Many leading vendors are running sales for the 4th of July, with some sales extending through the 5th or 7th of July. You’ll find sitewide discounts plus significant additional savings on select products. In addition some vendors are now offering FREE Shipping. Here’s a quick summary of notable Independence Week Sales Events from leading online retailers.
Brownells 15% OFF Bargains with Code JULY15
As part of its July 4th promotion, Brownells is offering 15% Off a wide selection of products. To get this 15% discount, use promo Code JULY15 during checkout now through Sunday, July 7, 2024. Along with this 15% OFF deal, there are daily specials with significant additional savings. Items on sale include TriggerTech Independence triggers, AR Components, hunting rifles, magazines, loading tools and more.
Sportsman’s Warehouse Independence Day Sale
Sportsman’s Warehouse is running a huge Independence Day Sale with major discounts on a wide selection of outdoor gear including clothing, tents, camping gear, and fishing equipment — Save up to 50% on “summer adventure gear”. In addition, rifles and ammo are on sale, plus there are discounts on hearing protection, spinner targets, and more. Plus select gun parts are up to 35% off.
Vortex Month at Sportsman’s Warehouse — Huge Savings
Right now at Sportsman’s Warehouse you can get big savings on a wide selection of Vortex Optics including riflescopes, spotting scopes, binoculars, rangefinders, and red dots. Plus you can receive a Sportsman’s Warehouse Gift Card With Vortex Optics purchases. The card can be worth up to $200:
Spend $99-$200 receive a $10 Gift Card
Spend $201-$400 receive a $25 Gift Card
Spend $401-$500 receive a $50 Gift Card
Spend $501-$700 receive a $75 Gift Card
Spend $701-$1000 receive a $100 Gift Card
Spend $1001 or more receive a $200 Gift Card
Midsouth — FREE Shipping or FREE Hazmat with $99+ Orders
Midsouth Shooters Supply is running a major 4th of July sales promotion. For in-stock merchandise orders of $99.00 or more, with shipping weights up to 49 pounds, you can get FREE Shipping with Code 4SHIP24. Alternatively, the regular HazMat fee can be waived with $99+ orders of in-stock HazMat items (powder, primers). To get free HazMat, use Code 4HAZ24. These promos are for Ground Shipping only in the Lower 48 States.
Palmetto State Armory — Guns, Ammo, Optics on SALE
Palmetto State Armory (PSA) is running a major sale with significant discounts on hundreds of products including firearms, optics, ammunition, and magazines. If you’re looking to pick up AR-platform upper or lower, or a carry pistol, now’s a great time to shop at PSA.
Creedmoor Sports — FREE Shipping with Orders over $99
To mark Independence Day, Creedmoor Sports is offering FREE shipping with orders over $99.00 with Code CS1776. This deal is good through noon on 7/5/2025. NOTE: There are quite a few exclusions — ammunition, tumbler media, plastic beads, portable air gun ranges, firearms, air rifles, targets, and posters. And drop shipped items are exempt.
Precision Reloading — 15% Off Orders Over $150
Here’s a great deal from Precision Reloading. For orders over $150.00, you get 15% Off by using Code July4 during checkout. This applies to in-stock merchandise and some items are excluded. But it’s still a great promotion — you can save on bullets, brass, loaded ammo, tools, dies, accessories and more.
Natchez — $5.00 Flat-Rate Shipping on 4th of July
Natchez is offering $5.00 Flat-Rate Shipping on orders $99.99+ through 11:59 pm EST on 7/4/2024. Use Code FR240701. In addition, Natchez is currently running an Ammo Deals Days promotion through 7/10/2024 plus there optics sales for Burris, Vortex, and other brands.
Today, July 4th, we are celebrating a special birthday — the launching of a new nation that would become the world’s greatest exemplar of freedom and democracy. In our modern world, it is easy to lose sight of the challenges that faced our fore-fathers, and the continuing burdens we all share, as Americans, to maintain the struggle for freedom, both at home and abroad. It is more important than ever that we remember the ideals on which the nation was founded, and remember that our nation became great through the efforts and talents of a free citizenry, not through an all-powerful central government.
In the Beginning — Overcoming Great Odds
In a July 4th speech, Navy Lt. Ellen Connors wrote: “Our nation declared its independence in order for our families to live free –- not just for one generation but for future generations. And what odds [the founding fathers] faced. It must have seemed impossible. Our forefathers went up against the world’s most colossal empire since ancient Rome. No colony had ever successfully left a mother country to set up a self-governing state.”
The Price of Freedom… The Pride of A Nation
Here is a selection from Daniel Webster’s July 4th, 1851 Oration. His words ring true even now:
On the 4th of July, 1776, the assembled Representatives of the United States of America in Congress declared that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE and INDEPENDENT States. This Declaration, made by most patriotic and resolute men, trusting in the justice of their cause and the protection of Heaven, and yet made not without deep solicitude and anxiety, has now stood for seventy-five years, and still stands. It was sealed in blood. It has met dangers, and overcome them; it has had enemies, and conquered them; it has had detractors, and abashed them all….
