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October 8th, 2010
 Recently Charles Lake, President of Warne Scope Mounts, applied for a business line of credit at Home Depot. The application was initially approved, but a day later the credit line was rescinded based on Warne’s industry sector. Lake was expressly told that credit was denied because Warne “make[s] parts for the gun industry.”
Home Depot credit lines are managed by Citibank, so the decision to black-ball Warne Scope Mounts was based on Citibank policies. Rich Grassi, editor of the Tactical Wire, contacted Citibank to find out why Warne’s credit application was denied. Grassi received this reply from Citibank’s Elizabeth Fogarty (Public Affairs):
“Citi does not prohibit the financing of firearms purchases by individuals nor the financing of businesses that manufacture and sell them to individuals for recreational use. However, we do prohibit financing merchants in the non-ancillary military equipment industry, including the financing of businesses that manufacture and or sell firearms for military use.” In response to Grassi’s request for clarification, Citibank replied: “The policy prohibits financing businesses that manufacture and/or sell firearms for military use.”
Grassi Will Provide Updates on Gun Talk Radio Show
To learn more about this situation, read the “Politics of Credit” story on The Shooting Wire. This weekend, Rich Grassi will appear on Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk radio show to provide the latest updates on the Citibank vs. Warne controversy.
October 7th, 2010
If you are a gun enthusiast with leadership experience in the sales/marketing field, here is a potential dream job with a good salary and decision-making clout. Savage Arms is seeking a National Sales Manager who will be responsible for the development and performance of all sales activities with distributor, buying group, and select ‘big box’ retailer accounts. The National Sales Manager will lead the team of sales reps and will manage domestic distributor and big-box accounts. The National Sales Manager also will attend national trade shows, provide market feedback to senior management, and assist in the development and implementation of marketing plans.
Job Experience Required
The successful candidate will posses a bachelors degree or equivalent experience, 10+ years experience in a sales management role, and knowledge of Savage customers, products and competitors. The candidate also must have strong organizational skills, a proven ability to motivate and educate, the ability to operate under pressure and manage multiple priorities. To apply for the job, send resume and salary requirements to:
Savage Arms, Inc.
100 Springdale Rd.
Westfield, MA 01085
Fax: 413-562-7130
plessard@savagearms.com
October 6th, 2010
Hornady plans to release a brand new 285gr, .338-caliber match bullet within the next few weeks. This bullet, which boasts a mind-blowing 0.735 G1 BC, has already proven itself in competition. At the 2010 IBS 1000-yard Nationals in September, Scott Fletcher won the Heavy Gun (HG) group title shooting the new Hornady 285gr BTHPs. Scott’s 4-match, 10-shot per target group Aggregate was 9.148″. Scott was shooting a large wildcat, the .338 Sloan. That cartridge is nearly identical to the new .338 Norma Magnum*, which could be described as a “chopped” .338 Lapua Mag — shorter with less case capacity.
Weight is unlimited in the 1000-yard Heavy Gun class. Weight soaks up the recoil of big cartridges like the .338 Norma Magnum, making them manageable to shoot. The Big 30-Cals have long dominated this HG category, but some shooters like Fletcher are experimenting with some really big cartridge/bullet combinations, in pursuit of class-leading ballistics. We don’t know how fast Fletcher pushes his prototype Hornady 285s, but that 0.735 BC has to give the bullets awesome performance in the wind.
Artist’s concept — No photos of the new bullet are available.
New Manufacturing Process Produces Bullets with Near-Zero Run-out
According to Hornady’s Chief Ballistic Scientist Dave Emary, the new 285-grainer is a VLD-style, secant ogive projectile with a standard, drawn-copper jacket and lead core. This is a BTHP, NOT a plastic tip bullet like Hornady’s A-Max designs. Emary says, “This bullet was originally developed for the military. It has just about the lowest drag possible with conventional bullet construction and ogive design.” The .338-caliber 285gr bullet is the first of two new super-low drag bullets Hornady will be releasing before the end of the year.
