After being held at the Kelbly’s Range in Ohio for decades, the Super Shoot benchrest competition will be held May 22-25, 2023 at the Bench Rest Rifle Club in Missouri. This is a great location, much favored by elite benchrest shooters. This excellent range was the host of the 2022 NBRSA Nationals (photo above).
This will be Super Shoot 49. Historically, the Super Shoot has been the largest 100/200-yard Benchrest score match in the world, drawing over 200 competitors. For the last 40+ years, the Super Shoot has been held at the Kelbly’s Range in Ohio. This year the Super Shoot will be held at one of the premier benchrest shooting facilities in the USA, the Bench Rest Rifle Club of St. Louis situated in Wright City, just northwest of St. Louis. This event will feature the best short-range benchrest shooters in the world. Competition will be fierce, with top places often decided by the tiniest margins in Agg measurements.
To shoot in the big match, it’s best to first register as a member of the SuperShootSports.com website. Membership is free. By becoming a member you will have access to online registration for the 49th Super Shoot and other features. There is no charge to join as a site member but there ARE fees to compete in the actual 2023 Super Shoot. In-person check-in and registration begins on Friday, May 19th. The range will be open for practice Friday through Sunday, May 19-21, closing at 4:00 pm on Sunday. Competition starts on Monday, May 22, 2023. Here is the full schedule:
For more information or to register as a competitor, visit SuperShootSports.com. You can also email info@supershootsports.com or call 972-875-5318.
The Bench Rest Rifle Club of St. Louis hosted the 2015 World Benchrest Championships:
The St. Louis shooting range facility is excellent. Forum member Alex M. posted: “The St. Louis Bench Rest Rifle Club is the finest shooting facility I have seen. The various rifle, pistol, shotgun, and archery ranges are great. They have a nice official trap field, together with manually operated traps. I shoot pistol and rifle with my wife at 25 to 600 yards. They have a very nice dedicated rimfire range, and training bays. I shoot their monthly F-Class matches (600 yards) where they award medals (1st, 2nd, 3rd) for F-Open, F-T/R and F-Bench. They also host the very popular Sierra Cup Challenge.”
Map to Bench Rest Rifle Club Range in Wright City, Missouri.
Major Sponsors for Super Shoot 49
Super Shoot 49 has many sponsors including Bruno Shooters Supply, Creedmoor Sports, Lilja Barrels, PMA Tool and a dozen other companies. Creedmoor Sports has explained the importance of the Super Shoot:
“We’re excited to sponsor the Super Shoot and give back to the Bench Rest community. The firearms and reloading innovation that has come out of this discipline has benefited every single shooting sport. Bench Rest Rifle Club of St. Louis is a great facility that is capable of hosting very large matches. I know that Wade Hull and the members at BRRC will do an exceptional job hosting the match.” — John Teachey, VP Operations/Marketing for Creedmoor Sports.
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. Midsouth — Berger Bullets in Stock, Good Prices
⏺ Top-quality Berger bullets in stock now — order before they sell out
Berger bullets in popular calibers/weights have been in high demand. But Midsouth recently received a large shipment of .224, .243 (6mm), .257, .264 (6.5mm), .284 (7mm), .308 and .375-caliber Berger bullets. There are various weights in the popular calibers (e.g. 52gr, 73gr, 80gr, 85.5gr, and 90gr in .224). Over 40 Berger bullet types are in stock now, starting at $44.99 per 100. Grab these while you can.
⏺ Excellent precision reloading scale now $100 OFF
Need a high-quality reloading scale, but can’t afford an $800 A&D force restoration scale? Then you’re in luck. Right now you can get the excellent Creedmoor Sports TRX-925 scale for $249.95. This deal — a huge $100 savings off the regular $349.95 price — is for the first 249 customers only, so act soon. Note: The TRX-925 measures natively in GRAINS rather than grams, so it offers excellent precision.
3. Barnes Bullets — Barnes Match Burner Bullet Sale
⏺ Great prices on good match bullets, multiple calibers
If you’re looking for good target bullets at a good price, consider the Barnes Match Burners. On sale now direct from Barnes, these come in an assortment of calibers and bullet weights. Prices start at just $26.99 per hundred. For PRS/NRL we recommend the 6mm Match Burner 105gr HPBT, at $34.99 per hundred.
