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February 25th, 2010
 How would you like a full-length sizing die perfectly fitted to your fired brass? At one time that required you to purchase a die blank, a special undersized reamer (a chamber reamer is too big), and send the work out to a skilled gunsmith. You could expect to have $250-$350 tied up in your custom die when all was said and done.
Now Hornady’s custom shop offers a much less expensive alternative. For $121-$140, plus shipping, Hornady will produce a custom-made die based on your reamer print, spec sheet or fired brass. Lonnie Hummel and his team of skilled machinists have produced custom dies for many top shooters. Scott Parker had Hornady produce a custom full-length die for Scott’s 6BRX. Scott reports: “The die is great. I’m very impressed. The die is a perfect fit for my brass and the sized brass has very low run-out.”
Hornady’s non-bushing custom full-length sizing dies cost $121.00 for cases up to 2.60″ COAL, or $140.00 for cases 2.60″-2.99″ long. Add $20-$25.00 if you want a custom, non-micrometer seater die also. Hornaday also offers custom “match grade” bushing dies — both FL-sizing dies and bushing neck-sizers. These “match grade” (bushing-equipped) sizing dies (FL, or neck-only) cost $152.00 up to 2.60″, or $166.00 for longer dies.
To order any type of Hornady custom die (bushing or non-bushing) we recommend you send 3 or 4 fired cases along with a reamer print to Lonnie Hummel at Hornady Mfg., Box 1848, Grand Island, NE, 68802. Give Lonnie a call first at (800) 338-3220, ext. 208, to discuss design details and get an estimated delivery date.
February 25th, 2010
SORRY — All SOLD OUT
Here’s a great deal if you need a precise, rugged, but very inexpensive watch. For TODAY ONLY (the next 10 hours actually), a Casio Wave-Ceptor watch with tan nylon band, is for sale at Pennywise.biz for just $14.99 plus one penny shipping. That’s right — delivered price is just $15.00. Every day, this watch updates its time setting automatically, in response to the WWVB calibration signal from the Atomic Clock Center in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
DOWNLOAD User Manual for this Wave-Ceptor Watch (PDF)
NOTE: This is a one-day special price. Sale ends 6:00 pm PST on February 25th. This watch has a daily alarm and auto calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099). Other features include water resistance to 30 meters (99 feet) and afterGlow LED electro luminescent backlight. That LED backlight is very useful. Case diameter is 38mm and the model number is WVQ140 if you want to compare pricing. Normally these watches sell for about $39.00.
February 24th, 2010
After we reported that Tyler Rico of Arizona won the Nevada Regional High Power Championship (at the ripe old age of 15), some of our readers asked about Tyler’s match rifle. Tyler, who earned his Distinguished badge at age 13 (the youngest ever to do do), primarily shoots AR-platform rifles. The AR with which Tyler won the 2010 Nevada Regional featured a custom 6mmAR upper built by Robert Whitley’s AR-X Enterprises. The 6mmAR chambering, basically a 6.5 Grendel necked down to 6mm, was popularized by Robert, who is himself an avid High Power shooter.
Tyler Rico’s 6mmAR upper has an interesting history. Whitley explained: “Originally we built it up for some testing by the Marine Shooting Team and we took it down to Quantico. They liked it a lot but did not have authority or funding to buy them. When Tyler’s father called me looking for an upper for Tyler, I offered a special deal on it because we wanted to help support a junior shooter.” Built on a heavy-walled DPMS Low Pro receiver, Tyler’s upper features a 26″ Krieger 1:8″ twist barrel, and a side-positioned charging handle.
According to Whitley, “My test rifle with Tyler’s upper shot great. Above is a photo of one of the initial 10-shot, 100-yard test targets I shot with the upper at 100 yards. This gun really hammered. Remember The ‘X’ ring is the size of a dime”.
Five Shots at 300m that Could Fit under a Quarter
Robert Whitley took the photo below at the Marine’s Quantico, VA, Precision Weapons Section facility. The photo shows a target shot with Tyler’s upper at 300 meters. That’s a five-shot group the size of a quarter. Robert reports: “The Marines wouldn’t let me take the target home, because they planned to use the target to support their lobbying effort for funds to purchase new 6mmAR uppers.”
February 24th, 2010
The NRA announced that MidwayUSA has collected more than $5 million through the company’s “Round-Up” program, bringing MidwayUSA’s total giving to the NRA to over $8 million.
 Created by MidwayUSA founders Larry and Brenda Potterfield in 1992, the “Round-Up” program asks customers to “round up” their order amount to the next highest dollar. The proceeds are then sent to the NRA-ILA’s National Endowment for the Protection of the Second Amendment. “Round-up” donations are held in trust, as an “endowment”. The NRA-ILA utilizes the interest from the account for fighting anti-gun legislation across the United States. “We’re proud the Round-Up Program has been so successful,” said Mr. Potterfield. “It’s an easy way to offer customers the opportunity to make a big difference in the future of hunting and shooting.”