The new 285gr bullets are built with a new manufacturing process that improves jacket concentricity to previously unattainable levels. Emary says: “Measured along the entire jacket, these bullets have extremely low eccentricity. We measured zero to a couple ten-thousandths total run-out along the whole jacket. As a result the bullet has show truly outstanding long-range performance, with sub-half-MOA accuracy at extreme ranges.” Hornady Project Engineer (and 1K shooter) Joe Thielen added: “These bullets are specifically designed and built for long-range use, and the jackets are the some of best I’ve ever seen.”
When will the new bullets be available? End of the year at the latest. Emary says the 285s should be available “before the end of November”. When we asked Hornady Marketing guru Steve Johnson, he said “Soon. They’ll be out soon.” When pressed as to “how soon”, Steve responded: “The release is imminent… imminent”.
*The .338 Norma Magnum was originally developed by the American sport shooter Jimmie Sloan as a long-range sport shooting wildcat cartridge. It was designed to shoot the .338-caliber, 300gr Sierra MatchKing projectile from actions/magazines too short for a .338 Lapua Magnum. Sloan licensed the design to the Norma group. Both the .338 Norma Mag and the larger .338 Lapua Mag are derived from the .416 Jeffreys, but the .338 Norma Mag fits in a shorter action.
October 6th, 2010
Many shooters using the 6mmBR case or a 6BR Improved (6 BRX, Dasher), automatically assume they should be shooting the heavier 105-108gr bullet designs because these offer the “best” ballistic coefficient attainable with a bullet that can work in an 8-twist barrel.
 However, if you are shooting a 6BR at medium ranges, say 250 to 400 yards, you should seriously consider trying the 90-95 grain class of bullets, which includes the Berger 90gr Match Target BT, the Lapua 90gr Scenar, the Berger 95gr Match Target VLD, and the Sierra 95gr MatchKing.
First, you may find that, in your barrel, the 90-95 grainers are easier to tune in terms of seating depth, and they may offer somewhat better raw accuracy — yielding smaller groups than the heavier bullets. But remember — each gun/barrel is different.
Second, another advantage of the 90-95s is that you can fill the case fuller with the Varget/RL-15 class of powders (with appropriate throats). You can use more powder and therefore get closer to an optimal 100% case fill. With a 95gr VLD seated long we were able to get virtually 100% fill with a slow lot of Varget. Don’t try that with your 105s!
Lighter Bullets Offer More Speed in a 6BR
You’ll find that, in a standard 6mmBR rifle, you can drive the 90-95 grainers considerably faster than the 105-108 grain bullets at equivalent pressures. In an Eliseo R5 Tubegun, with Broughton 27.5″ 5C barrel, we were able to push the 95gr VLDs a full 160 fps faster than the 108s. This means that the true ballistics of the 90-95s rival that of the heavy bullets — at medium ranges.
We were able to drive the 90-grainers and the 95gr VLDs comfortably and very accurately at 3050 fps, whereas we maxed out at about 2890 fps with the 105gr and 108gr Bergers. At 300 yards, the 95gr bullet’s speed advantage compensates, in large part, for any BC shortfall compared to heavier bullets. In fact, in our rifle, the 95gr VLD actually shows less wind drift at 300 yards than either the Berger 105 Match Target BT or the Berger 108 Match Target BT. See chart.
Here’s data from JBM Ballistics, using G7 Coefficients (500′ alt, 70° temp):
LESSON: Don’t always assume that the heavier bullet has superior ballistics. You have to test, find the accuracy nodes for each bullet in your gun, and run the ballistics for the velocities you can actually achieve with good accuracy. As above, you may be surprised. In our Eliseo Tubegun, the 90-grainers shot tighter than 105s and we gave up little, if anything, in wind drift at 300 yards.
