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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.
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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.
April 14th, 2012
 In 2010, the staff of AccurateReloading.com Forum completed a massive .22LR Rimfire Ammunition Testing Project. Some 55 different types of ammo were tested, using a highly-accurate Swiss-made Bleiker rifle, with a 2-stage trigger. All ammo varieties were tested at 50 yards, 75 yards, and 100 yards, shooting five, 5-shot groups at each distance. Though these tests were completed some time ago, many readers have requested a “reprint” of the ammo rankings, so we’ve republished this data below.
The results are fascinating to say the least (and perhaps eye-opening). The tester observed: “I got some amazing groups, and some which are, frankly, absurdly bad! This has re-enforced what I had experienced with 22 ammo in the past — that is being consistently inconsistent.”
While we strongly caution that .22LR rimfire ammo may work well in one gun and not another, and ammo performance can be improved through the use of barrel tuners, the AccurateReloading.com research provides invaluable guidance for smallbore shooters. Overall, the testers burned through over 4,000 rounds of ammo, and you can see the actual test targets online. To read all the test reports, and view target photos visit AccurateReloading.com.
The lists below rank the average accuracy (by brand) of five, 5-shot groups shot at 50, 75, and 100 yards. CLICK HERE for Complete Test Results with target photos.
| 50-Yard Results |
75-Yard Results |
100-Yard Results |
0.162 Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS
0.164 Lapua Midas Plus
0.177 Lapua Polar Biathlon
0.187 Eley Match EPS
0.193 Eley Match
0.203 Lapua Midas M
0.215 Lapua Center X
0.216 Western Value Pack
0.229 Lapua Signum
0.241 Lapua Master L
0.243 Eley Pistol Match
0.256 Olin Ball
0.256 Akah X-Zone
0.261 Lapua Midas L
0.261 Lapua Master M
0.263 Eley Tenex Semi Auto
0.270 Lapua Super Club
0.272 Eley Tenex
0.303 Lapua Standard Plus
0.312 CCI Standard Velocity
0.319 RWS R 50
0.319 Eley Standard
0.328 SK High Velocity
0.339 Eley Club Xtra
0.340 Winchester T22
0.356 Federal Champion
0.362 Eley Subsonic HP
0.371 CCI Mini Mag
0.376 Federal American Eagle
0.377 Norinco Target
0.380 Sellier & Bellot Club
0.384 Eley Club
0.387 Eley Sport
0.388 Totem
0.392 Swartklip Match Trainer
0.398 Federal Gold Medal
0.403 Swartklip HV
0.409 Eley Match Xtra Plus
0.424 Sellier & Bellot Std
0.443 Remington Target
0.461 Lapua Crow HP
0.475 Eley Silhouex
0.479 Magtech
0.498 Eley High Velocity
0.513 Winchester Super X
0.516 Kassnar Concorde
0.539 CCI Blazer
0.560 Winchester Supreme Pistol
0.576 Norinco Pistol Revolver
0.593 SK Standard
0.611 Sellier And Bellot HP
0.626 SK Standard HP
0.686 Logo HV
0.956 Pobjeda Target |
0.274 Lapua Center X
0.283 Lapua Standard Plus
0.295 Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS
0.307 Lapua Midas M
0.329 Lapua Master M
0.346 Eley Match
0.373 Lapua Polar Biathlon
0.399 RWS R 50
0.432 Lapua Midas L
0.448 Eley Tenex Semi Auto
0.467 Eley Match EPS
0.474 Lapua master L
0.491 Eley Match Xtra Plus
0.494 CCI Standard
0.496 Eley Subsonic HP
0.507 Eley Sport
0.512 Federal American Eagle
0.513 SK High Velocity
0.514 Eley Standard
0.516 Eley Tenex
0.516 Lapua Crow HP
0.532 Western Value Pack
0.533 Fed. Champion Target
0.535 Lapua Midas Plus
0.564 Akah X Zone
0.566 Olin Ball
