Today’s Sunday GunDay Story is a unique and beautiful F-Class rifle from France. This handsome rifle was first featured in our Gun of the Week Archives. This rifle was a gift from husband to wife. Because this is such a unique rifle, with a great back-story, we are reprising this “French Connection” rifle once again.
Europe has a number of capable custom arms makers, and in this article we feature one of them, Christian Salva of Toulouse, France. Here we spotlight an ultra-accurate and handsome 6-6.5×47 Lapua F-Class rifle. Built for a lady, the rifle exhibits flawless craftmanship to match its superior performance.
Alie Gets Her Gun — Thanks to Husband Aurélien
Photos and text by LONASSAC, translation by T.J.E., NRA UK
Aliénore, a charming young French lady, shares her passion for short- and long-range shooting with her husband, Aurélien. Aurélien already owns a 6mmBR PGM Ultima Ratio rifle and decided to have a rifle built for his wife so that they could shoot together. They therefore turned for help to the Christian Salva workshop, located in Toulouse in the south of France, close to their home.
SALVA Walnut Stock–Gorgeous Wood, and Great Ergonomics
Aliénore chose a superb, perfectly-grained French walnut blank for the stock. The stock is a single, solid piece of walnut, with a waxed finish to show off its fine figuring. The stock design is optimized for F-Class, prone and Bench Rest shooting. The fore-end is flat and 3.35″ (85mm) wide, slightly wider than the common 3″ used on most benchrest rifles. On the underside of the forearm is a rail to take a Parker-Hall or a Versa Pod-type bipod. The trigger guard is a custom, light alloy SALVA design. The butt plate is Anschütz-type. It adjusts vertically and can be rotated on its horizontal axis. The cheek piece is adjustable for height only — all that is needed.
Aliénore selected the F-Class Target Rifle from Christian Salva’s range of rifles, which is the one best suited to the type of shooting she wanted to do. Their club’s rifle range, near their home, goes out to 600 meters (See photos above). Unfortunately, as is usual in France, the range does not have a target pit. Members shoot prone using front benchrest-style rests, as in F-Class. The problem is that, without a proper target trench, it’s not possible have individual shots spotted and marked (as would be done in American High Power matches). However, with a good scope, in good light, shot-holes can be seen at 400m, and sometimes even at 600m — but this is rare.
When this rifle was crafted, Christian Salva was one of the few gunsmiths in France who manufactures complete rifles from front sight to butt-plate. With the sole exception of the barrel, he constructs the whole rifle, including action, bolt, trigger and stock. He also does all the bedding and chambering himself. Everything is done to his customer’s specification which, of course, can only be achieved in a small and highly specialized business.
General Rifle Specifications
The rifle was built on a SALVA hexagonal long range action with a flat base, which is set in a highly-figured French walnut stock using a bedding block. The gun is 49″ (125 cm) overall, and weighs 9 kg (about 20 lbs.), including scope. The barrel is 29″ (74cm) long, and a straight 1.22″ (31mm) in diameter. Given the weight and size of the barrel, the decision was made to secure the barreled action into the stock with a bedding block. On top of the action is an angled Picatinny rail with 20-MOA built-in to allow long-range shooting without using up the scope’s internal elevation. The rifle is currently fitted with a Nightforce 12-42x56mm BR scope held in alloy rings.
Details of SALVA Action
The rifle features a light Dural alloy right bolt, right port, single-shot action treated and coated with a champagne-color surface hardener. The action is hexagonal in shape (normal for a French action), with a flat base for improved bedding. On this particular gun, however, the action is floated, with the barreled action secured by the long barrel block. Take a good look at the photo below. Yes, the action on is fully-floated — the barrel block secures the barreled action into the wood stock. This is similar to some Benchreast heavy guns.
Christian Salva produces his actions from scratch, employing high-tech machinery, including CNC multi-axis mills. The advanced design allows the action to be very strong as well as light. The SALVA action is very thick and sturdy, in spite of its weight being reduced to a minimum. It can chamber cartridges from the 6mmBR size up to magnum calibers such as the 300 Win Mag. A treated steel insert is screwed into the front of the action. This is threaded to receive the barrel and machined to receive the locking lugs of the bolt. The threaded section is especially long (36mm with a 1.5mm thread) so as to ensure proper rigidity for the unit. Where the bolt lever closes, a steel insert, screwed into place with a BTR screw, prevents the steel bolt lever from wearing the softer Dural alloy of the action.
