Two guns in one? If you want a PRS rifle that can hunt, or a hunting rifle that can shoot PRS matches, check out the SIG Sauer Cross, a 6.4-lb rig that combines PRS functionality with light overall weight. The new Cross bolt-action rifle is now shipping and will be available in retail stores soon. We must note, however, that serious PRS competitors use rifles that may weigh 20 lbs. with optics and accessories. In the PRS game, weight offers stability and reduced perceived recoil for faster follow-up shots. Still, we like the idea of a rifle that can shoot the occasional PRS/NRL match yet also work for hunting. This rifle recently won a 2020 Industry Choice Award for innovation.
SIG Sauer has released the new Cross Rifle, a “crossover” rifle for hunting, competition, and long-range shooting. The Cross bolt-action rifle, built for precision, will be offered in .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor with .277 SIG Fury Hybrid to follow. The design features a one-piece receiver with free-floating modular handguard and side-folding adjustable stock. Choose Black or First Lite Camo finish.
The Cross has some interesting design features:
— Two-stage Match Trigger adjusts from 2.5-4.5 lbs.
— Interchangeable flattop system that fits 0-MOA or +20-MOA rails.
— 3-Lug Bolt with 60° throw and interchangeable bolt handle. AI Mags.
— Light-weight 16″ barrel .308 Win version weighs just 6.2 pounds.
Factory Product Description
The SIG Cross Precision Bolt-Action Hunting Rifle is a lightweight rifle with a push button, foldable precision stock. The rifle boasts an aluminum M-LOK™ handguard for easy attachment of bipods, rails, night-vision or thermal clip-on optics. The unique folding stock offers tool-less adjustment for easy set-up changes in the field. With folded stock the CROSS measures as short as 25″ allowing it to fit in backcountry backpacks. The receiver boasts familiar AR-15-type controls, ambi-safety, and three-lug bolt design with a 60-degree throw and interchangeable bolt handle. The SIG Cross takes AICS-pattern magazines.
The SIG Cross features a 2-stage match-grade trigger externally adjustable from 2.5 to 4.5 pounds. The precision stock is spring-loaded for one-handed operation and can be fully adjusted in the field for length of pull and comb height with no tools. The rifle has a full-length Picatinny rail that allows for direct optics mounts, 20 MOA, and O MOA. The CROSS is available in 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 WIN, and the soon-to-be-released .277 SIG Fury Hybrid.
Available Now in Three Chamberings, starting at $1779 MSRP
The SIG Cross is available in .308 WIN and 6.5 Creedmoor with an 18″ barrel, and the all-new .277 SIG Fury Hybrid cartridge with a 16″ barrel. The SIG Cross rifle retails for $1779.00, so it qualifies for PRS Factory Class. (We expect “street price” to be about $1550). The Cross rifle was designed and built entirely at SIG Sauer’s New Hampshire facilities.
Here’s a cool new product from Hogue: Wrapter Adhesive Firearm Grips. Utilizing the same precision fit standards as Hogue’s OverMolded® rubber grips, Hogue has engineered a remarkably thin grip solution for polymer frame pistols. In order to improve the feel and “grippiness” of polymer frames, many shooters have resorted to custom stippling. That could work, but stippling can compromise the firearm’s factory frame and hurt resale value. The Hogue Wrapter Adhesive Grip System provides superior grip and hold while preserving the pistol’s original polymer surface integrity.
This video explains how to install Hogue Wrapter grips on your pistol frame:
Wrapters Are Precisely Cut, Comfortable, and Removable
Wrapter Adhesive Grips are made with a soft rubber material that emulates the renowned Hogue rubber feel. Wrapter grips, using multi-segment designs, conform to the exact contours and features of popular polymer frame pistols. These stick-on Wrapters provide optimal coverage with minimal added thickness. The Wrapters feel good in the hand and the rubber-type material is both sweat-resistant and skin-friendly. The adhesive is designed to create a long-lasting bond when activated by heat, but can also be removed without leaving a sticky residue behind.