Every mans’ heart swells within him… as he remembers that seventy-five years have rolled away, and that the great inheritance of liberty is still his — his, undiminished and unimpaired, his in all its original glory; his to enjoy; his to protect; and his to transmit to future generations.
One of the biggest Precision Rifle matches of the year took place recently. Nearly 200 shooters from many states competed in the 2024 Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge, held June 28-29, 2024 at Hornady’s private 250,000 acre ranch property outside of Evanston, Wyoming, across the state line in Utah. The match featured 19 challenging stages. Course of fire consisted of 200 rounds with “off trail” walking between stages. Natural terrain made for an exciting match.
George Gardner and Bryan Sikes of GA Precision were co-match directors. Gardner said the 2024 event went well: “The 2024 Hornady PRC was a huge success. The challenging course of fire coupled with the perfect weather for a precision rifle match made for an awesome weekend.” Sikes added: “We want to congratulate all the winners and thank each competitor for attending. A big thank you for all the range officers and sponsors that made this match happen, as well.” Open Division Competitor Andrew Slade was the Overall Match winner. Hornady congratulates the following Division and Class winners:
Open Division and Overall winner: Andrew Slade
Top Production: Doug Koenig
Top Tactical: Joe Thielen
Top Gas Gun: River Curtis
Top Senior: Joe McFarlane
Top Mil/LE: Kahl Harmon
Top Lady: Lauryl Akenhead
Top Junior: Reese Broughton
Top Amateur: Robert Mahaffey
Top Marksman: Austin Clark
Top Semi-Pro: Justin Eggers
Top International: Moritz Mayr
One of the biggest PRS matches of the year, the Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge is a unique long range competition with tough terrain and major elevation changes. This wasn’t a typical PRS Pro Series match by any means. Participants in this challenging Precision Rifle match encounter challenging conditions not typically seen in other tactical matches.
This video, from the 2023 PRC event, is well worth watching. It provides plenty of equipment closeups, shows stage set-ups, and includes “birds-eye-view” drone footage of the scenic range.
CLICK HERE for full match results from the 2024 Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge. NOTE: Most images in this story are captured from 2023 Hornady PRC Video embedded above.
Based on the questions we get on a daily basis on our 800 (Customer Support) line, twist is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the gun field. So let’s look deeper into this mystery and get a better understanding of what twist really means.
When you see the term 1:14″ (1-14) or 1:9″ twist, just exactly what does this mean? A rifle having a 1:14″ twist means the bullet will rotate one complete revolution every fourteen inches of the barrel. Naturally a 1:9″ turns one time every nine inches that it travels down the barrel. Now, here’s something that some people have trouble with. I’ve had calls from shooters thinking that a 1:14″ twist was faster than a 1:9″ because the number was higher with the 1:14″. The easiest way to remember this is the higher the number, the slower the twist rate is.
Now, the biggest misconception is that if a shooter has a .223 with a 1:8″ twist, his rifle won’t stabilize a 55gr bullet or anything lighter. So let’s look at what is required. The longer a bullet is for its diameter, the faster the twist has to be to stabilize it. In the case of the .223 with a 1:8″ twist, this was designed to stabilize 80gr bullets in this diameter. In truth the opposite is true. A 1:8″ will spin a 55gr faster than what is required in order to stabilize that length of bullet. If you have a bullet with good concentricity in its jacket, over-spinning it will not [normally] hurt its accuracy potential. [Editor’s Note: In addition, the faster twist rate will not, normally, decrease velocity significantly. That’s been confirmed by testing done by Bryan Litz’s Applied Ballistics Labs. There may be some minor speed loss.]
Many barrel-makers mark the twist rate and bore dimensions on their barrel blanks.
Think of it like tires on your truck. If you have a new set of tires put on your truck, and they balance them proper at the tire shop, you can drive down a street in town at 35 MPH and they spin perfect. You can get out on the highway and drive 65 MPH and they still spin perfect. A bullet acts the same way.
Once I loaded some 35gr HP bullets in a 22-250 Ackley with a 1:8″ twist. After putting three shots down range, the average velocity was 4584 FPS with an RPM level of 412,560. The group measured .750″ at 100 yards. This is a clear example that it is hard to over-stabilize a good bullet.
Twist-rate illustration by Erik Dahlberg courtesy FireArmsID.com. Krieger barrel photo courtesy GS Arizona.
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 — 15% Off Sale July 1-7 with Code JULY15
⏺ Great savings on large variety of products at Brownells
Starting today, 7/1/24, Brownells is running a major 4th of July Sale site-wide through July 7, 2024. With Code JULY15 you can get 15% off a wide range of products, plus there are special deals on firearms — rifles, pistols, and shotguns. Shown above are featured product deals plus some of the hundreds of rifles on sale with big savings.
