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January 17th, 2016

APO Goes Open Class — Turnkey F-Open Rifle

F-Open Competition rifle APO Ashbury Precision Ordnance

Wouldn’t it be interesting if a major manufacturer of tactical rifles turned its attention to the long-range competition game, specifically F-Class? Well, that is happening. Last year Ashbury Precision Ordnance (APO) rolled out a patriotic Stars and Stripes F-TR rifle, and this year APO has created an impressive new F-Open rifle. APO’s new F-Open rifle is based on the SABER Modular Rifle Chassis System (MRCS), as fitted a new front end. APO’s F-Open rifle features a long, aluminum fore-end with a 3 inch-wide bag-rider section. This provides excellent stability on the bags and offers a “long wheelbase” for improved tracking. At the rear, APO provides a metal bag-rider that runs fore-and-aft under the cheekpiece.

CNC-machined from billet aluminum alloy, the fore-end on APO’s F-Open rig features a three-inch wide Catamaran design (with twin “rails” on the underside). This long fore-end can be custom weight-balanced to meet the F-Open class 10kg weight limit. APO’s new F-Open rifle also boasts a rear Bag Rider that replaces the butt hook found on APO’s tactical rigs. The rear buttstock section features adjustable length of pull (via spacer), adjustable cheek piece, and adjustable drop for the Limbsaver®-equipped buttplate.

F-Open Competition rifle APO Ashbury Precision Ordnance

The SABER F-Open 6.5-284 Competition Rifle is built around APO’s octagonal SABER® LX receiver, which can be supplied with a detachable magazine or single-shot target block. APO’s bolt action receivers take advantage of a unique interlocking design in the Center Chassis Section that provides additional holding strength on both right and left hand models. The trigger is a two-stage, adjustable Tubb T7T trigger set to 1.0-1.5 pounds pull. The barrel is a button-rifled, stainless 4R Heavy Palma contour from MullerWorks. Customers can elect barrel lengths up to 30 inches.

F-Open Competition rifle APO Ashbury Precision Ordnance

Rifle Available as a Complete Package
The complete 6.5-284 F-Open Competition Rifle package includes a Leupold VX-6 7-42x56mm rifle scope. The base weight of the F-Open MRCS chassis (by itself) is 6.25 pounds and it can be weight-adjusted as desired by the shooter. The SABER F-Open Competition Series MRCS will be available in popular Cerakote finishes as well as hard-anodized colors. “We wanted to build a solid F-Open rifle that a shooter could take right into competition and be competitive”, says Matthew Peterson, Ashbury’s Product Development Coordinator.

Ashbury will showcase its new SABER F-Open competition rifle (chambered in 6.5-284 Winchester) at SHOT Show Booth #31407. To learn more about Ashbury Precision Ordnance’s line of rifle chassis systems, precision rifles, and long range shooting accessories, visit the Ashbury Web Portal.

Permalink Competition, New Product 3 Comments »

April 12th, 2013

Norma Brass Now Available at Midsouth Shooters Supply

We all know that reloading components are in very short supply these days — bullets, brass, powder — you name it. Every day we get calls and emails from guys trying to find these items. Here’s a tip for those of you who need high-quality brass: Midsouth Shooters Supply carries Norma Brass, and Midsouth has this brass for many popular cartridge types IN STOCK now. Here’s a partial list of unprimed Norma brass available for purchase at Midsouth as of April 12, 2013:

NORMA Brass IN-STOCK at Midsouth Shooters Supply (Partial List)

6MM PPC RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-10260105	Price: $22.72
6MM BR Norma RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-10260155	Price: $22.72
6MM XC RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-10260185	Price: $24.66
222 REM RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20257115	Price: $15.13
22-250 REM RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20257315	Price: $22.72
.260 REM RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20266025	Price: $28.42
6.5×55 REM RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20265515	Price: $20.84
6.5-284 RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20265285	Price: $31.79
270 Win RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20269015	Price: $24.69
280 REM RIFLE BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20270505	Price: $27.82
.30-06 Springfield BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20276405	Price: $25.46
300 WSM BRASS 25ct	Item: 013-20276765	Price: $48.11

Norma Cartridge brass at Midsouth Shooters Supply

May 1st, 2011

Best Wallet Group Ever? 1.86" 5-Shot Group at 1000 Yards

What’s a “wallet group”? It’s a singularly spectacular proof target that entitles its bearer to bragging rights. The wallet group may or may not have been shot in competition, and, by definition, it may not be repeatable. But it exists as incontrovertible proof that, at least once, the stars aligned, and the wind gods smiled on the shooter.

1000-yard record group Five Shots in 0.178 MOA at 1000 Yards
A couple seasons back, Forum member and F-Class shooter Gary Wood was testing his 6.5-284 rifle at the 1000-yard range in Coalinga, California, getting ready for an up-coming long range match. In practice, Gary nailed a witnessed 1.859″ five-shot group, with four of the five shots well under an inch. Use this as proof to win those club-house arguments about whether it is possible to shoot “in the ones” at 1000 yards. Gary’s group worked out to 0.178 MOA!

Gary reports: “I was load testing with 5-shot groups. Each group was shot on a new F-Class center and pulled by Ret. Master Chief Jerry Pullens and spotted by an other long-range shooter. The second 5-shot load group looked really small … by our reckoning four out of five shots measured under an inch. I was amazed. What’s more, when I shot the group, the 4th shot blew the spindle out of the 3rd shot. My spotter saw that in his scope and Jerry Pullens told me about it afterwards”.

As measured with the OnTarget Software, using a scan of the target, Gary plotted the group size at 1.859″ total for five shots, or 0.178 MOA. Gary noted: “I had everyone sign the target which I saved and photographed.” Yes, Gary, this may be the wallet group to end all wallet groups. You should have that target framed.

1000-yard record group

Gary’s Load and 6.5-284 Rifle Specs
Gary’s load was 48 grains of Hodgdon H4350 and CCI BR-2 primers, pushing 142gr Sierra MKs, in Lapua 6.5-284 brass. The rifle features an F-class, single-shot Surgeon action with a Bartlein 5R barrel chambered with a no-turn neck. Gary says “The barrel only has 70 rounds through it… yep, I think it will shoot.” Gary did all of the gunsmithing and barrel work himself.

Did Gary have any special reloading tricks? Apparently not: “Other than weighing the cases and the powder very carefully, there really were no magical reloading secrets used. The Sierra 142s were moly-coated straight from the box of 500, but they were not weighed or checked for bearing surface. The powder was dropped with a RCBS ChargeMaster then checked with an Acculab scale (to under a tenth). The Lapua cases were not neck-turned, but I did weight-sort them. The five cases for the small group weighed: 195.05, 195.03, 195.03, 195.03, 195.01.”

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August 25th, 2009

1K Score Record Broken Twice in PA Matches

Shooting at Williamsport, PA on August 15th, our own Jason Baney shot a remarkable 100-6X, 4.864″ ten-shot group at 1000 yards, breaking the previous 100-5X, 4.900″ Light Gun Score record set by Ed Kenzakoski in June. And yes, Jason was shooting the diminutive 6mmBR cartridge (no-turn neck) with pointed 105gr Berger bullets and a stout load of Alliant Reloder 15. Baney’s 6BR Broughton-barreled Light Gun (Stiller Diamondback action) was smithed by Mark King, who also built Ken Brucklacher’s record-breaking Heavy Gun.

Jason’s glory was short-lived however. The very next day, August 16th, Andy Murtagh shot a 100-4X, 4.2766″ group during match 5 of the Reade Range (Allemans, PA) 1K Benchrest League. Though Andy had only four Xs to Jason’s six Xs, Andy had the smaller group. By Williamsport rules, group size trumps X-count (even in score shooting) so Andy is the new Light Gun 1000-yard Score record-holder. Andy’s record-setting 6.5-284, smithed by Sid Goodling, has a Master 1000 stock and Bat action. Andy’s load was 47.5 grains of H4350 pushing 142gr tipped Sierra MKs in Winchester brass.

Congrats to both Andy and Jason for some great shooting last weekend! It’s impressive to see such small, ten-shot groups all centered up. Hey Jason — OK, we’re convinced. That round-robin Ladder Testing Procedure must really work.

Jason Baney 1000 yard