Hogue Wrapter Grips sell for $14.95 MSRP. These grips are available now for nine Glock models plus SIG P320s. Wrapters for other pistol types will be available soon. There is also a $9.95 Do-It-Yourself Kit for installation on any firearm — pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Heavy grit options will also be available for those seeking a more aggressive grip texture.
With good factory rifle ammo costing $1.00 per round — a Laser BoreSighter could pay for itself in just a couple range sessions.
Laser BoreSighters — fitted to your chamber — help you get on target more quickly, particularly with factory firearms. Just activate the unit, slip it into the chamber and look for the red dot on the target. The laser dot is about 2″ in diameter at 100 yards, and is visible even in full sunlight. Right now you can get HQ Issue BoreSighters starting at $15.99 at Sportsman’s Guide (member price is $14.39). These units have a durable brass metal body and the battery will run an hour.
Boresighters are offered for many popular rifle cartridge types including: .223 Rem, .22-250, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win family, and .30-06 (full list below). Sportsman’s Guide also offers Pistol Laser BoreSighters for $17.99 (member price): .38 SPL/.357 Mag, .40 SW, .44 Magnum, .45 ACP.
In-chamber BoreSighters are much safer than the kind that you insert in the end of the barrel (or attach to muzzle). If you forget your laser bore-sight placed in the end of the barrel, and then fire a round, you can blow up your barrel and/or suffer serious injury — it HAS happened.
This video shows how to use in-chamber Sightmark laser boresighters. The HQ Issue boresighters work the same way:
Even with the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is great to see talented young shooters attending competitions — honing their skills with the goal of competing in the next Olympic Games. While few of us have the dedication to become competitive 3-position shooters, soldiers from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) are putting in the hours in the hopes of representing the USA in the World Cup and Olympics.
The USAMU reports: “With the Smallbore Olympic Trials (Part II) still yet to happen, going to competitions now is even more critical for Olympic hopefuls to prepare. So with added safety precautions, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit International Rifle Team recently competed at the American Smallbore Shooting Association (ASSA) National Championships in Bristol, Indiana.”
After all the .22 LR rounds were sent downrange, USAMU soldiers took up the top four spots in both the Prone and Three-Position individual championships. And the USAMU won a Gold and Silver in the Team Championships. SPC Tim Sherry seized the ASSA National Prone Champion title with the score of 6393-515X. SGT Patrick Sunderman took Silver just one X behind — 6393-514X.
In the Prone Team Championships (shown below), USAMU Soldiers swept the podium. SGT Sunderman and SPC Jared Desrosiers combined for 1600-116X to win the Gold and top honors.
USAMU Shooters Host Training Clinics
Between all the matches, USAMU Soldiers also conducted two separate junior athlete clinics to help young shooters advance their marksmanship skills. We commend the USAMU team members for helping to bring up the next generation of position shooters.
USAMU shooters on the firing line at a past championship in Bristol, Indiana.
In the Three-Position Rifle Championship, USAMU soldiers again claimed the top four spots. SPC Sagen Maddalena won the ASSA National Three-Position Rifle Champion title with a 2324-102X. First Lt. Sarah Beard took Silver with a 2320-101X.
The Hardware — High-Tech Rigs with Fully Adjustable Stocks
Here is a modern Anschutz .22 LR Smallbore 3P Match Rifle.
One recent trend in F-TR competition is the use of low-profile, benchrest-type stocks shot with a light hand-hold and little or no face contact. For this method of F-TR shooting to work, you need the right equipment, and practice a “minimalist” shooting technique. One of the pioneers in this style of F-TR shooting is action-maker John Pierce of Pierce Engineering. Above you can see John shooting one of his F-TR rifles at the 2015 Canadian F-Class Championships. Note the straight-line stock and see how the adjustable bipod is set quite low to the ground (in fact the bipod’s arms are almost straight out).