4. MidwayUSA — Vortex Optics on Sale, Save up to 40%
⏺ Huge discounts on popular Vortex scopes, spotters, binoculars
5. Graf & Sons — Ginex primers in Stock, $73/1000 for 5K
⏺ Reliable small rifle and small pistol primers at good prices
Primers are still hard to find and most are priced well over $100 per 1000. Give your wallet a break by picking up Ginex primers from Graf’s. Available in small rifle as well as small pistol sizes, these are quality primers offered in 5000-primer bulk packs, priced at $365.00 for 5K, which works out to $73.00 per thousand. User reports for these Ginex primers have been quite positive.
6. Midsouth — Triggertech Trigger Sale
⏺ Excellent triggers for competition and hunting rifles
Triggertech makes high-quality, reasonably-priced triggers that fit a wide selection of rifles. Right now Midsouth is running a Triggertech Sale with over 50 trigger types on sale — including triggers for Rem 700s (or clone) and ARs. Save 11% or more on a quality trigger and get FREE Shipping right now.
⏺ Unique design rechargeable muffs with behind-head strap
Ordinary electronic muffs can lose power at inopportune times. Save the aggravation and grab a pair of these Walker’s Rechargeable Firemax Ear Muffs. These Behind-the-Neck (BTN) muffs boast a 2000 mAH rechargeable lithium battery for over 200 hours of protection (way more than typical drop-in batteries). Simply charge your muffs before heading to the range. These Walker BTN muffs have a notable design — the primary padded strap runs BEHIND the ears, with a secondary, removable top strap. Many shooters will find this arrangement more handy and comfortable than conventional muffs with a bulky top strap.
8. EuroOptic — ZEISS Binoculars Sale, save $75-$150
⏺ Major discounts on high-quality ZEISS binoculars
ZEISS, the respected German optics maker, has launched a Spring into Savings event through participating ZEISS authorized retailers. This promotion runs through May 15, 2023, offering major instant savings on high quality ZEISS binoculars. And when you purchase ZEISS binoculars from EuroOptic.com, you get speedy RED Expedited Shipping. Here are the ZEISS Binoculars Spring Savings offers:
$150 Instant Rebate on ZEISS SFL 40 Binoculars
$100 Instant Rebate on ZEISS Conquest HD 42 and 22 Binoculars
$75 Instant Rebate on ZEISS Terra ED 42 and 32 Binoculars
9. Natchez — Ammo Sale (Multiple Brands)
⏺ Many popular ammo types at good prices
While it’s not one of the largest ammunition sales you’ll find on the web, this week’s Natchez Ammo Sale offers very significant discounts on a variety of popular cartridge types, with a good selection of manufacturers, including Hornady, Winchester, PMC, and Aguila.
10. Brownells — Ruger Max-9 FX Optics Ready 9mm, $349.99
⏺ Slim, smooth, 9mm Luger handgun with big discount
Ruger makes very reliable pistols and has excellent customer service. If you are looking for a very compact, easy-to-carry 9mm handgun, consider the Ruger Max-9 now $349.99 on sale at Brownells ($170 off MSRP). This particular pistol has a cool dark blue-gray optics-ready slide for easy mounting of small red dot sights. The MAX-9 also features a tritium fiber-optic day/night front sight.
11. Amazon — Splatter Stick-On Targets, $6.99/100ct Roll
⏺ 100 3″-diameter Adhesive Splatter Targets on roll
Splatter targets help you see bullet impacts clearly from a distance. Most splatter targets come in big sheets, but these handy 3″-diameter, stick-on splatter targets come on a convenient roll. Get a 100-count roll for just $6.99 on Amazon. These circular targets feature a black bullseye with red center and bright yellow rings. These targets are easy-to-peel and the roll can be stowed easily in a range bag.