2. EuroOptic — 12% Off Most Vortex Optics with Code VTX12
⏺ Use 12% discount code for big savings on Vortex optics
For a limited time, save 12% on most Vortex Optics products when you use promo code VTX12 during check-out. This special discount applies to the full selection of Vortex products including riflescopes, spotting scopes, laser rangefinders, and binoculars.
3. CMP — Crosman 2021 PCP Challenger Air Rifle, $650.00
⏺ Accurate, match-proven, excellent starter competition air rifle
Airguns are inexpensive to shoot, can be used indoors, and can be purchased directly — no FFL required. If you want an affordable, competition-grade air rifle, consider the Crosman Challenger 2021 PCP. This Sporter Class air rifle has an adjustable stock, 2-stage trigger, and competition sights. With good components and ergonomics, this Challenge rifle can compete with much more expensive rigs. This Crosman air rifle has earned 100% 5-star reviews from buyers. Here are recent buyer reviews on CreedmoorSports.com:
— “Outstanding price. Well made, easy to adjust. Once sighted in, drives tacks.”
— “Feels super comfortable to hold and shoot. Trigger is nice and crisp. First 5 shots off a bag in the prone position all went through the same hole… at 10meters.”
— “I [scored] Gold in [10m 3P] competition vs. other higher-priced rifles like Feinwerkbau and Anschutz.”
— “Very accurate, fun, 10m air rifle that sips air at such a low rate you wonder if the gage is broken.”
Note: For this $650 price, sales are restricted to members of CMP affiliated clubs only.
4. Midsouth — Lee Challenger Press with BONUS Die Set, $79.99
⏺ Good LEE Press on Sale with FREE DIES
The LEE Challenger is the world’s best-selling single station press. The lastest Gen III Challenger features an ergonomic lever plus a convenient tube for spent primers. Right now, to mark its 40th Anniversary, LEE is offering a FREE die set with the purchase of the LEE Gen III Challenger Press. Chose one of four cartridge types: .223 Rem, 9mm Luger, .38 SPL/.357 Mag, and .45 ACP (.44 SPL/.44 Mag is also listed but is out of stock). Another good feature of the LEE Press is the Breech Lock Quick Change Die System — change dies instantly with a twist of the wrist.
⏺ Massive savings up to $750 on quality PRS/NRL tactical scopes
EuroOptic is a top-flight vendor, with fast shipping and great customer service. Right now EuroOptic is running major sale on Burris Extreme Tactical II & III Tactical scopes, which work great for PRS/NRL competition. With the current Burris XTR Scope Sale, you can save up to $750.00 on a rugged, reliable FFP scope with various zoom magnification options (e.g. 3.3-18x50mm, 5-25x50mm, 5.5-30x56mm), with both 0.1 Milrad and 1/4 MOA click options.
6. Powder Valley — 2500 RUAG Small Rifle Primers, $169.99
⏺ Great price on high-quality primers
If you shoot benchrest rigs, varmint rifles, or ARs, you need small rifle (SR) primers. Now you can get high-quality German-made RUAG SR Primers for $169.99 for 2500. That’s the equivalent of $68 per thousand. These RUAG #4033 primers have earned positive user reviews: “Excellent quality… they performed very well… would recommend these to anyone”. NOTE: These are mil-spec primers with a fairly hard cup.
7. Creedmoor Sports or Graf & Sons
— Garmin Xero C1 Pro Radar Chronograph, $599.99
⏺ Superb game-changing compact radar chrono in stock
The Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph works great and is ultra-compact. This popular radar chrono boasts an easy-to-use interface, great performance, and an excellent App for your smartphone. As of 7/1/2024 both Creedmoor Sports and Graf & Sons have the Garmin Xero C1 in stock for $599.99.
8. MidwayUSA — BOG Tripod + Electronic Muffs Combo, $139.99
⏺ Save $70 on outstanding tripod and electronic muffs combo
Here’s a great combo for PRS/NRL shooters and/or hunters. You get the excellent BOG Deathgrip Tripod AND Caldwell E-Max Electronic Muffs for just $139.99 total. Plus you get free shipping this week from MidwayUSA. The BOG DeathGrip Tripod has rugged aluminum legs and a patented hands-free clamp. The bipod head pans 360 degrees with cant adjustment. The 3-position leg angle lock allows bipod use in standing, kneeling, and prone positions. The comfortable, low-profile E-Max Pro electronic muffs have a 23dB noise reduction rating (NRR).
9. Palmetto SA, Blackhawk Shooting Mat/Rifle Case, $49.99
⏺ Multi-Function Shooting Mat/Rifle Case now $100 Off
Here’s a great deal on a multi-function Mat/carry case. The Blackhawk Stalker Drag Mat Carry Case is a nice padded shooting mat that ALSO serves as a rifle carry case and drag bag. Length is 50.5″ and width (in rifle case mode) is 9″. This mat/case is made from durable 1000 denier nylon and closed-cell foam. It has carry straps plus a shoulder strap.
