On the Shooting Sports USA website, legendary shooter Middleton (“Mid”) Tompkins is profiled this week. One of the great figures in American rifle shooting, Mid is also the patriarch of the greatest family of shooters in American history. Mid’s wife Nancy Tompkins, and daughters Michelle Gallagher and Sherri Jo Gallagher, have all been National Champions. Mid himself is a six-time, across-the-course national High Power rifle champion. He’s also been on 18 Palma teams as captain, coach or shooter. Mid started shooting smallbore rifle over 60 years ago, competing in that discipline at Camp Perry in 1954. But he committed to High Power in 1955 and never looked back: “I liked High Power’s diversification of standing, sitting, rapid fire and long range shooting.”
Practice Ammo: Mid does not use practice ammo, saying: “If it isn’t the best ammo he owns, the shooter learns absolutely nothing because they don’t know—when they shoot an 8, if they shot it, the ammo shot it or the gun shot it.”
On Scorebooks: “I totally, totally do not believe in scorebooks. It takes away your concentration from what you should be doing, which is doping the wind and pointing the rifle downrange. Shooting is not about book-keeping. Shooting is about putting a bullet in the middle of the target.”
Practice Makes Perfect: For decades, Mid shot every Saturday and Sunday, whether for practice or in a match. Mid shot with four different clubs, each hosting their own match on a different weekend. He shot them all, as well as practicing the day before each match. That’s in addition to competing in Sanctioned and Registered matches.
Middleton Tompkins Interview from 2015:
In the video above, Mid talks candidly about his storied career as a shooter and a shooting coach. He explains what it takes to win, and offers advice on how new shooters can improve their skill sets. Mid also talks about advancements in rifle hardware and bullet design. Mid also offers invaluable advice on how to dope the wind at Ben Avery. Last year, the 1000-yard Range at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix was officially dedicated as the “Middleton Tompkins Range”.
Report based on story byNRABlog.com
Starting this summer, the NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championships will no longer feature a separate “High Women” award. From now on, men and women will compete shoulder to shoulder in the same category — every shooter will be scored in a single group regardless of gender. (There will still be age-based categories; also men and women have always been eligible to win match top honors regardless of gender).
The reason for this change is, quite simply, that ladies can shoot as well as men (or better in many cases). Consequently, there is no need for a separate class for women: “There is a high degree of parity between men and women shooters in the smallbore championships,” said H.Q. Moody, national manager of NRA’s Rifle Department. Moody explained: “Women are rightly viewed as equals in today’s America. Shouldn’t our championships reflect that attitude as well? Our smallbore committee has discussed making the championships gender equitable for many years now and finally felt it was the right time to implement the change.”
Men and women will now compete on equal terms at the National Smallbore Championship, competing for the same honors in “gender-neutral” classifications. Photo courtesy Shooting Sports USA.
This change was officially adopted this past January at the NRA Board of Directors winter meetings. It only affects the NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championships for now, but a positive reception could see “gender-neutrality” spread to regional matches and below, and maybe even other NRA disciplines.
History of Women’s Classfication in Smallbore Competition
The women’s category was first introduced to the smallbore championships nearly 70 years ago. Back then, military shooters were dominating the field so convincingly that several new categories were created to recognize the accomplishments of civilian shooters. This move saw the creation of not just the Woman category, but also Junior and Senior. The latter two have since expanded even further (e.g. Grand Senior, Intermediate Junior) to accommodate the skill discrepancies within levels and they make perfect sense to have; junior shooters are generally more inexperienced and many seniors are affected by physical limitations.
But the same can no longer be said of the women’s category. While military shooters still do very well nowadays, the proliferation of female service members has seen quite a few woman match winners. There are also a number of extraordinary female civilian shooters who finish near the top of each year’s overall standings. For instance, women shooters placed first in each of the two aggregate matches that determined last year’s Conventional 3-Position Champion.
Looking for a great job in the Shooting Sports industry? Well Vista Outdoor, America’s largest firearms/ammo/optics/sporting accessories maker, has some key job offerings. Vista Outdoor (formerly the sporting unit of ATK) is a corporate giant operating dozens of major brands including: Alliant Powder, Bushnell, CCI, Federal Premium, RCBS, Savage Arms, Simmons, Speer, and Weaver.
Key Vista Outdoor Jobs Available Now…
1. Product Manager — Ammunitions/Pistols
Position is responsible for managing all aspects of product development, from concept development to commercialization, for firearms product categories. He or she will aggressively grow the business by thoroughly understanding the marketplace, competition and by developing products that address global consumer and retailer needs.
