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February 2nd, 2014
 “Buy One, Get One Free” usually applies to things like cans of soup, or maybe, at best, amusement park tickets. So when a major gun manufacturer offers a “Buy one, get one free” offer on firearms, we sit up and take notice.
Here’s the deal: if you buy any one of six select Sig Sauer centerfire handguns, Sig will give you a free 1911-22 .22LR rimfire pistol. That’s right — buy the centerfire handgun, and get the rimfire pistol tossed in for free. The Sig models that qualify are: 1911 Ultra TT, 1911 Compact C3, 1911 Carry Nightmare, 1911 Tacops, 1911 Spartan, and 1911 Stainless. To take advantage of this offer, contact a participating Sig Sauer dealer. For more information on the qualifying products, visit SigSauer.com.
This deal is good through April 30, 2014 but the offer is limited to participating dealers. Also, “FREE” is not completely free for the 1911-22. Transfer fees, taxes, and all other transaction costs are the customer’s responsibility. SIG also states that: “Offer subject to on-hand inventory and not necessarily model depicted.” So, if this “two guns for the price of one” offer strikes your fancy, you should act quickly to ensure you get the model you want.
January 18th, 2014
CZ USA had many new (and updated) products on display at SHOT Show 2014. A new camo version of the CZ 455 Varmint Precision Trainer (VPT) caught our eye. This is one of the best options for Rimfire Tactical Competitions, and well as cross-training with low-cost rimfire ammo. Chambered in .22 LR, the Varmint Precision Trainer was designed to provide the same look and feel as a full-size tactical rifle while allowing for more economical training. The high-quality Manners Composite T4 stock wears a new camouflage paint scheme this year. The rifle features an .866-diameter heavy barrel that should offer good accuracy. MSRP is $940.00.
The black-stocked rifle below the camo VPT is another interesting rimfire from CZ. New for 2014, this CZ 455 Tacticool Suppressor-Ready sports a 16.5″ varmint-contour barrel with 1/2×28 threads for the “can”. This allows easy installation of your suppressor, while allowing a short overall package. For varmint hunters who want a quiet, stealthy rifle, this model fills the bill. NOTE: CZ does NOT provide the suppressor. That must be purchased separately and an ATF tax stamp must be obtained. Check the laws in your jurisdiction to determine whether suppressor ownership is legal where you live.
3-Gun Competitors will be impressed with CZ’s new scattergun, the 712 Practical. Priced at an affordable $699.00 (MSRP), this semi-auto shotgun, designed specifically for 3-Gun competition, features 10-round capacity (counting a shell in the chamber). The 6-position, adjustable buttstock offers various lengths of pull from 11.25 to 15 inches. The ATI fluted magazine extension provides 9+1 rounds of firepower and extends just past the 22″ barrel to help protect the muzzle. The new 712 Practical comes complete with 5 choke tubes — all for a price that undercuts some comparable 3-Gun shotguns by hundreds.
November 25th, 2013
Are you ready for some football? Here’s a clever rimfire challenge target from MGM Targets. Trust us, this thing is a hoot to shoot. And having fun is still the best reason to go shooting, right?
On this $129.00 Football Target, the vertical spinner runs on a threaded, horizontal “drive shaft”. When you hit the top plate, the spinner moves to the left. When you hit the bottom plate, the spinner rotates in the opposite direction, moving to the right. The goal is to advance the spinner all the way to one end zone for a “touchdown”. This target lets two rimfire shooters compete head-to-head. For a two-man game, each competitor selects a target plate (upper or lower). They can then either fire simultaneously or take turns. Whoever drives the spinner to his end zone first wins. A solo shooter can also have fun, running the spinner in one direction, and then back the other way.
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The MGM Football Target is based on a patented invention of Aaron Witmeyer, of Prineville, Oregon. This unique target rewards rapid, but accurate fire. You’ll find that once you’ve developed a rhythm, you can keep the spinner moving toward your goal pretty quickly. But miss a shot and your opponent can reverse the momentum — just like an interception on the gridiron. You can either start with the spinner centered up at the “50-yard line” or you can give a “head start” to a less experienced opponent by starting the spinner closer to the opponent’s end zone. This works great for parent vs. kid matches — giving the youngsters a head start. Made from AR400 steel, the MGM Football Spinner target is suitable for rimfire use only — don’t ever use centerfire ammo! After placing the 18″ X 17″ X 11″ target frame on the ground, you can use tent pegs to secure the frame’s lower cross-piece for extra stability.
