Well it’s about darn time. FINALLY a major gun-maker is bringing the guns to the people — with a traveling road show that lets potential customers sample a variety of rifles. Smart idea, and we hope other manufacturers follow Savage’s lead. The 2017 Savage Trigger Tour is a series of free, open-to-the-public events hosted at ranges across the country. The Trigger Tour showcases several different models, all outfitted with Bushnell optics and fueled by Federal Premium and CCI ammunition. Savage Arms staffers will be on hand to answer firearms questions and help customers.
Firearms types will vary with location. The available Savage rifles may include these popular new offerings: 10 BA Stealth (.308 Win/6.5 CM), MSR 15 (AR15 platform), MSR 10 (AR10 platform), A22 .22 LR Rimfire, A17 Target Sporter 17HMR.
The Savage Arms Trigger Tour runs from June through October, starting with events in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Minnesota. Other planned locations are: Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota. CLICK THIS LINK for specific dates and locations. NOTE: Locations and dates may change or be added.
One popular rifle shooters can test is Savage’s model 10 BA Stealth, chambered in 308 Win. or 6.5 Creedmoor. Suitable for PRS factory-class comps, this rifle features a lightweight, modular chassis with adjustable rear section. The 6.5 Creedmoor version of the 10 BA Stealth has shown good accuracy in Defender Blog Field Tests.
Savage’s new AR15-Platform MSR 15 Recon could also be on hand. Chambered in .223 Wylde, the MSR 15 Recon offers a high-performance 16-inch barrel with 5R button rifling and zero-tolerance headspace. The Trigger Tour will also feature the MSR 15’s big brother, the new MSR 10 Hunter. Available in 308 Win. or 6.5 Creedmoor, this purpose-built, compact AR-10 platform is designed for deer hunting and general field use.
Trigger Tour events might also feature Savage’s popular A-Series semi-auto rimfire rifles. The A22 features a straight-blowback .22 LR action, user-adjustable AccuTrigger, thread-in headspace, button-rifled barrel, and composite stock. The A17 Target Sporter Thumbhole features a unique delayed-blowback action that delivers safe, reliable performance with standard 17 HMR loads.
For more information, including specific dates and locations of Savage Arms Trigger Tour stops, please visit www.savagearms.com/events.
Last month, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) hosted a suppressor demonstration at Elite Shooting Sports in Manassas, Virginia. Sig Sauer and Daniel Defense suppressor experts were presenters. Olin Corporation supplied ammunition.
The Daniel Defense representative noted that suppressors do not render a firearm silent (despite what Hollywood movies might show). The sound level of an un-suppressed AR15 firing is 165-175 dB. With a suppressor in place, the sound level for the same 5.56 rifle drops to around 135-140 dB. That is a significant noise reduction, but the rifle is still producing a noise louder than a jack-hammer (and hearing protection is still recommended). Watch the video below to learn other important facts about firearm suppressors.
NSSF Hosts Suppressor Demonstration for News Media
The objective of the NSSF demo was to give the news media more accurate information about hearing protection devices. In addition, the NSSF wanted to correct many popular misconceptions about suppressors. Mainstream media reports about sound suppressors are typically inaccurate, incomplete, and misinformed. For example, most media stories fail to acknowledge that suppressors are legal throughout Europe, and widely used by European hunters and target shooters. If you were to believe the typical news report on suppressors, silencers are evil and dangerous. The NSSF demo was designed to replace ignorance with facts.
We created this custom target in 5 minutes using PrintTargets.net. If you like it, DOWNLOAD HERE.
AccurateShooter.com has a HUGE collection of FREE downloadable PDF targets. We offer a very wide range of target designs: Load Development Grids, NRA Bullseye targets, Official-Size BR targets, Realistic Varmint Targets, Silhouette Shapes, Fun Plinking Targets, and even specialized tactical training targets. If our collection of free targets isn’t enough, or if you want to create a new kind of target — you’re in luck. There’s an Australian-based interactive website, PrintTargets.net, that allows you to create your own customized, printable PDF targets. Shown below are just a few of the target designs you can create in minutes:
Just follow the step-by-step instructions to set paper size, layout, bullseye color, line thickness, number of rings and diameter. You can even add Score Numbers to your target rings. PrintTargets.net is easy and fun to use. It’s much faster to create targets this way than to try to draw a series of circles with PowerPoint or MS Paint.