Tri-Lug Bolt with Extractor and Ejector in Lugs
The cylindrical all-steel bolt has a diameter of 0.906″ (23mm) and three (3) front locking lugs. The bolt design has BOTH extractor and ejector placed in locking lugs. Salva’s goal, in engineering the position and operation of both extractor and ejector, was to reduce side pressure on the cartridge. The extractor is designed to hold a cartridge case in place with minimal lateral displacement. The ejector is also built into one of the three lugs. [Editor’s Note: Many modern benchrest actions, such as the Stolle Panda, Stiller Viper, and some BATs employ an extractor in the lug. This is also a feature on Savage bolts and push-feed Model 70 Winchesters. However, these bolts do not have the ejector in a lug as well.]
Remarkably, the ejector has no spring, unlike most bolt designs. It should be noted that this springless ejector is designed to eliminate side pressure when chambering a round, thus keeping the round concentric in the chamber. The ejector is mechanical and will eject the case if the shooter pulls the bolt all the way back. If the shooter prefers to extract the case by hand, one simply pulls the bolt part way back. The 1.5″ (38mm) bolt lever is fairly short, but it has an oversize 30mm polymer knob to facilitate the opening and closing of the bolt.
French Gun, German Barrel — a 29″ Lothar Walther
On Aliénore’s rifle, the barrel is the only component not manufactured by SALVA in Toulouse. For the barrel, Christian Salva chose a stainless Lothar Walther, 6-groove barrel, with a 1:8″-twist for handling 105gr bullets. The muzzle is milled with an 11º slope so as to handle boat-tail VLD bullets. This German-made Walther tube has a 1.22″ (31mm) straight contour and is 29″ (74mm) in length. This long, non-tapered barrel is heavy enough that Salva decided to mount it with an alloy bedding block, about 8″ long (20 cm). Ten Allen-head screws clamp the block to the barrel, while the lower section of the bedding block is secured to the wood stock with eight screws and bedding compound.
Proprietary SALVA Trigger
The trigger is also manufactured by SALVA in its entirety, from Christian’s own design. Overall trigger pull weight adjusts from 50-250 grams (1.8 oz. – 8.8 oz.). The SALVA trigger can also adjust for: Longitudinal trigger position (Length of Pull); Over-travel; Main travel; Second-stage pressure; and Sear engagement.
Cartridge and Load Info
The rifle is chambered in 6-6.5×47 Lapua. Aurélien starts with Lapua 6.5×47 cases. These are then necked-down to 6mm and neck-sized with a .265″ bushing. The necks are turned very slightly, to ensure neckwall uniformity, and achieve a consistent grip on the bullet. Aurélien loads Berger 105gr VLD bullets, pushed by Vihtavuori N160 powder and small magnum primers. His preferred load is 38.2 grains of N160 with a cartridge overall length (COAL) of 2.732″ (69.40 mm). With this load, muzzle velocity is 2854 fps (870 meters per second) chronographed one meter from the muzzle. [Editor’s note–this is a very mild load. The 6-6.5×47 can drive 105-grainers over 3100 fps.]
How the Rifle Shoots
Smooth Function + Great Accuracy
When firing using a front rest, the recoil of a 9 kg, 6-6.5×47 Lapua rifle is minimal and ideal for a lady. The operation of the rifle is trouble-free, even if a few rounds were initially a bit stiff on loading for the first time. Thereafter everything sorted itself out very nicely. The action of the bolt is solid and one can feel that everything is very snug and that the tolerances are properly tight.
The versatile trigger rivals the best benchrest triggers, with the additional bonus of a single- or two-stage operation. That said, with a minimum pull-weight of 50 grams (1.8 oz.) perhaps the term “two-stage” is not the best description, since it is difficult to detect a let-off point at that weight. The trigger can be set to be a very light, single-stage let-off.
