Doug Koenig’s Championship Season returns to the Pursuit Channel for its ninth season. On this week’s episode, Koenig shoots the Zombies in the Heartland multi-gun match in Nebraska. Sponsored by Hornady, the Zombies Match is one of the biggest 3-gun matches in the nation. Later in the episode Koenig visits Hornady’s bullet-making factory in Nebraska.
Doug Koenig’s Championship Season airs on the Pursuit Channel three times each week. NOTE: If you don’t have cable, you can view shows online on your computer or mobile device at Pursuituptv.com. Weekly Cable TV broadcast times are:
Wednesday at 5:30 pm (EST) | Friday at 9:00 pm (EST) | Saturday at 1:00 am (EST)
Koenig Competes in Zombies Match in Nebraska
Teaming up with Jason Hornady and his son, Doug travels to Nebraska to shoot the popular annual 3-Gun Zombies in the Heartland match. Using pistol, rifle, and shotgun, Doug’s team shoots the Open Division Industry Match and runs six challenging stages using zombie-themed props.
This “Pandemic” 3-Gun fun match, one of the biggest three-gun shoots in the nation, takes place each summer at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. The Pandemic features a rich prize table worth over $150,000. Prizes include pistols, rifles, shotguns, scopes, AR uppers, gun parts, and gear of all kinds.
See A-Tip Bullets Crafted at Hornady Factory
In the second part of the episode, Doug visits the Hornady production facility to see how the new, sequentially-packaged A-Tip match bullets are made. These feature a very uniform aluminum tip for consistent BCs. Doug views 6mm 110 grain A-Tips as they roll off the manufacturing line. Doug plans to use this 6mm bullet in his future PRS competitions.
Do you own a black rifle? Looking to get a good supply of quality ammo and magazines for your AR? Or maybe you want to add an AR to your arsenal before the gun grabbers pass more restrictive legislation? Here are two great pre-Black Friday Deals at Palmetto State Armory. Get a complete AR Lower for just $129.95. Add an AR Upper for just $219.99. And then stock up on mags and ammo with equally awesome deals. For just $359.99 you can get 1000 rounds of Federal American Eagle 5.56 ammo plus TEN (10) Magpul 30-rd mags. AMMO and MAGs Deal HERE.
PSA Complete Lower and Upper at Huge Discounts
Right now you can get a complete PSA Lower with Flat Dark Earth grip and stock, for just $129.99. That’s a steal. If you need an AR Upper you can get a basic 16″ Upper with FDE handguard, Picatinny scope rail, and 1:7″ twist barrel. These components have both earned five stars from scores of actual PSA buyers.
Great Package Deal on Federal Ammo and Magpul Magazines
This Federal ammo is quality, American Eagle 5.56mm 55 Grain XM193BK FMJBT Ammunition packed in a bulk box. So all 1000 rounds is in one big box. XM193 product is first-quality product manufactured at the Army’s Lake City Ammunition Plant for Federal Cartridge. NOTE: All XM193 product is the same regardless of the sku or part number. The only difference is the package configuration.
The PMAG 30 is a 30-round 5.56×45 NATO (.223 Remington) AR15/M4 compatible magazine that offers a cost competitive upgrade from the aluminum USGI. Easy to load and dissasemble, the PMAG features rugged polymer construction, flared floorplate for positive mag extraction, stainless steel spring, and an anti-tilt, self-lubricating follower for increased reliability.
If you have been shopping for premium, top-of-the-line European-made laser rangefinder binoculars, here’s the Deal of the Year. Leica is now offering a $1000.00 Rebate on the 10×42 HD-B 3000 Geovids, so your purchase price is just $1999.00. That’s a great price for an ultra-sharp, 3000-yard-rated LRF binos. You can also get a $500 Rebate on the 8×42 or 8×56 HD-B 3000 LRF binoculars.
Now through December 4th, take advantage of HUGE instant rebates on select Leica Geovids, Trinovids, and Rangemaster Compact Rangefinders — including an unbelievable $1000 OFF the Black Leica 10×42 Geovid HD-B 3000! See ALL DEALS HERE.
EuroOptic sales exec Jason Baney, who helped launch AccurateShooter.com [as 6mmbr.com] over a decade ago, states: “$1000 off a Geovid 3000-yard Bino Rangefinder — this is our best Black Friday Deal for sure. If they go to backorder status that is OK, as we have 100 due today or Friday. This is the deal of the year on something like this!”
If you just want a basic compact rangefinder, there is also a $100 instant rebate on the Leica CRF 2800.COM rangefinder, and a $50 instant rebate on the CRF 2700-B rangefinder. These Leica CRF units are very good performers. We have used them in the field and can recommend them.
SIG Sauer recently announced the delivery of the 100,000th M17/M18 Modular Handgun System (MHS) pistol to the U.S. Military. The 100K delivery milestone came ahead of schedule and SIG Sauer says it has surpassed the performance standards of the government MHS contract. The SIG Sauer M17/M18 replaces the Beretta M9 (aka 92F) which served the U.S. Miltary since 1985. The M17 has a close civilian equivalent, the SIG Sauer model P320 pistol.
“In the month of October 2019 SIG SAUER exceeded our manufacturing requirements by 30% and delivered a record-setting 12,100 handguns to the U.S. Military to achieve this historic milestone for SIG Sauer and the MHS program”, stated Ron Cohen, SIG President & CEO. “With the strict accuracy and acceptance specifications that the M17 and M18 are continuously exceeding, it’s clear that the success of this program can be directly attributed to the reliability, durability, and accuracy of the handgun, which has resulted in the high demand for both the M17 and M18 from every branch of the U.S. Military.”
The M17 and M18 handguns are a 9mm, striker-fired, P320-based handgun platform, featuring coyote-tan PVD coated stainless steel slides with black controls and utilize both 17-round and 21-round magazines. The M18 is a compact version of the M17. Both handgun types are equipped with SIGLITE front night sights, removable night sight rear plates, and manual safeties. To date SIG SAUER has delivered M17 and M18 handguns to all branches of the U.S. Military and the U.S. Coast Guard.
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. LongShot Cameras (TargetVision) — CyberSale Save Up to $100
Longshot Cameras (aka TargetVision) makes the best long-range target camera systems on the market. These deliver sharp, clear images from impressive distances. View on your mobile device. You can even mark/score your shots with Longshot’s mobile Apps. Right now you can save on ALL LongShot Camera products. The superb LongShot LR-3 2-mile UHD (Ultra-High-Definition) is now just $699.00 on sale, while the 300-yard UHD Marksman is on sale for $349.00. The new Hawk Spotting Scope camera is a steal at $249.00, marked down from $299.00. Act soon — these deals expire 12/2/2019.
2. Powder Valley — Free HazMat Starting 11/29/19 — All Brands
Need powder and/or primers? Then head over to Powder Valley. Starting November 29, 2019 (this coming Friday), you can get FREE HazMat for all brands of reloading powder and primer. And yes you can combine powder and primers in the same shipment. This great FREE HazMat offer runs through December 2, 2019. Go to PowderValleyInc.com and select FREE HazMat during checkout, starting Friday November 29th.
3. EuroOptic.com — HUGE Nikon Scope Close-Out Sale
Nikon is getting out of the riflescope business. Nikon will continue to make spotting scopes, binoculars, and rangefinders — but no more riflescopes. That means HUGE close-out savings! EuroOptic.com is running a close-out sale on Nikon riflescopes. This sale includes the excellent Black FX1000 (FFP), and Black X1000 (SFP) tactical scopes. If you are looking for a great tactical or hunting scope at a crazy low price, head over to EuroOptic this week. For example the 4-16x50mm FX1000 MRAD is marked down from $749.95 to just $369.95, a 50% savings!
4. XLR Industries — Chassis System Discounts, $50-$300
If you’re a fan of modular chassis systems, here’s a great early Black Friday Sale. Starting today 11/27/19, XLR Industries is offering huge discounts on their modern metal/composite chassis systems, which are made for Remington, Savage, Howa, and Tikka actions both right- and left-hand. Use these Discount Codes to save up to $300 on a purchase: BLK300 ($1000+ order); BLK200 ($750-$999 order); BLK150 ($595-$749 order); BLK50 ($250-$594 order).
5. Midsouth — New .308 Win Lake City Brass, $79.99/250 cases
Midsouth Shooters has acquired a large quantity of excellent Lake City 7.62×51 (.308 Win) Primed Brass. NOTE, this is New Brass that has never been fired. However it is described as “pull-down”, meaning the brass had originally been assembled into loaded ammo. The brass comes PRIMED with CCI #34 primers, with crimped primer pockets. The brass is sold in 250-count bags for $79.99. That works out to just $0.32 per case — a great deal for primed, strong Lake City Brass. This is good stuff for M1As and hunting rifles.
6. Midsouth — Tipton Best Gun Vise 2, $78.99
Midsouth has the Tipton Best Gun Vise 2 for just $78.99, a fine deal on a versatile, highly adaptable unit. An Amazon #1 Best Seller, this deluxe gun vise has earned much praise from owners. Or if you want something more basic that’s easier to move around, check out the Tipton Cleaning Gun Vise for $45.99 from Midsouth — a very attractive price. Either way you can’t go wrong.
7. Grizzly Industrial — Bald Eagle Slingshot Rest, $129.97
Maybe you’re just getting into F-Class or just need a good stable front rest to shoot from and don’t want to spend a ton of money on one. Don’t worry because Grizzly now has the Bald Eagle BE1129 aluminum slingshot rest for an amazingly low $129.97 close-out price. Just add your favorite front bag and you’re ready to go with a competition quality elevation adjustable rest. They also have the Bald Eagle BE1209 – Big Fifty Rest on sale now for $176.97 close-out price. With a much wider span and cast-iron legs, the Big Fifty is designed for larger guns up to .50 caliber. Either way, these rests are a great value.
8. Amazon — MTM AC4C Ammo Crate with 4 Ammo Boxes, $22.99
Here’s a very cool product from MTM at a great price. The versatile MTM AC4C Ammo Carrier features four, lockable polymer ammo cans in a fitted, four-slot 23.5″ x 11.3″ x 7.5″ carry crate. This makes it easy to haul four full ammo cans. Actual purchasers have raved: “Moments after I received this storage box set I ordered another. Very well built and great design. Awesome and a steal at the price.” Right now this is on sale at Amazon for just $22.99 with free shipping on orders over $25. The system includes four lockable, O-Ring 11.3″ x 7.2″ x 5″ ammo cans (AC30T) for multi-caliber ammo storage. The crate even includes tie-down points for transport in a cart or ATV. NOTE: Last year this MTM AC4C system sold for $39.99. The current $22.99 price represents a 43% savings! Our Deals Editor recently ordered this himself and he liked it so much he immediately ordered another AC4C kit.
9. Amazon — Tactical Eyewear Kit, $15.99
Wearing eye protection should be second nature for anyone around firearms for so many obvious reasons. Whether for you, a backup or to have for those shooting with you grab a set of XAegis Tactical Eyewear Kit that come complete with 3 different lenses and protective case. You can easily switch from Gray, to Yellow, to Clear lenses, popping them into the frame. This 3-Lens shooting Kit is an Amazon #1 Best Seller.
Hard work and tenacity do pay off. Smallbore/Air Rifle ace Katie Ezell is proof.
Story based on article by Serena Juchnowski, CMP Feature Writer
Hailing from Denver, North Carolina, Katie Ezell, 18, is a rising talent. Katie graduated Summa Cum Laude from High School in 2019 and now attends Ohio State University, where she competes on the OSU Rifle Team. At the age of 10, Katie’s parents introduced her to marksmanship, wanting their daughter to have hands-on instruction in firearm safety. Thus began a love affair that has only evolved since then.
“The first time I ever went shooting, I knew this was something that I would want to continue to do.”
One of Katie’s match rifles is a Walther LG400 Alutec Competition Air Rifle:
Since she was so young and unable to join the teenage pistol team at her club, Katie applied to the women’s team, which had no specific age restrictions, and proceeded to compete with those far older and more experienced. Katie accredits much of her competitive drive and how she handles match pressure to pursuing the competition venture at such a young age.
After pistol came skeet, in which Katie traveled to national and international competitions. Thinking about the future, Katie soon realized that a shooting scholarship would allow her to continue in the shooting sports while funding her education. Precision rifle appeared to be the best avenue for this, leading Ezell to move into rimfire sporter for four months before making the jump into precision air rifle.
Ezell cites her greatest accomplishment as “getting accepted to be on The Ohio State [University’s] rifle team after shooting for a year and a half”. While Ezell had been shooting for eight years, she had only been training and competing in precision rifle for 18 months when she was accepted onto the team, where she made her dream a reality.
After joining the Ohio State team, Katie’s first competition was the Junior Olympics, which added some extra pressure to the already prestigious event. This was not the only special part of the occasion. Katie’s father, a deployed military member, was in town, and this was the first time he could watch her compete in person, since his deployment makes attending matches difficult.
Katie Ezell at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center in 2018 for Winter Air Gun.
Katie notes that after she set the nervousness aside, she found herself excited and shot a personal best in smallbore. She had hoped to shoot better with her air rifle, but she knows that being part of a college team will help her to improve her skills.
Katie excels at Smallbore. Here she aims a .22 LR Walther rifle at the 2018 Nationals at Fort Benning, GA. She shot a personal best at the Junior Olympics.
With Coaching, Katie Has Achieved Personal Bests in Both Ari Rifle and Smallbore
Katie is nearing the end of her first semester at Ohio State and has surpassed her previous bests in Smallbore and Air Rifle. Her coach has changed some of Katie’s positions, and she is improving.
“Marksmanship has taught me a lot about self-control. If the shot does not look right, then I reject it and try again. I have learned that failure is okay….” Katie recognizes that failure can inspire one to do better and to learn. She advises competitors “to not be afraid to fail”. Katie started into precision shooting at a much later age than most, especially those who end up with a college shooting career. Though it took time, she learned to appreciate the experience and to not bury herself in expectations.
Walther LG400-E Expert with Electronic Trigger
The E-trigger ensures wear-free operation and exact trigger settings for many shots. The LED-indicator and the installed rechargeable battery ensure readiness to fire as well as easy and quick loading.
· Trigger pull weight can be reduced to 15 grams
· Wear-free operation and exact trigger settings over many years
· Choice between two-stage mode and direct trigger mode
· Realistic dry-firing conditions (dry-firing trigger)
· Rechargeable battery via mini-USB
· LED indicators for system readiness and battery charge level
· Automatic e-trigger turnoff when not in use
Credit The First Shot CMP Newsletter, story by Serena Juchnowski, CMP Feature Writer.
We love shooting reactive targets — the instant gratification of hearing the “clang” and seeing the target fall or spin is addictive. However, there are some significant downsides of steel targets. They are heavy/cumbersome to move around. With steel targets you must be careful with ricochets and bullet splatter. Finally, to keep them looking good, you have to re-apply surface paint time after time.
Newbold Targets sells self-sealing reactive polymer targets that work like steel, but have none of the major disadvantages. Seven times lighter than steel, they are easy to transport and set-up. Though they can “react” like steel, bullets pass right the self-sealing polymer, so you don’t have to worry about ricochets or bullet “splashback”. Finally, you never have to paint them.