Members of the Michigan F-TR Team, including Bryan Litz, have used similar rigs with success. Bryan said it took a while to adapt his shooting technique to this kind of rig, but there is a pay-off. Armed with a Pierce-built F-TR rifle, Bryan won his first-ever F-TR Match. Bryan explains the technique he uses when shooting this kind of rifle:
“Coming over from sling shooting, I knew there would be unique challenges to F-TR which I wanted to learn prior to (not during) a major tournament. I learned a new shooting position which doesn’t involve drawing the right knee up. For F-TR I get more straight behind the gun rather than at an angle. I found that the rifle shoots best with very light cheek, shoulder and grip pressure, approaching free recoil. This is how Eric Stecker shot his similar rifle into second place in the SW Nationals [with high X-Count by a large margin]. I learned the rifle’s sensitivity to different bipod and rear bag supports, and found the best buttplate position to allow the rifle to track and stay on target after recoil. This set-up shot best with a mostly free-recoil approach, that means ‘hovering’ over the comb, rather than resting your head on the stock. This took some ‘getting used to’ in terms of neck and back muscle tone. These are the kind of details I think it’s important to focus on when entering a new discipline.”
Bryan’s Pierce-built F-TR rig is a tack-driver: “I can certainly vouch for this set-up! In [a 2015] mid-range State Championship in Midland, MI, I shot my Pierce rifle into first place with a 598-44X (20 shots at 300, 500 and 600). Once you get used to the positioning and way of shooting these rifles, they just pour shots through the center of the target.”
Pierce F-TR Rifles with Scoville Stocks
Shown below are three complete Pierce F-TR rifles, along with a barreled action for comparison. The carbon-fiber/composite stocks are built by Bob Scoville. These Scoville stocks are very light, yet very strong and very stiff.
If you like PRS/NRL competition or just want to learn about this fast-growing practical shooting discipline, then definitely watch Shooting USA today (8/12/20). This week Shooting USA offers a special FULL-HOUR edition devoted to the inaugural Armageddon Gear AG Cup Invitational. The first-ever AG Cup showcased an all-star line-up of tactical talent. Twenty of the nation’s top PRS/NRL marksmen were invited to a two-day event at the Arena Training Facility in Georgia. $41,000 in prize money was up for grabs, with the overall match winner guaranteed twenty thousand ($20,000) in cash!
This AG CUP episode airs Wednesday 8/12/2020 on the Outdoor Channel at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific, 8:00 PM Central. After that it will be streamed on Vimeo for $0.99 per episode or $3.99 per month.
In this hour-long Shooting USA special, John Scoutten and Armageddon Gear’s Tom Fuller report the action and interview top precision rifle shooters. The Grand Prize of $20,000 was awarded for the best overall score, based on accuracy and time. In addition, the winner of each of the 20 stages received a $1000 cash prize. During the show, you can watch the competitors adapt to challenging stage set-ups and weather conditions. With $1000 at stake for each stage, a single miss can cost serious money!
Side Match with TN Twister Target
At the inaugural AG Cup, there was a side match with a $500 prize for the competitor who hit all five TN Twister Target plates in the shortest time. The side-match employed a modular target system from Innovative Target. This system can mount TN Twister or TN Revolver multi-plate rigs, which bolt on to the IRT Head. This provides interesting challenges quite different from a typical static PRS plate target.
Arena Training Facility — 2300 Acres
The 2300-acre Arena Training Facility is a premier shooting facility with multiple shooting ranges from 50m to 2100m. Arena’s 1000-yard covered Known Distance range offers multiple benches, steel and paper targets out to 1000 yards. On Arena’s UKD (unknown distance) range shooters can engage steel out to 2300 yards. This 2100m UKD range boasts a 3-Story Shooting Tower, Air-Conditioned Shoot House, and multiple Positional Challenges.space.