The rifle is fitted with a Nightforce 12-42x56mm BR model scope. This high-magnification optic enables the shooter to see his/her bullet holes at 400 meters in good light. This is very useful when it comes to adjusting for wind. The stock’s adjustability and ergonomics allow the shooter to feel comfortable using this rifle. The Anschütz butt-plate and easily-adjustable height of the cheek piece help in that regard.
This rifle has demonstrated some impressive accuracy. Below is a group shot by Aurélien at 400 meters (437.4 yards) on C200 targets. Using OnTarget group measuring software, we calculated this 5-shot group at 0.555″ or 0.121 MOA. That’s remarkable for a gun shooting long, VLD-style bullets. At 100 meters the rifle has yielded “one-ragged hole” groups.
After a successful first year at the 2022 NRA National Matches, electronic targets are returning to Camp Atterbury for the 2023 Rifle Matches. Shooting Sports USA reports that: “Last year at the NRA National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, the High Power Rifle Nationals were fired on electronic targets from Silver Mountain Targets. The e-targets that made their debut last summer … will be returning for use again in competition this year at Camp Atterbury during the High Power … National Championships.”
Cole McCulloch, NRA’s Director of Competitive Shooting explained: “For 2023, we are continuing with range improvements, including 50 Silver Mountain electronic targets to support High Power Rifle and F-Class. We will have these targets in place for the 2023 National Matches.” (NOTE: The 2023 F-Class National Championships will be held Oct. 29 through Nov. 6 at the Ben Avery Range in Arizona.)
The e-targets on Camp Atterbury’s Range Six at Camp Atterbury last summer eliminated pit duty last summer and, importantly, allowed real-time scoring. Competitors could immediately see their shot placements and scores using mobile devices (such as iPads) connected via WiFi to the e-targets. Shooting Sports USA noted that: “After a few hiccups on day one of the 2023 NRA High Power Nationals, which were quickly rectified, the Silver Mountain electronic targets performed without any major issues for the duration of the championship.”
Camp Atterbury competitors last summer were generally impressed with the electronic targets: “E-targets were a godsend, as they totally eliminated the need to pull in the pits, which was especially valuable this summer in the scorching Indiana heat,” Charles Rowe, a longtime NRA High Power shooter, said.
At the 2023 NRA Nationals at Camp Atterbury, the High Power Rifle matches (Over the Course (OTC), Mid-Range, Long-Range) will have electronic targets. That means faster relays, quicker scoring, and NO PIT DUTY! Relays can proceed much more quickly and efficiently, so matches can be completed in significantly shorter time-spans.
Silver Mountain Targets Electronic Targets at Camp Atterbury
The Silver Mountain Targets (SMT) electronic target system is an OPEN SENSOR system fitted to conventional wood target frames. It uses four sensors to plot shot location (and score value) with great precision. Scores are transmitted via a WiFi network to mobile devices placed at each shooting station. Along with shot location, the score values are listed and recorded on the receiving devices.
The electronic target systems from Silver Mountain Targets provide instantaneous scoring, with scores instantly transmitted to WiFi monitors at each station on the firing lines. This shows competitors their shot locations immediately. That helps with wind calls. For the most part, the system worked very well in 2022 after some glitches on Day One.
Silver Mountain Target’s David Schnelle explained “The system is designed to be easily expandable and provide a high level of reliability. System components are battery-powered to simplify deployment on a military range and allows the system to even operate if there is a power outage. Communications between targets and the firing line is via a highly reliable WiFi connection, utilizing any WiFi-capable device to display competitors’ shots.”
“Shoot Like a Champion”. Bryan Litz, author of Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting, says he often sees notes like this tucked in shooter’s gear (or taped to an ammo box) at matches. What “marksmanship mantras” do you use? Do you have a favorite quote that you keep in mind during competition?
