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May 8th, 2014
Lapua’s Scenar-L bullets are extremely consistent in weight and dimensions. In our tests, the 6mm 105gr Scenar-L proved to be as uniform in weight and base-to-ogive length as any factory bullet we’ve ever measured. Scary consistent. Now there is a full line-up of Scenar-L bullets in .224, 6mm, 6.5 mm, 7mm, and .308 calibers. Yes, that’s right, Lapua now makes a 7mm match bullet. In fact, Lapua makes two: a 150-grainer and a big, high-BC, 180-grainer.
All these Scenar-L bullets are carried by Grafs.com. There are good supplies in most calibers, but the 7mm 180s (item LU4PL7401) are nearly sold out, and the 6mm 105-grainers are sold out. More of these popular 6mm and 7mm projectiles should arrive later this summer.
FREE HAT with Lapua Purchase
For a limited time, if you purchase Lapua bullets, brass, or loaded ammo from Grafs.com, you can get a FREE Lapua cap. NOTE: Quantities are limited, and this offer is restricted to one per customer.
In the above video, Peder Mørch Pedersen demonstrates the accuracy of Scenar-L bullets in a Blaser R8 GRS rifle chambered in 6mmBR Norma. Peder was shooting from bipod at 300 meters on a sunny day in Vingsted, Denmark.
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February 23rd, 2014
Larry Bartholome (aka “LBart” on our Forum) is the current F-Open USA National Champion. He also won the F-Open division at the recent Berger Southwest Nationals. A “Senior Citizen” now, Larry is still at the top of the F-Class game. If you were to pick the top ten F-Open shooters on the planet, Larry would be on the short list, that’s for sure.
In a recent AccurateShooter Forum thread, there was a discussion of caliber/cartridge choice for F-Open shooting — specifically whether 6mm cartridges can be competitive at long-range (as opposed to mid-range).
Larry, who currently shoots a 7mm-270 WSM, offered some wise words. Here’s some sage advice from Larry, a champion who has triumphed at the highest level, against the toughest competition. F-Class competitors will benefit from reading what Larry has to say, and taking it to heart:
Cartridge Choice for F-Class — What Really Matters
Matches are won with what people decide to shoot. The people win matches, not the calibers. A person makes his decision on what he is going to shoot with and [that person] wins or loses based on the decision.
The smaller cases and bore sizes have advantages in less recoil and more inherent accuracy. They are easier to shoot well. Because they shoot smaller groups on average they make the 10 ring seem bigger. With light winds that helps.
When the wind gets to changing and picking up this advantage is negated by the wind drift advantages of the larger calibers. Once the switches and velocity changes get beyond the mind’s ability to stay up with them, the small caliber advantage is minuscule.
My own thought is I need all the help I can get. I know I can’t read the wind. I play the percentages. [My 7mm offers] good grouping, good wind drift, lower recoil than the 30s. My 7mm/270 WSM was shooting very well in Phoenix, just as the other Bartlein barrels shot well in Raton. The points lost were mine, not the rifle’s or the caliber.
When the wind flags and mirage are telling you to hold left and your bullets are going left, no caliber in the world will help you. You are the one steering those bullets.
Larry Bartholome
Team Berger/Norma
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December 14th, 2013
Lapua just dropped a bombshell — multiple bombshells, in fact. Lapua just announced that it will be producing .221 Fireball brass and .50 BMG brass starting early 2014. This will be the first truly match-grade brass ever offered for the .221 Fireball. That’s great news for varminters, who can use Lapua’s new .221 Fireball brass “as is” or neck it down to .20 Vartarg or 17 Fireball. Tactical shooters can also use the .221 Fireball brass to make the .300 Whisper and 300 Blackout sub-sonic cartridges. At the other end of the spectrum, ultra-long-range shooters now have a new ultra-premium brass source for the mighty .50 BMG. This is potentially a “game-changer” for fifty-cal shooters who have had to “make do” with military surplus brass for the most part. Lapua says the new brass, both .50 BMG and .221 Fireball, should be in the USA by early April, 2014. Sorry, no pricing info is yet available.
Here is the Lapua Product Announcement for .221 Fireball and .50 BMG Brass:
New 180-Grain and 150-Grain 7mm Scenar-L Bullets
The other big news from Lapua is the release of two new 7mm (.284 caliber) Scenar-L target bullets. Recognizing the popularity of 7mm cartridges among F-Class Open Division shooters, Lapua will offer a high-BC, 180-grain bullet. As part of the “L” series, this new 180-grainer bullet should exhibit extreme consistency in base-to-ogive measurements and bullet weight. We expect this new 180gr projectile to be extremely accurate in the .284 Winchester, .284 Shehane, 7mm WSM, and 7mm RSAUM — popular chamberings for F-Class and long-range benchrest shooters. No BC information has been released yet, but we expect the BC number to be quite high, giving this bullet great wind-bucking capability. In addition to the new 180gr 7mm Scenar-L, Lapua will offer a new 150gr 7mm bullet. This is optimized for medium range competition in Silhouette and Across-the-Course competition. It should offer great accuracy, but with less felt recoil than its 180-grain bigger brother.
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May 20th, 2012
7mm has become the caliber to beat in F-Class open division. The dominant performances of UK shooters with 7mm cartridges at the 2009 F-Class World Championship, following the South African team’s success with 7mms at the previous Worlds, has shown the strength of 7mm chamberings for long-range competition. After losing to the Team Britain, the U.S. F-Open Team decided to switch to a 7mm for the next World Championship. While most of Britain’s top F-Class shooters were using WSM-based 7mm cartridges, you don’t need a short magnum to enjoy the wind-bucking abilities of a 7mm.
 With a standard .284 Winchester, or better yet, a .284 Improved, you can drive the high-BC Berger 180gr bullets to competitive velocities. A .284 Improved will shoot well inside a 6.5-284, and you’ll probably get 40-60% longer barrel life (at least 2000 rounds vs. as little as 1200).
The straight .284 Win is a good cartridge, but in most barrels, it can’t push the 180s at 2900-2950 fps velocity levels*. A lot of barrels will top out at about 2850. That’s where the .284 Shehane comes into play. The .284 Shehane is a slightly modified wildcat that retains the same 35° shoulder as the parent case. However, by blowing the sidewalls out 0.010″, the .284 Shehane picks up about 3.3 grains of extra case capacity. That enhancement makes a BIG difference. The extra boiler room is enough to drive the 180s at 2900-2950 fps with H4831sc. With N560 or Reloder 17 you can go even faster.
Scotland’s Grant Taylor used the .284 Shehane to finish 3rd overall in the 2009 individual F-Class World Championships at Bisley, England. Grant reports: “I have a .284 Shehane and it’s very accurate with superb vertical spreads at 1000 yards. I have to thank Jim Hardy for putting me onto the caliber, it has awesome accuracy. I’m getting 2930-2950 fps with spreads in the 3-5 fps range. I use Hodgdon H4831sc powder, CCI BR2 primers, and pointed 180gr Bergers.”
Forum member Jim Hardy has shot the .284 with great success. He tells us: “In my humble opinion, the .284 Shehane is the best balanced long range round there is — bar none. I (perhaps_ have shot more of this chambering than anyone else, and it has proven better than I ever expected. Here is why:
You have to shoot a 30 Cal magnum with a 240gr bullet to equal the performance of most 7mm chamberings with the 180 Berger VLD. With the .284 Shehane, you have a .308 bolt face, medium action, and Lapua brass. You use less powder than the 7 mags, and have great accuracy and ballistics even while fire-forming. The .284 Shehane shoots inside the 6.5 AND the straight 284, the 300 WSM, and the 300 Win Mag with less recoil. The .284 Shehane offers twice the competitive barrel life of the 6.5-284, an easy 2950 fps with H4831 SC, [and it] can run 3000+ with N560 and Reloder 17, which is right there with the 7mm WSM. What is not to love about the 284 Shehane? It is a no-brainer for long range — F-Class or Prone or 1000-yard Benchrest.”
*Some exceptional barrels chambered in straight .284 Win can reach 2900 fps with the 180s. Ryan Pierce, who recently set a 450-24X Pending F-Open record, has a 32″ Brux barrel that is delivering 2900 fps with the straight .284. However, Ryan acknowledges that his velocities are not typical: “A lot of .284 Win barrels top out at around 2850 fps with the 180s.”
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April 13th, 2012
Sierra Bullets has introduced two new hunting bullets with the proven bullet design of Sierra’s popular .30-cal 165gr GameKing. Sierra’s Carroll Pilant tells us: “Customers have been asking us for years to make a 6.5mm and 7mm version of our very popular .30-caliber 165 grain HPBT GameKing and we are happy to say we have fulfilled that request. Just like their .30-caliber cousin, these bullets will be ideal for mid-sized game with standard and magnum calibers. The thicker jacket promotes deep penetration while the skives (pre-cut longitudinal lines) at the meplat provide reliable expansion.”
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May 17th, 2011
Midsouth Shooters Supply is offering huge discounts on “Blem” Bullets from a major manufacturer. They’ve almost run out of their .30-caliber blems, and the next batch to go on sale will be the 7mm (.284 bullets). Our “inside man” at Midsouth reports: “We decided to move some of the bigger quantities of the blem bullets we have in stock. They’ve been narrowed down to just about Eight SKUs (lot numbers) and we’re packing them up as 500-ct packs and slashing the price. The .308 150-grainer was the first to be offered and they are just about gone — they sold fast. Our GM this morning decided the next to go on sale is the 154gr 7mm bullet. These will be sold at just $89.99 per 500. They’re good bullets and if I had a 7mm I’d get some. I can’t say who the manufacturer is, but I can say there are bonded bullets similar to Accubond or Interbond.”
With a price of $89.99 for for five hundred 7mm (.284) bullets, that’s a great deal for big-name manufacturers’ bullets, even if there are some cosmetic defects. That bulk price works out to just $18.00 per hundred bullets! Midsouth can’t disclose the bullet manufacturer, but we can assure you it’s a big name company with a reputation for quality. If you need some good 7mm hunting bullets, you may want to jump on this deal before Midsouth sells out. Visit MidsouthShootersSupply.com or CALL 1-800-272-3000 to order.
CLICK HERE for Midsouth’s 7mm Blem Bullet Sale
CLICK HERE for Complete Blem Bullet Sale Selection
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January 25th, 2011
 Sierra Bullets introduced four new projectiles at SHOT Show 2011: 180gr 7mm MK; 225gr .338 ProHunter; and two new 25-caliber BlitzKings. The much-awaited 180gr 7mm MatchKing, boasts an impressive 0.660 G1 Ballistic Coefficient. This should be great for
F-Classers. Sierra explains: “In response to requests from top level F-Class shooters, Sierra has designed an all-new MatchKing to provide a higher weight/higher B.C. alternative in our 7mm line. This bullet’s 12-caliber secant ogive and lengthened boat tail make it the perfect choice for the discerning 7mm long range shooter. Sierra recommends at least a 1:8″ twist barrel to stabilize this bullet.”
This new MatchKing will compete with Berger’s vaunted 180gr 7mm VLD. It will be interesting to see how the two 180s perform head to head. If you are shooting a 7mm at long range, you should definitely try out the new .284-caliber Sierra MK (provided your barrel has a suitable twist rate).
New .338 Hunting Bullet and two New .257-Caliber Varmint Bullets
For the hunting crowd, Sierra has released a new .338-caliber bullet and two new .257-caliber projectiles. The new .338 is a 225gr, soft-point, flat-base Pro-Hunter in .338 caliber. Sierra’s goal with this new bullet was to provide a lower-recoiling .338 projectile that still offers plenty of hitting power.
For varminters, Sierra has introduced two new .25 caliber (.257 diam.) BlitzKing bullets, in 70 grain (Part #1605) and 90 grain (Part # 1616) sizes. The 70-grainer is a flat-base design, while the 90-grainer is a boat-tail. According to Sierra, these were created to provide enhanced long-range performance for 25-caliber varmint hunters. We predict the 90-grainer will also be an excellent target bullet. These bullets will be available in boxes of 100 bullets and 500 bullets as indicated below.
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January 7th, 2011
New from Sierra Bullets for 2011 are two new heavyweight bullets. The first, the much-awaited 180gr 7mm MatchKing, boasts an impressive 0.660 G1 Ballistic Coefficient. This should be great for
F-Classers. Sierra explains: “In response to requests from top level F-Class shooters, Sierra has designed an all-new MatchKing to provide a higher weight/higher B.C. alternative in our 7mm line. This bullet’s 12-caliber secant ogive and lengthened boat tail make it the perfect choice for the discerning 7mm long range shooter. Sierra recommends at least a 1:8″ twist barrel to stabilize this bullet.”
This new MatchKing will compete with Berger’s vaunted 180gr 7mm VLD. It will be interesting to see how the two 180s perform head to head. If you are shooting a 7mm at long range, you should definitely try out the new .284-caliber Sierra MK (provided your barrel has a suitable twist rate).
A New 225-grain, .338 Bullet for Game-Hunting
The second new bullet from Sierra is a 225gr, soft-point, flat-base Pro-Hunter in .338 caliber. Sierra’s goal with this new bullet was to provide a lower-recoiling .338 projectile that still offers plenty of hitting power. Sierra tells us: “The newest member of our Pro-Hunter line is the .338-caliber 225gr SPT Pro-Hunter. The flat-based design and lighter weight of this projectile make it a great choice for medium and large game. This is a perfect choice for those hunters seeking a reduced recoil alternative where a heavier bullet is not required.”
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April 28th, 2010
 Hey guys, here’s your chance to buy Berger Bullets at super-low prices. Berger has arranged an exclusive “Bullet Sell-Off” promotion for AccurateShooter.com readers. These bullets are not blems or damaged. They are mostly first-quality overruns. After yesterday’s sale, what’s left are primarily 22 caliber. Some are moly-coated but most are not. The prices are insanely low on these sell-off bullets. You can save $10 per 100 (or more) on some types.
Eric Stecker, Berger’s Master Bulletsmith, explains: “Over time we accumulate bullets that are either discontinued, overruns or were part of a test that is completed. These bullets are Match Grade and every bit the same as any Berger. Circumstances specific to each lot available is compelling us to release these bullets for very low prices. Below I’ve listed the quantity, description, lot, price and a brief explanation on why they are available for such a low price.”
Berger will sell these bullets for the next few days. To purchase the Special Sell-Off bullets, call Berger’s main line at (714) 447-5456 to place the order. Doing this will help keep things sorted out as the calls come in — first call, first served. UPDATE: The 17 Cal just sold out.
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January 7th, 2010
 Hodgdon Powder Company announced that an error occurred in printing of the 2010 version of the Hodgdon Annual Manual. Pages 108 and 109 in the manual, which cover 7mm caliber load data, appear in reverse order. But don’t despair — you can get a free correction from Hodgdon. Do not use the 7mm caliber data as it appears in the 2010 Hodgdon Annual Manual until the corrected copy is received.
Contact Hodgdon Powder Company for a free reprint of pages 108-109. You can phone 913-362-9455, fax 913-362-1307, or send email to help@hodgdon.com. You can also send postal mail to: Hodgdon Powder Co., 6231 Robinson, Shawnee Mission, KS 66202
All Hodgdon, IMR®, and Winchester® reload data is also available on-line at hodgdon.com, imrpowder.com, and wwpowder.com in the Reloading Data Center.
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July 31st, 2009
 This year’s 2009 World F-Class Championship was held at the historic Bisley Range in England, and UK Shooters served their country proud, winning the prestigious F-Open Team Competition and dominating the individual matches in both F-Open and F-TR classes. Great Britain’s F-Open shooters proved their mastery of the challenging Bisley course, posting a 3436-230V score to top the second-place American Team by 59 points (Team USA score was 3377-234V). The South African Team, defending Champions, finished third with a 3337-188V score.
UK Shooters truely dominated the Individual F-Open Championship, capturing ALL of the top ten places, lead by Gary Costello (1st Place) with 458-44V, followed close behind by fellow Brit Des Parr with 456-36V. That’s nine Brits and a Scot in the Top Ten. In the Individual Competition, F-TR division, Britain finished one/two at the top of the podium, with Russell Simmons (437-23V) winning the Gold, and countryman George Barnard (432-23V) winning Silver. American Stan Pate took third with a 420-25V score.
American F-Open Team Vice-Captain Shiraz Balolia, writing in his Bisley Blog, suggested that the windy conditions favored the 7mm caliber used by the home team Brits: “The individual World F-Class Championship is over. We essentially got overpowered by the 7mm guns. Bisley is not a range that you can win using 6.5mm guns, which is what the whole US Team is using. Of the top 10 positions, all but one were Brits with 7mm guns. The odd one was a Scot also with a 7mm gun.”
After the Team Match concluded, Shiraz wrote: “The British team won the World F-Class Open Championship. USA took second and South Africa third. The Brits beat us by 59 points and they were very surprised that we came that close to them. I believe that there were two main factors that worked very well for them. First and foremost was that they had full knowledge of their range and have been practicing on that range fairly regularly as a team for quite some time. Secondly, their 7mm guns were a good wind-bucking caliber that, when combined with good coaches (who have coached at that range for many years), gave them the results they were after. Someone made the comment to me that the Americans were improving by the day. Unfortunately, we ran out of days and it was game over. Our coaches did an outstanding job under very trying conditions. We beat the previous champs, South Africa, by 40 points.”
EDITOR’s NOTE: In the previous F-Open World Championships in South Africa, Team USA was defeated by the home team South Africans who were shooting 7mms. At Bisley in 2009, the same thing happened, with the Brits winning on their home turf, again using 7mms. Do we see the writing on the wall?
CLICK HERE for Complete F-Class Championships Results.
CLICK HERE for 2009 F-Class World Championship Photo Archive.
Americans Win F-TR Class
In the F-TR class the American Team powered to victory, haulting the British juggernaut. Under the leadership of Captain Darrel Buell, and coach Gary Rassmussen, shooters Brad Sauve, Dale Carpenter, Warren Dean, Monte Milanuk, Paul Phillips, Stan Pate, Jeff Rorer, and John Weil won the F-Class Restricted Teams Match with a 1581-76V score. The USA Rutland Cup Open Team of David Bailey, Mike Downey, David Gosnell, and Larry Taite, coached by Nancy Tompkins, also finished first, besting a strong Great Britain Red squad (second place), and Don Nagel’s third-place Connecticut Yankees.
All photos © 2009 by 762_AK, used by permission.
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November 2nd, 2008
 Among the most popular features on AccurateShooter.com are our signature Cartridge Guides. These combine all the key “data points” you need to load and campaign a particular chambering (such as .308 Win), or a set of similar caliber cartridges (such as the “Twenties”). Each Cartridge Guide features a cartridge diagram, load recipes, plus expert reloading tips and analyses of bullets, brass and other recommended components. How well-received are these guides? Well, our .308 Win Guide has been viewed over 360,000 times. Google “.308 Win” and you’ll find our .308 Guide right near the top.
We have just released a very comprehensive new Cartridge Guide for the 7mm “Accuracy Calibers”, namely 7mm-08, .284 Winchester, 7mm WSM, and 7mm Rem SAUM. The 7mm Guide contains a bullet ballistics analysis by NRA Palma Champ (and rocket scientist) Bryan Litz, plus contributions from F-Class National Champ Charles Ballard, and UK long-range record-holder Vince Bottomley. Our article compares the performance of the two short mags — WSM vs SAUM — and the results may surprise you. We also spotlight the impressive .284 Shehane, a “moderately” improved version of the .284 Winchester. With its additional 3.35 grains of powder capacity, the .284 Shehane can drive 180gr Bergers at 2950 fps. Jim Hardy has been shooting this cartridge with great success. And lately he has been testing his .284 Shehane with Alliant Reloder 17. The velocity results with Reloder 17 are quite remarkable — and it looks like the ES/SD does tighten up significantly at the top end.
Intrigued? CLICK HERE to read our new 7mm Cartridge Guide
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