0.573 Eley Club Xtra
0.616 Lapua Signum
0.631 Winchester T22
0.639 Swartklip HV HP
0.641 Eley Club
0.642 Eley Silhouex
0.647 CCI Mini Mag
0.679 Eley Pistol Match
0.682 Swartklip Match Trainer
0.690 Federal Gold Medal
0.692 Remington HV
0.703 Lapua Super Club
0.720 Winchester Super X
0.738 Eley High Velocity
0.759 Kassnar Concorde
0.765 Sellier And Bellot Club
0.770 Winch. Supreme Pistol
0.770 Norinco target
0.775 CCI Blazer
0.802 Norinco Pistol Revolver
0.841 LVE Logo HV
0.855 Sellier & Bellot Std
0.871 Magtech
0.923 Sellier & Bellot HP
0.934 SK Standard HP
1.017 Remington Target
1.257 Totem Standard
1.442 SK Standard
1.578 Pobjeda target |
0.455 Eley Match
0.510 Lapua Midas Plus
0.549 Lapua Midas M
0.611 Lapua Polar Biathlon
0.611 Eley Tenex Ultimate EPS
0.619 Eley Match EPS
0.622 Eley Club
0.630 Lapua Center X
0.631 RWS R50
0.679 Eley Tenex Semi Auto
0.694 Lapua Midas L
0.729 Eley Tenex
0.739 Lapua Master L
0.753 Lapua Super Club
0.785 Lapua Master M
0.831 Eley Sport
0.851 Eley Match Xtra
0.859 Lapua Standard Plus
0.867 Akah X-Zone
0.877 Eley Pistol Match
0.907 Norinco Target
0.924 Eley Silhouex
0.939 CCI Standard
0.952 Eley Subsonic HP
0.963 Magtech
0.970 Olin Ball
0.978 Kassnar Concorde
0.995 Eley Club Xtra
1.009 Western Value Pack
1.032 Federal Champion
1.087 Norinco Pistol Revolver
1.100 CCI Mini Mag
1.112 Lapua Crow HP
1.143 Winchester T22
1.142 Federal Gold Medal
1.144 federal American Eagle
1.156 Swartklip Hollo Point
1.165 Lapua Signum
1.170 Swartklip Match Trainer
1.175 Fed. Champion Value Pk
1.182 SK high Velocity
1.201 Totem
1.224 Winchester Super X
1.358 Eley Standard
1.367 Remington High Velocity
1.375 CCI Blazer
1.414 Eley High Velocity
1.450 Remington Target
1.504 LVE Logo
1.813 SK Standard
1.879 S&B Club
1.947 S&B Hollow Point
2.073 SK Standard HP
2.221 S&B Standard
2.266 Pobjeda Target |
December 23rd, 2011
Magdalena Neuner — Germany’s 2011 Athlete of the Year
 Chalk one up for the Germans. While the American media spotlights substance-addicted actresses and foul-mouthed female hip-hop artists as “role models” for young girls, perhaps the most popular young woman in Germany is a healthy, hard-working biathlete named Magdalena Neuner. Miss Neuner was recently named Female Athlete of the Year in Germany (she also received this honor in 2007). The 24-year-old Magdalena was raised in a small village in Bavaria, where she started biathlon training at age nine.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Neuner is the most successful woman biathlete of all time, having won 10 World Championships, along with two Overall World Cup Titles. She is the youngest triple-World Champion in biathlon ever. As of December 2011, Neuner has won 26 World Cup races and has achieved 50 podium finishes. (That ranks Magdalena third all-time for career victories.) During five appearances at Biathlon World Championships, Neuner has claimed ten gold and three silver medals. In addition, she has won seven junior world championship titles.
 While she is an excellent shot with her Anschütz straight-pull, Fortner action .22LR biathlon rifle, Neuner’s secret of success is her speed. Neuner has always been one of the fastest cross-country skiers in biathlon.
Neuner started biathlon when she was nine years old. After winning numerous junior world championships, she made her World Cup debut in 2006 and won her first World Cup race in January 2007. One month later, she claimed three gold medals in her first appearance at the Biathlon World Championships.