PMA Tool offers lightweight yet sturdy cleaning cradles that are handy, affordable, and easy to transport. PMA’s popular single-gun cradle, priced at $99.95, is ideal for benchrest and F-Class rigs. It measures about 17″ in length and weighs about one pound. You can choose among 2.25″, 3″, 4″, 5″, and 6″-wide saddles (U-shaped padded supports) to match your forearm width.
PMA also offers an excellent double cradles for $149.95. These twin cradles have 2.5″, 3″, or 4″ saddles, or a combo of 3″ / 2.25″ front saddles. All these cradle types secure your rifle(s) in a muzzle-down position that allows easy cleaning and prevents solvents from running back into the action. The front saddles and all contact surfaces are covered by thick silicone rubber padding which grips the rifle securely yet protects the stock and components from scratches.
These cradles are most commonly sold with a 3″-wide front saddle for Benchrest and F-Open style stocks, or a 2.25″-wide front saddle for rifles with narrower fore-ends such as those found on F-TR, Hunter Class, and varmint stocks. In addition, you can get 4″-wide, 5″-wide, and even 6″-wide saddles for the big, long range benchrest rifles.
Double Rifle Cradle is a Smart, Versatile Design
PMA’s double rifle cleaning cradle was was designed from the ground up to work perfectly for two rifles side-by-side. Using the same tie bar and protective saddles found on the single cradel, PMA widened the base and created new uprights to support the saddles, making the cradle as narrow and light as possible, while retaining all the protective and non-slip features from our single unit.
This PMA Tool double cradle unit is available with twin 3″ front saddles, double 2.5″ front saddles or combination 3″ / 2.25″ front saddle configurations to accommodate different classes of benchrest rifles.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is now one of the most popular cartridges chambered in factory rifles. It found favor among hunters and PRS competitors, but then its little brother the 6mm Creedmoor became widely adopted because the 6mm version delivered less recoil, equivalent or better ballistics, and lower bullet cost.
There’s another Creedmoor cousin, the 22 Creedmoor, basically a 6mm Creedmoor necked down to .224 caliber. While this certainly can be used for PRS and tactical competition, the 22 Creedmoor seems to be ideally suited as a high velocity varmint round — something to replace the 22-250. You get 22-250 class velocities with a more modern cartridge design, and high-quality brass.
LEARN MORE about the 22 Creedmoor
There is an excellent write-up in the GunsAmerica Digest about the 22 Creedmoor cartridge. Reviewer Jeff Cramblit built a 22 Creedmoor rifle and tested it with a variety of bullet weights. He concluded it worked best as a varminter, but could also do PRS duty, provided it is loaded under the 3200 fps velocity limit common in PRS matches. CLICK HERE to read full GunsAmerica 22 Creedmoor test report.
Since there is not yet a SAAMI spec for the 22 Creedmoor, the cartridge is officially still a wildcat. However some ammo-makers have produced 22 Creedmoor loaded ammo: Copper Creek, Gunwerks, and Spark Munitions. Copper Creek has produced the most 22 Creedmoor loaded ammo varieties, with 18 different bullet options from 68 grains to 95 grains, including two lead-free bullet types. However, most everything is “out of stock” right now. Copper Creek also offers load development packs with either Peterson or Hornady brass. Here are five Cooper Creek options with Sierra and Berger bullets:
In addition, multiple companies have offered 22 Creedmoor cartridge brass: Alpha Munitions, Atlas ADG, Hornady, and Peterson Cartridge. The Peterson 22 Creedmoor brass is excellent.
Of course you can neck down high-quality Lapua 6mm Creedmoor brass. Lapua brass has outstanding consistency and durability. Choose from large primer or small primer types. Necking down is a relatively easy one-step operation with a neck-sizing or full-length sizing die. You’re just stepping down to .224 from .243 — not that big of a jump.
22 Creedmoor Brass from Peterson Cartridge
According to Derek Peterson, President of Peterson Cartridge, “We decided to build the tooling to make our .22 Creedmoor brass in response to the uptick in long-distance predator and varmint hunting. Plus the round is just straight-up fun to shoot. It is a low-recoil, flat shooting, wind-bucking round [that is] deadly accurate up to 800 yards.”
“When we designed the tooling for the .22 Creedmoor we set out to make casings with improved features”, Peterson added. “And we were successful. We increased the head hardness to tolerate higher pressures. And we increased our internal volume slightly to work better with the slow-burning powders [such as Reloder 26 or H1000].”
22 Creedmoor for Varmints — Video from the Varmint Fields of Eastern Oregon
Bullet Choices for 22 Creedmoor
If you have an appropriate twist-rate barrel, you can load the 22 Creedmoor with heavy 85-95 grain bullets. However, we think that, for varminting, the cartridge is better suited for lighter 65-80 grain bullets. This yields high velocities that provide explosive impacts on small varmints.
This GunsAmerica photo shows, L to R, 90gr Sierra MK, Hornady 88gr, 80gr, and 75gr .224 caliber bullets.
What is the Best Role for the 22 Creedmoor?
GunsAmerica tester Jeff Cramblit favors the 22 Creedmoor as a varmint round: “The performance of the 22 Creedmoor with 75-80 grain bullets makes it an outstanding varmint cartridge. I’ve seen claims of 80 grain Bergers at 3500 fps out of 26″ barrels, which would be devastating on any varmint. Loaded ammunition is available with bullets in the 70-75 range leaving 24” barrels at velocities around 3400+ fps, a bit more conservative than personal hand-loading, but still making it a very flat shooting, low recoiling round delivering impressive results.”
Jeff says the 22 Creedmoor will also work for PRS with heavier bullets: “I built the 22 CM to be a dual-purpose gun, or actually a 3-purpose gun. The first was for the coyotes and varmints previously mentioned. The second was for shooting PRS (Precision Rifle Series) style matches on occasion, and the third was for hunting deer-sized game. As with any multi-purpose tool there tends to be compromises.”
22 Creedmoor Cartridge Dimensions (No SAAMI Spec Yet)
More Efficient Alternatives — the 22 BR and 22 BRA
If you already have a 6mmBR rifle, and you want a higher velocity cartridge for varmint shooting, you may want to consider just necking down your brass. We’ve shot the 22 BR in the varmint fields and a steel match. This cartridge offers excellent accuracy, and is very flat shooting. We recommend getting a fairly fast-twist barrel so you can shoot the longer, high-BC bullets if you want to use your 22 BR in local matches. You’ll find that shorter 40gr to 66gr varmint bullets shoot great even in the faster-twist barrels.
For more information on the 22 BR for varminting and target shooting, with recommended loads for 40gr to 90gr bullets, read our Accurate Shooter 22 BR Cartridge Guide.
If you want more velocity than a 22 BR offers, you can have your barrel chambered for the 22 BRA (BR Ackley). With its 40-degree shoulder, the 22 BRA offers a few more grains capacity, so you can get more FPS with all classes of bullets. Fire-forming is easy — just use a normal 22 BR load with good bullets and shoot. We’ve fire-formed a 22 BRA in a varmint match and it showed excellent accuracy — there’s no need to waste bullets fire-forming. Go ahead and fire-form during a fun match.
Is factory 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition good enough to win a PRS or NRL competition? The answer is a resounding “YES” if we’re talking about Berger ammunition. Produced with Berger match bullets and premium Lapua brass, this Berger 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition demonstrated excellent accuracy, impressive velocity, and very good ES/SD numbers. When tested at 1000 yards with an MPA-stocked PRS rig with Rem 700 action, this ammo showed just half-MOA of vertical, and produced a group that would have been a 50-1X in F-Class competition. That’s quite impressive for a PRS rig.
This ammo test was performed by our friend Erik Cortina from Texas. The reigning SW Nationals F-Open champion, Erik is a top F-Class competitor who also shoots tactical matches (for fun and glory). A couple seasons back, Erik built a new 6.5 Creedmoor with a Remington 700 action. Though this rifle sports a top-shelf MPA chassis and premium Kahles scope, Erik calls this his “budget build” because it has a plain Rem 700 factory action rather than the elite Borden actions he normally runs. Erik’s actions of choice are the Borden Mountaineer for PRS and Borden BRM-XD for F-Class.
Erik posted: “Shot my budget 6.5 Creedmoor … with Berger Bullets factory ammo. I shot five rounds over the chrono to get speed. I used BC info from the box and it all lined up properly. I adjusted my ECTuner to tune load and it took just 15 shots to get it shooting well. It’s simple with good components.”
This Berger factory ammo features Berger 130gr Hybrid OTM Tactical bullets. The Lapua 6.5 Creedmoor cases have a large rifle primer. You can see this ammo displays good velocity with Extreme Spread and Standard Deviation rivaling good hand-loads.
Cortina says the very accurate Brux barrel and razor-sharp 6-24x56mm Kahles scope help achieve this kind of outstanding performance at 1000 yards. Here are the key components for Erik’s latest PRS rig:
Barrel Tuner by Erik Cortina — Fits Behind Muzzle Brake
This rifle features a barrel tuner designed and crafted by Erik Cortina. You can the EC Barrel Tuner alone, or, as you can see, the EC Tuner can be fitted BEHIND a muzzle brake. Erik tells us: “The EC Tuner allowed me to tune the barrel to my ammo rather than tuning the ammo for barrel as is done when reloading. With the tuner, there is no need to try different brands of ammo as they can all be tuned to shoot as good as possible in my rifle.”
Erik Cortina is one of the world’s top F-Class shooters. Erik won the 2023 Southwest Nationals in F-Open Division, and he was a member of Team USA which won the F-Open World Championship in South Africa. And Erik also won the individual F-Open title at the South African National Championship which preceded the 2023 F-Class Worlds. Erik also has competed successfully in Long-Range and Precision Rifle matches. Along with his shooting skills, Erik is a respected video host. His Erik Cortina Video Channel now boasts nearly 500 videos, covering a wide range of shooting disciplines, along with reloading, load tuning, and other gun tech topics.
This Saturday we are featuring nine of Erik’s informative videos. These cover reloading techniques, marksmanship tips, and more. We start with two vertical-format “shorts”, both worth watching. In the first video you can see Erik nail five straight targets at 500 yards, with the last one a tiny square.
Two “Shorts” — Precision Steel and Advanced Reloading
500-Yard “Know Your Limits”
Cortina with 6mmBR Nails ‘Em All
Loading Cartridge with
SuperTrickler and AMP Press
Barrel Break-in — Don’t Waste Barrel Life
A factory barrel can benefit from a break-in regimen. Some custom barrels shoot great from the get-go and don’t require elaborate break-in rituals. In this popular video, Erik explains how he determines the appropriate break-in procedure for his barrels: “Deciding if you need to break-in a barrel is not as easy as many think. In this video, I discuss the thought process I go through in deciding if I need to break in a barrel or not.”
Smallest 1000-yard Group Ever Caught on Camera
This 1000-yard group was NOT shot in a match, so it is not a record. But Erik shot a truly spectacular group during practice. This shows what modern F-class rifles can do with ideal conditions. Erik drilled five shots in 1.3″ inches, with 4 shots in under 1/2″ (see 1:15 – 2:20 time). And the first 3 shots landed right on top of each other (about 1/4″). Erik notes: “While shooting, I decided to set up my camera and record the screen on my phone so I could see the shots on my Electronic Target. To my surprise, the shots kept stacking up on top of each other. I had a 3-shot group under 1/4 inch! Most shooters would be happy with that at 100 yards, but this is at 1,000 yards!”
Common Sense Reloading
All novice reloaders should watch this video. Erik explains the three key items when reloading for accurate rifles. Erik explains: “We as humans have a tendency to complicate things, and reloading is no different. For some reason, we think that the more complicated it is, the better the end product will be. It doesn’t have to be that way, today I explain the three different things that must be in check to ensure you have a consistent and efficient load. Once you get these three things corrected, you’ll always have a good load.”
Team USA F-Open World Champions
The 2023 F-Class World Championships were recently held in South Africa. There were talented teams from many countries. With a strong, come-from-behind performance on the last day of the team match, The U.S.A. F-Open Team topped South Africa to win the F-Open Team Championship with a 3540-366V score (South Africa finished with 3535-374V — a “V” is like an “X” in the USA). Congratulations to the 2023 USA F-Open team, the new World Champions! Erik Cortina was a member of Team USA.