Great Accuracy from 90s and 95s in 6mmBR Tubeguns
In our Broughton-barreled Tubegun, the most accurate bullet so far has been the 90gr Lapua Scenar. In a Savage 6BR with 3-groove PacNor Barrel the Berger 95gr VLD has been ultra-accurate. But we really want to try the 95gr Sierra MK as well. Forum member Randy (aka “InfantryTrophy”) has been shooting the 95gr SMK with great success, and impressive accuracy. Here is his report: “The 95 SMK shoots great. I have not had the opportunity to shoot the 95s at 200 or 300 yards, but I can’t think of anything better to use. This is my first 5-round group fired after about 15 break-in rounds. The load is 29.5 grains of Reloder 15 with SMK 95. The gun is an Eliseo R5 with Pierce action and Broughton 27″ barrel. Shown below is a 5-shot, 100-yard group shot at 100 yards on MR31 target with iron sights, from rest.” Randy measured his group at 0.214″. It looks a bit bigger than that to us, but it is still impressive:
October 5th, 2010
South African Pieter L.R. (aka “Baboonstalker” in our Shooters’ Forum), has crafted an impressive single-torch annealing machine with a compact footprint. Pieter’s new KinetiX Precision Annealer holds cartridge brass cases in a dished carousel (wheel) machined from billet. An electric motor advances the carousel while a separate belt-driven spindel rotates each case when it in positioned in the flame. The standard wheel holds cases up to .308 bolt-face in diameter, and Magnum wheels are available.
Precision Mount for Torch-Head
One of the most impressive features of the new machine is the 4-way mount that holds the torch tip. This adjusts for height, flame angle (up/down), and flame distance to case. It can also rotate around a vertical axis. The mount looks like something NASA would produce for vectoring rocket thrusters.
Compared to some other annealers, Pieter’s KinetiX unit is quite compact, with a small footprint. The entire unit (less torch) would fit in a large hat-box. Pieter kept the footprint small by placing all the drive motors and gears under the carousel, rather than off to the side. Pieter optimized his machine for a single torch: “Dual torches are good on some other models to distribute the heat around the neck or to get longer exposure time on the constant-motion models. On this model the case turns in the flame so i do not see a real need for a secondary torch. However, if you want two or more torches i would be more than happy to add brackets for them.”
Basic KinetiX Annealer Will Cost $540.00
Pieter plans to put his KinetiX annealer into production: “I will be selling these units for $540 USD not including shipping, which is about $105 USD for airmail and $35 USD for surface mail. I hope to have my own website up and running soon but you can reach me on gokinetix[at]telkomsa.net in the meantime.” The $540.00 price includes the annealing machine, speed controller, power supply (100-260V) and standard wheel which up to .308-rim-diameter cartridges (including 284s). Pieter tells us: “I have tested [the standard wheel] down to .22 Hornet, but anything that sticks out above the plate (7/8″) should work fine. If you have a specific case in mind that does not fit, i can just make up a special wheel for you.” Pieter also plans to offer Magnum wheels for cases up to .338 Lapua, and Super Magnum wheels for cases up to .50 BMG.
October 5th, 2010
In our feature article on Case Neck Tools we explained the importance of case neck uniformity and reviewed the best tools for measuring case neck thickness. But having uniform case neck walls is only part of the accuracy equation. You also want your cases to exhibit minimal run-out, as measured by a precision tool. For this reason, a quality concentricity gauge belongs on your loading bench if you are looking for the Nth degree of accuracy.
 We’ve worked with quite a few concentricity gauges. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but some just didn’t perform well at all with very short cases like the 6BR and 6PPC. One of our regular readers suggested we check out the H&H Concentricity Gauge, made by Bill Herron in Oregon. So far we are very impressed. A 6BR or PPC case doesn’t tip or rock, causing the needle to jump. We were able to get good, repeatable readings off a seated bullet, which wasn’t easy at all with some of the other units. Our friend agreed with our positive assessment of the H&H, saying: “I have four concentricity gauges. Among these tools, the H&H is the least expensive and the easiest to use of those designed for loaded round measurement AND bullet straightening. It is also built like a brick. However, the Sinclair is [probably] the best for looking at the case alone due to the bearing balls and their adjustability.”
The H&H uses an indicator block to eliminate off-center indicator readings. It will accept .22 PPC through .375 length cases. A reversible spindle acts as a pilot for checking neck thickness. Bill Herron says the unit can also re-align bullets, but we didn’t try out that capability. For more info, visit the H&H Industries website, or call Bill at (541) 327-1411.
October 4th, 2010
 There’s some good news to report from Washington this week. Legislation has been introduced that would: 1) Block efforts to ban ammo (and bullets) that contain lead or lead; and, 2) Allow the import of Korean surplus rifles that have been embargoed by the Obama Administration.
Ammo Protection Bill Introduced in both House and Senate
Following continued attacks by anti-hunting groups to ban traditional ammunition (ammunition containing lead-core components) under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) has introduced legislation (H.R. 6284) to clarify the longstanding exemption of ammunition under the act. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark) has introduced a similar bill in the U.S. Senate.
Bill Would Allow Importation of Korean Surplus M1 Garands and M1 Carbines
U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) is seeking to stop the federal government from interfering with the legal importation of surplus collectible U.S.-made firearms from South Korea, the Billings Gazette reports. Lummis has joined with Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) in introducing a bill called the Collectable Firearms Protection Act. NSSF, which called for a congressional hearing to investigate this ban, supports the bill.
Washington Legislative report from NSSF.
October 4th, 2010
 The Western CMP Games/ Creedmoor Cup are less than two weeks away. From October 16-24, 2010, the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Assn. will host the 6th Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup at the Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, AZ. The Western CMP Games Matches run from October 16 to 19. The Creedmoor Cup Matches take place on 20-24 October. All interested shooters, from novices to High Masters, are invited to participate. Event registration deadline is October 13, 2010.
| CLICK HERE for Match Program and Schedule
The Western CMP Games kick off with a Garand-Springfield-Military Rifle New Shooter Clinic from 8:00 am – 11:00 am on Saturday, 16 October. The clinic includes lecture, demonstration and dry fire position work while emphasizing what new shooters need to know to shoot these matches. Gary Anderson, CMP Director Emeritus, will be the lead instructor. After the clinic the first Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match will be fired in the afternoon. Hornady will then present a Reloading Clinic from 5:00 – 7:00 pm.
 Plenty of Garand Action, Plus Rimfire Sporter Match Debuts
On Sunday, 17 October, there will be an As-Issued M1 Garand EIC Match in the morning where shooters lacking EIC points can earn introductory “4-point legs.” That afternoon, there will be a new event on the schedule, a Rimfire Sporter Match. The Rimfire Sporter Match is a low-key event that caters to all ages and skill levels.
Shooting opportunities on the third day, Monday, 18 October, have also been expanded. There will be a second Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match that morning followed by an M1 Carbine Match that afternoon. The Western CMP Games Matches conclude on Tuesday, 19 October, with a third Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match, and Vintage Sniper Test Match.
Creedmoor Cup Clinic and Matches
The Creedmoor Cup schedule begins on Wednesday, 20 October, with an Advanced Clinic. The Creedmoor Cup Matches include a Practice Match, a 4-Man Team match, the 80-shot Creedmoor Cup Match and an EIC Match. Both events feature special hospitality events and prize awards. For more information visit the Western Games Webpage, or contact Christina Leveck-Roguski, (419) 635-2141 x1114, croguski [at] odcmp.com.
