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November 12th, 2009
We saw an interesting gizmo on Peter White’s front rest at the recent California Long-Range Championship. Peter, who won the F-Class division, has fitted a remote drive system that allows him to adjust his Sinclair windage top without moving from his shooting position.
The windage control cable (actually a McMaster-Carr flexible drive shaft) attaches to the right side of the windage top in place of the regular adjustment knob. It then circles back to the shooter, and is clamped at the end of the pedestal leg (near the vertical adjustment speed screw). A large, knurled knob is attached to the end of the flexible drive.
 With this set-up, Peter can adjust windage easily with his left hand, while keeping his right (trigger) hand in place on the rifle. In addition, he can fine-tune his vertical using the rotary knob (speed screw) on the threaded shaft for the rear-most rest “foot”. The flex-drive adjustment system places his windage control right next to his elevation fine-tune control, so both windage and elevation controls can be manipulated with the “free hand” from the shooting position.
Peter fabricated this system himself from less than $60 worth of parts. All you need is a McMaster Carr flexible drive shaft ($50-$60), an adjustment knob at the shooter’s end, and a small bracket to hold the adjustment knob securely.
Many F-Class shooters have fabricated a similar remote windage control system. If you have basic mechanical skills, you can build your own system in a couple hours (with the correct parts). Or, Leroy Johnson of Johnson’s Precision Gunsmithing, jpgrifles [at] yahoo.com, can build you a working system, if you send in your windage top. Leroy explains that “the various windage tops all have slightly different configurations, so the price depends on how much special work is required.”
Peter’s Parts List and Tips
Peter White offers some advice on building a remote windage control: “The parts were obtained from McMaster-Carr, www.mcmaster.com. The flexible drive shafts come in various lengths and diameters. When using the smallest diameters in this application the bend radius is critical as the cable wants to kink in one direction of operation. The tape you see on my rig covers a couple of stiffener rods. I have seen others using a longer cable with a larger bend radius with no need of a stiffener. Others have employed jacketed cables that have a much higher torque rating (but also much higher cost).”
Products Needed (Total = $49.31)
| Part Number |
Description |
Price |
| 3127K22 |
Panel-Mount Flexible Drive Shaft, 18″ Overall Length, 0.130″ Shaft OD |
$42.31 |
| 2577K18 |
Stainless Steel Knurled-Rim Knob W/Set Screw, 1/4″ Unthreaded Through Hole, 1″ Diameter |
$7.00 |
November 12th, 2009
Here’s a great deal if you’re shooping for hunting gear, shooting supplies, or holiday gifts (yep, the Christmas shopping season has already started). Cabelas.com is now offering $30.00 off a puchase of $150.00 or more. This is a bonafied offer, not a sales gimmick. This Editor just purchased a pair of Cabela’s boots listed at $153.99, and I got $30.00 off the purchase price, for a net cost (before shipping) of $123.99.
How does it work? Click the promo link above. That takes you to a page where you type in your email address. Then you’ll receive an email with a Rebate Number and a “Cabela’s Bucks Code”. Fill in the rebate number and the Bucks Code during “check-out” of the online ordering process. You can also use these discount codes when ordering by phone or at a Cabela’s store.
Offer Expires November 17, 2009
NOTE: The $30.00 off promo expires at 11:59 pm on 11/17/2009. Also the offer may only be used once, and it is valid ONLY on merchandise — it can NOT be used for Gift Certificates.
November 12th, 2009
 A successful air rifle clinic for disabled shooters was held recently in Statesville, North Carolina. Coordinated by NRA Disabled Shooting Services Manager Vanessa Warner, the event was co-sponsored by Bridge II Sports and Turning Point Nation and was hosted at the VFW Post 2031.
Warner explained the clinic’s purpose: “One facet of my job involves introducing competitive air rifle shooting to people with disabilities through shooting clinics. Shooting clinics include an overview of air rifles, equipment, shooting positions, sight alignment and trigger control. At the conclusion of each clinic, a participant has a good understanding of competitive shooting and may even be able to compete in an air rifle match.”
Clinic Trains Many New Shooters
Warner brought 10 air rifles and 10 Creedmoor Sports Range Systems, a portable backstop that allows indoor shooting with pellet guns. The clinic began at 10:00 am and Warner reviewed equipment, types of shooting, the components of an air rifle and positions. By the end of the day, Warner and her assistants had introduced competitive air rifle shooting to more than 35 individuals whose ages ranged from 10 to 60, plus four reporters and many volunteers.
Warner reports that “This was one of the best organized and well-run of all of the clinics I’ve attended. There were almost as many volunteers as there were participants and I even got one of the reporters to try one of the guns. Bridge II Sports and Turning Point Nation deserve a huge pat on the back for a job well done.” Warner offered special thanks to VFW Post 2031, and post Commander Gerry Bancroft, for providing a venue on short notice.
November 11th, 2009
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918, bugle calls signaled the ‘cease fire’ ending the First World War. (The official Armistice was signed earlier that morning.) To those who endured it, WWI was the “Great War”, “the War to End All Wars.” Tragically, an even greater conflict consumed the world just two decades later.
Today, 91 years after the end of WWI, Americans mark the anniversary of the WWI Armistice as “Veterans Day”. In Canada it is known as Remembrance Day. On this solemn occasion we honor all those who have served in the military in times of war and peace. While more WWII veterans pass away each year, there are still over 23 million veterans in the United States. Take time today to honor those soldiers, sailors, and airmen who have served their nation with pride. Today we remember that… “All gave some, and some gave all.”
Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James Peake asked Americans to recognize the nation’s 23.4 million living veterans and the generations before them who fought to protect freedom and democracy: “While our foremost thoughts are with those in distant war zones today, Veterans Day is an opportunity for Americans to pay their respects to all who answered the nation’s call to military service.” Major Veterans Day observances are scheduled at 33 sites in 20 states.
On Veterans Day we especially need to remember the seriously wounded combat veterans. These men and women summon great courage every day to overcome the lasting injuries they suffered in battle. CLICK HERE for inspirational profiles of wounded vets who, through courage and determination, have learned to adapt to their disabilities. Some of these soldiers have lost limbs, yet volunteered to return to combat duty. That is dedication beyond measure.
November 11th, 2009
4,734,991 Americans served in uniform during World War I. They fought on land and sea, in the first true global conflict. By the end of WWI over 15,000,000 soldiers and civilians worldwide had died in that conflict, including 120,000 Americans (as many from disease as from wounds). A thousand U.S. Soldiers died every DAY in the 3-week Meuse-Argonne offensive.
Frank Buckles — The Last Doughboy
This past July, Britain’s Harry Patch died at age 111. Patch had been the oldest soldier-survivor of the “War to End All Wars.” Now American Frank Woodruff Buckles, 108, Britisher Claude Choules, 108, and Canadian John Babcock, 107, stand as the last known veterans of World War I. Buckles lives quietly on a farm in West Virginia. He still remembers his service in the Great War, explaining why he joined the Army at age 16: “When your nation calls,” Buckles said, “you have to go”. (Read recent interview.)
Now, 91 years since the end of WWI, 108-year-old Army veteran Frank Buckles is our last living link with the American “Doughboys” who fought in Europe. His story is a profile in patriotism (and youthful exuberance). When only 16 years old, he tried to enlist in the U.S. Marines. They turned him down, so he joined the Army, lying about his age. He served in Britain and France as an ambulance driver, then helped escort German prisoners home to Germany after the surrender.
 
Following WWI, Buckles wanted to see the world, so he took work with a steamship company. That job placed him in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded. He was captured and interred in a prison camp for three years before being liberated. Below is a CNN feature on Frank Buckles. As all other American WWI vets have passed away, Buckles was honored as the last U.S. Soldier to fight in the “Great War”. To learn more about Frank Buckles and his experiences in WWI, CLICK HERE for a USAToday Feature Story. (Highly recommended–worth reading.)
November 10th, 2009
 It was “Ladies First” at the California State Long-Range Championship held this weekend at the Coalinga Range in central California. Palma ace Noma Mayo topped a field of 26 shooters (24 men and 2 women) to take the CA title with an impressive 787-34X score.
The diminutive senior lady shooter had the men saying “Noma, ‘No Mas'” by the end of the 3-day event. Using the latest (#2156) Sierra 155gr Palma bullets, Noma steered her .308 Win, iron-sighted Palma rifle to victory, displaying great consistency and superior wind-reading skills. Finishing second overall was Michael Dunio (782-29X), while Noma’s husband Marty Mayo took third with a 779-16X score. Marty teamed with Noma to win the two-person Team match on Saturday, with a combined 385-7X.