Larry and Brenda Potterfield have been active patrons of the NRA for years, supporting programs such as “Round-Up,” the Bianchi Cup, Friends of NRA, the Keystone Endowment, and The NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits to name a few. “We can’t thank the Potterfields and MidwayUSA customers enough,” said Wayne LaPierre, NRA Exec. Vice President. “In the history of the NRA, no other company has given so generously to support the Second Amendment. Larry and Brenda’s idea for the Round-up program was pure genius[.]”
February 23rd, 2010
We are pleased to see shooting featured in the Winter Olympics — as part of the biathlon competition. But for those accustomed to Hollywood action movies, biathlon events may seem a little slow… even boring. In the spoof video below, one TV producer shows how Biathlon events could be “spiced up”, Hollywood-style, to generate higher audience ratings:
Credit goes to Steve of The Firearm Blog for finding this YouTube gem. And folks, we know that shooting sports should always be taken very seriously… but we couldn’t resist passing this video along… everyone needs a chuckle now and then. Remember it is satire, designed to mock Hollywood’s fascination with violence. (Definition of satire: “trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly.”)
February 23rd, 2010
It’s time to get ready for the 5th Annual Shilen Swap Meet. Rain or shine, the Swap Meet will be held from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, March 20th, in the Shilen parking lot (Ennis, TX). The event is open to “all comers” — both buyers and sellers. Anyone can set up a table or just back their truck up and drop their tailgate. There are NO FEEs or costs. And there will be FREE FOOD –complementary chili, frito pie and water, tea, or coffee.
Shilen does request advanced notice from Swap meet attendees, especially folks selling shooting gear: “Please call (972) 875-5318 if you plan on attending so we can have a rough head count. If you want to put up a table please call, fax or email us and let us know. We will add you to the list of vendors.”
Big Discounts on Barrels
Shilen’s ‘Swap Meet Barrels’ will be BACK. These are first-quality barrels built for customers who requested a specific contour, twist rate, or caliber, but later changed their minds. Shilen let these customers modify their orders, but some of these custom-ordered barrels remain in inventory. These pre-ordered “orphan” barrels will be sold at deeply discounted prices at the Swap Meet. NOTE: All warranties still apply; these are NOT lower quality or factory seconds.
Factory Tours will be given again in 2010. During the morning tours — 8:00 am until 11:00 am — the drill, ream and rifle machine will run. Tours will continue in the afternoon but no machines will run then.
February 22nd, 2010
We had fun testing the new Barrett Model 98B (Ninety-Eight Bravo) at Media Day before SHOT Show last month. In the video below, Jason shoots a 98B, after trying its bigger brother, the Barrett model 82A1. The new 98B, chambered in .338 Lapua, has some very nice features and it certainly is a sturdy beast. We predicted this gun would be popular, and attract considerable media attention.
That prediction was right on. Barrett’s 98B rifle in .338 Lapua Magnum has been named the American Rifleman magazine “Rifle of the Year”, earning a coveted Golden Bullseye® Award. This year the Barrett Model 98B was selected by a seven-member committee who considered a variety of factors including reliability, accuracy, design innovation, styling, and “perceived value” to the purchaser. As the “Rifle of the Year”, the 98B was chosen over other recently introduced long-gun offerings from major manufacturers.
Barrett will be presented with the Golden Bullseye Award for 2010’s Rifle of the Year at the 2010 NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits in Charlotte, North Carolina. There Barrett CEO and founder Ronnie Barrett will also be personally honored as the NRA’s 2010 Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award winner. In addition, the Barrett Model 98B will be featured in the NRA’s print magazines, in the May issue of American Rifleman and American Hunter®, and the June issue of Shooting Illustrated.
In the video below, Barrett engineers explain the technical features of the Model 98B and show how to field-strip the rifle.
February 21st, 2010
Through the end of 2010, Weaver Optics is offering a FREE Weaver Premium Canvas Gear Bag with the purchase of any Weaver® Super Slam™ or Grand Slam® scope or binoculars. This bag features multiple zippered compartments, with leather exterior straps, and a top carry handle.
To get your free gear bag, you must purchase a qualifying scope or binoculars between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010. Then you must submit your sales receipt plus a special coupon, which must be received by January 30, 2011.
CLICK HERE for the Promotion Coupon. After downloading, fill out the lower portion of the coupon and send it, along with your original receipt, the UPC from Weaver qualifying products, and $3.95 shipping & handling to:
Weaver Canvas Bag Promotion, Dept. 6309
PO Box 5009
Stacy, MN 55078-5009
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
February 20th, 2010
Starting Monday, February 22, 2010, you can bring loaded firearms into most U.S. National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges, provided this is allowed by state law. The new federal Park and Refuge policy applies to all firearms, whether long guns (rifles, shotguns), or pistols (including concealed handguns allowed under state permit). All Federal firearms statutes otherwise apply. The new law lifts a 94-year-old ban on guns in National Parks unless they were unloaded or unassembled. The new law, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (Oklahoma), and backed by the NRA, only addresses possession and has no impact on authorized uses of guns.