Power-User Tip: PrintTargets.net even offers a handy diamond-grid calibration diagram that you can add to your custom target designs. You’ll find the calibration grid as option #15 when you design your target — just scroll all the way down the PrintTargets.com home page.
He who dies with the most toys wins — right? Well Sinclair has another interesting gadget you can add to your reloading bench. The Sinclair Case Neck Sorting Tool lets you quickly sort brass by neck-wall thickness. For those who shoot “no-turn” brass, sorting your cases helps achieve more uniform neck tension and, thereby, more consistent bullet seating. Large variances in neck-wall thickness can cause inconsistent neck “grip” on the bullet. Generally, we’ve found that more consistent neck tension will lower ES and (usually) improve accuracy.
Get Better Results with No-Turn Brass
We know some guys who shoot no-turn 6mmBR brass in competition with considerable success — but their secret is pre-sorting their brass by neck-wall thickness. Cases that are out-of-spec are set aside for sighters (or are later skim-turned).
Watch Case Neck Sorting Tool Operation in Video (May not load on mobile devices)
How the Case Neck Sorting Tool Works
Here’s how the Sinclair tool works. Cases are rotated under an indicator tip while they are supported on a case-neck pilot and a support pin through the flash hole. The unit has a nice, wide base and low profile so it is stable in use. The tool works for .22 through .45 caliber cases and can be used on .17- and .20-caliber cases with an optional carbide alignment rod. The MIC-4 pin fits both .060 (PPC size) and .080 (standard size) flash holes. Sinclair’s Case Neck Sorting Tool can be ordered with or without a dial indicator. The basic unit without indicator (item 749-006-612WB) costs $59.99. Complete with dial indicator (item 749-007-129WB), the tool costs $89.99. IMPORTANT: This tool requires caliber-specific Case Neck Pilots (sold separately).
Editor’s Comment: The purpose of this Sinclair tool is rapid, high-quantity sorting of cartridge brass to ascertain significant case-neck-wall thickness variations. Consider this a rapid culling/sorting tool. If you are turning your necks, you will still need a quality ball micrometer tool to measure neck-wall thickness (to .0005) before and after neck-turning operations.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (RUGER) is recalling Mark IV pistols (including 22/45 models) manufactured prior to June 1, 2017. The reason for the recall is the potential of unintentional discharges if the safety is not used properly. Mark IV owners should visit Ruger.com/MarkIVRecall to determine if their pistol is subject to the recall, which affects a “small percentage of Mark IV pistols”. Ruger strongly recommends that consumers not use affected Mark IV pistols until a safety retrofit has been installed.
Ruger Mark IV Recall Information Video:
Here is Ruger’s official Recall Announcement (emphasis added):
Ruger recently discovered that the pistols have the potential to discharge unintentionally if the safety is not utilized correctly. In particular, if the trigger is pulled while the safety lever is midway between the “safe” and “fire” positions (that is, the safety is not fully engaged or fully disengaged), the pistol may not fire when the trigger is pulled. However, if the trigger is released and the safety lever is then moved from the mid position to the “fire” position, the pistol may fire at that time.
Although only a small percentage of Mark IV pistols appear to be affected and the Company is not aware of any injuries, Ruger is firmly committed to safety and would like to retrofit all potentially affected pistols with an updated safety mechanism.”
As a responsible manufacturer, Ruger wants to make its customers aware of this FREE safety upgrade. All Mark IV pistols with serial numbers beginning with “401” (2017 models) or “WBR” (2016 models) are subject to the recall.
Mark IV owners should visit the Ruger Mark IV Recall website… to look up the serial number of their Mark IV and verify if it is subject to the recall, sign up for the recall, and obtain additional information.
Red Dot (aka “Reflex”) sights help pistol shooters hit their targets quickly. With these sights you simply place the dot on the target. Head alignment is not critical. These sights offer an open field of view, virtually no parallax, and eye relief is basically unlimited. You don’t have to worry about aligning front and rear sights — as long as you can see the red dot you’re good to go. The only real negative is that the red dot can be hard to see in very bright sunlight, and users with strong astigmatism may see a blurry or fuzzy image instead of a sharp dot.
As quoted in Outdoor Life, pistol champion Doug Koenig explains: “Red-dot sights are fast, superior in low light, and allow the shooter to simply focus on the target.” For those reasons competitive action pistol shooters can shoot faster with red dot sights. They definitely offer a “competitive advantage”, and that’s why iron sights guns run in a different class in most pistol matches.
The NRA Blog recently reviewed five (5) red dot sight systems for handguns. Red dots give let shooters focus on the target rather worry about sight alignment. In addition, red dots aid older shooters who often have trouble with close focusing. TIP: If you need reading glasses — a red dot can help.
SIG SAUER Romeo 1 SIG SAUER’s Romeo 1 open reflex sight is built with SIG’s twin adjustment springs that provide a “lock-less” zeroing system while maintaining zero. The sight body is CNC-machined from solid billet magnesium to be lightweight and strong, and its molded aspherical lens is bright and distortion-free. The Motion Activated Illumination (MOTAC) system recalls the last brightness setting used, so you don’t have to remember those adjustments on your own.
Vortex Venom Vortex’s Venom reflex sight can be mounted on pistols with Picatinny rails, as well as tactical rifles and shotguns. The 3 MOA dot is easy to see in nearly any lighting conditions and allows users to shooting accurately at long ranges. Ultra-clear multi-coated lenses provide a wide field of view with sharp image quality, and brightness controls are easy to find and use, located on the left side of the unit. The Venom features 14-hour auto-shutdown to extend battery life, and the unit is built shockproof and waterproof to withstand harsh operational demands.
Burris Fastfire III
Burris’ Fastfire III is one of the most versatile red dots on the market. In addition to the unlimited eye relief awarded by red dots, the Fastfire III features windage and elevation adjustments that don’t require the use of a proprietary or special tool – just a small flathead screwdriver is needed to make adjustments, and comes bundled. Battery access on the top of the sight makes it easier to change batteries, and the Fastfire III includes a battery warning indicator and eight-hour auto-shutoff to prolong battery service life.
Bushnell First Strike
Known for quality sights at great prices, Bushnell delivers again with the First Strike, one of the most affordable red dot sights available. Despite its affordability, the First Strike is well made, and an ideal candidate for use with smaller-caliber firearms, such as rimfire pistols. Like many other reflex sights, the First Strike mounts using the Picatinny rail system, so you’ll need to ensure your pistol either has a rail included or can facilitate a small mounting rail section. The First Strike is waterproof, shock-proof and fog-proof, and coated lenses ensure excellent light transmission, allowing easy target acquisition up to 100 yards — well beyond normal pistol range.
Trijicon RMR
Trijicon’s RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) sight is one of the most durable mini red dots available today. Produced from 7075-T6 aluminum to military specifications, the RMR is lightweight but strong, using a patented shape that absorbs impact and diverts stress away from the lens. The RMR is available in dual-illuminated, LED, and adjustable LED models with dot sizes from 1 to 13 MOA. The RMR is waterproof to 20 meters (66 feet), and boasts easy adjustment for windage and elevation.
Are you looking for a .22 LR Rimfire rifle that has the look and feel of a centerfire rig? Then check out the CZ 455 rimfire rifle featuring a black-finished, laminated wood stock. This gun, dubbed the “Varmint Tacticool” by CZ-USA, features a 5-round detachable magazine and adjustable trigger. And recently CZ added a Suppressor-Ready version fitted with a 16.5″ barrel and threaded muzzle.
The original CZ-455 Varmint Tacticool was built as an affordable tactical trainer with the ergonomics and stock profile of a full-size centerfire tactical rig. The Tacticool’s stock looks similar to the Manners Composites stock on CZ’s 455 Varmint Precision Trainer, but the wood-stocked ‘Tacticool’ version is much less expensive. The CZ 455 with Manners stock retails at $940.00 MSRP while the latest suppressor-ready Tacticool model lists for $549.00 MSRP. The $391.00 you save will buy a LOT of ammo (or a scope).