Sadly, it looks like Magdalena will be leaving biathlon next year. Magda recently announced that she would retire from the sport at the end of 2011–12 season, saying that “the time is right for a change” and that she wants to start a family. When not competing, Neuner works as a German Customs Officer.
All photos distributed by Magdalena Neuner’s official website.
November 8th, 2011
Here’s a new product that would be a great starter rifle for kids and a perfect training rifle for CMP M1 Carbine matches. Legacy Sports recently announced their new Citadel M-1.22 rifle, a .22 LR rimfire clone of the legendary M1 Carbine (which was chambered in .30 Carbine, essentially a rimless version of the .32 Winchester Self-Loading cartridge). Size, weight, and balance of the Citadel M-1.22 are very similar to the real thing. Legacy’s new rendition is set up to shoot the popular, inexpensive .22 LR round. The new Citadel M-1.22 rifle is made in Italy by Chiappa Firearms (Armi Sport). The rimfire M-1.22 features a blow-back action, an 18″-long, 1:16″ twist barrel, fixed front sight and adjustable rear sight. It will come with 10-round magazines, in either a wood stock version at $391.00 (item #CIR22M1W) or synthetic stock version at $331.00 (item #CIR22M1S).
We think the M-1.22 will be a popular Christmas gift item and, as noted already, it is an ideal “cross-training” firearm for CMP Carbine Match competitors. Learn more about the new Citadel M-1.22 at the LegacySports website. In the near future, M-1.22 rifles can be purchased through GalleryofGuns.com.
CMP M1 Carbine Matches — Growing in Popularity
The CMP M1 Carbine Match is part of the CMP Games program that already includes Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches. “As-issued” U. S. Military M1 Carbines are fired over a 45-shot course of fire at 100 yards on either the old military “A” target (or the SR target, if A targets prove to be too difficult to obtain). The course includes 5 sighters and 10 shots for record prone slow fire in 15 minutes, a 10-shot rapid fire prone series in 60 seconds, a 10-shot rapid fire sitting series in 60 seconds and 10 shots slow fire standing in 10 minutes. An M1 Carbine Match was fired during the National Matches in the early 1950s, and now is back. As a CMP Games event, it also can now be conducted as a CMP-sanctioned competition.
November 3rd, 2011
With larger-caliber rifles, manual bore-sighting (with your eyeballs) is not that difficult. Just remove the bolt, and look through the bore at the target. It helps to have a well-illuminated, high-contrast circle target about 8″ to 12″ in diameter. When you’ve got the target centered, then stabilize your gun on the rest so it doesn’t move from that position. Because bore-sighting the old-fashioned way is not that difficult with larger calibers, we’re not sure laser bore-sighters and other gadgets are really needed.
 However, with smaller calibers (.17, .204, .223), manual bore-sighting is not so easy. Much less light makes its way down the smaller-diameter bore, and it’s more difficult to find the target on the background. That’s why we welcome two new products from Sightmark. This Texas-based company has developed in-chamber laser boresights for 17 HMR and .22LR rimfire guns. The tiny boresights are correctly dimensioned so they fit in rimfire chambers just like normal 17 HMR or .22LR cartridges. With the boresight in place, simply flick a switch on the battery pack and the laser dot shows exactly where the rifle is aimed. The dot is roughly 2″ in diameter at 100 yards.
Sightmark rimfire boresights are made from brass, so they are gentle on your chambers. The separate battery pack holds two (2) AAA batteries, which will power the laser for about 30 hours. We like the fact that the battery pack is separate. That makes it easier to swap in new batteries, AND, importantly, the battery pack makes it obvious when the boresight is in use. That lessens the chance that someone could mistakenly try to chamber a live round with the boresight in place.
Sightmark Rimfire Boresights Developed After Extensive Comparison Testing
“We tested every competitor’s chamber boresight for the 17 HMR and .22LR currently on the market and found that they did not work well, so we decided to create one that would,” said James Sellers, president of Sightmark. “Our Sightmark 17 HMR and .22LR boresights are as accurate as our other award-winning chamber boresights, so there’s no guessing if you’re on target”. Sightmark 17 HMR and .22LR Rimfire boresights retail for $47.99 and can be ordered directly from the Sightmark Online Catalog.