Stop Neck-Sizing Brass
With over 400,000 views, this is one of Erik’s most popular videos. Erik explains why it is NOT smart to neck-size only. For almost all rifle applications, you’ll get better case life and more consistent loads if you full-length size your cases. Full-length sizing also provides vital shoulder bumping, which is essential for proper case-feeding and smooth bolt closure. Proper full-length sizing will also help optimize ES and SD.
Precision Reloading Class at PRS Expo 2022
This 8-minute video records a seminar Erik conducted at the 2022 PRS Expo. In this segment, Erik explains the key elements of accuracy. He advises that the bullets are the most expensive element of each cartridge, and are critical to accuracy, so competitors should always buy the best — never attempt to cut costs on projectiles. CLICK HERE for PART TWO of Erik’s presentatiion.
About Erik Cortina Precision Products Cortina Precision makes some of the best barrel tuners on the market. The EC Tuner was developed over a decade ago and has many championships under its belt. The EC Tuner was recently revamped and released as the EC Tuner V2. The V2 model employs a spring to maintain load on the tuner at all times and eliminate backlash. That helps with consistency. The EC Tuner V2 works well for centerfire, rimfire, and even air rifles.
Cortina Precision also offers the EC Tuner Brake. The Tuner Brake combines a barrel tuner with a muzzle brake. The EC Tuner brake greatly reduces recoil and allows you to tune your rifle to your load. These Tuner Brakes are a good choice for hunters and PRS/NRL competitors, as they work equally well with handloads and factory loads. For more information, visit ShootSmallGroups.com. – Erik Cortina
Want to see the details?CLICK HERE to view full-screen photo.
Here are five targets, each with FIVE shots in essentially one hole. This amazing feat of accuracy was accomplished six years ago. We are reprising our report because this five-target Aggregate arguably represents the most impressive feat of 100-yard accuracy in the history of marksmanship on this planet.
Check out those five targets. The Aggregate (average) of all five targets is a tiny 0.0840 inches! These were shot by Gary Ocock at 100 yards in a California benchrest match on August 6, 2017. Though Gary’s amazing 0.0840 Five-Target Agg beats existing records, this was not a “sanctioned” match, so Gary’s killer Agg will NOT be submitted for IBS or NBRSA records. So, sadly, the Agg won’t appear in the record books, but this remains a spectacular, verified feat of rifle accuracy, accomplished in competition.
The argument can be made that this is the Most Accurate Gun Ever Built. As far as we can determine, no one has ever shot a smaller 5-target Agg anywhere, at any time.
The Unlimited Benchrest Record That Will Never Be (Official)
Report by Boyd Allen
Gary Ocock’s stunning unlimited Aggregate is beyond amazing. That’s an average of five, 5-shot groups of .0840. Shot under sanctioned match rules, but at an unsanctioned 100-yard fun match, this Aggregate is well under the current 100-yard official records of the IBS (.1386), and the NBRSA (.1242). The fourth of the five groups measured a minuscule .018, less than half the size of the existing NBRSA Unlimited record of .049 (also shot by Gary). Check it out:
When the top 15 shooters all post teen Aggs, conditions must be pretty favorable. However there were some light switchy winds — Gary said that he shot better in the left to right condition.
GUN SPECIFICATIONS
Ocock’s red Jay Young Unlimited Railgun features one major difference from Young’s typical Railgun designs. The bottom of the barrel block is integral with the top (moving part), of the gun. The barrel is Ocock’s usual 1:13.5″-twist Krieger chambered for the 6 PPC. The BAT Neuvo action is unusual in that its lugs are horizontal at lock-up instead of the usual vertical. With horizontal lugs, both lugs maintain contact with their abutments when the action is cocked. In the more normal configuration when cocked the top lug is forced off of its seat by a combination of the angle of the trigger cocking piece interface, the pressure of the striker spring, and bolt clearance at the rear of the action.