10. Amazon — Real Avid Handgun Cleaning Kit, $19.99
⏺ Good, handy pistol cleaning kit in zipped carry case
To keep your pistols clean and safe, it’s wise to have a compact but well-equipped cleaning kit. We recommend the Real Avid Handgun Cleaning Kit (#ad). This kit includes a 2-part gun cleaning rod with T-handle, bore brush set, bore patch jag set, two small & large slotted bore patch tips and gun cleaning patches. All tools are stored in a handy, zip-closure carry case.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Summer is coming soon, and temperatures are starting to heat up. We are already seeing unseasonably hot conditions in many areas of the country. You never want your barrels to get too hot, which can happen more quickly in summertime. Accuracy suffers when barrels over-heat, and excessive heat is not good for barrel life. So how do you monitor your barrel’s temperature? You can check if the barrel is “warm to the touch” — but that method is not particularly precise. There is a better way — using temperature-sensitive strips. McMaster.com (an industrial supply house) offers stick-on temp strips with values from 86° F to 140° F. A pack of ten (10) of these horizontal strips (item 59535K13) costs $14.49. That’s a mere $1.40 per barrel for strips — cheap insurance for your precious barrels. For best barrel life, you should try to keep your barrels under 120 degrees F.
NOTE: On the McMaster.com website, you’ll need to scroll down to the multi-use “Temperature Indicating Labels”. Then click on the horizontal label and select item 59535K13, as shown below.
Forum member Nomad47 says: “I have temperature strips (bought at McMaster-Carr) on all my barrels. I try not to shoot when the barrel gets to 122 degrees or higher[.]” Here are photos of the McMaster-Carr temp strips on Nomad47’s customized Savage.
Creedmoor Sports now offers handy Temp Strips, with 3-packs for $12.95. These have colored temp range markers so you can quickly see if your barrel is getting too hot. Creedmoor Sports notes: “The temperature range of 30-160° spaced in 10° increments fit most … shooting situations. The 1″-wide 6″-long LCD strip will provide many years of service. In general, we recommend that if a barrel begins to reach 140°, it is too hot and continuing to shoot at these temperatures accelerates barrel wear These barrel temperature strips use a 3M® adhesive and will stick to blued, parkerized and stainless barrels.”
Bad things can happen if your barrel gets too hot. First, with some barrels, the point of impact (POI) will shift or “walk” as the barrel heats up excessively. Second, even if the POI doesn’t change, the groups can open up dramatically when the barrel gets too hot. Third, if the barrel is very hot, the chamber will transfer heat to your loaded cartridge, which can lead to pressure issues. Finally, there’s considerable evidence that hot barrels wear out faster. This is a very real concern, particularly for varmint shooters who may shoot hundreds of rounds in a day. For this reason, many varminters switch among various guns, never letting a particular barrel get too hot.
Neconos.com offers BAR-L Temp Strips that visually display heat readings from 86 to 140 degrees. Think of these strips as compact, unbreakable thermometers that monitor barrel heating.
Put a strip on the side of the barrel and the barrel’s temp will be indicated by a stripe that changes from black to green. There is also a “general purpose” strip that reads to 196 degrees (see bottom row). The Benchrest model strip (86°F to 140°F) is in the middle. These Bar-L temp strips cost $9.00 each, or $25.00 for a 3-pack.
NOTE: These strips can be permanently fixed to the barrel with the heavy-duty clear plastic tape strip provided with the BAR-L Temp strip.
Mike Kurtz’s Competition Machine F1 “Pro-Mod” F-Open Rifle
Today’s Sunday GunDay article showcases a modern F-Open Rifle built on a Competition Machine Aluminum Chassis. This is quite a bit different than a typical F-Open rifle with a laminated wood or wood/carbon stock. But the rifle shoots extremely well, and has already won some mid-range F-Open matches.
The rifle’s owner, a highly respected vehicle mechanic, explained his objective with this rifle: “I wanted to build a second F-Open rifle to shoot primarily 600-yard Mid-Range and also serve as my back-up long range rifle. That way I can use the same brass, bullets, and primers. So it would be chambered in 7mm-6.5 PRC, the same as my other F-Open rifle. That rig is a 7mm-6.5 PRC with Cerus XR stock, BAT Neuvo action, and Bartlein 1:9-8.7″ gain-twist barrel. I absolutely love that rifle and it has achieved several top honors. But for this project, I wanted to try some different rifle components to see how they performed in this same caliber. So I decided to go with Brux barrels, BAT Neuvo aluminum action (but see below), and an Eliseo Competition Machine F1 aluminum alloy chassis.”