2. Senior Marketing Manager — Firearms
The Senior Marketing Manager for Firearms at Vista Outdoor will have full responsibility for all marketing within the Firearms Global Product Lane. This position will report to the V.P. of Marketing and New Product Development for Shooting Sports. This position will manage all aspects of consumer marketing for all firearms brands.
3. Senior Product Manager — Optics
Vista’s Overland Park, KS location is seeking a Senior Product Manager — Optics to add to our team. The Senior Product Manager is responsible for managing all aspects of product development from concept development to commercialization for our line of Sports Optics.
4. Product Manager — Tactical Products
The Product Manager will achieve annual top and bottom line metrics through new product development in support of the global tactical strategy. This position will be responsible for leading all aspects of R&D, concept and product development, commercialization, and launch.
5. New Product Development Engineer — Federal Ammunition
This role will work alongside Product Development Engineers, Product Marketing and Insights Staff, members of the Product Innovation Team and will map out and pursue future new products for Vista Outdoor Shooting Sports Ammunition Company.
In addition to the positions presented above, Vista Outdoor currently lists over 70 more job opportunities on its corporate Careers webpage. Vista Outdoor is headquartered in Utah and employs approximately 5,800 workers. Current Vista Outdoor opportunities include: Project Manager III, Legal Business Manager, Purchasing Manager, Export/Import Specialist, Senior Tax Analyst, Pistol & Rifle Product Line Specialist, Senior Database Developer, Manufacturing Engineers (I, II, III), Financial Analyst, Environmental Lead, Community Relations Specialist, and many more.
Here’s a great Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project from Martin Tardif. Build your own height-adjustable ammo caddy for under ten bucks. This is a great project for F-Open competitors as well as anyone who shoots with a pedestal front rest, either on the ground or from a bench. The ammo caddy attaches, via a flexible arm, to your front rest. The flexy arm allows you to position your ammunition close to your rifle’s feeding port. That makes it easy to grab cartridges and load them into the chamber without shifting your shooting position. Nice job Martin! The total cost of the whole project, according to Martin, was just $8.00!
Martin Explains How to Build the Ammo Caddy
Here are some pics of my DIY P.L.A.B. (Port Level Ammo Block). I cannibalized the goose neck from a Craftsman bendy-style utility light and bought a 3.5″x 1″ Acetal disk on eBay. I then drilled out the disk to accept twenty .284 Winchester rounds and screwed the disk to the bendy arm. The arm, by itself, wasn’t sturdy enough to support my fully loaded ammo block, so I inserted a 1/8″-diameter steel rod cut to length into the arm before I screwed it to the disk. On this Bald Eagle rest, I wasn’t using the windage adjustment cable. That allowed me to secure the bottom end of the arm to the unused 5/16″ x 18 bolt hole for the cable. [Editor’s Note: For other pedestal rest types/brands you may need to drill a hole for the base of the flexy arm.]
Photo courtesy of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
This amusing story comes from the Midsouth Shooters Blog. One of the latest photos beamed back to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from a Mars rover appears to show the first handgun ever spotted on Mars. Some commenters say it looks like a Glock 17 pistol. Others argue that the big slide and overall size make it a spitting image of a Desert Eagle. What’s your take?
Here at AccurateShooter.com we think the object in the Mars rover photo resembles the big, slab-sided Heckler & Koch Mark 23 in .45 ACP. What do you think, see any resemblance?
At the request of our readers, we have launched a “Deals of the Week” feature. Every Monday morning we offer our Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on 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.
1. Bud’s Gun Shop — Howa Mini Action .223 Rem
This is a great little rifle. I checked out the Howa Mini Actions at SHOT Show, and was so impressed I ordered one. The bolt opens and closes VERY smoothly (way better than most mass-produced bolt guns). The two-stage HACT trigger is excellent — it’s plenty light with a crisp release and no annoying spring-loaded blade in the middle. The Mini Action is nearly an inch shorter than a Rem 700 short action, making for a nice, compact carry-around varminter (OAL length is just 39.5″). The standard Howa Mini Action rifle weighs 6 pounds without scope. This particular model comes with a quality Hogue synthetic stock and 10-round detachable box magazine. The Howa Mini on sale is a .223 Remington, but other chamberings are available at a higher price. BudsGunShop.com has this rifle in OD Green for $380.07 or Matte Black for $384.19. That’s a very good deal — other online retailers are selling this same Howa Mini Action rifle for $510.00 or more.