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November 21st, 2013
It’s a challenge these days to find affordable, general-purpose .22 LR rimfire ammunition. You can find the high-end, expensive stuff at various vendors, but sourcing quality rimfire ammo in the $4.00 to $6.50 per box price range is difficult. If you’re looking for good rimfire training ammo, here’s a new option. Bullets.com, the new shooting supplies vendor, has obtained quantities of Norma, SK, and Lapua rimfire ammo. Bullets.com is one of the few webstores that has the new Norma Tac-22 ammo. This .22 LR ammunition is loaded with a Lead Round Nose 40-grain bullet. It is rated at 1100 FPS with target energy of 110 foot/pounds.
Norma USA Tac-22, $5.95 per 50-rd box | SKU: BL7819
This is the new rimfire ammunition from Norma. We haven’t tested it yet, but based on Norma’s reputation we expect that it offers good performance for the price. It has a 40gr LRN bullet and is designed for all types of rimfire pistols and rifles.
SK Standard Plus .22 LR, $5.95 per 50-rd box | SKU: BL11113
This is good LRN ammo made in Germany by SK. This “Standard Plus” ammo has shot well for us in Anschutz, H&R, Rem 40X, and Suhl rifles and has fed and functioned well in a variety of other rimfire pistols and rifles. We have found that, in most rifles, SK “Standard Plus” shoots much better than the “bulk box” Federal, Remington, or Winchester ammo.
SK Bulk .22LR Ammo, $44.95 per 500-rd Sealed Can | SKU: BL11115
This is SK-brand ammunition, with 500 rounds packed inside a sealed can. Readers who have purchased this ammo in the past say it is very similar to SK Standard Plus. One purchaser said it performed “as good, if not better, than any other sub-match-grade ammo out there.”
Please note, due to high demand of these products, quantity is limited to 1000 cartridges per customer.
NOTE: If you need match-grade ammo, Bullets.com also has Lapua Center-X at $11.95 per 50-rd box and Lapua Midas+ at $17.95 per 50-rd box.
November 4th, 2013
Need .22 LR rimfire ammo? As of noon on November 4, 2013, Creedmoor Sports has 1100 boxes of SK 40-grain High Velocity HP ammunition (item #SK-HVHP) in stock. This is available in 50-count boxes or 500-count bricks, at a sale price of $8.95 per 50-round box or $83.95 per 500-round case. This is good ammo, suitable for club-level match shooting or general plinking use. If you have been searching high and low for rimfire ammo, you may want to jump on this before it’s all gone.
Technical Information
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle | Bullet Weight: 40 Grains | Bullet: Lead Hollow Point | MV: 1265 FPS
October 29th, 2013
 A common lament among our Forum members is that they can’t find affordable .22LR rimfire ammo for fun shooting and plinking. This stuff flies off the shelf whenever it appears. However, Natchez Shooters Supplies has received substantial shipments of Remington bulk-box rimfire ammo. Note, due to high demand, there is a one-box limit for the 500-count and 525-count boxes per customer per day. Here’s what we found in-stock today at Natchez:
Remington .22 LR 36gr Golden Bullet Plated HP, 525 rounds per box — $39.99 On SALE
(1 box limit per day)
Remington .22 LR 40gr Thunderbolt Hi-Vel, 500 rounds per box — $39.99 on SALE
(1 box limit per day)
Remington .22 LR 33gr Yellow Jacket HP, 100 rounds per box — $15.99
(3 box limit per day)
If you want the good stuff, Natchez also has Lapua .22 LR 40gr Midas+ ammo in stock at $17.99 for 50 rounds. Not cheap, but this is top-flight stuff that has won matches at the Olympics. There is no purchasing limit on this Midas+.
October 19th, 2013
 In a world where too many companies have down-graded product quality and durability, we’re lucky there are some fanatical Finns who build great stuff for shooters. For serious handloaders, the cartridge brass of choice is made by Lapua in Finland. Lapua brass lasts longer than most other brands of cartridge brass, with industry-leading case-to-case uniformity. How do the Finns manage to make such good brass and loaded ammo? This informative video provides insights into Lapua’s “passion for precision”. This “must watch”, 12-minute video contains a surprising amount of “hard” info on Lapua products, with segments showing Lapua brass and rimfire ammo being produced. Watch carefully and you’ll see most of the processes used for forming and loading brass. Another short segment shows a Lapua technician inspecting a case for run-out.
The video spotlights some of the important American and international records set with Lapua ammo. You’ll see top 300m and Olympic rifle shooters in action, and there are also short comments from many champions, including American Benchrest legend Tony Boyer.