BARREL SPECIFICATIONS: I ordered two Brux 7mm x 33″ barrels with 1:8.5″ twist. The contour was supposed to be 1.350″ diameter for 5″, tapered-down to 1.150″ diameter at the muzzle end. However, when the barrels arrived they were tapered down to 1.050″, a bit smaller. The folks at Brux admitted the work order was mis-read and offered to take back the barrels and make me two more. Or, I could keep the barrels with nice discount. I contacted my gunsmith, Omar Alonzo, for his advice and he said to keep them, they would shoot just fine. That turned out to be a blessing because the total rifle weight is now just three ounces under 22 pounds with one of these barrels. Omar chambered it with his 7mm-6.5PRC “no-turn” reamer that was used on my Cerus rifle. The Brux barrel was finished at 32″ with the muzzle end threaded for a V2 tuner.
ACTION and TRIGGER: I intended to use an aluminum BAT Neuvo action because I anticipated weight may be a concern, but they were on back-order with no lead time in sight. So for now I went with a used steel BAT Model M, 1.47 Octagon action that I acquired via the AccurateShooter Forum marketplace. This is a RBLP Right Eject action with magnum bolt face and 20 MOA integral Picatinny rail. The trigger is a Bix’N Andy Competition also scored on the Forum, set at 3 ounces. [NOTE: I now have an aluminum Neuvo AL in my possession. However, the F1 rifle is shooting so well, I’ll save the aluminum Neuvo for a future build.]
STOCK and FINISH: When I was planning my second F-Open 7mm-6.5 PRC rifle build, Gary Eliseo’s F1 aluminum chassis was my immediate choice. I was already familiar with Gary’s products since I started out three years ago with a used 6BR-chambered R1 tube gun. I purchased it from a Forum member and I adapted it for Mid-Range F-Open very successfully. Being a long-time drag racer and fabricator piqued my interest in these aluminum chassis combos. I contacted Gary Eliseo at Competition Machine and ordered his F1 F-Open Chassis System with one of his custom-machined bedding blocks for the Bat M action I acquired off the Forum.
Video of F1 Chassis Rifle in Action
Turn-around time was just about eight weeks, including aligning and epoxying the action bedding block into the chassis. Gary Eliseo offers full custom Cerakote services for his customers but I had something else in mind so I had the chassis sent to me “raw”, i.e. with a bare aluminum finish. At first I thought about polishing some or all the entire chassis but that would be too high maintenance. I decided to go with anodizing as I have done in the past with many race car components. Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the metal surface into a decorative, very durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish that’s pretty tough and looks great!. This finish is available in many colors and in clear.
While I was surfing the internet looking for some color/combo ideas I stumbled on a local custom anodizer who had dozens of some really wild and crazy anodizing patters and color mash-ups. I messaged Stephen @ Caustic Customs and told him about my project. He replied that his specialty is paint-ball guns and this would be his first long gun but, hey, it’s aluminum! I gave him all the pieces of my F1 chassis. There were a couple of his patterns I really liked so I asked his opinion which he thought might look best for my project. He replied why not both? So I instructed him take both patterns and “run with it”. The end result is the Icy-Hot blue/red finish as seen in the pictures.
It all came together at Alonzo’s Custom Rifles in Pasadena, Texas. Omar hand-lapped the action bedding block surface to smooth-out some tiny high spots. He then skim-bedded the action with an epoxy filler to make sure the action made 100% contact with the bedding block. Barrel chambering, action fitting, trigger tuning, and final assembly was performed by Omar.
I finished the rifle with a hydraulic recoil pad from Falcon Strike and Anarchy Outdoor’s Penguin Precision Grip. Gary designed the F1 to utilize AR15-style grips. The Falcon Strike pad is not as sexy as the R.A.D. unit I have on my Cerus-stocked rifle, but I think its recoil-absorbing performance is up there with the R.A.D. unit. So, if a RAD is not in your budget or if weight is a concern, you can’t go wrong with a Falcon Strike recoil pad.
SCOPE/RINGS: My intention was to switch my March-X 8-80x56mm Majesta High Master scope between my two rifles. However the hefty stainless Bat M action nixed that idea. So to ensure the new rifle would be F-Open legal weight I went with a used March-X 10-60x56mm High Master scope that I acquired through the AccurateShooter Forum Marketplace. That 10-60X March, shown in the video, is almost 11 oz. lighter that my 8-80X March-X Majesta HM. NOTE: In some of the photos here, the rifle is fitted with an older March 8-80X scope (NOT the latest Majesta). The rings are March Superlight Titanium Ghost Rings — under 5 oz. for the set, the lightest I could find.
F-Open F1 Chassis Rifle Specifications
Chambered for: 7mm-6.5 PRC Wildcat
Stock: Competition Machine F1, F-Open Chassis, Falcon Strike Recoil Pad, Anarchy Outdoors Penguin Grip. Custom anodizing by Caustic Customs.
Trigger: Bix’N Andy Competition trigger
Action: Bat Model M — Right Bolt, Left Port, Right Eject with 20 MOA scope rail
Barrel: Brux 7mm, 1:8.5″ twist, 32″ overall, 1.350″ x 5″, tapering down to 1.050″, V2 Tuner
Scope: March-X 10-60 High Master, MTR-1 reticle. March Ultra-Lite Titanium Ghost scope rings.
Gunsmith: Alonzo Custom Rifles
CARTRIDGE COMPONENTS and LOADING METHOD: I use Lapua 6.5 PRC brass, Berger 180gr Hybrid bullets and Federal 210M primers. New brass necks are expanded to 7mm and skim-turned to get a consistent .014″ neck thickness. I use a 35-degree cutter and go just a slight bit into the shoulder to ward off donuts. I then chamfer the flash holes, uniform the primer pockets, full-length size the cases, then expand and trim/chamfer the necks. My fired brass gets annealed, wet-tumble cleaned, full-length sized/expanded, and trimmed in that order. Bullets are pointed and then sorted by OAL. Primers are sorted by height and then by weight. I apply Neo-Lube to the inside of the necks with a foam Q-Tip for consistent seating psi.
This is from a 600-yard match shot with the F1 rifle a few months ago. Despite a strong wind from behind constantly switching right to left, I scored a 200-12X — good enough for Second Place.
LOAD DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: Thanks to some good 7mm-6.5 PRC load data posted on AccurateShooter.com, it helped me with a starting point to find a nice velocity node at 2865 fps using Hodgdon H4350. I did this by shooting some 2-shot groups seated .010″ off the lands. my focus was to find a node where the velocity leveled-out in at least two 0.5 grain increments in the 2850-2880 fps range. I then did a seating depth test at 100 yards to find my ideal seating depth which ended up at .024″ jumped. Next, I did some 3-shot groups at 100 yards to dial-in he barrel tuner until I got at least two consecutive ultra-tight groups. I verified that setting with a one-hole, three-shot group.
About Mike Kurtz
Michael Kurtz is owner/operator of Century Automotive & Transmission. An ASE Master L1 Technician since 1983, Mike has been an avid drag racer over the last 40 years. Mike notes: “I never owed any kind of rifle until I retired from racing. Got bit by the accuracy bug and learned about F-Class in 2021. I read several reloading and long range shooting books while I scoured the AccurateShooter Forum Marketplace for a rifle, scope, rests, and reloading equipment for my first F-Open rig. Most all of my major components I acquired via online Forums. I have to attribute the early success of my F-Open accomplishments to the vast content found on AccurateShooter.com.
I am also a member at Bayou Rifles Inc. in Houston Texas where I’ve learned from some of the best shooters in the country. The competition here is fierce but the camaraderie is second to none!”
SSG Amanda Elsenboss, now with the Pennsylvania National Guard, was the 2021 NRA National High Power Champion and 2019 NRA Long Range National Championship in 2019.
In the archives of On The Mark magazine, DCM Emeritus Gary Anderson, an Olympic Gold medal-winning shooter in his younger years, offers sage advice for competitive shooters.
In his article Ten Lessons I Wished I Had Learned as a Young Shooter, Anderson provides ten important guidelines for everyone involved in competitive shooting. Here are the Ten Lessons, but you should read the full article. Anderson provides detailed explanations of each topic with examples from his shooting career.
LESSON 1 – NATURAL ABILITY WILL NOT MAKE YOU A SHOOTING CHAMPION.
(You also need hard work, training effort and perseverance.)
LESSON 2 – ANGER IS THE ENEMY OF GOOD SHOOTING.
(The key to recovering from a bad shot is to stay cool, no matter what happens.)
LESSON 3 – BAD SHOTS CAN TEACH YOU MORE THAN GOOD SHOTS.
(Today, error analysis is one of the most powerful tools for improving scores.)
LESSON 4 – NEVER GO WITHOUT A SHOT PLAN.
(A shot plan is a detailed breakdown of each of the steps involved in firing a shot.)
LESSON 5 – PRACTICE IN BAD CONDITIONS AS WELL AS GOOD CONDITIONS.
(Most competitions are fired in windy conditions or where there are plenty of distractions.)
LESSON 6 – CHAMPIONS ARE POSITIVE, OPTIMISTIC PEOPLE.
(Negative shooters expect bad results; positive shooters expect to train hard to change bad results.)
LESSON 7 – IT’S NOT ABOUT WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE.
(It’s about how hard you try to win.)
LESSON 8 – YOUR DOG WON’T BITE YOU AFTER SHOOTING A BAD SCORE.
(Hopefully your coach, parents and friends won’t bite you either.)
LESSON 9 – YOUR PRESS CLIPPINGS CAN HURT YOU OR HELP YOU.