Newbold polymer targets come in bright colors that last the life of the target. They are affordable — small auto-reset polymer targets start at $1.49, KD-Pivot Silhouettes run $3.99 – $8.99, 3″ Rifle targets run $8.99 while the larger competition series Knock-Down “plates” (shown below) are $18.99 each. Dozens of different polymer targets are available. There are standing targets, hanging targets, and pivoting targets.
Newbold’s KD Competition Series targets can be reset with a simple string.
Newbold offers a variety of self-sealing reactive targets, such as the KD-Pivot plate rack targets above, hanging targets, 3-Gun targets, and the 42″ popper targets shown in the video below. Many of the Newbold targets have reset systems — simply pull a lanyard and the targets pop back up.
Gunwriter Tom McHale has tested Newbold Polymer Targets and likes them: “There’s one more significant advantage over steel. You can shoot them at any distance, including point-blank range. Since the bullets pass through… there’s no fragmentation or splash as there is with steel targets.”
Ever wondered what caused a particular bulge or marking on a case? And more importantly, does the issue make the case unsafe for further use? Sierra Bullets Ballistic Technician Duane Siercks offers some insight into various issues and their causes in two Case Diagnostic articles from the Sierra Blog.
Incipient Case-Head Separation
This is a Winchester .308 Win case that has a real issue. This case has a very obvious incipient case head separation in the process of becoming a complete failure.
This is most commonly caused by over-sizing the case causing there to be excess headspace on the case. After a few firings and subsequent re-sizing, this case is just about ready to come completely apart. Proper die adjustment is certainly a requirement here. Of course this case is not safe to reuse.
Excessive Pressure (Load Too Hot)
If you will notice in the picture of the case rim, there are two pressure signs to notice. First, look at the primer. It is basically flattened to about the max of what could be considered safe. If this was the only pressure sign noted, I would probably be fine with this load, but would constantly keep an eye on it especially if I was going to use this load in warmer temperatures. This load could easily cross into the “excess pressure” realm very quickly.
There is another sign of pressure that we cannot ignore. If you’ll notice, there is an ejector mark apparent that is located over the “R” of the R-P headstamp. This absolutely tells us that this load would not have been in the safe pressure range. If there were any of these rounds loaded, they should not be fired and should be dis-assembled. This case should not be reloaded.
Split Case-Neck
Here we have an R-P .22-250 case that has died the death. Everything looks fine with this case except the neck is split. This case must be tossed.
A split neck is a normal occurrence that you must watch for. It is caused by work-hardening of the brass. Brass cases get harder with age and use. Brand new cases that are stored for a period of time can become hard enough that they will split like this case within one to two firings. I have had new factory loads do the same thing. Then as we resize and fire these cases repeatedly, they tend to get harder and harder. Eventually they will split. The life of the case can be extended by careful annealing practices. This is an issue that would need to be addressed in an article by itself. Of course this case is no longer usable.
In the classes that I teach, I try to use examples like this to let the students see what they should be looking for. As always, if we can assist you, whether you are new to reloading or very experienced, contact us here at Sierra Bullets by phone at 1-800-223-8799 or by email at sierra@sierrabullets.com.
Dented Case Body
Here we have a Lake City 7.62×51 (.308 Win.) case with two heavy marks/dents in the case body.
This one may be a bit of a mystery. It appears as if this case may have been caught in the action of a semi-auto rifle when the firearm jammed or the case failed to clear during the cycling process. I probably would not reload this case just to prevent any feeding problems. This also appeared to be a factory loaded round and I don’t really see any pressure issues or damage to the case.
Multiple Problems — Lake City 5.56×45 unknown year.
This case has suffered multiple failures and cannot be re-used. First its has have a very rounded shoulder that is split. Upon first look it was obvious that this round had been a victim of excess pressure. The firearm (perhaps an AR?) was apparently not in full battery, or there was possibly a headspace issue also. While taking a closer look, the primer was very flat and the outside radius of the primer cup had been lost. High pressure! Then I also noticed that there was an ejector mark on the case rim. This is most certainly an incident of excessive pressure. This case is ruined and should be discarded.
It is very important to observe and inspect your cases before each reloading. After awhile it becomes second nature to notice the little things. Never get complacent as you become more familiar with the reloading process. If ever in doubt, call Sierra’s Techs at 1-800-223-8799.
You’d like to protect your hearing, and maybe you’re a little curious about how your rifle might shoot suppressed. So you’re thinking of buying a suppressor (aka “can”, “moderator”, “silencer”). You can’t just get one off the shelf at Walmart. Acquiring a suppressor requires filling out paperwork and paying a Federal $200 Tax Stamp. Plus there is typically a pretty long wait. However, the good news is that suppressor ownership is now legal in 42 of the 50 American states — that’s 84%! For most American adults, getting a suppressor is legal, provided pass the required background checks.
States Where Suppressor Ownership is Allowed
Currently, the following 42 states allow private ownership of suppressors: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY.
Note: Even if you live in one of the states listed, you should still verify that owning a suppressor is legal in your area. Some states may have municipal- or county-based restrictions.
States Where Suppressor Ownership is Prohibited
Unfortunately, there are still eight (8) States that forbid private ownership of suppressors. The eight No-Go States are: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island. In these eight states, private ownership of suppressors (aka “silencers”) is forbidden. Hopefully that a few of those eight hold-out states will change their laws in the months ahead.
Looking Inside a Suppressor in Action
Popular YouTube Channel Smarter Every Day recently released a cool video featuring rifle suppressors with see-through acrylic sleeves. The team filmed shots through the suppressors using ultra-high-speed (110,000 frame per second) cameras. When played back in super-slow-motion, you can see the flame propagate through the suppressor and the bullet move through each baffle before it exists the muzzle. Watch the results in the video below — it’s mesmerizing:
See Through Suppressor in Super Slow Motion (110,000 fps) — Click Arrow to Watch:
Suppressors, On Average, Reduce Noise Levels about 30 Decibels
In an article for Ammoland, gunwriter Sam Hoober says that you can expect about 30 decibels (dB) of noise reduction from the average suppressor: “Looking at a few different products, SilencerCo attests their suppressors reduce the sound pressure of a 9mm gunshot to anywhere from 125.7 dB to 131.5 dB, depending on the model. Advanced Armament Co, another popular supplier, attests a 23 dB to 33 dB reduction or down to 127 dB. Liberty Suppressors, another manufacturer, attests a reduction of 24 dB to 38 dB, depending on model and other factors. In short, we can presume something on the order of 30 dB of attenuation as an average.”
Using that 30 dB number you can quickly discern that you’ll still need hearing protection — good hearing protection — when shooting any suppressed firearm (even a .22 LR). “Spikes of 130 dB and more can result in permanent hearing damage instantly”. Source: NRA Blog.
Story idea by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
Readers — if you reload with Accurate-brand 2495, 4064, or 4350 powders, check your containers now! Accurate Powder is recalling certain lots of these powders in both 1-lb and 8-lb containers. This is serious. The manufacturer says: “The use or storage of this product may result in combustion, fire damage, and/or possible serious injury or property damage.” The problematic powders being recalled were manufactured for Western Powders Inc. prior to 10/1/2016, but they may have been sold anytime after that.
Check the Lot Number on the back or bottom of the containers. The lot number is the last digit or last two digits (right-most digits). Here are the recalled lots:
Accurate 2495 Lots 2-17 | Accurate 4064 Lots 2-16 | Accurate 4350 Lots 2-22
If you have any of the affected powder you should fill the container immediately with WATER. Then contact Western Powders at 406-234-0422 or customerservice@westernpowders.com .
Accurate Powders Recall Notice for 2495, 4064, 4360 Powders
Recall tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