2. Sportsmans Guide — Anderson AR Stripped Lower, $45.99
Have an AR project in the works? Maybe you’re building a new XTC rifle or an AR-based varmint slayer. Here’s a great deal on an Anderson Mfg. stripped lower — Just $45.99 at Sportsmans’ Guide. Just add your favorite aftermarket trigger and other drop-in parts. Anderson lowers are well-made, with good dimensional standards.
3. Midsouth — 195gr Berger EOL 7mm Bullets
Midsouth has the impressive new 195-grain 7mm (.284) Berger EOL Elite Hunter bullet. While not designed for match purposes, we know some guys are using this new 195-grainer on paper with good results. The bullet has an ultra-high BC: “The 195gr EOL bullet has the highest ballistic performance of any 7mm bullet currently in existence, and is truly the first of its kind for a number of reasons. Typically, 180 grains is the heaviest weight available in 7mm. This bullet adds 15 grains to that. The additional weight is split between the bearing surface and longer nose. Compared to the 7mm 180 grain Target Hybrid, the bearing surface is 0.096″ longer, and the nose is 0.022” longer. With a sectional density of 0.345 lb/in², the performance of this bullet on game is impressive. By comparison, the Berger .30 caliber 210 grain Hunting VLD has a sectional density of 0.316 lb/in².”
4. Grafs.com — Hornady 17 HMR Ammo $10.99 for 50 Rounds
This is one of the best prices we’ve seen in recent years on 17 HMR ammo. We really like the V-Max bullets in 17 HMR ammunition — you get excellent accuracy plus the tipped design is very effective on small varmints. Grafs.com is having a big ammo sale right now, so you can get this quality Hornady 17 HMR ammo for just $10.99 per 50-round box. You could easily pay $16.00/box at a local gunstore. This is a GREAT deal — stock up while you can.
5. Cheaper Than Dirt — BX-Trigger for Ruger 10/22, $55.13
Ruger 10/22 owners should definitely consider a trigger upgrade. And now there is a superior, factory-made, drop-in trigger for the 10/22 that has earned rave reviews. Ruger’s new BX-Trigger has a pull weight of 2.5-3.5 pounds with a smooth, crisp break. Installation is easy. Many online vendors offer the Ruger BX-Trigger for around $70.00. The best price we found was $55.13 at CheaperThanDirt.com.
6. Bullets.com — NEW March Scope Rings $169.95 on Sale
March rings are made 7075-T6 Aluminum so they are HALF the weight of steel. They are precisioned machined in matched pairs to ensure perfect alignment. Each scope ring has a special groove cut on the inside that basically creates two “mini” rings in one. This provide four contact points to hold the scope securely. Often, lapping is eliminated due to the extremely precise matched machining. Right now these superb rings are being offered at an introductory SALE price of $169.95 per pair. They are available in a variety of heights, with either 30mm or 34mm interior diameter.
7. Buck Knives — Model 110 Folding Hunter
Read the nearly 1000 customer reviews on Amazon.com, and you’ll understand why the Model 110 Folding Hunter is one of the most popular knives ever produced by Buck Knives. The USA-made, lifetime-warrantied Model 110 features a 3.75″ blade, Dymondwood handle, polished brass bolsters, and leather carrying sheath. It’s a bargain at $27.99.
8. Amazon — $4.95 Handgun Hangers 4-Pack
Save shelf space with these handy Handgun Hangers. These hangers provide the most efficient way to store a large handgun collection. Pistols hang below the shelf, opening up all the space above the shelf for other items. A four-pack of hangers costs just $4.95. WARNING: Before putting pistols on hangers, make sure your handguns are UNLOADED, with no round in the chamber.
Most long-range benchrest stocks are three inches wide because that used to be the max width under the rules for Light Gun Class. Many folks may not realize that the IBS, the NBRSA, and the Williamsport organizations have all modified their Light Gun rules to allow wider forearm widths in registered 600-yard and 1000-yard competition. A wider stock provides increased stability and resists rotation (torquing) as the gun is fired. If you’re building a new Light Gun, you may want to consider a 4″-wide or 5″-wide forearm. Do check the rules of your local club or regional organization to ensure the wider width is allowed in the matches you attend. And if you plan to shoot F-Class as well, stick to 3″. Under F-Class (Open) rules, “the width of the rifle’s forend shall not exceed 76mm (approximately 3 inches)”.
