Football fans get their chance to score big during Brownells Super Barrel IV promo, with a big red Winchester barrel chock-full of 14,000 rounds of 5.56×45 (.223 Rem) ammo up for grabs. There’s also a Super Barrel IV discount code plus savings on shipping. Now through Sunday 2/13/22, when ordering products from Brownells, you’ll get FREE Shipping plus $20 Off orders of $250.00 or more with Code SB4.
The Brownells Super Barrel IV promotion kicks off on Thursday, February 10. Starting 2/10/22, contestants can enter their email addresses at the Brownells Super Barrel page for a shot at the 14,000-round barrel, valued at over $6,000.00.
In addition, Brownells will be offering free standard and ground shipping on orders leading up to Super Barrel IV. And with Promo Code SB4 shoppers can get $20 off orders of $250 or more.
Your Chance to Win 378 Pounds of Ammo
The big red Winchester barrel contains enough ammo tor the winner to take 100 people to the range to fire 100 rounds each — and still have 4,000 rounds of ammo left over. The ammo alone weighs close to 378 pounds, or more than all but the largest pro football linemen.
Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm February 13. Then one lucky winner will be chosen to receive the enormous barrel full of American freedom seeds. For more information, and a chance to win, visit the Brownells Super Barrel page.
The Southwest Nationals 600-yard competition was held Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. For F-Open, F-TR, and Sling Divisions there were three relays, each with 20 rounds for score. Thus, the maximum possible score was 600-60X. Remarkably, many of the top shooters shot 598 or above, and F-Open Winner Norm Harrold didn’t drop a point, finishing with 600-35X. Congrats to the class winners:
F-Open 600-Yard Winner:
Norm Harrold, 600-35X
Note: Jim Murphy was close behind with 599-47X,
the high X-Count for the match.
F-TR 600-Yard Winner:
Alton Johnson, 598-36X
Sling Division 600-Yard Winner:
Kelly Frank, 599-29X
Top 10 by Division
F-OPEN Division
NORMAN HARROLD 600-35X Winner
JIM MURPHY 599-47X
DAN BRAMLEY 599-38X
KEN DICKERMAN 599-37X
ANDY AMBER 599-31X
TIM VAUGHT 598-38X
JAY CHRISTOPHERSON 598-35X
BRYAN BLAKE 598-35X
DAVID GOSNELL 598-34X
JOSEPH MEYER 598-33X
F-TR Division
ALTON JOHNSON 598-36X Winner
GERRY WIENS 597-30X
KEITH TRAPP 595-37X
RANDY LITTLETON 595-33X
BRIAN HARDER 595-31X
JAMES CROFTS 595-28X
EDWARD SHELLEY 595-28X
STEVE ERNST 595-24X
LUKE RAMSEY 594-31X
RAYMOND WEAVER 594-31X
SLING Division
KELLY FRANK 599-29X Winner
KIMBERLY ROWE 598-28X
MIKE KELLEY 598-28X
TRUDIE FAY 597-35X
BOBBY GILL 597-31X
MICHAEL HALSEY 597-27X
MICHAEL CARLO 597-26X
RICHARD FORD 596-37X
KEN NELSON 596-32X
FAZAL MOHIDEEN 595-36X
Today, Thursday February 10, there will be a 4-person Palma Team Match with targets at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. There will be unlimited Sighters and 15 shots for record at each distance. Teams will consist of four firing members, a captain, a coach and an alternate. Divisions are: Palma, Optic, F-Open, F-TR.
Bonus Discounts For 2022 Southwest Nationals Competitors
Generous supporter of the Southwest Nationals, PMA Tool, is offering every SWN competitor 25% OFF PMA TOOL products. Check out all of PMA’s products at pmatool.com. NOTE: this discount ONLY applies to current 2022 SWN competitors.
Longtime supporter of the Southwest Nationals, McMillan Stocks, is generously offering every SWN competitor and range officer 25% OFF any McMillan hunting or tactical stock (not BR or F-Class stocks). Check out all of McMillan’s offerings at McMillanUSA.com. NOTE: This discount only applies to current 2022 SWN Competitors and Range Officers.
Do you shoot an AR-15? Then here is a great deal on mil-spec 5.56x45mm ammo made by Federal. Credit Ammoland.com for finding this bargain-priced bulk pack with 400 XM193 rounds for just $274.99, 31% off the regular $399.95 price. That works out to under 69 cents per round. You could pay that much just for the quality Lake City brass!
Firearms products dealer Bereli is offering NEW, factory-fresh Federal XM193 5.56 Ammo loaded with 55gr FMJ Bullets. With this deal you get 400 rounds, plus an Ammo Can for $274.99. That is just $0.687 per round. Plus, with this 400rd Ammo Can ships for free with Code “FREESHIPPING”.
Federal XM193 5.56 Ammo 55 Grain FMJ
Federal 5.56 ammunition is loaded with Lake City brass and works for target shooting, training, and plinking. This ammunition is new production, non-corrosive, in boxer-primed, brass cases, 55 grain, with FMJ-BT. Get 400 rounds for less than $0.69 per round.
Manufacturer: Federal Premium
Caliber: 5.56×45mm
Bullet Weight: 55 gr
Bullet Type: FMJ
Quantity: 400 Rounds
Do you know how gun primers are made — how the explosive elements are applied into those tiny cups? Find out by watching this video filmed at a Federal ammunition factory. It starts out with empty primer cups loaded, 1000 at a time, into trays using vibration (0:05 time-mark). While much of the process is automated, there is still a significant role played by production workers who apply a green, paste-like charging compound to the inside of hundreds of primer cups.
At the 0:17-second time-mark you can see the factory worker “charging” the primers with the priming compound. After the cups are filled, then the plate of cups “mates up with a plate of anvils” (0:40 time-mark). Then the primers are unloaded from trays and inspected.
Primer “Mysteries and Misconceptions” Article
There is an excellent article about primers on the Shooting Times website. This authoritative Shooting Times article explains the fine points of primer design and construction. The author reveals some little-known facts about primers and corrects common misconceptions. Here are some highlights:
Size Matters
Useful Trivia — even though Small Rifle and Small Pistol primer pockets share the same depth specification, Large Rifle and Large Pistol primers do not. The standard pocket for a Large Pistol primer is somewhat shallower than its Large Rifle counterpart, specifically, 0.008 to 0.009 inch less.
Magnum Primers
There are two ways to make a Magnum primer — either use more of the standard chemical mix to provide a longer-burning flame or change the mix to one with more aggressive burn characteristics. Prior to 1989, CCI used the first option in Magnum Rifle primers. After that, we switched to a mix optimized for spherical propellants that produced a 24% increase in flame temperature and a 16% boost in gas volume.
Foiled Again
Most component primers have a little disk of paper between the anvil and the priming mix. It is called “foil paper” not because it’s made of foil but because it replaces the true metal foil used to seal early percussion caps. The reason this little disk exists is strictly a manufacturing convenience. Wet primer pellets are smaller than the inside diameter of the cup when inserted and must be compacted to achieve their proper diameter and height. Without the foil paper, the wet mix would stick to the compaction pins and jam up the assembly process.
Pyramyd Air announced its Sick of COVID Challenge — a contest that offers three big Prize Packages, Daily Giveaways, plus FREE Targets. The Sick of COVID (SOC) Challenge runs from February 7 through April 7, 2022. Winners will be drawn after the campaign concludes. To learn more about the SOC Challenge visit Pyramydair.com/soc. NOTE: To enter contest you must scroll down page and log in via email or social media account. No purchase necessary.
Pyramyd Air says: “Sick of Covid? We are too, which is why we’re holding a Sick of Covid Challenge from February 7th through April 7th, with prize packages that include a $3,000 Pyramyd Air shopping spree! Shooting targets won’t fix everything, but it will give us all a chance to unwind and bring some joy back to the world.”
THREE prize packages:
1st Place: $3,000 Shopping PA Spree
2nd Place: $1,500 Shopping PA Spree
3rd Place: $500 Shopping PA Spree
See Pyramyd Air social media channels for Daily Winners!
Winners will be drawn AFTER the contest has finished April 7th, 2022.
NOTE: The targets have a $9.99 price. However, they are free with Code “SOC”. You just pay shipping.
About the COVID Challenge Contest
Customers can enter to win exclusive prize packages by sharing how they enjoy their trigger therapy after a long two years of Pandemic restrictions and worry. Whether it’s an action-packed film, creative candids, or an interesting story, Pyramyd Air wants to hear how shooters are showing they’re Sick of COVID. Pyramyd Air will award $5,000 worth of shopping sprees to winners plus weekly giveaways throughout the two-month campaign.
About Pyramyd Air
Pyramyd Air is the world’s largest online retailer of airguns and accessories. The Ohio-based company offers a diverse inventory from the industry’s leading manufacturers. Each year, the company hosts the Pyramyd Air Cup competition. Pyramyd offers a vast collection of air rifles, from Red Ryder BB guns to lympic-class air Rifles from Anschutz and Feinwerkbau.
Shooting USA will broadcast a fun episode today, February 9, 2022. Today’s show covers Hornady’s Zombies in the Heartland multi-gun match. This popular event, hosted in Nebraska, is one of the biggest three-gun shoots in the nation. After cancellation in 2020 due to COVID, the match returned in June 2021. The Zombies in the Heartland 2021 Match attracted 300 shooters from 20 different states.
SHOW TIMES: This Shooting USA Episode airs Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 PM Central. If you miss the regular broadcast, you can stream the show at any time on Vimeo for $0.99 per episode.
The 10-stage 3-gun match was fun and challenging. Reactive zombie targets kept shooters engaged and entertained. Participants shot from a suspended motorcycle, through a burned-out auto yard, and while sitting in a parked pickup truck where shooters were required to turn the wheel to see targets.
Zombies in the Heartland on Shooting USA TV
Pandemic: Zombies in the Heartland
Every year Hornady hosts the very popular Zombies in the Heartland event. This “Pandemic” 3-Gun fun match, one of the biggest three-gun shoots in the nation, took place in June 2021 at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. It was great to see the match return after cancellation in 2020. The Pandemic featured a rich prize table worth over $150,000. Prizes include pistols, rifles, shotguns, scopes, AR uppers, gun parts, and gear of all kinds.
The Pandemic is a veritable theme park for shootists, with many fun stages and innovative targets. Many unique, reactive zombie targets have been developed specifically for this match. The use of paper targets has been minimized — so it’s mostly “bang and clang”.
There were ten multi-gun stages this past year. Rifles, pistols and shotguns are used on most stages. There were also fun side-matches. We highly recommend you watch the video below to see highlights from a past Pandemic.
Zombies in the Heartland Highlights Video. Guys, this well-made video is WORTH WATCHING! This video offers Shooter’s POV views of many stages including full auto:
The Berger SW Nationals competition is back! After being cancelled in 2021 due to Covid concerns, one of America’s best shooting matches returns in 2022. The match kicks off tomorrow, February 9, 2022, and continues through Sunday February 13, 2022 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
This is a unique match that combines F-Class competition with High Power (Palma) prone sling shooting. The nation’s top F-Open and F-TR shooters will be in Phoenix, along with top “hard-holders” with their bolt-action long-range target rifles.
If you’re curious about the equipment favored by Berger SWN competitors, here are the equipment lists from the last SWN match in 2020. This list was compiled by the match directors from info supplied by 2020 F-Class and High Power competitors. This covers hardware (actions, barrels, stocks), optics (riflescopes, spotting scopes), and cartridges (brass, bullets, powders). As you’d expect, .284 Win (and variants) dominated the F-Open ranks. Though some guys did try the .223 Rem for F-TR, the .308 Win was still used by the vast majority of F-TR shooters.
Matt Schwartzkopf, USA F-TR Team member (and Ben Avery Range Supervisor), collected comprehensive gear reports during the 2020 Berger SW Nationals. Matt then created charts showing competitors’ choices for Actions, Barrels, Stocks, Riflescopes and Spotting Scopes. In addition, Matt compiled bullet choice and powder preferences for all classes along with cartridge rankings for F-Open Division.
ACTIONS Listed by Division (Sling, F-TR, F-Open)
ACTIONS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
BARRELS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
BULLETS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
CARTRIDGE BRASS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
POWDER by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
STOCKS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
RIFLESCOPES by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
SPOTTING SCOPES Listed by Class (Sling, F-TR, F-Open)
The best F-Class and Sling shooters in the nation compete each year at the Berger Southwest Nationals at the Ben Avery range in Arizona. Walk down the firing line and you’ll see the absolute “best of the best” in equipment — from $3500 optics to $2000 stocks and $400 triggers. Berger SWN shooters have some of the best equipment you can buy. In this game, where just 1 or 2 points can separate first from third place (considering X-Count), it’s important to have top-flight equipment. That means a custom action, custom barrel, and high-end stock or chassis system.
Cartridge Selection in F-Open Division
In addition, Matt produced an interesting listing of cartridge/caliber types for the F-Open division. This is helpful because cartridge choice is unrestricted in the F-Open class. By contrast, the F-TR division is limited to .223 Remington (5.56×45) or .308 Winchester (7.62×51). You can see that the .284 Winchester (and variants) currently dominate F-Open.
Shooters’ Forum Thread about SWN Gear Selection
There was a discussion of the 2020 SWN Gear Selection in our Shooters’ Forum. CLICK HERE to view that Forum thread. Many top SWN shooters, including past F-Open National Champion Larry Bartholome, contributed to this Forum discussion about gear options.
The Berger Southwest Nationals officially starts on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. However there will be Open Practice today at the Ben Avery Benchrest Range. If you’re shooting the Match and need to confirm your zero after travel, or perhaps do some last-minute load testing, you may want to take advantage of today’s testing session. This is also a chance to test out new equipment — such as a new rear bag, or new front rest — and ensure everything is working right. It’s also a good idea to make sure your scope is aligned properly and working 100% correctly.
Matt Schwartzkopf, Ben Avery Range Director, posted this welcome message on our Shooters’ Forum:
Berger SWN Check-In and Practice
[Berger SWN] shooters can check in and pick up their scorecards starting Tuesday 2/8/2022 at the Berger Building from 1 PM to 5 PM, and starting at 6:30 AM on Wednesday morning, 2/9/2022.
The gates to the facility will not be opened until 6:30 AM each morning of the match. Please do not enter the facility until the gates are opened by Ben Avery Staff.
Practice for the SWN is available on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at the Ben Avery Benchrest Range from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
We look forward to seeing everyone,
SWN Event Staff
We really like rimfire revolvers here at AccurateShooter.com. A good .22 LR wheelgun will be fun, accurate, reliable, and inexpensive to shoot. Rimfire revolvers also offer much less recoil and noise than a centerfire pistol. Your Editor has owned a Smith & Wesson Model 617 for over 15 years. That old S&W has probably fired more rounds than all the other handguns I own, combined — yet it still runs flawlessly and still delivers excellent accuracy.
Ruger offers a big stainless .22 LR wheelgun to compete with the S&W Model 617. This rimfire wheelgun is based on Ruger’s trusted GP100 platform. The Ruger GP100® chambered in .22 LR looks to be a good firearm — strong, versatile, and intelligently engineered. In the video above, the late Jeff Quinn of Gunblast.com tests the Ruger revolver and gives it high marks: “It’s a good hefty gun [42.6 oz.], but not overly large or heavy for a good trail gun. It’s just a really nice, well-made revolver from Sturm Ruger.” The gun Jeff tested had a 3.7-lb SA trigger pull and a 9.8-lb DA pull.
The .22 LR GP100 features a windage and elevation adjustable rear sight with a white outline, a light-gathering fiber optic front sight and the original full-size GP100 rubber grips with hardwood inserts. With all stainless-steel construction, the rimfire GP100 is easy to maintain. Just keep the cylinder chambers and barrel clean and this gun should run forever.
This Review of the .22 LR GP100 by Hickok45 has over 6.7 Million Views:
The 10-shot Ruger GP100 in .22 LR is a durable, well-engineered wheelgun. Ruger’s engineers optimized the GP100’s innards to deliver a smooth double-action pull: “The new GP100 has an improved fire-control system that uses a lighter mainspring than previous Ruger double-action .22 LR revolvers. A number of changes have been made to the GP100 to handle .22. One of which is we’ve done a lot of development on the firing pin location and geometries so that we’re able to put a lighter trigger pull in this gun than you would find in other .22 LR [handguns]. We’ve got a half-underlug barrel, and it’s a smaller diameter so the gun balances real well. We’ve added a narrow-spur hammer and a smooth trigger for comfortable shooting. This is a really comfortable gun to shoot”.
NOTE: We set this video to launch with SOUND Off, because the video starts with annoyingly loud rock music. Set the sound level after starting.
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. Midsouth — 6mm 108gr ELD Bullets, $105.99/250
⏺ Good 6mm bullet choice for PRS/NRL and club matches
Midsouth now offers the 6mm .243 Diameter 108 grain ELD (Extremely Low Drag) Match bullets in a convenient 250-count bag for $105.99. The 108gr ELD Match has a high quality, uniform jacket for good accuracy. The plastic tips boost BCs for flatter trajectories and less wind drift. The impressively high BCS are: 0.536 (G1), and 0.270 (G7). NOTE: These are brand new bullets delivered from Hornady and re-packaged into secure clear polymer tube-style bags. These “bulk breakdown: bullets are exactly the same as the Factory-boxed bullets, just less expensive for Midsouth customers.
2. Amazon — RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme, $174.97
⏺ Strong, versatile full-size press with lifetime warranty
With the shortages of good factory ammo, more shooters are hand-loading than ever before. That means that good reloading presses have been hard to find at reasonable prices. But here’s a good deal on a great press. Right now Amazon has the legendary RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme for just $174.97. This strong, capable press and allows you to do myriad reloading tasks: decapping, neck-sizing, FL-sizing, crimping, and even swaging bullets. RCBS offers a rock-solid lifetime warranty. This is a very good deal — the Rock Chucker sells elsewhere for $210.
3. Palmetto SA — 6.5 Grendel Upper with Vortex Scope, $579.99
⏺ 6.5 Grendel is good option for Deer Hunting with AR
Here’s a great deal if you want an AR-platform rifle for hunting or tactical use and you want something more powerful than a .223 Rem. This PSA 6.5 Grendel Upper features a 416R stainless, 1:8″-twist 6.5 mm barrel chambered for the accurate 6.5 Grendel cartridge. On top the upper ships with a mounted Vortex Sonora 4-12x44mm scope. This upper includes a 15″ M-Lok free float handguard with extended rail. The total price, including the scope, is just $579.99 — a great deal that’s $240 off the regular $818.99 price.
⏺ For Valentine’s Day — nice eye and ear protection set with carry kit
Valentine’s day is just one week away. Perhaps you’d like to take your significant other to the range on February 14th. Well here’s a great combo kit that can protect your lady’s eyes and ears. The TradeSmart muffs/eyewear kit includes an excellent 28dB NRR set of muffs, TWO sets of ANSI Z87.1 safety glass, plus a dozen pink NRR33 earplugs. And all this comes with a nice, fitted carry case. This Kit is offered with two (2) sets of safety glasses (clear + tinted) for $42.99 on Amazon, or with clear eyewear only for $37.99. Either way, for the price, this is a great kit that your lady will appreciate. In addition to hot pink, this kit is offered with blue, grey, bright yellow, and purple color highlights.
5. 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. Sale price good through 2/21/2022.
6. CDNN Sports — Savage Rascal .22 LR Patriotic Rifle, $239.99
⏺ Great patriotic choice as First Rifle for young shooter
Here’s a very good choice for a young family member’s first rifle. We like the patriotic American flag pattern red, white, and blue synthetic stock. And Savage calls this .22 LR Rascal rifle “the industry’s safest micro rimfire”. Shooters cock the rifle by lifting the bolt and unload without pulling the trigger. This eye-catching rimfire rifle features adjustable peep sights and user-adjustable AccuTrigger.
⏺ Good reviews for budget spotter, now discounted $180 (53%)
The Athlon Talos 20-60x80mm is a solid, affordable spotting scope. And right now you can save $180.00 (53%) with the EuroOptic Athlon Sale. This spotting scope has multi-coated lenses and is fog-proof and waterproof. Verified purchaser reviews have been positive: “This scope is a GREAT value for the money” and “I really like this scope … it is better than most spotting scopes below about $400.” This spotter is also available with tan scope body for the same $119.99 price.
8. Amazon — Caldwell The Rock BR Rest, $131.99
⏺ Good basic rest for varmint work and sighting-in rifles
Right now the green-framed Caldwell Rests are deeply discounted on Amazon. If you’re looking for something you could use in competition as well as varminting, check out the Caldwell Rock BR at $131.00. The Rock BR model is stable and works well for varmint shooting. If you want something lighter and more basic, the Rock Deluxe at $75.19 is an excellent value. Or if you prefer a compact, lightweight front rest for basic rifle and pistol work, consider a Rock Jr. at $32.99.
9. Amazon — Neiko Digital Calipers, $26.99
⏺ Very popular calipers — good for numerous reloading tasks
Even if you have a good set of calipers, you may want to get one of these Neiko 01407A Digital Calipers. A top-selling digital caliper on Amazon for many years, this Neiko tool features a large LCD Screen and measures up to 6.0 inches. With over 16,000 customer reviews, this product has earned an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. It’s hard to go wrong for $26.99, even if you just use these as a spare set for measuring group sizes and case trim lengths.
⏺ Great deal on very comfortable, Doctor-recommended earplugs
These are excellent earplugs. Our Forum members say these Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs are considerably more comfortable than most earplugs, and they offer an excellent 32dB Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). Right now you can get ten pairs of Mack’s Ultra Soft Plugs for $1.99 at CDNN Sports. And if you need more, you can get 50 pairs of Mack’s NRR32 Ultra Soft plugs for just $8.99 on Amazon. For maximum protection we also recommend the Howard Leight Max-1 NRR33 flared earplugs.
F-Open 600-Yard Winner:
Pandemic: Zombies in the Heartland