Armaggedon Gear — Tactical Accessories Armageddon Gear, founded by former U.S. Army Ranger Tom Fuller, sells support bags, gun cases, slings, suppressor covers, scope covers, and a wide variety of other accessories popular with the PRS/NRL crowd. Armageddon Gear now provides products to the U.S. Military, Law Enforcement, as well as PRS/NRL competitors.
Armageddon Gear Game-Changer Bag
Shooting USA is available On Demand via Vimeo.com. Watch a single episode for $0.99, or get a full-month subscription for $3.99 and watch as many shows as you like with limited commercial interruptions.
Main photo from NRAILA.org. The NRA supports Second Amendment rights.
Article by AccurateShooter.com Editor-in-Chief
In the last month, a half-dozen acquaintences have asked me about getting a handgun for self-defense at home and while traveling. What is notable is that all of these persons have never owned a handgun before. Moreover, two of the six are pretty staunch liberals who, prior to 2020, thought the Second Amendment was a “historical anachronism” that should be repealed. With the widespread riots and “defund the police” activism, that has all changed. These six people now realize that there are real threats in current society and they may find themselves in a situation where armed self-defense is the only option.
Try Before You Buy — Find a Gun with Good Reliability, Controls, and Ergonomics
These six persons asked for recommendations on handguns. I explained that there was no one “best gun” for every person. I also stressed the importance of training, and of trying various handguns to compare ergonomics, weight, balance, sight arrangement, controls, and trigger pull.
Folks, ergonomics and grip shape DO make a difference. I used to give pistol instruction at a local club. I provided four 9x19mm pistols: Beretta 92, HK USP, SIG P226, and Glock 19. Two-thirds of the students shot best with the SIG P226, and only 10% shot best with the Glock 19. The majority of the students kept “pulling shots” with the Glock, even with a lot of practice. Not so with the SIG P226. I attribute that to lower center of gravity and more ergonomic grip shape/angle.
Caliber Choice — Factors to Consider
We are not going into the long caliber debate today. I have owned semi-auto pistols in .380 ACP, 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 SW, .45 ACP. Each cartridge has its pros and cons. But for a first-time gun owner, looking for a self-defense round, I will recommend the 9mm. It will have noticeably less muzzle flip than the .40 SW, but still carries much more energy than a .380 ACP. I love the .45 ACP for target shooting, but it is more expensive for practice, and there are fewer pistol options. For revolvers, the .357 Magnum is a great defense round, but some of the smaller carry pistols are limited to .38 Special.
Semi-Auto 9mm Carry Gun Recommendation: S&W M&P9 Shield EZ
I have considered a wide range of 9mm carry pistols from Glock, Ruger, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Taurus, and Walther. There are many very good pistols out there. But what I recommended to my acquaintances was the new Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield EZ 9mm. This gun features a back-strap grip safety and is offered with or without thumb safety. There is also a M&P9 EZ model with built-in Red Laser.
Here are the key reasons I recommended the M&P9 EZ 9mm pistol:
1. Good Accuracy and Balance
2. Integral Grip Safety and optional Thumb Safety
3. Good Ergonomics: 18-degree grip angle for natural point of aim
4. Reasonable 4.5-lb Trigger Pull (some other pistols are 7+ pounds*)
5. Easy-to-Rack Slide
6. Take-Down does NOT require trigger pull (unlike Glock)
7. Availability of built-in laser or accessory rail-mount lights/lasers
8. Good Price: $479.00 base MSRP with $399.99 street price
9. Outstanding Smith & Wesson reliability, warranty, and customer service
This detailed, authoritative M&P9 EZ video review also covers the M&P .380 Shield EZ:
Small Deep Concealment Carry Gun Recommendation — S&W Model 638
I am a big fan of revolvers. I have probably put more rounds through my S&W Model 617 .22 LR revolver than all my other handguns combined. Revolvers are accurate, solidly built, and the shorter-barrel models conceal easily. In addition, revolvers are inherently simple — they can be put into action without racking a slide or dealing with mag latches and the like. I’ve actually seen trainees drop magazines on the ground when they were drawing pistols from holsters — they hit the mag release by accident. If this can happen in a class, it can happen in a threat situation.