Tacticool Accuracy Demo — Nailing Match-Sticks at 30 Yards — Five for Five
We like the looks of the CZ-455 ‘Tacticool’, and the stock has some nice features. The butt-hook stock has ambidextrous palm swells on the grip and a raised comb to provide a comfortable cheek weld for shooting with a scope. The fore-end features a wide, beavertail swell for greater stability on a front sandbag. There are two (2) sling swivel studs so you can attach both a sling and a bipod.
At $940 MSRP, the CZ 455 Precision Trainer in Manners Stock is much more expensive.
Here’s a new product we like — Creedmoor’s extra-long, fitted Cleaning Rod Guides (aka Bore Guides) that offer a port for adding solvent. We like the distinctive bright orange color. That helps you quickly identify your rifle on crowded cleaning bench.
Why a Rod Guide Is Needed for Proper Bore Cleaning
A good Cleaning Rod Guide ensures that your brushes and jags are centered in your bore, so you don’t get uneven wear in your throat. Moreover the guides protect the action raceways, blocking liquids and debris from entering the trigger group. The port helps you add solvent without making a mess or spilling on a fine stock finish.
The orange Creedmoor Cleaning Rod Guides have some nice features. They are long enough so that you can avoid removing larger optics and include a port to apply solvent. The O-ring at the front provides an additional seal for the chamber. These Rod Guides are designed for specific action types and chamberings for proper alignment. Creedmoor’s Bore guides cost $24.95. That’s quite a bit less than some other vendors’ fitted cleaning rod guides. Current offering are:
TIP: When using any cleaning rod guide, you should cover the rear of the stock with a towel to prevent any solvent from touching the stock. Solvents can harm find wood, painted, and hydro-dipped finishes.
Shooter behind the .375 Lethal Magnum. Check out the size of that suppressor!
Two-Mile ELR Training The Applied Ballistics ELR Team spent the weekend at the NRA Whittington Center in New Mexico training for the upcoming King of 2 Miles event. Former USAMU coach Emil Praslick III was on hand to help with wind calls. The results were impressive — all team members had confirmed hits at 2.05 miles on a 36″x36″ steel target. Bryan Litz even had a 3-shot group that measured 17.5″ x 22″. That’s under 0.6 MOA!
Most guys would be happy with 0.6 MOA at 300 yards. Bryan did it at 3611 yards, shooting Paul Phillips’s .375 Lethal Magnum. When you consider all the variables involved (bullet BC variance, shot velocity variance, wind changes during flight, Coriolis effect etc.), that’s phenomenal.
Report by Paul Phillips
Just got done shooting two days in New Mexico with Recoil Magazine and the Applied Ballistics ELR team. We learned a lot and had great success. Every team member made impacts on target at 2 miles. The best 3-shot group at 3611 yards (2.05 miles) was shot by Bryan Litz with my 375 Lethal Mag. The group measured 17.5 inches tall by 22 inches wide with Cutting Edge bullets. We also had Recoil’s David Merrill shoot at two miles and was laying them in there like a true pro. We had three team members make impacts on the 36-inch plate at two miles within just three attempts in a mock competition. I also increased my personal longest shot by hitting only 15 inches right of center at 3611 yards. 2.05 miles. I did it with a GSL Technology Copperhead Silencer.
Report by Emil Praslick
I participated in the Extreme Long Range training with the Applied Ballistics team at the Whittington Center in Raton, NM. All team members had confirmed hits at 2.1 miles. Components and hardware suppliers included: Berger Bullets, Cutting Edge Bullets, Nightforce Optics, Kestrel, FLIR Systems.
Q: At that distance (2.1 miles), how much do spin drift and the Coriolis effect impact bullet trajectories?
Praslick: At 3613 yards we had to adjust about 1.5 MOA/56″ of Coriolis (up), and 5 MOA/~190″ of right spin drift adjustment. You’d have to come down if facing East. The planet rotates counter-clockwise (from above), so your target would be falling away from you.
Here is a 3-round group at 1898 yards (1.08 Miles) shot with factory ABM Ammo .338 Lapua Magnum loaded with 300 grain Berger Bullets Hybrids. That’s sub-MOA elevation. (The guy calling wind didn’t do too bad, either.)