Wider Forearm Stock Options
Most stock-makers still only offer a 3″-wide forearm width with their Light Gun long-range benchrest stocks. However, there are some other options. On request, Joel Russo, Russo Rifle Stocks, can cut a stock with 4″-wide forearm, but that’s not a standard pattern.
If you want a 4″-5″ wide version of the popular MBR Tooley-style long-range stock, Bill Shehane offers a ‘Big Dawg’ version of his MBR Tracker stock. This features a longer, deeper, and wider fore-end for added stability and more resistance to torque with the heavy calibers. Along with having a wider forearm, the Big Dawg stock is cut 4″ longer than a standard Shehane ST-1000 Tracker. This provides a “longer wheelbase” for better balance with very long (30″+) barrels. (The ST-1000 itself is 3″ longer than most benchrest stocks.) The Big Dawg is available with a 4″-wide or 5″-wide forearm, and will handle barrels up to 40″ in length and 1.5″ in diameter. In the top photo, taken by Forum member Preacher, you see a 4″-wide Big Dawg next to a normal ST-1000 Tracker. (Both stocks are symmetrical; there is distortion caused by wide-angle lens.)
This color pattern is what Bill calls “Prairie Dog Camo”, a Rutland laminate in orange and dark gray, with olive ‘accent’ layers. The price for a ‘Big Dawg’ in Rutland laminate is $625. In African Obeche wood (any color choice), the price is $855.00. For more info, contact Bill Shehane at (704) 824-7511, or visit his website, www.ScopeUsOut.com.
Wide Stocks for Rimfire Benchrest
Ultra-wide stocks are also legal in many rimfire benchrest disciplines. Shown below is a rimfire rifle built with a 4″-wide Shehane Big Dawg stock. This gun is used in ARA Unlimited competition. Extra-wide stocks like this can also be used in the IR 50/50 Unlimited Class and RBA Unlimited Class.
Why use a wide stock for rimfire where recoil is not an issue? The extra width definitely provides more stability in the bags. This is noticeable when cycling the action during the loading process — the gun shows less “wiggle” when opening and closing the bolt. The larger mass of wood also, potentially, provides additional vibration damping. A wider stock design carries more weight (per inch of length) and more mass is distributed outboard. Initial testing shows that the wide stocks work well for rimfire shooters who like to grip their gun — the gun feels “planted” with less wobble when the stock is gripped or cheeked by the shooter.
Our British friend Vince Bottomley has field-tested the brand new Vortex 15-60x52mm “Golden Eagle” riflescope. We first viewed this scope at SHOT Show and were impressed. Now Vince, in a Target Shooter Magazine review, has confirmed that that the scope works great in the real world. It has good glass, excellent tracking, and the image stays sharp even at full magnification. Vince says this 15-60X Vortex will give other high-magnification scopes a run for their money. In fact the Vortex Golden Eagle may be the new Performance-for-Price leader in the category. Price in the USA will be $1500.00.
Vince writes: “The Vortex deserves to line up alongside the competition – namely the March 10-60, the Nightforce 15-55 and the Leupold 7-42. The price is remarkable at [$1500.00 in the USA, under £1500 in the UK]. If you are contemplating the purchase of a scope in this magnification range, the Vortex must be on your shopping list.” This new Vortex features ED glass, and weighs 29 ounces, just one ounce more than the 15-55X Nightforce Comp. Two reticles are available — a Fine Cross-Hair (FCH), and the Vortex ECR-1 reticle with MOA-based windage and elevation hold lines. Turrets have 1/8 MOA clicks.
Precision of Clicks: Does one MOA (i.e. eight 1/8 MOA clicks) on the Golden Eagle’s turret translate to one MOA on the target? Vince fired one shot on target then wound on 20 MOA of elevation and fired another. Vince reports: “The shot-holes should be 20.94″ (20 x 1.047″) inches apart. They actually measured 21.5 inches — an excellent result. I don’t think I’ve ever had a scope better this.”
Elevation Travel: F-TR shooters using the .308 Win will need about 30 MOA to get from a 100-yard zero to 1000 yards. Vince maxed out the Golden Eagle with roughly 22 MOA of “up” elevation. He concluded that “a +20 MOA scope-rail is a ‘must’ if you’re intending to shoot out to 1000 yards. These days, almost everyone uses a 20 MOA scope rail anyway.”