(Winning can go to our heads. We start thinking we are so good we don’t have to work hard any more.)
LESSON 10 — YOU NEVER SHOT YOUR BEST SCORE.
(Great champions are always looking for ways to improve.)
USAMU shooters on the firing line at the Wa-Ke’-De outdoor range in Bristol, IN. Photo courtesy USAMU.
About Gary Anderson Gary Anderson served as the Director of the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) from 1999-2009, and is now DCM Emeritus. As a Nebraska farmboy, Gary grew up hunting and shooting. Dreams of winning an Olympic Gold Medal in shooting led Gary to the U.S. Army. In 1959, he joined the elite U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. Just two years later, he won his first national championship.
At the 1962 World Shooting Championships in Egypt, Anderson stunned the shooting world by winning four individual titles and setting three new world records. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Gary won the 300m free-rifle Gold Medal, setting a new world record in the process. At the 1966 World Shooting Championships in Germany, Anderson won three additional world titles. At the 1968 Olympics, Gary won a second gold medal in the 300m free-rifle event.
After his “retirement” from international competition, Gary competed in the National High Power Championships, winning the President’s National Trophy in 1973, 1975 and 1976. Over his competitive career, Anderson won two Olympic Gold Medals, seven World Championships, and sixteen National Championships. He is unquestionably one of the greatest American marksmen ever.
This USAMU article explores three different “Philosophies” of precision reloading. Some handloaders seek to produce ammo that yields the very tightest groups (without factoring in the wind). Other shooters load their ammo to deliver the highest safe velocity. That’s because a projectile launched at higher velocity will drift less in the wind. The theory is that even if fast ammo doesn’t produce the tightest groups in zero wind conditions, it will yield higher scores in a the real world (where the wind blows). Lastly, some handloaders favor ammo that is ultra-consistent across a wide temperature range. This last philosophy dictates selection of a powder that is temp-insensitive, even if it may not produce the very best raw accuracy (or speed).
What’s Your Handloading Philosophy?
Objectives of Reloading — Accuracy, Velocity, Temp Stability What do you, the reader, primarily value in your handloads?
Viewpoint ONE: Accuracy Trumps Everything
Some shooters prize consistent, excellent medium/long range accuracy enough that they’re willing to give up some extra velocity (and reduced wind deflection) to obtain that. Their underlying philosophy could be stated: “Superior accuracy is present for every shot, but the wind isn’t”. One’s ability to hold well, aim well and read the wind are all factors in making this type decision. The photo below shows stellar raw accuracy. This is an 0.67″, 10-shot group at 300-yards fired from a text fixture. The group measures just 0.67″. (This shows the USAMU’s 600-yard load with 75gr bullets).
Viewpoint TWO: Load to Highest Safe Velocity for Less Wind Drift
Some shooters value obtaining the highest safe velocity, even if one’s pure, consistent mechanical accuracy at medium/long range isn’t quite as brilliant. The theory here seems to be that a really good hold extracts as much mechanical accuracy from the rifle/ammo as possible, and faster bullets equal occasional “bonus” points snatched from the jaws of wind.
[For example] one of the USAMU’s many Service Rifle National Champions revealed his philosophy. It can be stated thus: a super-accurate, but [relatively] “slow” load “required him to have a Ph.D. in wind reading for every shot, while a faster, but less accurate load netted him more points.”
Note — this was not mere speculation; his score book data backed up his claims, due to less wind effects. Remember, however, this fellow has a consistent, National Championship-level hold, and other Champions on the same team would have opted differently.
Viewpoint THREE: Temperature Stability Is Key
Still another approach is to place heavy emphasis on fine accuracy with absolute stability in changing temperatures. When this writer was actively earning his Distinguished Rifleman badge, that was his goal. The reason? Sighting shots are not allowed in EIC (“Leg”) matches. The first shot out of the barrel was for score. It had to be 100% consistent, with very reliable, predictable elevation and wind deflection regardless of the ambient temperature — even if it wasn’t the lowest wind deflection possible.
Naturally, selecting a powder that is insensitive to temperature changes is a key element here. Elevation zeros and wind effects HAD to be consistent every time. Hunters and military snipers might be among those who fall into this camp, as well as those in pursuit of their Distinguished Rifleman badges.
Contrast that with a traditional High Power shooter who gets two sighter shots before each event (offhand, sitting rapid, prone rapid, prone slow fire.) If there is a zero change on any given day, he/she can correct during sighters. This writer well remembers talking with another very high-level Service Rifle competitor who was happy to have high temperatures boost the velocities of his ammunition above their usual level… As far as this SR competitor was concerned, 60-80 fps more velocity -– even if only due to high ambient temperatures -– meant less wind deflection, and he was mighty happy to have it.
Particularly in the summer, with hot daily conditions, you need to be concerned about temperature stability. Loads worked up in winter may not work in the summer time.
