Back in 1999, EuroOptic became one of the first U.S. commercial dealers of premium European optics such as Zeiss and Swarovski. Now, 22 years later, EuroOptic is an industry leader with a massive catalog of over 200 manufacturers, with exclusive product offers from some of the most respected names in the business. EuroOptic also boasts an outstanding customer service and sales team.
Adding to this impressive list of achievements, EuroOptic now offers RED 1 & 2 Day Delivery! This service ensures your order is shipped the same day and is delivered to you the next day or in 2 days time FOR FREE, with no hidden fees or memberships whatsoever. Speedy RED shipping is available for most optics and non-firearm products including products from Vortex, Nightforce, Leica, Trijicon, Swarovski, Leupold, Sitka Gear, and more. Visit EuroOptic.com/Red.aspx for more information about this program.
What’s better than getting new gear? Not much, but getting it the next day is a step in the right direction. Now, with EuroOptic’s RED shipping service, that’s the program – any item marked with the logo will have a delivery speed marked — usually the next day or the day after.
And, shipping is no extra charge.
EuroOptic states that it has “always been about getting shipments out as fast as possible, and now we’re turning up the intensity on the shipping carrier speed as well. Give it a try, we’re sure you’ll be pleased.”
Program Details
Products on the EuroOptic.com website which have the logo will also have a delivery speed listed — generally, 1-Day Shipping or 2-Day Shipping. When purchasing these items, you can expect those items to ship with a carrier method to match the stated delivery speed — No extra charge
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Right now (10/21/21) through the end of October (10/31/21) you can enjoy huge savings on a wide variety of shooting and gunsmithing products. Save up to 30% on Gun Cases & Gear, save up to 68% on Shooting Safety Equipment, and save up to 80% on Gun Cleaning Kits. And there are big discounts on gunsmithing items such as barrel vises, chambering reamers, and other tools. Folks, you really owe it to yourself to check out the savings at this major Grizzly Blow-Out Sale.
Bullets.com was a popular shooting products online vendor operated by parent company Grizzly Industrial. Bullets.com was closed some time ago, but Grizzly still has extensive inventories of products sold by Bullets.com. Grizzly wants to move those off the shelves, so this is a great opportunity for savvy shoppers. Check out all the savings linked by category below. There are hundreds of items deeply discounted.
Grizzly tells us: “We are having a really good blowout sale October 21-31 on remaining Bullets.com products. We want to offer these items to the serious shooters and handloaders at AccurateShooter.com”.
Happy Halloween
Hickok45 Carves Pumpkins with Handguns
To celebrate Halloween, here’s an example of master wheelgun marksmanship. Popular YouTube host Hickok45 skillfully creates a smiling face on a pumpkin using a S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver. This is the classic blued, double-action revolver popularized by Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry. This has become a tradition for Hickok 45 — every year he puts a face on a pumpkin using a different firearm, typically a pistol, but he’s used a couple rifles as well. The latest pumpkin-carving effort, in October 2020, was done with a SIG M17 pistol. SEE PUMPKIN Shooting Playlist. Happy Halloween to all our readers.
Want to see more? Hickok45 has also carved pumpkins with a dozen firearms. Here is a pumpkin carved with a genuine, WWI-era Colt 1911 carried by an American soldier in the Pacific theater.
And here is a rather grim-looking face applied using the .40 SW Glock 23.
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Over the past 12 months, 2 MILLION Americans obtained concealed carry permits. That’s a 10% rise since 2020 and a 48% rise since 2016. The number of Americans obtaining CCW permits set an all-time record according to the Crime Prevention Research Center (CRPC) The previous high number was 1.8 million permits in 2017. The 2 million permits this year represents the greatest one-year increase ever recorded. The CRPC reports that the number of CCW permits has increased “exponentially” over the last year.
Guns America Digest reports: “A record number of Americans purchased firearms since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the CPRC’s new data suggests that those same individuals also sought concealed carry permits. The surge is even more remarkable considering the number of states that now allow permit-less, or ‘constitutional’ carry. As of last year, 21 states have waived the requirement to obtain a permit before carrying a concealed firearm.”
We may see further significant permit expansion based on forthcoming legal decisions. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association V. Corlett case, which challenges NY state laws which restrict the right to carry. Guns America states that “a favorable ruling for the pro-2A side could force ‘may issue’ states to issue permits to all qualified applicants.”
Why the Big Increase in Concealed Carry Permits
There are multiple reasons why record numbers of CCW permits are being issued now in 2021. Crime is up dramatically, the economy is uncertain, and border security has collapsed, with an estimated 2 million illegal aliens entering the country in 2021 (full year number). In addition, the permit agencies are catching up on CCW license applications from the peak of the Pandemic.
Part of the increase in CCW permits is a matter of timing. Because of the COVID Pandemic, many states and cities slowed down or even stopped the issuance of CCW permits. Now those same permitting agencies are processing a heavy backlog of permit applications. Guns America reports: “The CRPC describes a ‘surge’ in states that only recently began re-opening their permit offices.”
In major cities across the country, particularly in Democrat Party-run “Blue States”, there have been significant increases in serious crime. Looking at homicide rates for the whole nation, the FBI reported a 29% rise in homicides last year. That represented the largest single-year increase ever recorded. Guns America notes that rising crime “combined with unrest due to COVID-19, race riots, and economic turbulence, convinced two million Americans to take the concealed carry plunge.”
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Smith & Wesson (S&W) is recalling ALL M&P 12 Shotguns manufactured before 10/15/2021 due to concerns over cracked barrels, which could cause serious safety issues. If you own one of these newly introduced bullpup shotguns, you should check the serial number, and send the M&P 12 back to S&W for repair. S&W will pay for shipping. For more information go to MPshotgunrecall.com.
S&W M&P 12 Recall Notice
Springfield, MA — Smith & Wesson Inc. has received two field reports of cracked barrels involving the M&P12 Shotgun. To ensure that all of our Shotguns meet Smith & Wesson’s high standards for quality, we are implementing this Safety Recall of all M&P12 Shotguns manufactured prior to October 15, 2021, to ensure there are no barrel anomalies or conditions that might adversely affect the safety, function or performance of the firearm.
We are asking all M&P12 Shotgun owners to stop using the product immediately. To begin facilitating the repair process, contact Smith & Wesson at 833-957-3476, or via email at MPshotgunrecall@smith-wesson.com, to receive instructions, as well as a prepaid shipping label for the return of your M&P12 Shotgun to Smith & Wesson.
PRODUCTS AFFECTED:
This notice applies to M&P12 Shotguns manufactured prior to October 15, 2021. To determine whether your M&P12 Shotgun is affected, check the label on the box to determine the date of manufacture. If the manufacture date is prior to October 15, 2021, your shotgun is subject to this Recall and should be returned to Smith & Wesson for inspection. If you are unsure of the date of manufacture, input the serial number on the S&W Website Recall Page, or call 833-957-3476.
REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN:
If your Shotgun was manufactured prior to October 15, 2021, please call 833-957-3476 to obtain a pre-paid return label, to arrange for the return of your Shotgun to Smith & Wesson for inspection. If the barrel from your Shotgun is affected, it will be replaced at no cost to you. All shipping and replacement costs will be covered by Smith & Wesson.
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Today, October 20, 2021 Shooting USA TV features the Talladega 600 held this past January. Shooting USA notes: “Competition is back, as America gets back to normal again. For the Civilian Marksmanship Program … the Talladega 600 brought competitors from across the country — all glad to be back shooting. Dozens of competitors are on the line at the Talladega Marksmanship Park, the impressive home range of the CMP.”
Shooting USA noted that this event was a welcome return to normalcy: “After a year of cancelled competition, the Talladega 600 offered days of shooting in matches for most everything you might own, from rimfire to High Power. That had shooters from across the country emptying their gun-safes, and driving down to Alabama to shoot.” After being postponed due to storm damage from Hurricane Zeta, the CMP’s 2020 Talladega 600 event was rescheduled to January 2021.
SHOOTING USA TV Air Times
View Shooting USA on the Outdoor Channel: Wednesdays 9:00 PM (Eastern and Pacific); 8:00 PM Central.
NOTE: If you miss the 10/20/2021 broadcast, you can still view the show on Vimeo for a small 99-cent fee, or just $1.99 per month unlimited. LINK HERE: Shooting USA on Vimeo.
About the Talladega 600 — Southern Classic
The Talladega 600, “A Southern Classic”, is held annually. Though typically fired in November, the 2020 Talladega 600 was rescheduled to January 2021, due to storm damage from Hurricane Zeta. This year, matches included Garand, Springfield, M1A, Carbine and Vintage/Modern rifle events, and versions of prestigious National Trophy Rifle Matches. There was also an Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) match, 4-Man Team match, and .22 Rimfire Sporter match.
NEW Garand Benchrest and Rimfire Sporter Benchrest Matches
Two new types of matches were conducted at January’s Talladega 600: a Benchrest Garand Match and a Rimfire Sporter Benchrest Match. Competitors at these events can use sandbags to support their rifles. The Benchrest Garand match was very popular, and is likely to become a regular event.
Pistol Matches Were Popular
The Talladega 600 included .22 Rimfire EIC and Service Pistol EIC matches, along with As-Issued 1911 and Military & Police matches.
State-of-the-art Kongsberg target systems are used at the CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park.
About Talladega Marksmanship Park
The 500-acre CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park is one of the most advanced outdoor shooting facilities in the Western Hemisphere. The facility includes a 600-yard rifle range, a 100-yard multi-purpose range, and a 50-yard pistol range, equipped with Kongsberg electronic targets and scoring monitors. Since the 54 targets at each line register hits and calculate the scores instantly, no pit duty is required at Talladega. The park regularly hosts rifle, pistol and shotgun events throughout the year.
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NRA publication Shooting Sports USA (SSUSA) has thousands of articles online, all free for the reading. Many of these stories have been written by top competitors, including National and Olympic Champions. You will find SSUSA articles spotlighted every week on the NRA Competitive Shooting Facebook page. We recommend you bookmark that page as a valuable resource. Here are four notable SSUSA articles that have been featured on Facebook this month. Go to SSUSA.org to see even more current articles, with new content every day.
Here is an insightful, fairly lengthy 1850-word article about the phenomenon we call mirage. The article explains how and why mirage appears, how it can best be monitored, and how mirage can indicate both wind velocity and direction. Top competitors follow the adage “Mirage is your friend”, because mirage can often be the most important indicator of wind variables — sometimes even more important than wind flags. “The mirage is more sensitive than the flags since it has less inertia and momentum”, wrote Desmond T. Burke, in his book, Canadian Bisley Shooting, an Art and a Science.
Well worth reading, this SSUSA article talks about the properties of mirage. Here is a sample:
“Mirage — can make all the difference between a shot landing squarely in the X-ring or being victimized by an undetected downrange breeze. The true power of mirage is found in its ability to betray the subtlest of breezes downrange. Its fluid movement… can not only provide wind direction, but speed as well.
Typically, the ability to detect mirage is maximized on warm, sunny and sultry days. Expect mirage to be most pronounced in mid-morning or early afternoon, although it ignores these rules with regularity[.]
Mirage is extremely powerful at identifying winds of less than 12 mph, particularly those gentle breezes subtle enough to not even bother moving the flags.
When there is no wind, or a gentle head or tail wind, mirage will appear to be ‘bubbling’ directly up from the ground. Many call this ‘boiling’, and it is probably the easiest of all to detect.
As a general rule of thumb, when wind speed increases, overall height of the waves produced by the mirage is reduced. Large peaks and valleys in the waves mean that particular mirage is being driven by a very slight breeze. Conversely, crest size is reduced with wind speed, making it harder and harder to detect, until the mirage disappears entirely at somewhere around 12 miles per hour. In other words, the taller mirage’s waves appear, the slower the breeze.”
Authored by the late Glen Zediker, this article covers barrel break-in procedures. It is particularly useful for dealing with factory barrels. We CAUTION readers — with outstanding, hand-lapped custom barrels from top barrel-makers, you may want to do very little break-in — clean sparingly and keep barrel heat low. Do NOT use abrasives aggressively. On our Krieger and Brux barrels, we simply wet-patched every 2-3 rounds for 20 rounds and the barrels shot superbly from the start with minimal fouling. But for factory barrels, a moderate break-in process may prove beneficial.
Zediker explains: “Lesser, lower-cost barrels are going to have more pronounced … imperfections within the bore[.] These imperfections are largely tool marks resulting from the drilling and rifling processes. And if it’s a semi-automatic, like an AR-15, there might be a burr where the gas port was drilled. The goal of break-in is to knock down these imperfections, thereby smoothing the interior surface.”
As one who has experienced a cartridge case-head blow-out with a 9mm pistol, this Editor is very conscious of the risks involved and the damage a blow-out can do to the pistol, to the magazine, and (worst of all) to the shooter. Even with new brass, the possibility of a case failure is always present. And even if the case remains intact, we’ve seen primer failures that create a dangerous jet back towards the pistol shooter. That’s why shooters should always employ protective eyewear whenever they shoot.
We love our wheelguns, but there’s no doubt that forcing cone damage can occur, particularly with hot loads and if your cylinder-to-barrel gap is excessive. This article explains how to inspect your revolvers, and how to mitigate the likelihood of forcing cone damage. The article also explains how to clean your revolvers properly. This is very important to avoid build-up of lead and powder residues.
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“A bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.”
It’s hunting season, and a good friend is heading to the high country of Colorado next week to pursue elk. He recently zeroed his rifle in California, at a range just a few hundred feet Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL). He wondered if the higher altitude in Colorado could alter his ballistics. The answer is a definite yes. However the good news is that free ballistics calculators can help you plot reliable drop charts for various shooting locations, high or low.
The question has been posed: “What effect does altitude have on the flight of a bullet?” The simplistic answer is that, at higher altitudes, the air is thinner (lower density), so there is less drag on the bullet. This means that the amount of bullet drop is less at any given flight distance from the muzzle. Since the force of gravity is essentially constant on the earth’s surface (for practical purposes), the bullet’s downward acceleration doesn’t change, but a bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, at higher altitudes, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.
Forum member Milanuk explains that the key factor is not altitude, but rather air pressure. Milanuk writes:
“In basic terms, as your altitude increases, the density of the air the bullet must travel through decreases, thereby reducing the drag on the bullet. Generally, the higher the altitude, the less the bullet will drop. For example, I shoot at a couple ranges here in the Pacific Northwest. Both are at 1000′ AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level) or less. I’ll need about 29-30 MOA to get from 100 yards to 1000 yards with a Berger 155gr VLD at 2960 fps. By contrast, in Raton, NM, located at 6600′ AMSL, I’ll only need about 24-25 MOA to do the same. That’s a significant difference.
Note that it is the barometric pressure that really matters, not simply the nominal altitude. The barometric pressure will indicate the reduced pressure from a higher altitude, but it will also show you the pressure changes as a front moves in, etc. which can play havoc w/ your calculated come-ups. Most altimeters are simply barometers that read in feet instead of inches of mercury.”
As Milanuk states, it is NOT altitude per se, but the LOCAL barometric pressure (sometimes called “station pressure”) that is key. The two atmospheric conditions that most effect bullet flight are air temperature, and barometric pressure. Normally, humidity has a negligible effect. It’s important to remember that the barometric pressure reported on the radio (or internet) may be stated as a sea level equivalency. So in Denver (at 6,000 feet AMSL), if the local pressure is 24″, the radio will report the barometric pressure to be 30″. If you do high altitude shooting at long range, bring along a Kestrel, or remember to mentally correct the radio station’s pressure, by 1″ per 1,000 feet.
Trajectory of Bullet fired at Sea Level
Trajectory of Bullet fired at 20,000 feet
You can do your own experimental calculations using JBM Online Ballistics (free to use). Here is an extreme example, with two printouts (generated with Point Blank software), one showing bullet trajectory at sea level (0′ altitude) and one at 20,000 feet. For demonstration sake, we assigned a low 0.2 BC to the bullet, with a velocity of 3000 fps.
To learn more about all aspects of Exterior Ballistics, Hornady has a useful discussion of External Ballistics including the effects of altitude and temperature. To dig deeper, Sierra Bullets has a comprehensive Exterior Ballistics Resource Page with multiple sections from the Sierra Manual (4th and 5th Editions), including:
Example from Section 3.0: “When a bullet flies through the air, two types of forces act on the bullet to determine its path (trajectory) through the air. The first is gravitational force; the other is aerodynamics. Several kinds of aerodynamic forces act on a bullet: drag, lift, side forces, Magnus force, spin damping force, pitch damping force, and Magnus cross force. The most important of these aerodynamic forces is drag. All the others are very small in comparison when the bullet is spin-stabilized.”
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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.
1. KYGUNCO — Savage 110 + Vortex Scope Combo, $684.99
⏺ Act quick to get $75 Savage Rebate through 10/21/21
The latest generation of Savage rifles have good barrels, nice triggers, and an improved stock design. And right now you can get a great Savage rifle + Vortex scope combo, PLUS a $75 Savage Factory Rebate. Choose the 110 Tactical with Vortex Crossfire II 6-18x44mm AO scope for $684.99 (after rebate) or the 110 Tactical with Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40mm for $703.99 (after rebate). These both feature an adjustable AccuStock in FDE tan, +20 MOA EGW Picatinny Rail, and AICS 10-rd magazine. For more Savage rifle deals, go to the KYGUNCO Hunting Season Sale Page.
2. Costco — Cannon CS72 Gun Safe, $1099.99
⏺ Very large capacity safe at $200 discount — excellent deal
Got lots of guns? Here’s a very large safe at an very good price. Rated to hold 72 firearms, this 48.8 cubic-foot safe measures 59″H x 45″W x 28″D and weighs 696 pounds. Now through 10/24/21 this Cannon safe is $1099.99 at Costco, $200 off the normal price. And yes, this $1099.99 price includes curbside delivery to your home or business! Strength/security features include UL-Listed electronic lock, patented TRUlock internal hinges, a triple hard plate to shield against drill attacks, six 4” locking bolts, and 14 gauge steel through the body. The CS72 safe has a 60 minute fire rating.
3. Bruno Shooters Supply — Lapua Loaded Ammo
⏺ Superb loaded ammo for hunt/match, with brass you can reload 10+ times
If you need outstanding ammunition for a hunt, or want try some exception match ammo as a baseline for your reloading, we highly recommend Lapua loaded ammo. This is some of the finest loaded ammo you can buy, and the brass can be reloaded 10 or more times. Chose from many types on sale now at Bruno’s: .223 Rem, 6mmBR, .243 Win, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5×55, .308 Win (hunting or match), and more. FYI the Lapua 6mmBR ammo is superb. Our test with 90gr Scenar ammo yielded sub-0.2″ groups. SEE TEST.
4. Cabela’s — Tipton Ultra Gun Vise, $87.95
⏺ Incredible deal — this sells for up to $135 elsewhere
The 10-pound, metal-framed Tipton Ultra Gun Vise is strong and versatile. This beefy gun vise, now just $87.95 at Cabela’s, provides a steady base for cleaning or working on your guns. Grab this now — other vendors are charging up to $135! The Ultra Vise features adjustable jaws, specialized AR holder, and several accessory trays. Threaded feet allow the vise to be leveled on your bench. With this system you can work on bolt-action rifles, ARs, shotguns, pistols, and even crossbows. NOTE: To fit 3″-wide forearms you may have to remove or modify the front pad(s). Our Deals Editor, who owns this gun vise, reports: “This is a phenomenal vise — the best anybody makes — and $87.95 is a steal”.
5. KYGUNCO — Taurus G2c 9mm Pistol, $232.99
⏺ Great Deal on Reliable 12rd 9mm Carry Pistol
The Taurus G2c is a good little compact carry gun at a VERY attractive price — a third what you might pay for a 9mm Glock 19 these days. KYGUNCO has the black-on-black 9mm Taurus G2c for just $232.99 (cash price). That’s less than half what you’d pay for a similar-sized Glock 9mm. At 6.25″ OAL, and weighing just 21.2 oz. unloaded, this affordable 9mm handgun is a true compact. Despite its small size, the G2c boasts a 12-round magazine. We like the fact it has a left-side manual safety (unlike the Glock).
6. Midsouth — LEE Deluxe APP Press, $79.49
⏺ Unique Lee App vertical-feed press good for repetitive processes
Ever found yourself wanting a dedicated press for repetitive processes such as decapping (spent primer removal) or primer pocket swaging, but you don’t want to buy a costly, conventional cast-iron press. Then consider the LEE Deluxe APP Reloading Press. With the ability to mount your dies either on the top or bottom, this Automatic Processing Press (APP) offers unique versatility. The LEE Deluxe APP, also offers a vertical feed function for cases or bullets. Get the LEE Deluxe App for $79.49 at Midsouth. Or get the press from MidwayUSA for $80.30 with FREE shipping.
7. Midsouth — Bulldog 54″ Long Range Rifle Case, $69.99
⏺ Good deal on excellent case for long rifles up to 52.5″
Highly rated by purchasers, the Bulldog Long Range Rifle Case fits rifles up to 52.5″ long. This premium 54″ soft case is on Sale Now for $69.99 at Midsouth, 18% off the regular $84.99 price. The Bulldog LR works great for long-barreled match rifles. This versatile case boasts a tough 600-dernier water-resistant outer shell, plus quilted inner lining with Velcro tie downs. There are two zippered center pockets plus an external zippered pocket at front. The main compartment zippers are lockable. Choose tan version as shown, or the 54″ Bulldog in black.
8. Palmetto State Armory — CCI 40gr .22 LR 500 Rds, $54.99
⏺ Excellent price on quality ammo — just $5.50 for 50 rounds
Here’s good, USA-made .22 LR rimfire ammo good for plinking and rimfire tactical games. On sale this week at PSA, this CCI .22 LR Std. Velocity 40gr ammo is just $54.99 for 500 rounds. That works out to just 11 cents per round. That’s hard to beat these days for big-brand .22 LR ammo.
9. Amazon — Reusable Silica Gel Desiccant, $12.79
⏺ Essential humidity control solution for gun safes.
Many shooters are putting away their firearms for the season. To protect your valuable firearms from corrosion, it’s important to avoid moisture build-up inside your gun safe. It’s smart to have a Goldenrod, but you’ll also want something to absorb moisture. These reusable Silica gel desiccant cans do a great job of keeping moisture levels under control. NOTE: You can “re-condition” this canister easily. Simply put the cannister in your oven to dry out moisture and then return it to the safe. Dryed regularly, these canisters can function for years.
10. Midsouth — Roll of 250 Stick-On Benchrest Accuracy Target
⏺ Handy roll of adhesive targets with precise grid
Midsouth offers 250 self-adhesive Benchrest Targets on a convenient roll. These stick-on targets work great for anyone doing load development. Each target offers a precision 1/4″ grid at the top with diamond aiming box below. This is similar to official targets used in Benechrest matches, with the addition of the upper grid lines which allow you to instantly estimate group size. These targets also include an area to list your load components. Midsouth sells the 250-target roll for $14.99.
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Shooting ranges have gone upscale with the development of the “Guntry Club”. This new kind of recreational/social facility combines a shooting range with Country Club style amenities. Imagine a high-tech indoor range with “Pro Shop”, restaurant, and maybe outdoor shooting facilities as well. In the past five years, more and more of these deluxe “Guntry Clubs” have opened nationwide.
An episode of GunVenture TV featured some of the country’s finest gun clubs. Tom Gresham and RECOIL Magazine’s Iain Harrison checked out of the original “Guntry Clubs” — the Scottsdale Gun Club. Then, Tom visited a high-end facility in Centennial, Colorado. The upscale Centennial Gun Club features a retail store, range, training center, and lounge.
Here’s a CBS News report on upscale “Guntry Clubs”, luxurious facilities that target younger, more affluent patrons. Chip Reid reports on a high-end gun club in Manassas, Virginia: “This is not your Grandfather’s shooting range. Elite Shooting Sports is 65,000 Square feet of bright lights, polished wood, flat-screen TVs, and state of the art equipment”.
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Think you need a relatively long case-neck for good accuracy? Think again. Stan Ware broke all the rules with his radical Wolfpup cartridge, proving that a near-no-neck design can deliver match-winning accuracy. Read on to learn how the Wolfpup works…
Retired gunsmith Stan Ware is a talented shooter who’s not afraid to think “outside the box”. Stan competes in both Hunter Benchrest (HBR) and Varmint for Score (VFS) disciplines. In his quest to build the ultimate Hunter Benchrest cartridge, Stan created the radical “Wolfpup” wildcat, based on a 6mmBR parent case. Noting the dominance of 30 BRs in VFS matches, Stan wondered if a stretched 30 BR could work in HBR competition. The challenge was case capacity. Under HBR rules the cartridge must hold at least 45.0 grains of water, equal to the capacity of the classic 30/30 case.
To get the requisite HBR case capacity, Stan figured he needed to boost the volume of a 30 BR case significantly, so he would have to move the shoulder forward — a lot. He did this by running a 30 BR reamer deeper and deeper, test-firing brass along the way. After three reamer passes, he ended up with the capacity he needed (the Wolfpup holds 45.3 grains of water). But then he looked at the finished product — a case with almost no neck, and he wondered “how could this possibly work?”.
From Trashbin to Winner’s Circle
Ware’s prototype Wolfpup ended up so short-necked, so unlike any “normal” cartridge, that Stan figured it was “dead on arrival”. Stan told us: “I said ‘this ain’t going to work’ and I threw the brass in the trash can. Honest. But later I thought I better shoot it and see what it does.” There was one problem — Stan didn’t have a seating die. He noticed the short neck provided a bit of tension after fire-forming, so he literally seated some bullets, BIB 118s and 125s, with his fingers. For powder he used H4198 and started with 35 grains, one grain more than a 30 BR load. Stan then did a pressure work-up: “I actually went up to 41.0 grains and didn’t have a sticky bolt. I ended up at 37.9 grains of Hodgdon 4198 — that gave 3150 fps, where the sweet spot is.” (Later testing revealed a second accuracy node at about 3020 fps, using 36.4 grains of H4198).
Stan’s radical short-necked Wolfpup shot great from the get-go. Once he found the right velocity node, the gun shot in the ones and zeros with both 7-ogive and 10-ogive bullets, both 118s and 125s. The Wolfpup proved easy to tune — it’s not finicky at all. And it’s a winner. Stan began shooting the Wolfpup in 2006 in both VFS and HBR matches and the ‘Pup’ started winning matches right away. In 2007, Stan won the Wisconsin State VFS Championship shooting the Wolfpup. In June 2010 at a Webster City, Iowa VFS match, Stan won the Grand Agg and posted high X-Count for the match, while placing first at 100 yards and second at 200 yards. How’s that for a cartridge that almost ended up in the trash bin?
Does Stan deserve an award for “most innovative benchrest cartridge design”? Stan chuckles at that notion: “I’m not a hero, not a genius. I really didn’t do anything. The fun part is thinking outside the box — for me anyway. Shooting is an age-old process of experimentation. You never learn it all.”
Why Does It Work?
How can such a radical case design perform so well? “That’s a good question,” Stan admitted. He then explained: “The 30 BR is inherently accurate, so I figured something based on the 30 BR should be accurate too. My personal belief is that the short neck doesn’t hurt you. Plus if the throat in the barrel is straight, the bullet can self-align. If the chamber is good, the bullet will self-center in the throat. In a regular case there’s not much room to do that, so a bullet can start off-center, and you don’t get the same results every time. A bullet in a conventional case is stopped from self-centering by the stiffer neck, particularly in a tight-clearance BR gun.”
Reloading the .30 Wolfpup
Stan’s Wolfpup chamber has a neck dimension of 0.330″. He turns his necks for a 0.327″ loaded round. Bullets are jammed .020″ forward of first contact with the lands. When he closes the bolt it pushes the bullet back in the case — almost a soft seat. Stan notes: “To start with I normally bump the shoulder .0005-.001″ so they go in easy. Just by doing that I get a little neck tension. I also use a bushing. Right now I’m running a .322, but it’s not particularly sensitive. I’ve tried one-thousandths increments up to a .325 bushing and couldn’t tell a lot of difference.” For bullet seating, Stan uses a Wilson 30 BR seater die into which he ran the chamber reamer. This gives perfect case fit during seating operations.
About the Illustrated Gunstock
You’ll notice Stan’s stock contains scenes from Vietnam and a quotation. Here’s the story. A Vietnam combat veteran, Stan served “in-country” with the Army’s 509th Non-Divisional Combat Unit (out of Fort Riley) from 1965-1966. Shortly before he left Vietnam, Stan went to a shop to have a souvenir lighter engraved. He asked the vendor for an appropriate inscription. The shop’s metal-worker engraved: “War is a tragedy. It takes mans’ best to do mans’ worst.” That message, along with the combat scenes, were hand-painted on Stan’s rifle by his wife Susan, a talented artist. She spent more than 20 hours painting the rifle stock.
Photos courtesy Ryan Ware and Stan Ware.
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OK, it’s official. SHOT Show will be taking place in Las Vegas in January 2022, after being cancelled in 2021 due to the Pandemic. The 2022 SHOT Show is set to be the largest show in its four-plus-decade history. Media Day at the Range takes place Monday, January 17, 2022 at the Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club. Then the 4-day-long SHOT Show main event runs Tuesday, January 18 through Friday, January 22, 2022.
SHOT Show Registration Starts Monday October 18, 2022
SHOT Show 2022 Attendee Registration opens up Monday, October 18, 2021. Media registration officially opens on October 20, but the Media Registration site has actually been accepting registrations since last week (we registered on 10/8/2021).
The 2022 SHOT Show will be held January 18-21 at The Venetian Expo and the all-new Caesars Forum. To make navigating between the two facilities as efficient as possible, a bridge was recently constructed connecting the two convention centers. This new bridge will allow attendees to walk between the two facilities in less than one minute.
Biggest SHOT Show Ever — 800,000 Square Feet of Products
Based on current bookings, SHOT Show 2022 will encompass over 800,000 net square feet. To put it into perspective, the largest SHOT Show on record, the 2008 event, encompassed 714,000 net square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center. That year outdoor tents needed to be added to fill overflow exhibit space. You can view the 2022 SHOT Show layout here:
Click image for full floor-plan with Level 1, Level 2, and Supplier Showcase.
The NSSF, SHOT Show hosts, state: “Las Vegas has learned a lot over the past year about holding live events safely and successfully. Many other industries have already returned to in-person trade shows in the city and the results have exceeded expectations. And what we’ve learned from our trade show industry peers and partners has greatly helped us in preparing for our return.”
For more insider information about SHOT Show 2022, read a report in The Outdoor Wire: “It’s safe to say Las Vegas has gone to school on hosting large events safely and successfully. While other convention cities are having difficulties hosting events of any significant scale, Vegas is already ramping up.” The NSSF’s Chris Dolnak added: “What our trade show industry peers and partners have told us has helped us prepare for our own return. Las Vegas is more ready than ever before to welcome us back.”
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Happy Halloween
The question has been posed: “What effect does altitude have on the flight of a bullet?” The simplistic answer is that, at higher altitudes, the air is thinner (lower density), so there is less drag on the bullet. This means that the amount of bullet drop is less at any given flight distance from the muzzle. Since the force of gravity is essentially constant on the earth’s surface (for practical purposes), the bullet’s downward acceleration doesn’t change, but a bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, at higher altitudes, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.
Retired gunsmith Stan Ware is a talented shooter who’s not afraid to think “outside the box”. Stan competes in both Hunter Benchrest (HBR) and Varmint for Score (VFS) disciplines. In his quest to build the ultimate Hunter Benchrest cartridge, Stan created the radical “Wolfpup” wildcat, based on a 6mmBR parent case. Noting the dominance of 30 BRs in VFS matches, Stan wondered if a stretched 30 BR could work in HBR competition. The challenge was case capacity. Under HBR rules the cartridge must hold at least 45.0 grains of water, equal to the capacity of the classic 30/30 case.
From Trashbin to Winner’s Circle
Why Does It Work?