January 29th, 2011
While our SHOT Show coverage concentrated mainly on rifles and rifle accessories, we did find two notable handgun offerings from Sig Sauer: 1) a new .22LR version of the 1911; and, 2) a re-introduction of the classic Sig P210, with some enhancements. There are a handful of 22-cal 1911s on the market. Some, like the Chiappa, leave much to be desired, both in functionality and build quality. By contrast, the new Sig Sauer 1911-22 looks and handles like a high-grade .45acp 1911. CLICK for More Photos.
The grip safety and ambidextrous frame safeties work just like those on a well-built centerfire 1911. The frame ergonomics and grips are identical to the classic 1911 design. The sights are good, and most importantly, the single-action trigger is light and crisp — just as you’d expect on a good, tuned 1911. We were very impressed with the gun, especially after noting the MSRP is just $399.00. We should add, however, that Germany’s GSG also makes a similar 1911-22 that costs less. You can buy a GSG 1911-22 for about $350.00 at larger gun dealers. The Sig Sauer 1911-22 we tried had nicer grips and a lighter trigger pull than the GSGs we’ve sampled.
Sig 1911-22 Photos courtesy Osage County Guns and SigSauerGuns.com.
Sig Sauer Re-Releases P210 “Legend”
Prominently displayed at Sig Sauer booth was the Sig P210 “Legend”, an updated version of the classic Sig P210. The new version has been released with an American-style mag release at the rear of the trigger guard, and some subtle modifications. The original Sig P210 is a genuine classic, perhaps the most accurate 9mm duty pistol ever created. Because of the high quality of its construction and careful hand-fitting, the P210 has never been cheap. The latest “Legend” version will be priced about $2,200.00 in the USA.
The new P210 “Legend” continues to offer superb accuracy, with some enhancements for target shooters. As expected, the P210 Legend’s trigger pull was sweet indeed — light, crisp, with no creep. Let me put it this way — the Legend’s trigger is smoother and lighter than what you’ll get on most custom 1911s. The optional, new rear target sight has a 3-position slider that adjusts the zero for three different target distances. That’s a smart feature we’d like to see on other target pistols.
In the video below we show the Sig Sauer 1911-22 and Sig P210 “Legend”. The Video starts off with a visit to the Smith and Wesson booth.
September 26th, 2010
 Here’s a product that should interest varminters and Service Rifle shooters. Mossberg has just introduced its new Tactical .22 auto-loading rimfire rifle. With a $276 MSRP, the Mossberg Tactical .22 provides the look and feel of an AR-style rifle with an affordable price. This gun, officially sold by Mossberg Int’l, promises to be a fun plinker that can also work for very close-range varmint hunting on small prey.
Service Rifle shooters looking for an inexpensive trainer will find that the Mossberg Tactical .22 shares most of the ergonomics of their centerfire AR-15 match rifles. With the rising costs of centerfire ammunition, Mossberg’s new Tactical .22 rimfire can provide a cost-effective training platform.
 Model 702 Action in AR-Style Chassis
The lightweight Mossberg Tactical .22 is based on Mossberg’s proven model 702 rimfire autoloader. Mossberg adapted the Model 702 action to an AR-style chassis with an 18″ barrel and a quad-rail fore-end. (We would rather see standard AR-style handguards, but this does allow a varminter to mount lights or other accessories on the forearm.) The Mossberg Tactical .22 will be offered with two stock configurations — a fixed stock with 13″ LOP, or a 6-position stock that can adjust length of pull from 10-3/4″ – 14.5″. The adjustable stock may be good for young kids, but otherwise we recommend the fixed stock. The Tactical .22 comes with an A2-style carry handle and an adjustable rear peep/front blade iron sights. On top of the carry handle is a Picatinny rail for mounting optics. Groan — that’s the wrong position for a scope, because you can’t maintain a cheek weld, but the rail is better than nothing if you need to mount a red dot or other sighting system. A 10-rd magazine is standard.
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