This article has been confined to NRA High Power Rifle competition, which has relatively generous 10-ring dimensions in relation to the accuracy of well-built competition rifles. Hopefully, it will provide food for thought. For some, this might be an opportunity to ensure that one’s load development approach helps them attain their desired results.
We note there are regular threads in our Shooter’s Forum asking about the new compact radar chronographs — especially the hot-selling Garmin Xero C1 and the new small LabRadar LX. Members want to know how well each works. Today’s video showcase can help answer those questions. After the hugely successful release of the compact Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, two competitors are now playing “catch-up” with all-new compact radar chronographs. LabRadar has an impressive new unit, the LX Compact, while Caldwell introduced its midsized VelociRadar which employs innovative Chirp Radar technology. For today’s Saturday Video Showcase, we feature video reviews of these three notable Compact Radar Chronographs.
Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph
The Garmin Xero® C1 Pro chronograph has already been a big success. After great initial test reports, this compact $599.99 chronograph has been selling out at vendors nationwide. With the performance and quality of the Xero C1 Pro, many LabRadar owners are putting their older orange radar chronos up for sale. Check out the features of this new compact radar chrono in this official product launch video from Garmin:
Introduced in late 2023, the Xero C1 Pro radar chronograph has been an instant hit. Measuring just 3.03″ x 2.38″ x 1.36″, the Xero C1 Pro is compact and easy to transport. Using Doppler radar, the Xero C1 Pro accurately records projectile velocities from 100 fps to 5,000 fps, so it works with all kinds of projectiles. Setup is simple and intuitive, thanks to the button-operated design. SEE FULL RecoilWeb Review.
Garmin offers a modern ShotView™ smartphone app and lets you compare velocities for all shots fired, track ES/SD, and record total sessions. The rugged Xero C1 Pro chrono has a IPX7 water-resistant rating and boasts up to 6 hours of battery life. The unit ships with a compact tripod mount, and the screen is described as “sunlight-visible, transflective, monochrome” so it is easy to view in all conditions.
Above is a recent video review from our friends at Area 419. This review confirms that the Garmin is very reliable, extremely easy to set-up, and the provided Smartphone App works great. User reports have been very positive, and our testers note that the Garmin works better on air rifles than the original LabRadar.
LabRadar LX Compact
LabRadar announced its new LabRadar LX compact Doppler radar chronograph at the 2024 SHOT Show. This is a truly compact unit, measuring just 2.5″ X 2.75″ X 2.75″. The LabRadar LX comes with a tough metal case, lifetime battery, and ships with a tripod. The unit has a velocity range of 65 to 5000 FPS and it can display Average, ES, SD, Min, and Max Velocity.
Observers at SHOT Show noted the LabRadar LX has a very bright, high-contrast LCD Screen for outdoor viewing. Overall, the exterior design and specs are impressive. Definitely watch both videos to understand the difference in features between the Garmin and this ultra-compact new LabRadar LX. If you’re shopping for a compact chrono it’s worth looking at all the options. The Garmin Xero C1 Pro is currently $599.99, while the new Labradar LX is $599.95.
Caldwell VelociRadar
Caldwell showcased its all-new VelociRadar chronograph at SHOT Show 2024. This is quite a bit bigger than the Garmin Xero C1 Pro or the new LabRadar LX compact. But it is still relatively small compared to the original orange LabRadar unit.
Notably, the Caldwell VelociRadar uses a different mode of radar (Chirp Radar vs. Doppler) than other chronos, which offers some advantages. Caldwell states: “The Caldwell VelociRadar Chronograph is precision redefined with cutting-edge Chirp radar technology. This is no standard chronograph, while most chronographs stop at only providing muzzle velocity the VelociRadar tracks bullets downrange offering the full picture of ballistic performance. Using these downrange velocity measurements, the VelociRadar calculates true muzzle velocity, the bullet’s ballistic coefficient, and downrange energy.” Note that point about BCs — Caldwell says this new machine will let you calculate the true Ballistic Coefficients of your bullets as fired from your rifle.
BONUS Video: Garmin vs. Large LabRadar vs. Magnetospeed
This interesting video features a head-to-head comparison with the Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, the Magnetospeed barrel-attached chrono, and the full-size LabRadar chrono. The Primal Rights team tested the three chronos with a dozen different cartridge/bullet combinations. NOTE: We have used the Magnetospeed with considerable success. However, the placement of the device on your barrel can affect accuracy, so you may have to finalize load development with the unit removed. With a Garmin or LabRadar, you can tune for accuracy while monitoring your ES and SD.
I am also a member at 
In the archives of 
Gary Anderson served as the Director of the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) from 1999-2009, and is now DCM Emeritus. As a Nebraska farmboy, Gary grew up hunting and shooting. Dreams of winning an Olympic Gold Medal in shooting led Gary to the U.S. Army. In 1959, he joined the elite U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. Just two years later, he won his first national championship.
