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December 1st, 2009
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The latest issue of Target Shooter online magazine has been released and you should definitely check it out. The December issue of Target Shooter is really good — maybe the best yet. READ it here: www.Targetshooter.co.uk.
This month you’ll find an outstanding article by Vince Bottomley, “Building a Rifle for F/TR Class”. Whether you’re shooting F-TR now, or have an F-TR rifle in the works, this story is a “must-read” that will help you choose the right equipment and wring the best performance from it.
The six-page “Hand-loading for the .308 Winchester (Part 2)”, by Laurie Holland, is a fact-filled article that all .308 shooters shoot read and archive. Holland carefully measured various brands of .308 brass, recording weights and neck thickness (see chart below). Even if you are an experienced .308 reloader we guarantee you’ll learn something new from this article. |
The December Target Shooter is chock full of other content covering a wide array of shooting disciplines — from Air Pistols to Black Powder Cartridge Rifles. There’s even something for collectors of historic military arms — Nigel Greenaway’s guide to the Enfield No.4 (T) sniper rifle. This issue also includes a 6-page holiday shopping guide featuring interesting new products as well as low-cost “stocking stuffers”. You can read Target Shooter online via a browser plug-in, and print pages you want to save. In addition, you can now downline the entire month’s content as a handy .pdf file for off-line reading.
November 10th, 2009
 It was “Ladies First” at the California State Long-Range Championship held this weekend at the Coalinga Range in central California. Palma ace Noma Mayo topped a field of 26 shooters (24 men and 2 women) to take the CA title with an impressive 787-34X score.
The diminutive senior lady shooter had the men saying “Noma, ‘No Mas'” by the end of the 3-day event. Using the latest (#2156) Sierra 155gr Palma bullets, Noma steered her .308 Win, iron-sighted Palma rifle to victory, displaying great consistency and superior wind-reading skills. Finishing second overall was Michael Dunio (782-29X), while Noma’s husband Marty Mayo took third with a 779-16X score. Marty teamed with Noma to win the two-person Team match on Saturday, with a combined 385-7X.
Shooting his trusty 6BRX, Peter White took the F-Class title with a strong 785-36X score. Taking second was our friend and Forum member Gary Wood, who shot a 778-28X with the 6.5-284 featured recently in the Daily Bulletin. Gary Childs placed third in F-Class (769-25X), shooting a straight .284 Win with a handsome stock he crafted himself. When comparing these scores to the iron sight shooters, keep in mind the F-Classers shot a target with much smaller ‘X’ and scoring rings. We want to give special thanks to Gary Wood, whose generous donation to AccurateShooter.com made it possible for this Editor and assistant Mark LaFevers to cover the event.
There were some beautiful long-range rigs at the match, including many Gary Eliseo tubeguns. (Gary competed at the event, and shot well on Friday and Saturday, but fell victim to shifty winds on the final day.) In addition to the high-tech tubeguns, many handsome wood-stocked Palma rifles were used, including a Bastogne-walnut-stocked beauty built and shot by gunsmith Tom Luhmann of TLC Gunworks in Clovis, CA.
An interesting “California-legal” AR Platform rifle caught Mark’s eye. It sported a handsome matte camo finish, but the chambering was the most noteworthy feature. This rifle was chambered as a 6mm Dasher, an improved 6mmBR with a shorter neck and 40° shoulder. Most of the AR match rifles we’ve seen have gone to a Grendel-based case, if they step up past the .223 Remington. The 6BR parent case uses a .308-sized bolt-face, whereas the Grendel case rim is smaller. Also, with its steep shoulder angle, the Dasher can prove challenging to feed. However, the gun’s builder Marcus Naslund said they had achieved good feeding and function by opening up the gas port and adapting a custom single-stack magazine, made from aluminum billet. Despite California’s Draconian gun laws, this rifle is legal for sale in the Golden state because a “tool” (which can be a bullet tip) is required to remove the otherwise “non-detachable” magazine.