The new “gun-friendly” policy was announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on February 18th, as a result of new legislation enacted by Congress. Starting on February 22nd, the law allows an individual to lawfully possess a firearm within the boundaries of a National Wildlife Refuge or National Park in accordance with federal, state and local firearms laws. The new gun policy applies to all 551 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System, as well as National Monuments and nearly all the 392 units of the National Park System. Under previous regulations, tight restrictions were imposed on guns in National Parks.
CLICK HERE for Official USFWS News Release on Gun Policies
 The USFWS and National Park Service will look to the laws of the state and locality in which the Park, Monument, or Refuge is located to govern possession of firearms therein. Visitors will be allowed to possess firearms on National Wildlife Refuges provided they comply with applicable provisions of federal, state and local law. Persons with firearm “carry” permits will be able to possess firearms on a refuge in accordance with the provisions of the state-issued permit. The USFWS stated that the new law applies throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System, and the National Park System. However, the Associated Press reported that loaded firearms will still be restricted in 20 of the National Parks and that, generally, “guns will not be allowed in visitor centers or rangers’ offices, because firearms are banned in federal buildings.”
Predictably, the Brady Campaign assailed the new policy. “It really is sad that we’ve become such a paranoid society that people want to take guns pretty much everywhere — including National Parks”, stated Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke. Conversely, the NRA, which lobbied to have firearms allowed in National Parks, announced: “This common-sense measure will enhance the self-defense rights of law-abiding Americans and also ensure uniformity of firearm laws within a state”.
New Policies Do Not Alter Hunting Regulations in Wildlife Refuges
The USFWS stressed that: “While the law will change the application of rules regarding possession of firearms, it has no impact on the authorized uses of firearms on National Wildlife Refuges. This new law does NOT change or expand hunting opportunities on National Wildlife Refuges or exempt hunters from state or federal hunting regulations. Each person who hunts on a National Wildlife Refuge must have the required state license(s) required by the Refuge, as well as any permits and/or user fees.”
Visitors wishing to possess firearms on any unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System should carefully read and understand the laws of the state in which the refuge they plan to visit is located — as well as applicable local and county laws and ordinances that derive from that respective state’s law. For more information on hunting within National Wildlife Refuges, go to: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting/.
February 20th, 2010
Caldwell recently sent us some new pre-printed targets that we really like. The new Caldwell Tip Top Targets have a combination of features we’ve never seen before in pre-packaged targets. First, the targets are printed on a unique, plasticized card stock — just slightly thinner than a business card. The plasticized material is very rip-resistant (if you really try, you can make a small tear on the edge, but it takes a LOT of deliberate effort). The plasticized material makes the targets 100% weatherproof, though you can still write on the surface. At the bottom of the targets, Caldwell includes a labeled data entry area where you can record firearm type, shooting conditions, distance, group size, load info, and chron data. Very Handy! The targets even come pre-punched for a 3-ring binder. That’s great if you want to save your targets. The 8″ Sight-In Tip Top Targets cost $7.49 for 25-pack, or $24.99 for 100 targets.
Bullets Punch Perfect Circles on New Target
What makes these “Tip-Top Targets” really unique is the way bullet holes appear. When a bullet passes through a normal paper target, the paper can rip. At best you get a fairly round hole but with a fuzzy, uneven edge. With these Tip Top Targets, the bullet hole looks like it was made with a hole punch. No more ragged, fuzzy edges. If you’ve ever shot wadcutter rounds from a pistol into a paper target, that’s the effect here. But the bullet hole edges are even MORE sharp and uniform. As a result, you can measure your group sizes quickly, with great precision.
Overall, we think the Tip Top Target is a real step forward. Caldwell did a great job with this product. The new material does not tear, does not get soggy in wet conditions, and does not flap around in the wind. The new material delivers crisp, uniform bullet holes for easy group measurement, and the 1″ square gridlines let you quickly estimate your group size.
Caldwell Tip Top Targets are offered in six (6) different versions: large, Inverted “T” for iron-sighted rifles or pistols; 4″-diam. Bullseyes; 8″-diam. single Bullseye; 100-yard Benchrest Target; 200-yard Benchrest Target; and 8″ Sight-in Target with 1″ grid (shown in photos).
We really like the layout of the sight-in target. In has five different aim points with a central diamond split by horizontal and vertical lines running through the points of the diamond. The diamond, which measures 1/4″ on a side, provides a VERY precise aiming point. Just line up your cross-hairs with the heavy black lines and you should be able to shoot bugholes with this target. It’s a very good design, with good contrast in the center of each aiming square.
Is there anything we would change on the Sight-In Target we sampled? Yes… First, we’d like to see a long-range version with an all-white background so that bullet holes are easier to see at long distances. Second, we’d modify the data entry table so you could list results for multiple loads. See our FREE Targets Page for paper targets with multiple load-entry/chron data boxes.
Review Disclosure: Caldwell provided a free 25-ct pack of 8″ Sight-In Targets for testing.
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