October 3rd, 2010
On the Mark is a free digital newsletter available from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). The latest On The Mark edition contains an interesting (and very candid) interview with the “Gunny” — R. Lee Ermey. A well-known TV and movie actor, Ermey served as a Gunnery Sgt. in the USMC before earning fame and fortune on the silver screen. Ermey is also an active shooter who regularly competes in CMP Garand matches and NRA High Power events. Here are some excerpts from the interview:
 The Appeal of Shooting Sports
“What I like about the shooting sports is the camaraderie. It’s a bunch of great guys. They’re good patriots –- they would never burn a flag. They’re grassroots Americans and the most patriotic people I know.”
Message to New Shooters
“What I’d like to stress more than anything is that people who are nonshooters who think they might like to give this a try should buy an M1 Garand from CMP and get out here. They can buy one that’s very shootable off the rack for 600 bucks.”
On the Future of Shooting…
“As I walk up and down the firing line and I look at these old codgers out here — a bunch of old farts over the age of 50, I’m saying in another 10 or 20 years shooting sports are going to go downhill if we don’t add to the sport, so we need to groom these young people to step up and take our place.”
Good Training Article by Gary Anderson
In addition to the R. Lee Ermey interview, the current issue of “On the Mark” features an excellent four-page article on “How to Practic” for shooting event. Authored by Gary Anderson, Director of Civilian Marksmanship Emeritus, this article explains how to develop practice plans, how to practice economically using dry firing and aiming practices, and how to combine at-home practice with field sessions.
Along with feature stories, On the Mark includes match reports from both Junior and adult competition programs around the country. CLICK HERE to download the Fall issue of On the Mark (PDF).
October 3rd, 2010
Ask any Palma shooter and he’ll tell you that Barnard makes one of the smoothest, most reliable actions available. And now there is a new modular metal stock system that adapts the Barnard SM action for use in target and tactical rifles.
The new Barnard 07 Target-Tactical Stock (TTS) from MTGuns features an anodized aluminum chassis with a floating tubular handguard. The TTS is designed for the Barnard small repeater action, and the chassis is configured to use reliable H.S. Precision detachable box magazines. One H.S. Precision .308-sized magazine comes with each stock, allowing the rifle to be chambered for any round with a .308-spec case head and a maximum overall length of 2.800″. That means you can mag-feed and shoot a 6XC, .243 Win, 6.5×47, 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, .308 Win, or 7mm-08.
Fully Adjustable Cheekpiece and 4-Way Buttplate
One of the most impressive features of the Barnard 07 TTS stock is the ease with which it can be configured for different shooters or different shooting positions. The stock comes with an adjustable cheekpiece secured with a large, ergonomic rotary knob. The Barnard TTS stock also includes a 4-way adjustable butt plate at no extra cost. This allows the shooter to easily modify length of pull (LOP), pad height, offset, and cant (buttpad L/R tilt). Also included with the stock is an elevated Picatinny-spec scope rail, and the Barnard SM action is drilled and tapped for a Remington-type rear sight base.
While there are many metal chassis systems offered for Remington-footprint receivers, the TTS system gives you the advantage of a Barnard action. Like its ‘P’-model big brother, the SM action boasts a very fast lock time, easily removable striker assembly — no spring compression issues — with a 1/16″ firing pin in a three-lug bolt. Overall bolt/receiver tolerances are machined to very exacting standards. The SM action can use Remington-style triggers.
The TTS stock is strong and stiff, yet light in weight. Using a TTS stock, you can build a rifle that is comfortable to carry in the field. A complete rifle fitted with a 26″ medium Palma contour barrel (and included Picatinny scope rail) weighs just 12 pounds. The Barnard Target-Tactical stock comes standard with sling swivel studs, one on the handguard and the other near the bottom of the adjustable buttplate.
For more information on the Barnard 07 Target-Tactical Stock, visit MTGuns.com, or call MTGuns (in California) at (805) 720-7720. The Barnard 07 Target-tactical stock, complete with floating handguard, 4-way buttplate, H.S. Prec. magazine, and scope rail, normally retails for under $1300.00, but prices are subject to currency fluctuations (Barnard products are crafted in New Zealand).
Disclosure: MT Guns has purchased advertisements on this site.
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