Report by Bryan Litz
Learning is my favorite part of new ventures and we learned a LOT this weekend shooting extreme range in New Mexico. I connected on a second round hit on a 3-foot square target at 2 miles in simulated match conditions under coaches Emil Praslick and Paul Phillips. In fact all five of our team shooters got on at 2 miles. The Applied Ballistics Extreme Long Range team is in good shape for the King of 2 Miles match later this month, and there is still so much to LEARN!
You need serious equipment for shooting beyond two miles. Who can identify this high-tech hardware?
Gunsmith/stockmaker Alex Wheeler is a very smart guy. Among his many clever innovations is an adjustable bag-rider that fits on the underside of the buttstock at the rear. Alex calls this a “Rudder” because it allows the shooter to align the tracking perfectly. The rudder assembly can swing left and right using an adjustment bolt. You can also adjust the Rudder’s vertical “angle of attack” with simple shims. Some guys like the Rudder’s 3/4″-wide bottom perfectly parallel with the bore axis. Others prefer a slight angle so the stock slides down a bit during recoil.
Adjustable Rudders Now For Sale
Alex has fitted these innovative, adjustable Rudders in the stocks and complete rifles he sells.And now owners of other stocks can benefit from Wheeler’s invention. Alex is offering the Rudders for sale: “I have made my adjustable Rudders for sale. Price including mounting hardware is $125 shipped. These are the same rudders I install in most ever stock I build. They’re the only way to achieve perfect tracking every time.”
Watch how the Wheeler Rudder works in this video. Alex explains: “If you pull your rifle back in the bags and the cross-hair moves, your stock is not straight. The easiest fix is to use an adjustable Rudder. They come standard on all my stocks. The white box on the 1000-yard target is 4″. With a properly-adjusted rudder it’s easy to obtain less than 1″ of cross-hair movement at 1000 yards.”
Rudder-Equipped Stock In Action (with 1000-Yard Champ Tom Mousel)
This second video shows how well a Rudder-equipped stock performs. This shows IBS 1000-yard Champ Tom Mousel running five (5) shots with his 17-lb Light Gun chambered in 6BR Ackley Improved. Note how perfectly the stock tracks. It runs smoothly straight back then comes right back on target when pushed forward by Mousel. Check it out — this is impressive.
It’s relatively easy to install these rudders on most wood and wood laminate stocks. Alex says: “Just notch the stock, and install the anchors for the adjustment bolts.” In addition, McMillan will soon be offering fiberglass stocks with a notch designed to fit the Wheeler rudder. Based on Alex’s Deep Creek Tracker stock design, these new McMillan stocks with have metals rails in the front also.
New Rudder-Equipped McMillan LRB Stock
Alex explains: “The new McMillan Rudder-equipped stock will be a version of the Deep Creek Tracker, most likely called a Wheeler LRB (Long Range Benchrest). It will feature factory installed 1/2″ wide aluminum rails in the 4″ fore-arm. It will come with the rear notch molded in for the Rudders which I will install on each stock. I will be exclusive dealer on these and hope to see the first one in June. I also have got with Edgewood to make 4″ wide front bags that will fit a standard rest top and will cost the same as their standard 3″ bag. I will have some in stock but anyone can order them direct and not have to pay the $125 price for a custom bag.”
How the Case Neck Sorting Tool Works
Red Dot (aka “Reflex”) sights help pistol shooters hit their targets quickly. With these sights you simply place the dot on the target. Head alignment is not critical. These sights offer an open field of view, virtually no parallax, and eye relief is basically unlimited. You don’t have to worry about aligning front and rear sights — as long as you can see the red dot you’re good to go. The only real negative is that the red dot can be hard to see in very bright sunlight, and users with strong astigmatism may see a blurry or fuzzy image instead of a sharp dot.
The Applied Ballistics ELR Team spent the weekend at the NRA Whittington Center in New Mexico training for the upcoming King of 2 Miles event. Former USAMU coach Emil Praslick III was on hand to help with wind calls. The results were impressive — all team members had confirmed hits at 2.05 miles on a 36″x36″ steel target. Bryan Litz even had a 3-shot group that measured 17.5″ x 22″. That’s under 0.6 MOA!