On the Applied Ballistics Facebook Page, Bryan invited other shooters to post the motivating words (and little reminders) they use in competition. Here are some of the best responses:
“Shoot 10s and No One Can Catch You…” — James Crofts
“You Can’t Miss Fast Enough to Win.” — G. Smith
“Forget the last shot. Shoot what you see!” — P. Kelley
“Breathe, relax, you’ve got this, just don’t [mess] up.” — S. Wolf
“It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.” — J. McEwen
“Keep calm and shoot V-Bull.” — R. Fortier
“Be still and know that I am God[.]” (PS 46:10) — D.J. Meyer
“Work Hard, Stay Humble.” — J. Snyder
“Shoot with your mind.” — K. Skarphedinsson
“The flags are lying.” — R. Cumbus
“Relax and Breathe.” — T. Fox
“Zero Excuses.” — M. Johnson
“SLOW DOWN!” — T. Shelton
“Aim Small.” — K. Buster
“Don’t Forget the Ammo!” (Taped on Gun Case) — Anonymous
PARTING SHOT: It’s not really a mantra, but Rick Jensen said his favorite quote was by gunsmith Stick Starks: “Them boys drove a long ways to suck”. Rick adds: “I don’t want to be that guy”, i.e. the subject of that remark.
Many of our regular readers are serious competitors who own top-end benchrest, F-Class, Palma, and/or Service Rifles. Such full-custom match rifles can easily exceed $5500 with optic. These premium rifles are a source of pride and competitive success. But many shooters also want something more affordable for fun rimfire matches, plinking, or varmint work. And that’s the focus of this story — good quality rifles that won’t bust your budget.
Video Reviews of Affordable Rifles
We recently found an interesting YouTube Channel that specializes in affordable rifles and scopes. This channel, appropriately named Affordable Optics and Rifle Reviews (AOFF), has 170+ helpful videos online, many with over 100,000 views. The testers are based in Canada, so they offer a perspective that’s a bit different than that of most American gun vloggers.
For todays’ Saturday at the Movies feature, we feature five of our favorite rifle reviews from the AOFF site. These videos are good starting points if you have been considering any of these rifles. Most are multi-purpose rifles that could be used in a tactical match or on a hunt.
1. Savage 110 Precision vs. Ruger Precision Rifle Comparison
These two rifles are direct competitors in the $1300-$1400 market range. The Savage combines the proven model 110 action with a modern Modular Driven Technologies (MDT) chassis. The latest Gen 3 Ruger Precision Rifle comes with a new, free-float M-LOK handguard that provides greater front scope clearance. The Ruger Precision MSR buttstock attaches to an AR-style buffer tube on a left-folding hinge, and the stock adjusts for length of pull and comb height. We have shot both rifles. We like the balance and accuracy of the Savage, but prefer the adjustable butt system on the Ruger.
2. Bergara B-14 vs. Tikka UPR Rifle Comparison
In this interesting comparison video, AOFF tests the Bergara B-14 HMR and the NEW Tikka UPR, both of which could be called cross-over rifles. You can hunt with them or shoot a tactical match. AOFF notes: “Both are GREAT rifles. In our previous reviews on these rifles, both showed great accuracy and performance out to long range (we brought them to 750m).” The Bergara B-14 runs about $1000 USD while the Tikka currently sells for about $1400.
3. Savage Axis II Precision Rifle in MDT Chassis
This video showcases the Savage Axis II Precision, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. Priced at $899.99, this rifle offers good performance for the price. It’s a good starter rig if you want to try a PRS/NRL competition, but it can also serve well as a hunting rifle. With adjustable comb and adjustable LOP, the MDT chassis offers good ergonomics. AOFF writes: “A great option for those who are looking to get into long range shooting, but aren’t looking into remortgaging there home to do so.” AOFF says the Savage Axis II is one of the best affordable, chassis rifles on the market because it combines an accurate barreled action with a nice MDT chassis. For more info, read this very thorough Savage Axis II review in Guns America Digest.
4. MDT XRS Modular Chassis System for Tikka T3x
AOFF tested the MDT Chassis with Tikka T3x Varmint in .223 Rem and .308 Win. AOFF states that this MDT Chassis offers good value: “This is not a ‘cheap’ rifle stock, although it IS one most can afford.” The XRS Chassis is designed for shooters who want the ergonomics of a traditional-shaped rifle stock with the benefits of a modern precision rifle chassis system. The MDT XRS Chassis is constructed from a full-length CNC machined core of 6061 aircraft grade aluminum with external textured polymer panels. It is available configured for a variety of short actions including Rem 700, Tikka T1x/T3x, Savage, CZ 457, Howa 1500, and Ruger American.