Shooting his trusty 6BRX, Peter White took the F-Class title with a strong 785-36X score. Taking second was our friend and Forum member Gary Wood, who shot a 778-28X with the 6.5-284 featured recently in the Daily Bulletin. Gary Childs placed third in F-Class (769-25X), shooting a straight .284 Win with a handsome stock he crafted himself. When comparing these scores to the iron sight shooters, keep in mind the F-Classers shot a target with much smaller ‘X’ and scoring rings. We want to give special thanks to Gary Wood, whose generous donation to AccurateShooter.com made it possible for this Editor and assistant Mark LaFevers to cover the event.
There were some beautiful long-range rigs at the match, including many Gary Eliseo tubeguns. (Gary competed at the event, and shot well on Friday and Saturday, but fell victim to shifty winds on the final day.) In addition to the high-tech tubeguns, many handsome wood-stocked Palma rifles were used, including a Bastogne-walnut-stocked beauty built and shot by gunsmith Tom Luhmann of TLC Gunworks in Clovis, CA.
An interesting “California-legal” AR Platform rifle caught Mark’s eye. It sported a handsome matte camo finish, but the chambering was the most noteworthy feature. This rifle was chambered as a 6mm Dasher, an improved 6mmBR with a shorter neck and 40° shoulder. Most of the AR match rifles we’ve seen have gone to a Grendel-based case, if they step up past the .223 Remington. The 6BR parent case uses a .308-sized bolt-face, whereas the Grendel case rim is smaller. Also, with its steep shoulder angle, the Dasher can prove challenging to feed. However, the gun’s builder Marcus Naslund said they had achieved good feeding and function by opening up the gas port and adapting a custom single-stack magazine, made from aluminum billet. Despite California’s Draconian gun laws, this rifle is legal for sale in the Golden state because a “tool” (which can be a bullet tip) is required to remove the otherwise “non-detachable” magazine.
November 9th, 2009
Onlineguns.net, part of the Armsvault family of websites, has compiled a list of special discounts offered to purchasers of reloading gear, ammo, and shooting accessories. Current featured promotions include:
Brownells — $10 off $100 Gift Certificate. Enter CODE D3E at checkout. Expires 11/30/09.
Lucky Gunner — $20 off any $200 ammo purchase. Enter CODE LuckyGlockTalker at checkout. Expires 11/15/09.
MidwayUSA — $10 off orders of $100 or more. Enter CODE 100119 at checkout. Expires 11/15/09.
MidwayUSA — $25 off orders of $250 or more. Enter CODE 250119 at checkout. Expires 11/15/09.
November 8th, 2009
This gear review is by respected prone shooter German Salazar. German recently received the first production version (Serial No. 0001) of the NEW Borden Action espressly designed for Tubeguns. German reports this is “really a great piece of equipment” and it’s affordable at $800 for the single-shot version or $850.00 for the repeater.
NEW Action for the Tubegun Revolution by German Salazar
If you’re a High Power shooter then you know that the Tubegun Revolution is in full swing both in across-the-course and prone matches. For many reasons, including accuracy, availability, cost, delivery time, ergonomics, familiar feel (for AR15 shooters) and more, the Tubeguns are becoming the norm in High Power. I recently built a 30-06 Tubegun for prone matches and have been extremely satisfied with the results, but I had a desire for a better action for it, now that desire is a reality.
While most Tubegun stocks are made to take Remington 700 actions or clone, it has become difficult to get bare Remington actions and bargain priced 700s are non-existent these days. Buying a complete rifle to strip, then blueprinting the action leaves you with about the cost of a custom action invested in the Remington — not the most economically sensible outcome.
Seeing the need for a custom action to fit the Tubeguns at a moderate price, Jim Borden of Borden Rifles is now making a Tubegun Special (TGS) action –- actually six variants of it. The TGS action is made to fit the Tubegun stocks without alteration and has been designed in cooperation with Gary Eliseo (Competition Shooting Stuff) to ensure compatibility and functionality.
Special Features Optimized for Tubegun Installations
The TGS is a full round action, without the scallops of the Borden Alpine/Timberline series and without the flattened rear bridge of the Remington 700. This full round surface presents a much larger surface area for epoxy if you intend to glue-in the action, and simply a better fit if you intend to bolt the action into the tube. Additionally, the TGS has no scope mounting holes or bolt stop since these are not required in a Tubegun stock and their elimination reduces machining costs, helping to keep the retail price competitive with a blueprinted Remington.
Beyond the action profile, there are a few choices in the TGS. You can order it right-handed or left-handed, long action or short action, single-shot or repeater. The single-shot models have a coned bolt as shown in the photos, which helps feeding from the action trough, whereas the repeaters have a flat-faced bolt like a Remington to ensure reliable feeding from a magazine.
The TGS has the familiar Remington-type plunger ejector and a claw extractor similar to the Sako. I have put over 4,000 rounds through my 6BR Borden Alpine with 100% reliability from the extractor. It’s a solid, reliable design. The bolt is nicely fluted in a spiral pattern and the fit and finish of every bit of the action and bolt are first class. It’s almost a shame to epoxy it into the tube, but that’s what it’s meant for!
Borden Accuracy is now a distributor for the CG triggers (X-tremeshooting.com) and can time the action to the trigger before delivery. Other triggers are available from Borden as well and the action takes any Remington-type trigger. Finally, Gary and Jim have standardized locations for the serial number and manufacturer information and the CSS stocks have small windows in the main sleeve to allow those to be seen at all times.
If you’re planning to build a Tubegun, you should take a close look at the Borden Tubegun Special action, it’s a very practical and cost-effective approach with the single-shot actions priced at $800 and the repeaters at $850 as of this writing.
November 8th, 2009
The 2009 Western Creedmoor Cup Matches were held October 21-25 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility outside Phoenix, AZ. The Creedmoor Cup Matches, which immediately follow the CMP Western Games, attract many of the nation’s best High Power rifle shooters. This was the third year the Western Creedmoor Cup was conducted at Ben Avery. The previous venue was Camp Pendleton in California.
CMP Western Games and Creedmoor Cup Complete Results
Match rifle shooter SPC Sherri Gallagher (USAMU) was the Creedmoor Cup Aggregate Match overall winner (as well as high woman shooter). Sherri posted a combined Agg score of 797-33X. Neil Jensen followed with an aggregate score of 791-30X. TSgt Daniel Rodriguez ANG scored the highest Creedmoor Cup Service Rifle Agg with a 782-26X, with junior Tyler Rico taking second with a score of 781-33X. Rico was also the top junior shooter, winning a Bushmaster AR-15 upper donated by Remington Arms. The top senior was Brandon Dale with a score of 751-20X.
Match Rifle Winner SPC Sherri Gallagher. Photo Courtesy Jonathan Ocab.
In team competition, USMC Team Base Hawaii won the service rifle event with an aggregate score of 1899-42X. Team Predator, consisting of Phil Hayes, Neil Jensen, Royal Hubert and Matthew Hubert, won the match rifle team event, posting 1895-40X. Finishing second in match rifle with an 1878-52X, was the popular Deadeyes team: Dennis DeMille (Mgr. of Creedmoor Sports), Ronald Zerr, Steve Davis, and GySgt. R. Lee Ermey (USMC Retired). “Gunny” Ermy is the host of the new Lock ‘N Load TV series on the History Channel.
The Creedmoor Cup matches were proceeded by the 6th Annual Western CMP Games, which ran for four days. The CMP Games featured shooting clinics, Garand matches, Rimfire Sporter matches and many other events. This year, there were a record 476 entries in six different CMP Games events. CLICK HERE for compete Western CMP Games match report.
Story based on report by Steve Cooper, CMP Writer. Photos courtesy CMP. Ermey photo by Gary Anderson, DCM.
November 7th, 2009
 What is the most-used piece of equipment on this Editor’s reloading bench? No it’s not my Rock-Chucker press, or even my calipers. The one item in near-constant use is a small, folding magnifying glass. Mine folds into a square case and offers 4X viewing with an 8X bifocal insert. With this handy tool I can inspect case mouths for burrs, check flash-holes, and look for flaws on bullet jackets and bullet tips. I also use the magnifier to see rifling marks on bullets seated into the rifling, or check my bolt for galling. The number of uses is nearly endless.
When loading match ammo, here are some of the things you should check with a magnifier:
Flash Holes (make sure they are round and not obstructed)
Case Necks and Bushings (check necks for scratching; inspect bushings for embedded grit or brass shavings)
Case Mouth (check inside and out for small burrs or cuts — either can damage your bullet jackets)
Bullet Meplats (check meplats CAREFULLY — look for damaged tips and significant meplat size variations)
Plastic Ballistic Tips (check for crooked or broken tips; look at jacket edge where it meets the plastic — this can be very ragged with burrs or gaps so it doesn’t fit flush with the plastic tip)
Folding magnifiers are so handy yet inexpensive that you should own a couple spares (including one in the range box). I bought my magnifier in a book-store, but you can also find them on the web at Edmund Scientifics and WidgetSupply.com starting at just $1.97.
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