October 24th, 2009
We are often asked “Can I get more velocity by switching primer types?” The answer is “maybe”. The important thing to know is that changing primer types can alter your load’s performance in many ways — velocity average, velocity variance (ES/SD), accuracy, and pressure. Because there are so many variables involved you can’t really predict whether one primer type is going to be better or worse than another. This will depend on your cartridge, your powder, your barrel, and even the mechanics of your firing pin system.
Interestingly, however, a shooter on another forum recently did a test with his .308 Win semi-auto. Using Hodgdon Varget powder and Sierra 155gr Palma MatchKing (item 2156) bullets, he found that Wolf Large Rifle primers gave slightly higher velocities than did CCI-BR2s. Interestingly, the amount of extra speed (provided by the Wolfs) increased as charge weight went up, though the middle value had the largest speed variance. The shooter observed: “The Wolf primers seemed to be obviously hotter and they had about the same or possibly better ES average.” See table:
| Varget .308 load |
45.5 grains |
46.0 grains |
46.5 grains |
| CCI BR2 Primers |
2751 fps |
2761 fps |
2783 fps |
| Wolf LR Primers |
2757 fps |
2780 fps |
2798 fps |
| Speed Delta |
6 fps |
19 fps |
15 fps |
You can’t extrapolate too much from the table above. This describes just one gun, one powder, and one bullet. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV) as they say. However, this illustration does show that by substituting one component you may see significant changes. Provided it can be repeated in multiple chrono runs, an increase of 19 fps (with the 46.0 grain powder load) is meaningful. An extra 20 fps or so may yield a more optimal accuracy node or “sweet spot” that produces better groups. (Though faster is certainly NOT always better for accuracy — you have to test to find out.)
WARNING: When switching primers, you should exercise caution. More speed may be attractive, but you have to consider that the “speedier” primer choice may also produce more pressure. Therefore, you must carefully monitor pressure signs whenever changing ANY component in a load.
Plenty of CCI-BR2 and Wolf Large Rifle Primers in Stock
If you’re looking for either the CCI BR-2 or Wolf Large Rifle Primers, Wideners.com currently has both in stock. The CCI BR2 primers (item CCIBR2) cost $42.50 per 1000. The Wolf LR Primers (item QQQLR KVB-7) cost $29.50 per 1000 OR $142.00 per 5000.
October 24th, 2009
 A sure sign that ammunition supplies are on the rise (and panic buying has abated) is when vendors start cutting back prices. Well folks, Cabela’s has just announced a major ammo sale, with prices marked down as much as 25%. Here are some of Cabela’s discounted offerings:
Black Hills Gold .308 Win, 180gr Nosler Accubond cosmetic seconds (item 9IS-217122). Sale Price: $21.99 for 20 rounds (Reg. $29.99).
Federal 5.56mm NATO 55gr FMJBT Ammo on Stripper Clips (item 9IS-217197). Sale Price: $519.99 for 900 rounds (Reg: $649.99).
Ulyanovsk 7.62×39 Ammo, 122gr FMJ in Metal Tin (item 9IS-217277). Sale Price: $159.99 for 640 rounds.
Winchester USA Rifle Ammo (item 9IS-210889). Sale Price: $13.99 for 20 rounds (Reg. $16.99).
 To get the lowest discounted prices, click the WEB DEALS link at left.
Much of Cabela’s ammunition inventory remains “sold out”, but the curren Ammo Sale is a good sign that the situation is getting better and the days of bare shelves and panic buying may be behind us. We note that large supplies of primers are also starting to arrive at vendors such as Powder Valley (Wolf) and Wideners.com (CCI and Wolf).
September 17th, 2009
Forum member Steve C. (aka RemVS308) unveiled his handsome new .308 Winchester in the Pride & Joy thread in our Shooters Forum. Sporting a beautiful, exotic hardwood A5-L stock by Joel Russo, the gun features premium components all around. We’ve had to create a new descriptive category for this kind of rifle which combines a tactical-style stock and multi-shot action with fancy wood. We call it “Glam Tactical”. (CLICK HERE for another Russo “Glam Tactical” rig.) The stock on Steve’s rifle is laminated African Pomele Sapele wood. If you are interested in a Russo stock for your next project, email jkrussos [at] comcast.net, or call Joel at (717) 805-0940.
The barrel is a 1:11.25″-twist, MTU contour, 26″ Krieger. It was chambered by gunsmith Nat Lambeth and fitted to a Stiller Predator action with Jewell HVR trigger. Befitting a proper multi-purpose rifle, the gun has Pacific Tool & Gauge stainless bottom metal and a Wyatt extended magazine. Up front is a Harris bipod, fitted with KMW Pod-Loc and Zephyr Dynamics Pod-Paws (Zerphyr’s Paws are, unfortunately, out-of-production).
For optics, Mike’s rifle carries a 12-42x56mm Nightforce NXS scope in Seekins rings. Overall this eye-pleasing package combines the visual appeal of premium wood with serious long-range accuracy. So, is this gun a “beauty” or a “beast”? Maybe both — and that’s why it’s such an appealing rig.
September 8th, 2009
 Kelly Bachand, a 22-year-old electrical engineering student at the Univ. of Washington, recently ventured to the Canadian Fullbore Rifle Championships held August 13-22 at the Connaught Ranges in Ottawa. He arrived an unknown, relatively untested in international competition. By the end of the week, every shooter in Ottawa knew this young man’s name.
Kelly turned in a performance of historic proportions, out-shooting 300 other marksman to win many of the event’s most prestigious matches, including the Open Target Rifle Championship with a score of 1045-105V (the “V” is the Canadian equivalent of an “X” in the USA). Kelly also won the multi-day 21st Century Aggregate (1344-140V), the Harrison Aggregate, the MacDonald Stewart Aggregate (824-80V), the Polar Bear Aggregate, and he shot on the winning USA Young Eagles team in the Under 25 international team matches.
Among the various matches at the Canadian Championships, Kelly had eight (8) first place finishes, and twenty other Top 10 finishes. As you can see at right, Kelly harvested enough trophies to fill a truck. And to top that off, just after returning from Canada, Kelly won the 2009 Northwest Int’l Prone Championship. He did that all with his new Barnard-actioned .308 Palma rifle provided by MT Guns.
Years of Preparation Lead to Success
Though he’s only 22, Kelly has been shooting for over 16 years. He told us: “I began shooting when I got a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas when I was 6. I shot air rifle in high school and enjoyed it immensely. After graduating in 2005, I joined a Washington-based high power rifle team, the Bad Apples, which went on to win National Junior team titles. I began shooting long range with a Palma rifle towards the end of 2005 and was then the high junior at Camp Perry in the Leech Cup in 2006 and the Andrus in 2007 (both times shooting a borrowed Palma rifle). While I had been high junior and placed first in my classification a number of times, it was not until the weekend before the Canadian Championships that I earned my first overall match win — in a small local event with no more than 20 shooters. This match was, however, a huge success for me mentally; I did not crumble under pressure on my last string at 600 yards and ended the match with a perfect score, not dropping a single point.”
Special Challenge of Pair Shooting in Canada
Kelly reports: “The biggest differences about shooting in Canada are the 5-point V centered targets which are black and white (not buff) and the fact that shooting is done in pairs. I had been to the range in Connaught before in 2007 as a firing member of the World Champion Under 21 USA Young Eagles. The range there is beautiful and studded with flags between the firing line and the target bay. Unfortunately the flags were brand new this year and were unresponsive to wind for the first few days of shooting. It was sunny, cloudy, there was thunder, and there was rain so thick that the targets literally disappeared and shooting had to be paused. I had to be ready for anything.
After a few days of shooting I noticed my name was towards the top in a few Aggregates, but I focused my energy to avoid thinking about anything more than the next shot I needed to take. At one point I shot a perfect score but with a very low V count, and a friend asked me about it, I jokingly replied “it doesn’t matter how many Vs I shoot if I keep shooting cleans.” And that’s how I steadily moved up after each day of shooting. Beginning the final day in first place, I was paired with the second place Canadian shooter, who was just a point behind me, for the final 15 shots at 900m. I have never felt more pressure than when I was shooting side by side with my competition. Each shot I knew what I needed to do. Throughout the entire 15-shot string, that knowledge increased my heart rate but also my desire to win.”
MT Guns Provides Winning Match Rifle
As a “starving student”, a new Palma rifle was out of reach financially for Kelly … until MT Guns came to the rescue. Kelly explains: “When I was no longer able to borrow the match rifle I had used as a junior, I needed a new gun. As a college student paying for school with a part-time job, I couldn’t afford a competitive Palma rifle. Seeking sponsorship, I contacted Mac Tilton of MT Guns and asked if he could help me out. Mac generously offered to provide me with a complete rifle, and his crew at MT Guns produced an absolute tack-driver. My new MT Guns .308 Palma rifle features a Barnard 3-lug action, 32” True-Flight barrel, a Mastin Anschütz-style stock, Warner rear sight, and Riles 22mm front sight. This rifle fits me well and is a pleasure to shoot. The gun groups better than any other rifle I have shot. My load is 46+ grains of Varget pushing Sierra 155gr #2156 MKs with CCI BR-2 primers in Lapua brass. I have shot this load exclusively in every competition whether it was a Palma match or an any/iron match.” Interestingly, Kellly shot the entire Canadian Championship without cleaning his New Zealand-made True-Flite barrel. According to Kelly, he put “nothing but bullets through the barrel in Canada — well over 300 rounds including sighters and team matches”.
August 19th, 2009
Savage spotlights ultra-long-range accuracy in an impressive new video clip. Most rifle manufacturers might show a one-inch, 3-shot group at 100 yards and brag about it. Not Savage. In its new TV spot, Savage moves the target way out to 1169 yards (two-thirds of a mile) to demonstrate true long-range accuracy. After a Savage Palma rifle makes the shot twice in a row, Savage Chairman and CEO Ron Coburn comments: “If you think this is the same old Savage… think again.” You tell ‘em Ron. We love it.
In the video, Savage Team Captain Stan Pate, firing prone from bipod, makes back-to-back shots on steel plates set at 1169 yards. You see the plates fall, then the camera zooms all the way back to the shooter, so you can see there’s no fakery. In fact, according to Bill Dermody of Savage: “Stan nailed this shot four takes in a row while we adjusted camera angles and sound levels”. Stan was shooting a Savage Model 12 Palma® rifile chambered in .308 Winchester. This gun features a RBRP Savage Target Action with Accutrigger, 30″ barrel, and laminated stock fitted with accessory rail and adjustable cheekpiece and butt-plate.
Rifle photo courtesy Darrell Buell, a member of Team Savage.
June 4th, 2009
G.A. Precision builds some of the best tactical rifles currently available, such as the Crusader model shown below. The long-awaited updated and enhanced G.A. Precision website launches today, 6/4/2009 at 12:00 noon CST. G.A. Precision’s owner George Gardner (profile below) tells us: “The new site has enhanced features and navigation and a great deal of helpful new information. It’s still a work in progress. During the rest of this year we’ll add more pages…. You can also upload pictures of you and your GAP rifle to the site, as well as testimonials.”
Find Hidden Features for a Prize
George adds: “For the unveiling there are 8-10 ‘Easter Eggs’ on the new site. Some are clickable links while others are just hidden images. The first guy to email me with all of them will win a GAP/Strider Knife (retail value $375.00). The winner will be announced on this and other gun forums.”
History of G.A. Precision
G.A. Precision was founded and started initially by George Gardner alone as a means of building competition rifles for local High Power and long range shooters. G.A. Precision has grown during the past ten years, moving through three different locations and adding 13 more employees. G.A. Precison currently builds rifles for over 300 law enforcement agencies, including FBI HRT Team Quantico, Chicago P.D. SWAT, Illinois State Police HRT Team, Cook County (Chicago) HBT. Coral Springs P.D., Florida, Kansas City MO P.D. TAC, Kansas City, KS P.D., Denton TX, Richardson TX. Dane County WI, and many others. G.A. Precision also specializes in building competition rifles for the increasingly popular long-range tactical matches held around the country. George Gardner is an active outdoorsman and shooter, regularly competing with the rifles he builds.
GAP Gladius with Manners T2A stock, 18.5″ Bartlein barrel, Nightforce F1
April 22nd, 2009
The latest CDNN Catalog has some great long-gun bargains. Here are two specials that caught our Editor’s eye. To view the CDNN catalog, visit www.cdnninvestments.com, then click the link to download the 2009-1 Catalog in .pdf format. To place an order, call 800-588-9500.
Winchester 22LR Sporter — $189.99
Looking for a “first rifle” for a young family member? This little Winchester could fit the bill. A friend of ours recently purchased one for his nephew and it’s proven to be a very nice little rifle for the money. NOTE: In the catalog pages the price is listed as $179.99, but the current price is $189.99. That’s still a great deal, and the price includes four magazines.
FN Patrol .308 (with box mag) — $599.00
If you’re looking for a good basic .308 Win rifle for hunting or tactical matches, the FN Patrol is a great value at $599.00. This rifle comes with a Hogue synthetic stock with full-length aluminum bedding block and dual front sling swivels. The action is fitting with a mil-spec Picatinny scope rail on top, and a 4-round detachable box magazine (DBM) is provided. You can select from four different barrel lengths: 18″, 20″, 22″, and 24″. We recommend the 24″ for tac matches. Hunters may prefer a shorter tube to save weight. If you prefer to mount a custom barrel or stock, CDNN is offering FN SPR short actions for just $349.00. This includes trigger group (with safety), Picatinny Rail on top, bottom metal, recoil lug, AND the 4-round box magazine. If you’re looking to build a low-cost custom tactical rig, this could be a great way to go.
February 13th, 2009
 Bryan Litz recently assumed the mantle of “Ballistician” for Berger Bullets. Before joining Berger, Bryan was a missile design engineer working with the U.S. Air Force. An NRA High Master, Bryan also happens to be one of the country’s top long-range shooters. Bryan (aka “bsl135″ in our Forum) has written many ballistics programs and technical papers dealing with long-range flight dynamics of projectiles. Bryan has recorded some very impressive match performances recently. At the 2008 NRA National Championships at Camp Perry, Bryan beat 258 other competitors to win the Palma Individual Trophy Match. Bryan shot a remarkable 450/26x, not dropping a single point.
Palma Match — Caught on Video
Bryan recently crafted a cool video that puts the viewer “in the driver’s seat” as Bryan shoots an 800-yard match with his .308 Winchester, iron-sights Palma rifle. Watch as each shot is marked and scored. Bryan explains: “The inset target at upper right displays each shot location in sequence. The score card shows the windage used for each shot, as well as the windage that was ‘Required’ for that shot to be centered. Wind wasn’t very challenging in this string, only requiring between 2 and 3 MOA right. This particular match is the 800-yard phase of a Palma course fired in the summer of 2008 at Camp Atterbury, IN. NOTE: I’ve had to cut out some ‘pauses’, and speed up the film in order to meet YouTube’s size requirements, so that’s why we sound like chipmunks.”
CLICK SCREEN to WATCH VIDEO. Click Menu Button for High Quality (HQ) Option
Bryan also has his own website with a number of authoritative articles. Topics include: Bullet Design, Meplat Trimming, Gyroscopic and Coreolis Drift, Palma Bullet Analysis, How Ballistics Programs Work, and Ballistic Coefficient Testing. CLICK HERE to visit BRYAN LITZ Website.
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