5. Winchester Wildcat .22 LR Rifle
The Winchester 22 has earned very positive reviews from owners, and it is a true bargain. AOFF reports: “This Winchester rifle proved to be a fun little rifle to shoot and plink with. As light as it is, with minimal recoil makes it a pleasure to shoot. This rifle retails for $230 USD making it not only fun but affordable. Mind you it isn’t perfect. The short stock with the short grip are two … things we found that should be improved on the Winchester Wildcat 22.”
For some applications, we prefer a non-bushing FL die over a bushing die. Shown here are three Forster full-length sizing dies, with necks honed to three different dimensions: 0.265″, 0.266″, and 0.267″.
The Honed Full-Length Sizing Die Option
There are many good options in full-length (FL) sizing dies. Most precision hand-loaders prefer FL dies with neck bushings. These let you adjust the “grip” on your bullet by using larger or smaller bushings. FL bushing dies are available from Whidden Gunworks, Forster, Redding and other makers.
Conventional, non-bushing full-length sizing dies can create ultra-accurate ammo with very low run-out. But many conventional non-bushing FL dies have an undersized neck diameter so you end up with excess neck tension, and you work the brass excessively.
There is another effective option, one that promises extremely low run-out. The honed FL die is a full-length sizing die that has the necked honed to provide a precise fit to the case-neck. When done right, honed FL dies produce extremely straight ammo — as there are no issues with bushing alignment (or bushings that are not perfectly concentric). This Editor owns honed dies from Forster, Redding, and Whidden Gunworks. They all perform extremely well, delivering match ammunition with extremely low run-out measured with a 21st Century Concentricity Gauge.
In one of the most popular articles we’ve ever published, Bugholes from Bipod, California shooter “Froggy” explained why he prefers honed dies for his tactical ammo.
Q: Do you FL size every time? Do you use custom dies?
Absolutely, I full length resize all of my brass every time I reload. And guess what? I’ve never had a feeding problem.
I do use a modified sizing die, without bushings. My FL resizing die has been custom-honed in the neck area to give .0015″ press fit on the bullet. I also put a slightly larger radius at the neck shoulder junction. I feel that this helps to seal the chamber. With this die, I get consistent neck tension every time–without bushings. Bushings are useful when you’re fishing around for a good load. But once you find the right amount of sizing for ideal neck tension, you can do this better with a customized FL die.
6.5 Guys Review Forster Honed Full-length Dies
The 6.5 Guys have reviewed honed FL sizing dies from Forster, explaining the pros and cons of this type of reloading die. They explained that, if you load a wide variety of bullets from different manufacturers, you many want to stick with a Bushing FL die. However, if you have settled on a particular bullet and found the “ideal” neck tension, then a honed die may make sense.
In this Gear Update, the 6.5 Guys discuss a service offered by Forster Products to custom hone the neck diameter of its full-length sizing dies to the customer’s specifications (to the thousandth). Whidden Gunworks also offers custom-honed FL dies.
This article is Copyright 2023 AccurateShooter.com. Any publication on another website is unauthorized and obligates monetary compensation and statutory damages.
In this episode of the NSSF Bullet Points podcast, NSSF’s Managing Director State Affairs Jake McGuigan discusses fending off “woke” corporate agendas and anti-gun policies. Jake explains recent successes in state houses around the U.S. including, addressing financial discrimination against the firearm industry by enacting the Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination (FIND) Act and successful restrictions on credit card processing companies that are attempting to track firearm purchases with new Merchant Category Codes.
0:00 Intro
0:42 Round up of pro-gun bills being passed in state houses
2:03 FIND Act
6:39 Pushing back on “woke” agendas and policies (ESG)
8:59 Restricting credit card processor’s ability to track firearm purchases
13:23 Outlook
1700+ Gun-Related Bills in State Legislature in Past 12 months
More than 1,700 firearm-related bills have been introduced in state legislatures since last May. Ninety-three of those bills were passed by legislatures and signed into law. Of those, 56% “expanded access to firearms or benefited the firearms industry by allowing manufacturing in the state or protecting them from liability lawsuits.” On the flip side, nearly 44% of the bills “restricted access to firearms or supported victims/potential victims in gun-related cases.”