For concealed carry, I recommend the Smith & Wesson Model 638 revolver. IMPORTANT — the Model 638 has a hammer so it can be shot single-action OR double-action. Having the single-action option is great when a slower, more precisely-aimed shot is needed. Unique among S&W revolvers, the 638’s hammer is shielded — this way the hammer will not snag when the gun is carried in purse or pocket.
As for accuracy, you will be surprised with the Model 638 with good self-defense ammo. Despite the short site radius, the little 1.875″-barreled Model 638 will easily outshoot most self-loading .380 ACPs. With my 638 Airweight, slow-fire, I can put all five rounds inside 2″ at 20 feet with ease.
* Some folks may criticize this S&W Shield 9mm EZ because it lacks a heavy 7-9 pound trigger pull. The thinking is that a heavy DA pull is better for novices. We understand the argument. However, in the real world we found that novices shot much worse with very heavy trigger pulls, even after much training. We believe a 4.5-lb pull is moderate and will actually allow better accuracy for the average shooter. A typical Glock pull-weight is about 5.5-6 pounds.
To help celebrate National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM), rifle and gear manufacturers are offering big prize packages — the Gearbox Giveaways. Enter to win rifles, pistols, ammo, and other valuable prizes. Many of the Gearbox packages are worth over $3000 with the most valuable package worth over $4700! Enter as many of the Gearbox Giveaways as you choose. You can’t win if you don’t enter.
You’ll find all the Gearbox Giveaways on the NSSF website. Shown below are 12 current Gearbox Giveaways ranked in order of value — starting with the most valuable prize package. Below each photo is a link for the ENTRY PAGE for that gearbox item. Good luck!
Do you use factory ammo in your hunting rifles? Perhaps you buy bulk centerfire ammo for your AR15 or varmint rifle. Then this book is for you.
If you ever shoot factory ammo, you should consider getting Ammo & Ballistics 6. This resource book lists over 2,600 different loads for 200+ cartridge types from .17 Mach 2 up to .700 Nitro Express, including the most popular centerfire and rimfire cartridges (both rifle and handgun). In this updated-for-2020 Sixth Edition, there are over 3,000 tables covering virtually every caliber and every load for all commercially-loaded hunting ammunition sold in the USA. Tables include velocity, energy, wind drift, bullet drop, and ballistic coefficients up to 1,000 yards.
Ammo & Ballistics 6 helps you select ammo for a hunt — quickly compare the velocity and knock-down power of various commercial ammo. This book can help you choose a caliber/chambering for your next hunting rig.
Verified Book Purchaser Reviews
“Outstanding reference guide for shooters and ballistic enthusiasts alike. Has data on velocity, energy delivered, Taylor KO index, windage and elevation on numerous loadings for hundreds of [cartridge types]. Each cartridge has all dimensions labeled (i.e rim, case length, neck, etc.), and has an informative description of the cartridges history/relevance.” — S. Step, 2017
“Great heaps of data! This volume has pages and pages of new data for .22LR like the hot Velocitor, and also on the .22 WMR from 30 grains up into the 50s. Most importantly there is lots of range data, drop, windage, kinetic energy, etc. — Terrific reference guide….” — E. Svanoe
Ammo & Ballistics 6 contains data and illustrations on virtually every sporting cartridge sold in the USA. This 2020 Edition covers 200-plus cartridge types from .17 Mach 2 up to .700 Nitro Express.
Wrapters Are Precisely Cut, Comfortable, and Removable
The USAMU reports: “With the Smallbore Olympic Trials (Part II) still yet to happen, going to competitions now is even more critical for Olympic hopefuls to prepare. So with added safety precautions, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit International Rifle Team recently competed at the American Smallbore Shooting Association (ASSA) 