LOAD SPECIFICATIONS
Gary shot this remarkable Agg with well-used brass, Vihtavuori N133 powder, and self-made 66gr BT bullets* seated at “jam”. This amazing Agg was shot on the second day of a 2-day Unlimited Benchrest match. On Day 1 Gary had experimented with various loads using both surplus IMR 8208 and Vihtavuori N133, but was not satisfied with the results. For his first group on Day 2, Gary tried a light load of N133. After seeing the result, however, he decided to go to the other extreme — a super stout N133 load — with the same powder. As you can see, Gary’s willingness to experiment paid off.
Notably, Gary used light neck tension. Ocock found that for these bullets and this barrel, light neck tension worked best (contrary to “normal” N133 benchrest practice). Ocock used a bushing that only produces .001″ difference between the diameters of sized and loaded case necks.
Comment on Ocock’s Achievement
Congratulations to Gary Ocock for superb shooting (and smart loading). Even though the match was not sanctioned (so the Agg will never be a record), Ocock has raised the bar very high, and given us a new standard of ultimate accuracy.
Though this 0.0840 Aggregate and 0.018 group will never go into the record group, they are still noteworthy. There’s virtually no doubt that they would have survived inspection by any record committee. Except for the lack of fixed backers, an IBS requirement (for detecting cross-fires), all other conditions were met for an officially-sanctioned match.
Boyd Allen notes: The reason that the match was not sanctioned was that the sanctioning bodies like to have a month’s notice when scheduling a sanctioned match and because the range had been down for modifications and this was the first match after that, there was some question as to whether the work required to have stationary backers could be finished in time for the match. Rather than promise what might not be deliverable, the decision was made to hold the match under all of the usual competition rules as a non-sanctioned “fun” match. None of this diminishes Gary’s performance.
* Gary Ocock shot his own, boat-tail match bullets, made with George Ulrich-crafted dies using Hood cores. Although he said that it had been a while since he had weighed any, his best guess was that they weigh something around 66.5 grains.
Watch the video below to learn about the kneeling position, as explained by National Paralympic Coach Bob Foth and 2012 Olympian Amanda Furrer. Three-time Olympian and Silver Medalist Bob Foth details the proper techniques (both body position and gun-handling) for kneeling position shooting. Putting Foth’s coaching tips into practice, three-Position smallbore shooter Amanda Furrer demonstrates how to properly shoot from a kneeling position using a .22 LR match rifle.
Amanda, a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, shows how to set up the right body position when kneeling, how to support the rifle, and how to relax breathing to steady the shot. This takes practice, but remarkable accuracy can be achieved from the kneeling position by top-level shooters. This is a great video, well worth watching.
The video uses superimposed graphics and diagrams to show rifle hardware/sights, and key aspects of the head position, sling set-up, and hold. If you are a position shooter, this is a “must-watch” video. Narrated by Olympian Bob Foth, it is very informative.
Watch Kneeling Position Video
As a member of the U.S. Olympic Team, Amanda Furrer competed in the Womens 3P 50m event at the 2012 Olympics, finishing 15th. Amanda first started shooting at 11 years old with the Spokane Junior Rifle Team. Shooting is a family sport and all compete and shoot guns together. Furrer’s father shoots tactical matches and her mom shoots pistols. Amanda qualified for the national team as a member of the 2007 Pan American Team at the age of 16. She won bronze in the 2011 National Championships. Amanda is currently a student at Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business, majoring in Finance and competing on the Rifle Team.
The total economic impact of the firearm and ammunition industry in the United States increased to $80.73 billion in 2022 from $19.1 billion in 2008, a 322% increase, while the total number of full-time equivalent jobs rose to over 393,696 from approximately 166,000, a 136% increase in that same period, according to a report released by the NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association. READ Full REPORT.
The Firearms and Shooting Sports Industry Now Generates 393,696 Jobs in America
On a year-over-year basis, the industry’s economic impact rose to $80.73 billion in 2022 from $70.52 billion in 2021. Total jobs increased by over 17,877 in the same period, to 396,696 from 375,819. The firearm industry has broader impacts throughout the American economy. The gun industry also generates business for firms not directly related to firearms — creating jobs in industries such as banking, retail, accounting, metalworking, and printing.
Gun Manufacturers and Ammo Makers Now Pay over $7.48 Billion in Taxes
The firearm and ammunition industry paid over $7.48 billion in business taxes, including property, income, and sales-based levies. An additional $1.15 billion was paid in federal excise taxes, which directly contributes to wildlife conservation.
“Our industry’s economic input is undeniably contributing to every state and every community. This milestone achievement of over $80 billion in economic impact proves that the American firearm and ammunition industry is strong,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “Over 4.2 million Americans from all walks of life, for the first time, discovered and exercised their right to lawful firearm owners and safely participate in the recreational shooting sports last year. This growth equals more jobs that add to our local economies, averaging $65,000 in wages and benefits, up from $56,900 reported last year. Since 2008, federal tax payments increased by 266%, Pittman-Robertson excise taxes that support wildlife conservation by 226% and state business taxes by 46%.”
The annual Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report provides a state-by-state breakdown of job numbers, wages and output, as well as federal excise taxes paid. CLICK HERE for Full Report (Printable PDF).
When shooting pistols do your shots normally land smack dab in the middle of the target? If not, you may have some technique problems that are causing your shots to move off center. Top Shot Champion Chris Cheng has produced a good video for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) that helps handgunners diagnose accuracy issues. By shooting 3-shot groups and looking at the pattern and location of the shots, you can see what you’re doing wrong (or right). Here are some examples. Note, this process works best for shooters whose shots fall typically in one target zone. If your shots are all over the target, your form is inconsistent and problems will be harder to diagnose.
1. Low Left — Jerking Trigger: Here we see three (3) shots at the 7 O’clock position. This shows that the shooter is jerking the trigger, meaning that the shooter is pulling the trigger too quickly and therefore forcing the barrel to drop when breaking the shot. This is a very common problem, particularly with novices who are reacting to the noise/recoil of the pistol.
2. 9 O’Clock — Too Little Trigger Finger: If we see three (3) shots at the 9 O’clock position, what this can be indicative of too little trigger finger on the trigger. And therefore with every shot, the shots are getting pushed to the left. Try moving your trigger finger on to the pad of your index finger. Also try dry firing drills.
3. High Left — Anticipating Recoil: In this next example, we see three shots around the 11 O’clock position. What could be happening here is that the shooter is anticipating the recoil, and is actually lifting the gun up when he shoots. We recommend slowing down, working on your breathing, and, again, do dry-firing drills.
4. 3 O’Clock — Too Much Trigger Finger: Finally, if you see three (3) shots at the 3 O’clock position, this can indicate that there is too much trigger finger on the trigger. Therefore when the shot breaks the shooter is pulling each shot to the right.
Note: Each of these descriptions is for a RIGHT-handed shooter. If you are a left-handed shooter you’ll want to reverse those descriptions with respect to shot position left/right of the centerline. For example, in example number 4, the lefty would have his shots fall at the 9 O’clock position
If you already have a 6mmBR rifle, and you want a higher velocity cartridge for varmint shooting, you may want to consider just necking down your brass. We’ve shot the 22 BR in the varmint fields and a steel match. This cartridge offers excellent accuracy, and is very flat shooting. We recommend getting a fairly fast-twist barrel so you can shoot the longer, high-BC bullets if you want to use your 22 BR in local matches. You’ll find that shorter 40gr to 66gr varmint bullets shoot great even in the faster-twist barrels.
Cortina says the very accurate Brux barrel and razor-sharp 6-24x56mm Kahles scope help achieve this kind of outstanding performance at 1000 yards. Here are the key components for Erik’s latest PRS rig:
Watch the video below to learn about the kneeling position, as explained by National Paralympic Coach Bob Foth and 2012 Olympian Amanda Furrer. Three-time Olympian and Silver Medalist Bob Foth details the proper techniques (both body position and gun-handling) for kneeling position shooting. Putting Foth’s coaching tips into practice, three-Position smallbore shooter Amanda Furrer demonstrates how to properly shoot from a kneeling position using a .22 LR match rifle.