Some states have been tougher than others. Several states like Washington, Oregon, California, Illinois, New York and Connecticut have supermajorities that skew toward gun control. Other states, like Arizona, Nevada and Virginia are slim majorities or split between the parties controlling one side of the legislature or the other. Still, other states like Florida moved aggressively to protect the firearm industry.
Success in Halting Firearms-Related Credit Card Tracking
Several legislatures have passed laws that prohibit the use of a firearm retailer-specific Merchant Category Code (MCC) by credit card companies to track lawful sales. That tracking could lead to backdoor gun control and firearm ownership lists by government agencies. Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed this law, as did Montana’s Gov. Greg Gianforte and North Dakota’s Gov. Doug Burgum. West Virginia’s Gov. Jim Justice, Mississippi’s Gov. Tate Reeves and Idaho’s Gov. Brad Little have signed laws barring the use of a MCC on firearm purchases earlier this year. Similar legislative efforts are ongoing on the federal level.
It is important to halt the use of Merchant Codes to track gun-related purchases, because this data could, potentially, be used to create a national Firearms Registry, something expressly prohibited by Federal law.
How’d you like to go to a beautiful 17,000-acre ranch in Wyoming this month, with a chance to win major prize money and valuable shooting gear? That’s the lure of the Burris Optics Team Challenge, a 3-day shooting competition scheduled for June 22-25, 2023, at a private 17,000+ acre ranch in Douglas, Wyoming. CLICK HERE to Register.
The Burris Optics Team Challenge is a unique event with two-person teams competing in multiple shooting disciplines — long-range rifle shooting, pistol shooting, and shotgun shooting. The competition is designed to test participants’ marksmanship skills, as well as their ability to work together as a team. In partnership with Competition Dynamics, this match offers a world-class, cutting-edge competitive practical shooting experience is a beautiful, backcountry environment.
The match takes place on a huge range located just outside Douglas, Wyoming. The terrain combines rolling hills and gradual inclines mixed with mountainous zones.
Athlon Outdoors posted an interesting article about a young couple, Tyler Hughes and Rei Hong, who competed in this event a few seasons back, finishing 8th overall. Taylor said their experience was very positive: “Our focus was to go as hard as we could, improving our plan each day based on what we learned from each other. Most importantly, we never lost sight of having fun together.”
Participants in the Burris Optics Team Challenge will have the chance to win a variety of prizes, including optics, cash, and other shooting-related gear. In addition, the top-performing team will be crowned the Burris Optics Team Challenge Champions and awarded a grand prize.
Burris Optics Team Challenge Match Overview
Stages: 3 Field Hike (long); 2 Long Assault (timed, multi-gun style); 1 standards
The 3 Field Hike stages will involve significant movement on foot while engaging multiple targets
Rugged desert / mountainous terrain with natural hazards — Local altitude of 5200′
Targets — rifles to 1000 yards, carbine to 600 yards, and pistols to 60 nominal
Locate, range, and engage targets under strict time constraints
Competitors carry all gear used during the courses of fire
Almost all targets will be reactive armor steel plate
Unknown, various, and non-standard target sizes
Registration for the Burris Optics Team Challenge is now open, and spaces are limited. Interested participants can learn more and register online at the event website.
Enjoy the Shooting Sports USA Archives
As we head into summer, many Americans will be spending more time at the range. And competitors will be shooting in rimfire and centerfire rifle matches throughout the country. Here’s an opportunity to learn competition skills, gun tuning methods, and reloading techniques from leading experts. A vast resource of great gun-related content available online for FREE. Check out the Shooting Sports USA Articles Archive. SSUSA maintains a vast digital library with hundreds of articles going back to June 2009.
It’s easy to find back issues of Shooting Sports USA magazine. Here’s how: First, navigate to the current SSUSA Online Issue. Then click on the “ARCHIVES” icon in the upper right area (indicated with red arrow). When you click on “ARCHIVES”, a window will open with a selection of Shooting Sports USA magazine covers/dates in a vertical column. The most recent issue (June 2023) will appear at the top. You can then scroll down — use the vertical scroll bar to go from September 2022 (the latest issue) all the way back to June 2009. Click any issue cover to read.
How to Find and Save Articles
To search back issues, select “MORE OPTIONS” from the toolbar (top left). Then click the “SEARCH” button. When that opens, select either “Search Archives” for ALL back issues or “Search Only this Issue”. When you’ve made your choice, enter your search term(s). For example, you can search for “Camp Perry” or “Palma” or “F-Class Championship”. You can also save any archived issue as a PDF for viewing offline. Just click “SAVE” to download the article you’re currently viewing/reading.
Read Sample Articles
Here are a couple of our favorite SSUSA feature stories from recent years. There are hundreds of other informative articles worth reading.
We’ve all encountered those boastful guys at the range — you know, the ones who say their factory rifle will shoot “dime-sized groups all day long.” Well maybe they were actually telling the truth — it all depends on the size of the ten-cent piece. With the huge dime shown above, we think we could shoot “dime-sized groups all day long” — even with a pistol. After seeing this, one reader commented: “That’s great. So this means my groups are only around Quarter-sized!”
Credit Forum member DKhunt14 who started a thread with this humorous image in our Shooters’ Forum. Other Forum members gave examples of similar accuracy claims they’ve heard:
I ran into a local tactical guru a few years ago that topped any story I’ve ever heard yet. He claimed he could shoot a quarter-inch group every time at 300 yards — like no problem whatsoever. — IMMike
I had a guy tell me he dropped a doe at 420 yards with a M1 carbine, open sights. Never took a step. I’ll bet he also shot those dime-sized groups!– DJ Porter
Seems like we could substitute 1000-yard prairie dog (other small varmint) hits for dime-sized groups. They both happen “all day long”. — Dsandfort
Many folks come into my shop… and feel compelled to regale me with their life history with firearms. Head-shooting squirrels at 100 yards with a .22 short and iron sights, deer dropped at 500 yards with a .35 Rem, ground hogs taken with one shot across vast distances, etc. — and it would appear that every former SEAL, Marine or SF sniper lives in the general area. My Dad used to tell me that sometimes you just have to smile and nod a lot. Not always, but a lot.
I’m not a huge fan of Bass Pro Shop, but I DO appreciate Bass Pro’s motto: “Welcome hunters, fishermen and other liars.” Human nature can be so entertaining. — JLT
GET Your Own Giant DIME
By the way, if you want your own jumbo dime, Amazon.com offers 3″-diameter Roosevelt dimes for ten bucks. These would be good for range accuracy challenges. You could tell a buddy you can “put five shots on a dime at 200 yards”. Then whip out this slightly oversize 3-incher and see his face.
These could also serve as “gag prizes” at club shooting matches — giveaways for folks who want to say they shot a group at 200 or 300 yards that could be “covered with a dime” … a 3″ dime that is!
In this .308 Win test, 70° F ammo shot 96 FPS slower than ammo heated to 130.5° F. And the 130.5° ammunition was 145 fps faster than ammo taken right out of the freezer (at 25.5° F). That’s a huge difference…
Summer Solstice is just two weeks away, so most parts of the country will soon be encountering peak summer heat. Some ranges in the Western states have already recorded temperatures well over 100 degrees F during matches. When dealing with extreme summer heat, you should make a serious effort to keep your ammo at reasonable temperatures. When possible, keep ammo in a cooler in the shade.
Never leave boxes of ammo out in the hot sun. Even with powders advertised as “temp stable” you can see significant velocity increases when ambient temps reach 90 degrees and above. This article explains how temperature extremes (both hot and cold) can alter bullet velocities. The velocity differences between very cold ammo and very hot ammo can be very large, as this article explains.
EDITOR’s NOTE: The Sierra tester does not reveal the brand of powder tested here. Some powders are much more temp sensitive than others. Accordingly, you cannot extrapolate test results from one propellant to another. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see the actual recorded velocity shift with ammo temperature variations in a .308 Win.
