vehicle, concealed carry reciprocity, which states preempt local gun regulation, tips on handling a traffic stop, concealed carry in state and National Parks, vehicle carry and possession on college campuses and much more. Best of all, the text is in plain, easy-to-read English.
Written and researched by J. Scott Kappas, an attorney and Class III Firearms Dealer, the 2024 Traveler’s Guide has a preface that defines many key terms important for anyone traveling with a firearm across state lines. The latest edition also has new formatting for easier reading.
The Traveler’s Guide is especially useful for shooters traveling in RVs and motorhomes. The American Rifleman Magazine declared: “This book is a must-have for truck drivers, motor home enthusiasts, campers and other travelers…easy to read and understand, well-organized and concise….” One reader from Texas adds: “I used to think that my RV was the same as my home when it came to gun carry….the Traveler’s Guide set me straight. Now I know my motorhome is subject to the same laws as any vehicle when it comes to guns.”
Many barrel-makers mark the twist rate and bore dimensions on their barrel blanks.
Does muzzle velocity change with faster or slower barrel twist rates? Absolutely, but much less than you might think. Faster twist rates do slow down bullets somewhat, but the speed loss is NOT that significant. With Bartlein .308 Win barrels of identical length and contour, a 1:12″-twist barrel was only 8 fps faster than a 1:8″-twist barrel. That was the result of testing by Applied Ballistics.
The Applied Ballistics team tested six (6) same-length/same-contour Bartlein barrels to observe how twist rate might affect muzzle velocity. This unique, multi-barrel test is featured in the book Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting, Vol. 1. That book includes other fascinating field tests, including a comprehensive chronograph comparison.
Barrel Twist Rate vs. Velocity — What Tests Reveal by Bryan Litz
When considering barrel twist rates, it’s a common belief that faster twist rates will reduce muzzle velocity. The thinking is that the faster twist rate will resist forward motion of the bullet and slow it down. There are anecdotal accounts of this, such as when someone replaces a barrel of one brand/twist with a different brand and twist and observes a different muzzle velocity. But how do you know the twist rate is what affected muzzle velocity and not the barrel finish, or bore/groove dimensions? Did you use the same chronograph to measure velocity from both barrels? Do you really trust your chronograph?
Summary of Test Results
After all the smoke cleared, we found that muzzle velocity correlates to twist rate at the average rate of approximately 1.33 FPS per inch of twist. In other words, your velocity is reduced by about 5 FPS if you go from a 1:12″ twist to a 1:8″ twist. — Bryan Litz
Savage Test Rifle with Six Bartlein Barrels
Most shooters don’t have access to the equipment required to fully explore questions like this. These are exactly the kinds of things we examine in the book Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting, Vol. 1. In that book, we present experiments conducted in the Applied Ballistics lab. Some of those experiments took on a “Myth Buster” tone as we sought to confirm (or deny) popular pre-conceptions. For example, here’s how we approached the question of barrel twist and muzzle velocity.
Six .308 Win Barrels from Bartlein — All Shot from the Same Rifle
We acquired six (6) barrels from the same manufacturer (Bartlein), all the same length and contour, and all chambered with the same reamer (SAAMI spec .308 Winchester). All these barrels were fitted to the same Savage Precision Target action, and fired from the same stock, and bench set-up. Common ammo was fired from all six barrels having different twist rates and rifling configurations. In this way, we’re truly able to compare what effect the actual twist rate has on muzzle velocity with a reasonable degree of confidence.
Prior to live fire testing, we explored the theoretical basis of the project, doing the physics. In this case, an energy balance is presented which predicts how much velocity you should expect to lose for a bullet that’s got a little more rotational energy from the faster twist. In the case of the .30 caliber 175 grain bullets, the math predicts a loss of 1.25 fps per inch-unit of barrel twist (e.g. a 1:8″ twist is predicted to be 1.25 fps slower than a 1:9″ twist).
Above, data shows relationship between Twist Rate and Muzzle Velocity (MV) for various barrel twist rates and rifling types. From fast to slow, the three 1:10″ twist barrels are: 5R (canted land), 5 Groove, 5 Groove left-hand twist.
We proceeded with testing all 6 barrels, with twist rates from 1:8″ to 1:12″. After all the smoke cleared, we found that muzzle velocity correlates to twist rate at the average rate of approximately 1.33 fps per inch of twist. In other words, your velocity is reduced by about 5 fps if you go from a 1:12″ twist to a 1:8″ twist. [Editor: That’s an average for all the lengths tested. The actual variance between 1:12″ and 1:8″ here was 8 FPS.] In this case the math prediction was pretty close, and we have to remember that there’s always uncertainty in the live fire results. Uncertainty is always considered in terms of what conclusions the results can actually support with confidence.
This is just a brief synopsis of a single test case. The coverage of twist rates in Modern Advancements in Long-Range Shooting Vol. 1 is more detailed, with multiple live fire tests. Results are extrapolated for other calibers and bullet weights. Needless to say, the question of “how twist rate affects muzzle velocity” is fully answered.
Other chapters in the book’s twist rate section include: · Stability and Drag — Supersonic
· Stability and Drag — Transonic
· Spin Rate Decay
· Effect of Twist rate on Precision
Other sections of the book include: Modern Rifles, Scopes, and Bullets as well as Advancements in Predictive Modeling. This book is sold through the Applied Ballistics online store. Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting is also available as an eBook in Amazon Kindle format.
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