Do you carry a firearm for self-protection, or perhaps keep a handgun in a vehicle during trips? Then you should consider signing up for a new insurance/training program offered by the NRA. Launched this week, the NRA’s Carry Guard program offers up to $1,000,000 in insurance/legal protection. This is combined with a comprehensive training program.
The Carry Guard program offers a 24/7 hotline for members. You get immediate response to secure bail bonds, legal retainers, and counseling. Importantly you can choose your own attorney from a nationwide attorney referral network. Members get up to $1,000,000 in insurance-backed protection for legal fees and will receive emergency support services in case of a self-defense incident. Spouses of NRA Carry Guard members are automatically covered, as are family members who live with a Carry Guard member and defend themselves in the home.
Three levels of protection are offered, with affordable monthly payments. When you consider that the cost of defending a civil lawsuit could easily exceed $150,000 just in legal fees, it’s smart to have some kind of legal insurance plan.
Carry Guard Training
Carry Guard members can access a variety of video tutorials. In addition, CarryGuard offers three-day training programs that combine classroom sessions with range training. The focus is on the real-life scenarios you might face. “We apply those [gun-handling] fundamentals to real-life situations, self-defense tactics and techniques, low-light shooting, force-on-force Air Soft scenarios and more. Students are evaluated on a course of fire where only a passing score earns eligibility to move to the next level.”
If you have questions about the Carry Guard Program, consult the Carry Guard FAQ page, call 1-866-NRA-5050, or use the NRA’s Contact Form.
It’s Friday, which means the Exhibit Hall of the 146th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits opens today at 9:00 am! The big attraction will be the 800+ exhibitors in the Hall — including virtually all the big name firearms manufacturers, ammo/component makers, optics makers, and shooting accessory suppliers. Along with the exhibitors, there are seminars, workshops, special events, and celebrity meet and greets now through Sunday the 30th. Here’s a quick glimpse of what’s happening today:
Regular Daily Events
NRA Booth, Booth #1912 National Firearms Museum, Booth #457 Pyramid Air – Air Gun Range, Room B309 Wall of Guns, Second Floor Hallway
Special Events
NRA-ILA Leadership Forum (ticket required) Georgia World Congress Center, Hall A Doors open at 11:00am Event starts at 12:30 pm.
Click here for a complete list of seminars, workshops, and special presentations.
To see the full schedule, visit www.nraam.org. For more information on events, exhibitors, and exhibit hall hours, visit www.nraam.org or download the Mobile App.
Do your hands/wrists get tired when prepping scores of cartridge cases? There’s an alternative to the big, costly case prep centers that occupy lots of space on your reloading bench. Little Crow Gunworks has developed a $29.95 hand tool that makes chamfering by hand much easier. You’ve got to watch this Precision Prep Tool in action — click on the VIDEO below to see Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com demonstrate how it works.
See How Tool Head Spins With Arm Movement — Very Clever!
With this tool, a natural motion of the forearm translates into rotary motion of the tool head (watch the video!). The tool-head holds four (4) tools: inside and outside neck chamfer tools, plus large and small primer pocket reamers. A hex adapter lets you use the primer pocket reamers with a power drill to remove the crimps on military brass.
Gavin Gear was impressed with this innovative device: “I’ll admit, I didn’t know how this tool worked until I tried it out, and it’s pretty amazing how something so simple can make such a big impact on a chore like brass prep. I’ve tried a lot of brass prep tools, and this is one smooth setup. I think the Precision Prep Tool is a good option for case prep chores, especially if you want to trim on the go, or sitting in your recliner watching TV.”
This is the first manually-operated case prep tool that puts four tools at your fingertips. Other single-head inline tools require the user to twist their wrist or rotate the tool in their hand. The PPT consists of a knurled solid aluminum handle with a bearing-mounted aluminum tool head. The tool head has four 8-32 tapped holes which accept case prep tools manufactured by most reloading companies. To use the tool, simply rotate your forearm in a clockwise motion to chamfer, deburr, or clean the primer pocket. Priced at $29.95, the tool comes in five (5) colors: Red, Blue, Green, Silver, and Black.
Got a big shooting shopping list? Then here’s a great opportunity. Now through April 30th at 11:59 PM you can get $9.00 flat-rate shipping from Midsouth Shooters Supply, with a $99.00 minimum order. That can translate to significant savings on big orders, or heavy items. Compare the true shipping costs from other vendors to see what a good deal this can be (some vendors charge $15 to ship a couple boxes of ammo). Note: Regular hazmat charges apply to powder, primers, and other hazmat items.
If you’re shopping at Midsouth, here are some of the very good values you might want to check out:
Mother of All LR Primer Tests
If you shoot a .308 Win, or any cartridge that uses a Large Rifle (LR) primer, you should read an important article by Laurie Holland in Target Shooter Magazine. Holland, a talented shooter from the UK, tested no less than sixteen (16) different large primer types using a custom F-TR target rifle shot from the bench. Laurie loaded .308 Win ammo* with 16 LR primer varieties and then tested for average velocity, ES/SD, and group size. This may be the most comprehensive and thorough LR primer test ever done. Here are the primer types tested:
1. CBC Magtech 9½
2. CCI 200 LR
3. CCI BR2 Match
4. CCI 250 Magnum
5. Federal 210
6. Federal 210M Match
7. Federal 215M Magnum Match
8. Fiocchi Large Rifle
9. Kynoch Large Rifle
10. Murom KVB-7 (PMC LR)
11. Norma Superflash LR
12. PMC LR Magnum
13. Remington 9½ LR
14. Remington 9½ M Magnum
15. Sellier & Bellot LR
16. Winchester WLR
Test Rig: Osprey Rifles-built F-TR rifle with Savage PTA action, 32″ Bartlein 1:12″-twist ‘Heavy Palma’ barrel, and Dolphin Gun Company modular stock with an F-Open/Benchrest fore-end.
Some of Laurie’s results may surprise you. For example, would you guess that Sellier & Bellot primers had the lowest ES, by a significant margin? And get this, among ALL the primers tested, Rem 9½M Magnum primers produced the lowest velocity, while Rem 9½ LR (non-magnum) primers yielded the highest velocity. (The total velocity spread for all primers was 35 fps). That’s counter-intuitive and it’s odd that Rems were at opposite ends of the speed spectrum among ALL primers tested.
“The rationale for doing side-by-side tests is to see what effect primer choice has on ballistics, i.e. average velocities and MV consistency. There are a great many views on the subject, a few based on tests (including primer flame photography) but most apparently hearsay.” — Laurie Holland
Every serious hand-loader should definitely read the full test results to understand Laurie’s methodology and get all the details. This is an important test, with significant findings. But if you can’t spare the time right now, here are some highlights below:
Primer with Lowest Velocity: Remington 9½ M Magnum (2780 fps)
Primer with Highest Velocity: Remington 9½ LR (2815 fps)
Primer with Lowest ES/SD: Sellier & Bellot LR (12/3.1 fps)
Primer with Highest ES/SD: Remington 9½ M Magnum (47/14.0 fps)
Primer with Smallest Group Size: Remington 9½ LR (0.43″ average, three 5-shot groups)
Primer with Biggest Group Size: CBC Magtech 9½ (0.7″ average, three 5-shot groups)
Editor’s Comment: Laurie shot three, 5-shot groups at 100 yards with each primer type. The average group size for the top six primers varied by only 0.10″ (0.43″ to 0.53″), so one can’t conclude that one type is much better than another. Total group size variance (from best to worst) was 0.27″.
“The biggest surprise to me … came from an elderly (at least 10 years) lot of Czech Sellier & Bellot standard caps with an ES of 12 and SD of 3.1 fps, way below those of the nearest competitor. By contrast to the Fiocchis, they were an almost slack fit in the cases and this may have contributed to their consistent performance.” — Laurie Holland
NOTE: Values in chart are based on 15-Shot strings. The ES/SD numbers will therefore be higher than is typical with five-shot strings.
All ES/SD Values from 15-Shot Strings
Testing 16 primer types was a huge task — we commend Laurie for his hard work and thoroughness. This extensive test is an important contribution to the “knowledge base” of precision shooting. Laurie’s findings will doubtless influence many hand-loaders who hope to produce more consistent ammunition, or achieve better accuracy. Credit should also be given to Target Shooter Magazine for publishing the results. Well done gentlemen…
*Reloading method for Test Ammo: “Test batches consisted of 16 or 17 rounds for each primer, charges thrown by an RCBS ChargeMaster and checked on lab-quality electronic scales, adjusted if necessary to within ± 0.04gn, so any charge weight variation would be under 0.1 grain which equates here to 5 fps.”
All 10s and Xs for record — that’s a very impressive 200-10X score card for young Lynzie Graham.
Here’s a “feel-good” story about a talented young shooter. We like to acknowledge the accomplishments of the “rising stars” in our sport. Lynzie Graham, a member of the U.S. F-Class Under-25 Team recently shot a perfect 200-10X at 600 yards, not dropping a point. That’s particularly impressive when you consider Lynzie shot her 600-yard “clean” using a factory rifle — a Savage Arms .308 Win F-TR rig.
Congratulations Lynzie Graham on your first 600-yard “clean” at the Texas State Qualifier in February 2017. Lynzie was shooting the Sierra 180gr MatchKing® #2220 with her Savage F-TR .308 Win. This August, Lynzie and other U.S. F-Class U-25 Team members will be competing at the F-Class World Championships (FCWC) hosted at the Connaught Ranges near Ottawa, Canada. Click image below for more information about the 2017 FCWC.
Are you feeling lucky? Well here’s your chance to win a gun. Brownells is giving away one gun each day from April 28th through the 30th. This three-gun give-away is being offered in connection with the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, Georgia. Brownells will have a large booth at the NRA Show, with VIP Guests including actor Lou Ferrigno and 3-Gun ace Janna Reeves.
In addition to the gun-a-day NRA Show promotion, this week Brownells is offering a special drawing for a high-tech IV 8888 AR-Platform rifle from Iraq Veterans. The IV 8888 rifle features high-end components such as carbon-fiber handguards and an Aimpoint optic.
The shooting season is now in full swing. When you head to the range you’ll want to be prepared. That means collecting all the gear you’ll need at the range. It’s easy to forget small, critical items, so we’ve provided a checklist of the small “extras” you should pack before you head out to the range. In addition to rifle, rests, ammo, targets, and cleaning gear, here are a dozen essentials you should include in your range bag.
• Shell-Holder — If you don’t have calipers, you can use a shell-holder to check for excessive case expansion from hot loads. If a fired case doesn’t slip into the shell-holder easily, your load is definitely TOO HOT.
• Extra Earplugs — Always use ear protection when shooting. We bring a 35mm film canister with extra sets of foam earplugs.
• Hex Wrench or Screwdriver for action screws — Action screws can work loose with time. Always bring the appropriate hex wrench or screwdriver whenever you go to the range.
• Small Wrench for Scope Rings — Check the tension of your scope base and ring fasteners before you go. Bring along a small Torx wrench for the ring screws (or other tool that fits your fasteners).
• Normal and Under-sized Jags — It is often wise to use one-caliber undersize jags when applying solvent with cotton patches. You should have a couple sizes in your range kit.
• Extra Batteries — Bring extra batteries for all your electronic gear — which can include chronograph, windmeter, digital camera, GPS etc.
• Small Notebook and Pen or Pencil — Use the notebook to record chron data, log group sizes, and make notes about wind and weather conditions.
• Adhesive dots — Bring a few sheets of adhesive dots (sold at office supply stores). Use small white or black dots as target pasters. Use larger red or orange dots as aiming points (target centers).
• Folding Chair or Camp Stool — This comes in handy if you’re spotting for another shooter, or if you reload away from the firing line.
• Water Bottle — You can’t shoot well if you’re dehydrated. Bring at least two quarts of water with you and keep a bottle at the bench.
• Surveyors’ Tape and Wood Stakes — You can make inexpensive wind indicators using surveyors’ tape attached to the top of wood stakes.
• Small Plastic Ruler — Use this to measure your group sizes. A transparent (see-through) ruler works best. Rulers are also useful for drawing lines on targets.
This list is not intended to be exclusive. There are many other items you may wish to include. Obviously bring safety glasses, and Sharpie-type pens are always handy to mark targets. We invite our readers to add other “essentials” to the list. The important thing is to plan ahead, packing your key items before you drive to the range.
The big NRA Convention in Atlanta is just two days away. The 146th National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meetings and Exhibits will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia from April 27-30, 2017. 80,000+ people are expected to attend this 4-day event which will feature dozens of seminars, workshops, and special events. There are still tickets available for many of the most important events at the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings. See links below:
GET EVENT TICKETS
Thursday April 27th
National NRA Foundation Banquet
Sponsored by Henry Repeating Arms, Century Arms and Kimber
Georgia World Congress Center Building B – 5 p.m.
Tickets start at $100 – Click here to purchase.
Friday, April 28th
20th Annual Firearms Law Seminar
Georgia World Congress Center – 8 a.m.
Tickets start at $50 – Click here to purchase.
NRA-ILA Leadership Forum
Sponsored by TownHall Media and Bearing Arms
Georgia World Congress Center Hall A3 – 12:30 p.m.
Tickets start at $10 – Click here to purchase.
When President Trump speaks at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on April 28th, it will be the first time a sitting president visits the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits since Ronald Reagan.
Sunday, April 30th
2017 National Prayer Breakfast
Brought to you by Fathers in the Field and sponsored by Trijicon and Universal Coin & Bullion.
Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center Grand Ballroom – 7 a.m.
Tickets start at $40 – Click here to purchase.
4th Annual NRA Women’s New Energy Breakfast
Georgia World Congress Center Room B405 – 9:30 a.m.
Tickets start at $15 – Click here to purchase
NAVIGATE THE CONVENTION HALL
In and around the Convention Hall there will be 15 acres of firearms, shooting and hunting gear, and other exhibits. There will also be an on-site airgun range. For more information about the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, including deals on hotels and airfare, show hours, exhibitors, maps, and much more, visit www.NRAAM.org.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, 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.
Here’s a great deal if you’re looking for a GEN2 6.5 Creedmoor Ruger Precision Rifle for PRS events or other bolt-action tactical applications. The 6.5 Creedmoor is the hot ticket for this rifle, and RPRs with this chambering have been in short supply. You’ll find many sellers charging $1400.00+ for this rifle, if they have it at all.
This week you can get a GEN2 Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor for just $1168.01 from Kentucky Gun Company, with FREE Shipping to boot. The “Cash Price” price is even cheaper, $1133.99. And GunPrime.com also has the 6.5CM RPR for $1199.00 this week. Curious about the differences between the GEN2 Ruger Precision Rifle and the original Model? CLICK HERE for a complete spec comparison and a video (scroll down landing page).
2. Midsouth — Norma Tac-22 .22 LR Ammo, $3.99/box
This Norma .22 LR ammo shoots WAY better than you’d expect given the low price — just $3.99 per 50ct box at Midsouth. These test targets come from Champion Shooters Supply. That vendor reports: “We have found this to run very well in Ruger rifles, handguns, and target pistols. These are 5-shot groups at 50 yards with an Anschutz 1913 rifle. This is an incredible value.” We suggest you grab some of this Tac-22 while you can at these rock-bottom prices.
3. Natchez — Surplus SKB 5041 Transport Cases, $129.99
Natchez has obtained a supply of British MOD Surplus SKB 5041 rifle cases. These were ordered as mine detector cases, but were never issued. Natchez has removed the foam cut for the detectors and replaced it with new 2-piece convoluted foam. Interior dimension of the case is 50″x14.5″x5″ so this will hold long-barrel match rifles comfortably. These are extremely high-quality cases, very tough and rugged, waterproof with gaskets. These cases feature four SKB patented trigger latches, four reinforced padlock locations, and inline wheels. Though in excellent condition, some case may have minor exterior scuffs. You won’t find a better case at anywhere near the price. These normally retail for $299.99.
4. Sportsmans Outdoor — S&W M&P9 Shield, $239.99 after Rebate
Here’s an awesome deal on a popular Smith & Wesson 9mm carry pistol. The M&P9 Shield (with thumb safety) is priced at just $314.99 at Sportsmans Outdoor Superstore. But it gets better — Smith & Wesson is offering a $75.00 Rebate. That lowers your net cost to just $239.99. That’s half what you might pay for a similar 9mm Glock. Good reason to buy American, and S&W’s warranty is rock solid. NOTE: This same M&P9 pistol without thumb safety is offered by Brownells for $359.99, or $284.99 after mail-in rebate.
This is a very good spotting scope for the price. Yes it gives up some low-light performance to a spotter with an 80mm objective, but otherwise it is a good performer, and we can’t think of much that will touch this Vortex Diamondback spotting scope for anywhere near the $399.99 sale price. Choose from angled or straight version for the same $399.99 price, which includes the 20-60X zoom eyepiece.
6. Amazon — Frankford Arsenal Master Tumbler Kit, $67.99
This Master Tumbler Kit contains everything you need to tumble rifle or pistol brass. Now on sale for $67.99 with free shipping, this Kit contains: Vibratory Tumbler, Rotary Media Separator, Plastic Bucket, 3 lbs. Cleaning Media, and 4 oz. Brass Polish.
7. Powder Valley — Reloder 16 Powder, 1-pound and 8-pound
Powder Valley now has Alliant Reloder 16 (RL16) in stock in both 1-lb ($23.95) and 8-lb ($178.95) containers. If you’re not familiar with this relatively new propellant, we can tell you that RL16 may be the best replacement yet for hard-to-find Hodgdon H4350. Burn rate is very similar to H4350, and RL16 is extremely temp-stable. Most importantly, our Forum members are reporting outstanding accuracy with Reloder 16. It is well suited for mid-sized cartridges such as 6XC, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5×47 Lapua, and .260 Remington. If you like H4350, we recommend you try a pound of Alliant’s impressive Reloder 16.
8. Monmouth Reloading — 500 Lake City 5.56 Cases, $35.00
500 pieces of Lake City brass for just thirty-five bucks? Yep, that’s a great deal for anyone who needs .223/5.56 brass for varmint safaris and tactical comps. Monmouth Reloading is selling genuine, once-fired Lake City 5.56x45mm brass sourced direct from the U.S. Military. NOTE: CLICK HERE and then select 500-ct pack — the 1000-ct is out of stock. Monmouth reports: “Our current stock of Lake City 5.56 looks to be all newer year Lake City head stamp but may contain a small percentage of other NATO headstamps. Lake City is a popular, reliable brass, normally capable of many reloads.” Monmouth includes 1% overage to account for any damaged brass. NOTE: Brass has crimped primers, so the pockets will need to be reamed or swaged prior to reloading.
9. Amazon — Howard Leight Electronic Muffs, $31.11
Every shooter should own a pair of Electronic muffs, even if you prefer shooting with earplugs and/or standard muffs. Electronic muffs are great when you are doing spotting duties or are working near the firing line. They allow you to hear ordinary conversations while still providing vital hearing protection. Right now Amazon.com has the Howard Leight Impact Sport Electronic Muffs on sale for just $31.11, with free Prime Shipping. This is good deal — these NRR 22 muffs are currently Amazon’s #1 seller in the category.
The shooting season is now in full swing. When you head to the range you’ll want to be prepared. That means collecting all the gear you’ll need at the range. It’s easy to forget small, critical items, so we’ve provided a checklist of the small “extras” you should pack before you head out to the range. In addition to rifle, rests, ammo, targets, and cleaning gear, here are a dozen essentials you should include in your range bag.
• Shell-Holder — If you don’t have calipers, you can use a shell-holder to check for excessive case expansion from hot loads. If a fired case doesn’t slip into the shell-holder easily, your load is definitely TOO HOT.
• Hex Wrench or Screwdriver for action screws — Action screws can work loose with time. Always bring the appropriate hex wrench or screwdriver whenever you go to the range.
• Extra Batteries — Bring extra batteries for all your electronic gear — which can include chronograph, windmeter, digital camera, GPS etc.
• Folding Chair or Camp Stool — This comes in handy if you’re spotting for another shooter, or if you reload away from the firing line.
• Small Plastic Ruler — Use this to measure your group sizes. A transparent (see-through) ruler works best. Rulers are also useful for drawing lines on targets.