NOTE: This is long video — you may need to let it buffer (pre-load) for 10 seconds before playback. If that doesn’t work, let the entire video load, then hit the replay button.
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this VideoPress video.
Yes, this video is first and foremost a marketing tool, but that doesn’t lessen that fact that it is fascinating to watch. Lapua’s video also does a great job making our sport seem important and exciting — NRA take note! We suspect many of you will want to save the video to your computer for future viewing. That’s easy to do. Just click on the link below. (Note: After downloading, we suggest that PC users play it back through Windows Media Player. You can then drag the Media Player corners to expand the video viewing size.)
CLICK HERE to download Lapua Video (Lo-Res, 24 megs).
CLICK HERE to download Lapua Video (Hi-Res, 258 megs, fast connection recommended).
October 7th, 2013
 Here’s a new scope that may be well-suited for short-range varmint hunting (for smaller critters) and for rimfire tactical matches. Bushnell has released a new, affordable 2-7x32mm variable rifle scope with a Bullet Drop Compensating (BDC) reticle configured for the .22 LR rimfire cartridge. Anyone who has shot the .22 LR past 50 yards knows that this round drops a lot in a short distance. The “Drop Zone” BDC reticle, with multiple aiming points out to 125 yards, helps you stay on target. The reticle is calibrated for 38-40 grain, .22 LR high-velocity loads, with a 50-yard zero. This new scope, part of Bushnell’s AR line of scopes, features a 1″ main tube, target-style turrets, and side-focus parallax adjustment. MSRP is $149.99, but web vendors have lower prices. Amazon.com sells the scope for $131.23 with free shipping for Prime Members.
September 16th, 2013
Recently, we profiled the all-new, bolt-action Ruger American Rimfire™ rifle. It’s modular, affordable (MSRP $329.00), and it will be offered in three rimfire chamberings: .22 LR, .22 WMR, and 17 HMR. Notably, the .22 versions can use all types of Ruger 10/22 magazines — that’s a huge plus for folks who already own a Ruger 10/22. After this new rifle was introduced, readers wondered how well it functions, and how the accuracy compares to the popular .22 LR bolt guns from CZ and Savage.
GunsAmerica Blog Review
 GunsAmerica, a leading firearms buy/sell website, managed to get hold of one of these Ruger American Rimfire rifles, chambered in .22 LR. GunsAmerica’s staff put the rifle through its paces at the range, and came away very impressed. The test rifle shot sub-inch groups at 50 yards with Federal Lightning and CCI Stinger ammunition. We expect the rifle would shoot even better with quality, match-grade Lapua or Eley rimfire ammo. CLICK HERE for full GunsAmerica Rifle Review.
Given the smooth-working bolt, crisp 3-lb trigger, and comfortable stock with built-in bedding system, GunsAmerica concludes that this Ruger delivers a lot of performance for the $329.00 price. GunsAmerica’s writers are probably right in predicting that the Ruger American Rifle will be a hot-seller, stealing market share from other low-to-mid-priced rimfire brands (such as CZ):
“With this one new rifle Ruger has propelled itself to the front of the pack of the bolt-action rimfire market[.] While there are other great rimfire bolt guns out there at affordable prices, nobody is going to dispute that the Ruger American Rimfire has leapfrogged the entire market. The rifle is superb, and missing really nothing. These guns are going to fly off the shelves….”
July 16th, 2013
 Looking to purchase a rimfire firearm for training? A new DVD covers the many options available among .22 LR handguns and rifles. This Training with a 22 DVD, hosted by Michael Bane and Tom Yost, covers rimfire guns, gear, targets, and shooting tips.
Training with a .22 is a great way to practice your shooting skills while saving money and having fun doing it. (Of course we wish rimfire ammo was cheaper and easier to find these days.) Michael and Tom talk about selecting the right handgun and rifle, accessories, backstops and targets, competitive shooting, using a .22 for self-defense, training with a .22, drills, and more. This video covers a lot of ground. You’ll see a wide variety of fun, reactive targets. We like the fact that the video features a large arsenal of semi-auto pistols AND revolvers, plus bolt-action, lever-action, and self-loading long guns. (Check out the sweet 1911-style Kimber Rimfire Target pistol in the trailer below). Price of the video is $44.99, or $35.99 for Panteo Productions Club Members.
Watch Trailer for DVD (many firearm types shown)
Michael Bane has been active in competitive shooting and training for decades and he hosts many popular TV shows on the Outdoor Channel including Shooting Gallery, Gun Stories, and The Best Defense. Tom Yost has been involved in the shooting industry for over 30 years as a competitor, consultant, and instructor.
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