Readers who have just recently discovered the Daily Bulletin may not realize that AccurateShooter.com has hundreds of reference articles in our archives. These authoritative articles are divided into multiple categories, so you can easily view stories by topic (such as competition, tactical, rimfire, optics, shooting skills etc.). One of the most popular categories is our Technical Articles Collection. On a handy index page (with thumbnails for every story), you’ll find over 120 articles covering technical and gunsmithing topics. These articles can help you with major projects (such as stock painting), and they can also help you build more accurate ammo. Here are six popular selections from our Technical Articles archive.
Stress-Free Pillar Bedding. Richard Franklin explains how to do a top-quality bedding job, start to finish.
Gun Safe Buyers Guide. Our comprehensive Safe Buyers Guide examines the key features to consider in a safe — Wall Thickness, Volume, Shelving, Fire Rating, Lighting, Weight and more. We also explain the Pros/Cons of Dial vs. Digital (Keypad) locking systems.
Savage Action Tuning. Top F-TR shooter Stan Pate explains how to enhance the performance of your Savage rifle by optimizing the torque settings of the action screws.
Complete Precision Case Prep. Jake Gottfredson covers the complete case prep process, including brass weight sorting, case trimming, primer pocket uniforming, neck-sizing, and, case-neck turning.
Stock Painting Instructions. Step-by-step guide for stock painting by expert Mike Ricklefs. Mike shows both simple coverage and fancy effects.
Ultrasonic Case Cleaning. This article reviews the recommended process for cleaning cartridge brass with ultrasonic cleaning machine. We cover the right liquid solutions, processing times, and case drying options.
Target Sports USA, a major online ammo and shooting accessories vendor, celebrates Prime Day on September 19, 2022. The Prime event, which has featured daily specials, concludes on September 19 with a day of Ammo Deals. There is also a major prize — a new Ford F150 4X4 Truck worth $53,000! Target Sports USA created Prime Day to encourage ammo shoppers to become prime members. This entitles them to significant discounts, FREE shipping, and other benefits. SEE: TargetSportsUSA.com/t-ammoprime.aspx.
How to Win the PRIME DAY Ford F150 Truck Grand Prize
Four contestants will be randomly selected from entries all around the USA. Target Sports USA will give those four contestants an all-expense paid trip to tour its Connecticut warehouse and attend a party, where the PRIME TRUCK WINNER will be selected by drawing. The other three finalists will get thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. (See Prize Package Descriptions below).
How to Enter Contest: Those who sign up as new Target Sports USA Prime members ($95 per year) are automatically entered. You can also enter for FREE with a mail-in form. SEE CONTEST RULES.
What’s the Advantage of Being a PRIME MEMBER?
A Prime membership supplies extra discounts for shooting sports enthusiasts. For example, Target Sports USA Prime members get 8% off already great ammo prices, zero shipping cost, and a 3-hour priority alert notice about new or restocked items. The average Prime member yearly savings is $390.00.
Contest Prizes — Details and Values
PRIZES: The four (4) confirmed eligible Winners will attend the October 22, 2022, Prime Day Party Event, to participate in a random drawing, where each Winner is to win ONE of the following prizes:
• One (1) Grand Prize Winner is to be awarded a 2022 FORD F-150, 4X4 Supercrew, 2.7L V6 Ecoboost, Iconic Silver Metallic exterior and Black/Medium Dark Slate interior Pickup Truck. Approximate Kelly Blue Book (KBB) vehicle value is $53,000. Includes a Target Sports USA package of accessories and ammo at an Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) $2,000. Total Grand Prize Pool Value is $55,000.
• One (1) First Prize Winner is to be awarded a QuiteKat Electric Bike. (ARV $5,000). Plus, a Target Sports USA Prize Package of Accessories (ARV $2,000). Total First Prize Pool is ARV $7,000.
• One (1) Second Prize Winner is to be awarded a Target Sports USA Prize Package of Accessories and Ammo (ARV $2,000). Plus, a Target Sports USA $1,000 Gift Card. Total First Prize Pool ARV is $3,000.
• One (1) Third Prize Winner is to be awarded a Target Sports USA Prize Package of Accessories and Ammo (ARV $2,000). Total Third Prize Pool ARV is $2,000 (USD).
• Total Grand to Third level Prize Pool ARV is $67,000 (not counting travel awards).
Getting ready for your 2021 fall hunt? Here’s a simple but effective product that can benefit varminters and game-hunters. The slip-on, padded RRR (“triple R”) gun rest cushions your rifle on any surface and helps eliminate noise when shifting the gun from one shooting position to another. The RRR slip-on rest is made of neoprene (wet suit material) with a built-in, thick Armaflex foam cushion on the bottom. This $19.95 sleeve protects the finish of your rifle, while providing a cushioned layer between your rifle and the supporting surface. CLICK HERE for RRR STORE.
Key Benefits of the RRR Slip-On Padded Fore-Arm Rest
1. The RRR sleeve cushions your rifle. This helps to keep the shot from going high even when the rifle is placed on a hard surface.
2. The RRR sleeve quiets the gun. The padded, neoprene covering acts like a sound deadener even when you set the gun on a metal frame or hard surface..
3. The RRR protects the finish on the stock of your rifle from scratches when resting on hard surfaces.
Nammo Announces Plans for Vihtavuori Primer Factory in Finland
During Vihtavuori’s recent 100th anniversary celebration, Nammo Group CEO Morton Brandzaeg announced plans for the construction of a new Vihtavuori primer factory in Vihtavuori, Finland. The new Vihtavuori factory was mentioned in Brandzaeg’s keynote speech to strategic partners in military and civilian markets. The new factory should commence production in 2025.
The €33 million Euro investment will help ensure the security of supply needs for Nordic defense forces and will bolster the resilience of Nammo’s supply chain. The new primer factory is scheduled for completion in 2025 to meet military needs, with consumer sales as early as 2027.
The new primer factory could eventually produce a projected 400 million primers annually. The factory will employ up to 50 new personnel. Nammo states the new primer factory “will help ensure the security of supply needs for Nordic defense forces and will bolster the resilience of Nammo’s supply chain”. The decision to establish the factory was made to ensure primer supplies for the Nordic Defense Forces and respond to the current high demand for commercial ammunition components.
Nammo CEO Brandzaeg stated, “Following Russia’s war with Ukraine, a credible and resilient defense is increasingly important in the Nordic region. This significant investment for Nammo underlines our commitment to supporting defense forces in the Nordic region to secure the future.”
About Vihtavuori: Since 1922, Vihtavuori has produced high-quality smokeless powder for civilian, military, and industrial markets. Vihtavuori propellants are world renowned for their temperature stability, clean burning characteristics, and excellent lot-to-lot consistency. Vihtavuori is imported by Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributors for Vihtavuori, Lapua, Berger, and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Vihtavuori.com.
About Nammo: The international Nammo Group is a Nordic defense company whose main markets are North America, the Nordic countries, and Europe. The Group operates in 12 countries with 28 different production facilities and employs approximately 2,700 people.
Most bolt-action rifle shooters work the bolt with their trigger-pulling hand. This is because most rifles sold to right-handed shooters come with right-side bolts, while “lefty” rifles come with left-side bolts. This “standard” configuration requires the shooter to take his dominant, trigger-pulling hand off the stock to cycle the bolt, then re-position his hand on the stock, and “re-claim” the trigger. Often the shooter must lift or move his head to work the bolt, and that also requires him to re-establish his cheek weld after each and every shot. Not good.
This really doesn’t make much sense for precision shooting with fore-end support*. There is a better way. If you leave your trigger hand in position and work the bolt (and feed rounds) with the opposite hand, then you don’t need to shift grip and head position with each shot. All this requires is a weakside-placed bolt, i.e. a left bolt for a right-handed shooter or a right bolt for a left-handed shooter. The video below shows a “Lefty” working a right bolt. Note how efficient this is:
As our friend Boyd Allen explains: “If you think about it, if you are going to work with a factory action where your options are left bolt and left port or right bolt and right port, and you are building a rifle that will only be shot from a rest, using the left/left for a RH shooter or using a right/right for a LH shooter works better than the conventional configuration”.
Shoot Like a Champ and Work the Bolt with Your Weakside Hand
Derek Rodgers, the reigning F-TR World Champion and the only person to have won BOTH F-Open and F-TR U.S. National Championships plus the King of 2 Miles Match, runs this kind of “opposite” bolt set-up. Yep, Derek shoots right-handed with a left bolt. Though Derek is a right-hander, he shoots with a Left Bolt/Left Port (LBLP) action. He pulls the trigger with his right index finger, while working the left-side bolt with his left (weakside) hand. This allows him to stay in position, and maintain his cheekweld. He places his right hand on the grip, while manipulating the bolt (and feeding rounds) with his non-trigger-pulling hand.
Recent F-TR World Champion and King of 2 Miles Derek Rodgers
This is the rifle with which Derek won the 2013 F-TR National Championship.
*For true standing, off-hand shooting (whether in competition or on a hunt), a conventional strongside bolt placement makes sense, since the non-dominant arm must support the front of the rifle all the time. When shooting from bipod or rest, it’s a different story.
Hunting season has started in many parts of the country… or will very soon. Before you head out to the hunting fields, you may want to practice your shooting on specialty paper targets designed expressly for hunters. Here is a selection of game targets which can help you achieve success this hunting season.
Fall Winchester Hunting photo with Nikki Boxler from Winchester Blog.
FREE Printable Game Targets from the NRA
To help you prepare for your fall hunts, NRABlog.com has created a set of color practice hunting targets. You can hone your skills on a trio of bucks, three wild hogs, or three turkeys. Each target features three red bullseyes, centered on the animals. You can print the targets in black and white, but they look best in color. Click on each image below to download a FREE printable PDF file.
Right-Click Each Image to Download Printable PDF File:
The second leg of the 2022 Lapua Monarch Cup kicks off this weekend, September 17-18 in Saltillo, CH, Mexico. Held at the Club De Tiro Saltillo Safari, this will be the second opportunity for silhouette competitors to accrue points in hopes of winning the coveted Lapua Monarch Cup Championship title.
In its inaugural year, the Lapua Monarch Cup is a series of smallbore silhouette shooting matches hosted in both the United States and Mexico. Competitors will earn points from each match within their respective classification (Master, AAA, AA, & A), giving all shooters an opportunity for over $100,000 in cash and prizes. Lapua’s Monarch Cup is recognized as the must-attend event of the silhouette shooting world.
“It is with much excitement and joy that the Lapua Monarch board members complete the second phase of the Monarch cup,” commented Daniel Salazar, Chairman of the Board. “The Saltillo Safari Club is putting extraordinary efforts into making this the event to remember. We can’t wait to celebrate the success of the Lapua Monarch Cup and see who the best Silhouette shooter is in the Hemisphere!”
About Smallbore Silhouette Competition
Smallbore silhouette shooting is a fun and challenging shooting discipline that has competitors taking aim at a variety of steel chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams. Shooters, both standing and unsupported, take aim at four banks of silhouettes at increasing distances shooting 40 targets in all. For every silhouette knocked down, the competitors earn one point. Smallbore shooters are shooting at distances of 40, 60, 77, and 100 meters. The Mexico competition will have competitors shooting 80 rounds on Saturday, followed by 40 rounds on Sunday, all within the Standard Rifle division.
For more information on the Lapua Monarch Cup visit lapuamonarchcup.com. The Lapua Monarch Cup board would like to thank all the sponsors who make the Cup the premiere Silhouette series.
Capstone Precision Group
Creedmoor Sports
Decot Hy Wyd Sport
Krieger Barrels
Leupold
Lilja
Lyman
McMillan
RCBS
Redding Reloading
Sightron
SK Ammunition
Are laser sights really useful on a handgun? Yes, and not just in low-light situations. That said, many folks who own laser-equipped handguns do not train effectively with the laser. For many gun-owners, the laser is just a toy, a gimmick that is used a few times and then ignored. Those gun-owners miss out on some of the most important advantages of a laser sights, benefits you can get from formal training with your laser-equipped pistol.
Crimson Trace has produced a series of TRAINING Videos that may change your mind about lasers. If you shoot a handgun you should watch these videos. They show how laser sights can help diagnose and correct common handgun-shooting errors (such as flinching and anticipating the shot). The videos also show how to improve sight alignment and get your sights on target quickly.
Training with Laser Sights, Full 12-minute Video
Covers Muzzle Awareness, Sight Alignment, Target Acquisition, Trigger Control
This video shows how training with laser sights can: 1) improve muzzle direction awareness; 2) aid with sight alignment; 3) speed up target acquisition; and 4) improve trigger control. The video also demonstrates the obvious advantage of laser sights in low light conditions. Numerous firearms experts are featured in this video filmed at Arizona’s Gunsight Academy.
Training With Lasers — Trigger Control
Training with laser sights helps diagnose and improve trigger control errors by showcasing the importance of “surprise break” and follow-through. Lasers quickly diagnose errors such as recoil anticipation, jerking the trigger, and breaking the wrist.
Training with Lasers — Sight Alignment
Training with laser sights can improve/correct alignment. The laser provides a visual indicator of proper sight alignment, allowing shooters to quickly see any errors before taking a shot. Additionally, lasers can enhance sight alignment on popular sub-compact carry guns with small, low-profile sights.
Muzzle Awareness — All-Important for Safe Shooting
Training with laser sights improves a shooter’s muzzle awareness. A daylight-visible laser shows the gun operator where his or her muzzle is pointing at all times. This helps teach proper safety practices.
While American F-Class shooters have been getting ready for the 2022 U.S. F-Class Championships in Arizona next month, European F-Class aces were busy this month at the European F-Class Championships at the famed Bisley range in the UK. And a few Yanks were at Bisley as well. Our friend and Team Lapua-Brux-Borden member Erik Cortina shot great to take second place overall in the F-Open division, after Germany’s Alexander Kreutz. Past GB/Euro National League Champ Gary Costello took third in F-Open. We congratulate all three men. Erik had new hardware for this match — a prototype SEB NEO-X front rest. Erik told us: “I used the new SEB NEO-X. This was the first time using it in a match. It is truly amazing.”
British shooter and TargetShooter.co.uk editor Vince Bottomley sent this note:
“We were honored to have Erik Cortina over for the 2022 European F-Class Championship. In addition there were shooters from South Africa, Canada, Australia and of course Europe.
Erik acquitted himself amazingly well with second place overall in the F-Open category. The photo shows him with winner, Alexander Kreutz from Germany (center), and Brit Gary Costello in third place (right).
In addition to the usual ‘gongs’ the winner took home a Victrix F-Open gun plus a March scope.
Shooters Respect Passing of Beloved Queen Elizabeth II
After the sudden death of our Queen, participants stood down for a day. This meant that the Teams event couldn’t take place on the final Sunday.”
The UK’s Richie Jones, who helped organize the event, noted: “With Vihtavuori supporting us this year and celebrating 100 years of excellence, we [went] all out to attract our biggest attendance to date and promise all our competitors, six days of extremely competitive, long range shooting on the world-famous Stickledown range at Bisley, UK.”
A Canadian F-Class shooter (who shall remain nameless) was surprised when he saw this “flat-line” target displayed from a ShotMarker system. That’s 30 shots with almost no vertical at all. So what gives? The ShotMarker uses acoustic sensors to plot shot location. It is normally accurate to within a few millimeters. The shooter posted: “I’ve never had this happen before with a waterline. This is myself and another shooter, 30 rounds total, including four sighters at 900 meters in super strong winds that twitched back and forth every minute.”
So what happened? It turns our that the system’s wires were not connected correctly. AccurateShooter IT expert (and top F-Class Shooter) Jay Christopherson posted: “The wires are connected incorrectly… you’ve got the sensors crossed”. This ShotMarker system error can be diagnosed by doing a “tap test” as explained by Cal Waldner: “Thats a crossed sensor wire! That’s why a tap test needs to be done every time you rig the equipment. If a wire is crossed then you will catch it on the tap test.”
Other folks who viewed this target photo on Facebook said that they have seen a similar problem, so this is NOT an uncommon fault:
“Yup, my club had the same issue (and results) in an early outing with one of our ShotMarker units. The system reads the target area as a horizontal rectangle not as a square.” — Laurie Holland.
“I have seen this exact same result with the sensors plugged incorrectly.” — Dino Christopoulos
“This happened to several people at one match early on. Sensors crossed.” — Jen Bondurant
“I thought I was shooting a great waterline once [but the] wires were crossed — [a mistake from] setting up in the dark.”– Jerry Stephenson
The ShotMarker System — Technology and Performance
The ShotMarker was invented by Adam McDonald, a brilliant young Canadian who also created the AutoTrickler. The ShotMarker is an advanced system for plotting shot impacts on targets using acoustic sensors placed in the four corners of the target frame. The central Sensor Hub at each target transmits to the Access Point at the firing line using LoRa, a low frequency RF protocol. Unlike Wifi, this power-efficient design works at over 2 miles and provides hassle-free connectivity even without direct line of sight.
The sensor unit in each corner of your frame contains two precision MEMS ultrasonic microphones which are capable of measuring a supersonic bullet within 1mm – when the frame is perfectly still.
Real-world accuracy will be limited by motion of the sensors and the air while shots are being detected. Typically, every shot will be reported within a few millimeters, with ideal performance being realized on a stable frame in calm conditions.