Written by Sierra Chief Ballistician Tommy Todd This story originally appeared in theSierra Bullets Blog
A few weeks ago I was attending the Missouri State F-Class Match. This was a two-day event during the summer and temperatures were hot one day and hotter the next. I shot next to a gentleman who was relatively new to the sport. He was shooting a basically factory rifle and was enjoying himself with the exception that his scores were not as good as he hoped they would be and he was experiencing pressure issues with his ammunition. I noticed that he was having to force the bolt open on a couple of rounds. During a break, I visited with him and offered a couple of suggestions which helped his situation somewhat and he was able to finish the match without major issues.
He was shooting factory ammunition, which is normally loaded to upper levels of allowable pressures. While this ammunition showed no problems during “normal” testing, it was definitely showing issues during a 20-round string of fire in the temperatures we were competing in. My first suggestion was that he keep his ammunition out of the direct sun and shade it as much as possible. My second suggestion was to not close the bolt on a cartridge until he was ready to fire. He had his ammo in the direct sunlight and was chambering a round while waiting on the target to be pulled and scored which can take from a few seconds to almost a minute sometimes.
This time frame allowed the bullet and powder to absorb chamber [heat] and build pressure/velocity above normal conditions. Making my recommended changes lowered the pressures enough for the rifle and cartridge to function normally.
Testing Effects of Ammunition Temperature on Velocity and POI
After thinking about this situation, I decided to perform a test in the Sierra Bullets underground range to see what temperature changes will do to a rifle/cartridge combination. I acquired thirty consecutive .30 caliber 175 grain MatchKing bullets #2275 right off one of our bullet assembly presses and loaded them into .308 Winchester ammunition. I utilized an unnamed powder manufacturer’s product that is appropriate for the .308 Winchester cartridge. This load is not at the maximum for this cartridge, but it gives consistent velocities and accuracy for testing.
I took ten of the cartridges and placed them in a freezer to condition.
I set ten of them on my loading bench, and since it was cool and cloudy the day I performed this test I utilized a floodlight and stand to simulate ammunition being heated in the sun.
I kept track of the temperatures of the three ammunition samples with a non-contact laser thermometer.
The rifle was fired at room temperature (70 degrees) with all three sets of ammunition. I fired this test at 200 yards out of a return-to-battery machine rest. The aiming point was a leveled line drawn on a sheet of paper. I fired one group with the scope aimed at the line and then moved the aiming point across the paper from left to right for the subsequent groups.
NOTE that the velocity increased as the temperature of the ammunition did.
The ammunition from the freezer shot at 2451 fps.
The room temperature ammunition shot at 2500 fps.
The heated ammunition shot at 2596 fps.
The tune window of the particular rifle is fairly wide as is shown by the accuracy of the three pressure/velocity levels and good accuracy was achieved across the board. However, notice the point of impact shift with the third group? There is enough shift at 200 yards to cause a miss if you were shooting a target or animal at longer ranges. While the pressure and velocities changed this load was far enough from maximum that perceived over pressure issues such as flattened primer, ejector marks on the case head, or sticky extraction did not appear. If you load to maximum and then subject your ammunition to this test your results will probably be magnified in comparison.
This test showed that pressures, velocities, and point-of-impact can be affected by temperatures of your ammunition at the time of firing. It’s really not a bad idea to test in the conditions that you plan on utilizing the ammo/firearm in if at all possible. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to also test to see what condition changes do to your particular gun and ammunition combination so that you can make allowances as needed. Any personal testing along these lines should be done with caution as some powder and cartridge combination could become unsafe with relatively small changes in conditions.
Details of SALVA Action
Proprietary SALVA Trigger
“Shoot Like a Champion”. Bryan Litz, author of 
Summer Solstice is just two weeks away, so most parts of the country will soon be encountering peak summer heat. Some ranges in the Western states have already recorded temperatures well over 100 degrees F during matches. When dealing with extreme summer heat, you should make a serious effort to keep your ammo at reasonable temperatures. When possible, keep ammo in a cooler in the shade.