Tracking Test: Vince did a “box test” running the Vortex to the limits of elevation and windage and then back again to verify that the scope returned to the starting zero. Vince observed that the scope tracked great, “with the first and last shots over-lapping. No problem there.”
Glass Sharpness and Clarity: Vince put the the Golden Eagle alongside a 10-60 March, with both scopes mounted on F-TR rifles. Vince was impressed by the optics quality of the Vortex — it held its own vs. the “superb” March: “Firstly, we viewed the target on 40 power, the magnification which seems most popular with F-Class shooters. Both scopes registered bright, crisp images — no difference between the two. I know the March will stay sharp at maximum magnification but will the Golden Eagle? Yes! No loss of crispness in the image at 60X.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has issued updated regulations regarding firearms lost or stolen in transit. The new standards require FFLs to report in-transit theft or loss of firearms within 48 hours of discovery. Each licensee shall report the theft or loss by telephoning ATF at 1–888-930–9275, and by preparing and submitting ATF Form 3310.11. The disposition entry should indicate whether the incident is a theft or loss, the ATF-Issued Incident Number, and the Incident Number provided by the local law enforcement agency. If any of the firearms are later located, they should be re-entered into the A&D Record as an acquisition entry. A comprehensive, 12-page discussion of the new rule, which went into effect on February, 11, 2016, is set forth in the Federal Register.
The BATF has provided compliance instructions on its website. The NSSF anticipates these instructions will be updated in the near future to reflect the new regulations. In the meantime, we suggest that FFLs read the Rule Change Notice in the Federal Register.
Official Summary of Rule Change for Firearms Lost or Stolen in Transit
SUMMARY: The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) concerning the statutory reporting requirement for firearms that have been stolen or lost. The final rule specifies that when a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) discovers a firearm it shipped was stolen or lost in transit, the transferor/sender FFL must report the theft or loss to ATF and to the appropriate local authorities within 48 hours of discovery. The rule also reduces an FFL’s reporting burden when a theft or loss involves a firearm registered under the National Firearms Act (NFA) and ensures consistent reporting to ATF’s NFA Branch.
In addition, the rule specifies that transferor/sender FFLs must reflect the theft or loss of a firearm as a disposition entry in their required records not later than 7 days following discovery of the theft or loss; moreover, if an FFL reported the theft or loss of a firearm and later discovers its whereabouts, the FFL must advise ATF that the firearm has been located and must re-enter the firearm into its required records as an acquisition or disposition entry as appropriate.
The Camp Perry “campus” is better than ever, thanks to millions of dollars in site improvements in recent years. Key grounds and buildings improvements have been made at the historic Camp Perry base, which boasts America’s largest rifle range. Over the past five years, the base has poured more than $10 million into facility enhancements. These projects are funded with a mix of Federal and state monies, as Federal facilities are operated on state (Ohio) lands.
Roads Have Been Sealed to Reduce Dust
In 2015, Camp Perry took on more than 20 projects, totaling over $900,000. The renovations included chipping and sealing of the range roads to keep dust off of the ranges. That’s a big deal that will benefit all visitors to Camp Perry. In addition, new HVAC systems were installed throughout the complex. That will be welcome in the hot summer months. Also in 2015, the lighting on Scorpion Road by the clubhouse was upgraded. For 2016, there will be additional improvements to the Camp Perry site. Approximately 20 more projects are slated for the current year, with a similar budget (around $1 million).
Major Building Upgrades
Major upgrades are taking place this year on the Petrarca Range and the North Barracks. New walls and lighting (along with new garage doors) are being installed in Petrarca Range buildings to create a more “classroom-type” setting for soldiers and National Match competitors. “When soldiers come here in the winter time, they’ll have a place to work under cover in a classroom environment, but still be able to work with weapons on the ranges,” explained CPT Michael Yates, Camp Perry Base Operations Supervisor. “It worked out nicely that it benefits our partners for the National Matches so the clinics will have a nice area to work with too.”
Two North Barracks Buildings renovations are almost complete. Those Barrack facilities were closed during the 2015 National Matches, but will be up and running for the 2016 National Matches — allowing even more housing options right on the Camp Perry base.
“Everything that we’re doing here at Camp Perry is continually improving what we have. This facility has been around for over 100 years now, so she is always needing some updates,” said said CPT Michael Yates, Base Operations Supervisor of Camp Perry. “We did a big sanitary update in the ’90s, water in 2010, and electric in 2011. Now we’’re coming up on the life cycle of those things, so we’re doing life-cycle updates.”
Highlights of the SSUSA Story:
