Congratulations to the University of Nebraska’s Rachel Martin, the new 2015 NCAA Smallbore Rifle Individual Champion! Competing at an indoor range in Alaska, Rachel fired a Final score of 453.3 to edge runner-up Ryan Anderson of the Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks (452.6). The NCAA Championship Air Rifle matches will be held this weekend. You can view Live target images and results on the CMP Match Results Webpage.
In an interview with NRABlog.com, Rachel gave credit to her Cornhusker team-mates for helping her secure the championship.
NRA Blog: Rachel Martin never wanted to learn how to shoot. But thanks to a little prodding from dad, she eventually found a passion for the sport. A passion that brought her the 2015 NCAA National Smallbore Rifle Championship.
“It’s a little overwhelming right now,” she said after winning the title.
Emerging from a crop of 48 shooters…this Nebraska sophomore blazed through the opening rounds to earn a spot in the coveted final round. It was there that she held steady until making her move for the win.
“I was so nervous going in. Luckily I talked to my teammates and they told me I was here because God let me be here so have fun with it. That’s all I needed to hear.”
Alaska Wins Team Smallbore Event
In Team competition, the University of Alaska Nanooks won the 2015 smallbore rifle team championship. West Virginia University (WVU) finished second and University of Nebraska placed third. Full team results can be downloaded via this link. Currently, in Saturday’s Team Air Rifle Competition, the “home team” Nanooks are leading by a narrow 3-point margin over the WVU Mountaineers.
Rachel Martin poses with Nanook, University of Alaska’s mascot, at 2015 NCAA Rifle Championships.
It Was Wicked Cold in Alaska
Yes it was cold in Fairbanks. A member of the Jacksonville State University (JSU) rifle team snapped this image on Thursday. The caption said it all: “It’s just easier to make a sign out of ice than paper here I guess. It was -35° F when we got to the range this morning!
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Here’s an interesting video about three-position shooting. Produced by GOnra Media, this video demonstrates rifle hold and body alignment for prone, standing, sitting, and kneeling positions. Olympic Gold Medalist Jamie Gray demonstrates the proper stance and position of arms and legs for each of the positions. Ideally, in all of the shooting positions, the shooter takes advantage of skeletal support. The shooter should align the bones of his/her arms and legs to provide a solid foundation. A shooter’s legs and arms form vertical planes helping the body remain stable in the shooting position.
Anschütz now has its own importation hub in the USA. This new facility, located in Trussville, Alabama, will operate as a direct extension of the parent company, J.G. ANSCHÜTZ GmbH & Co.KG of Germany. Having its own importation facility will help Anschütz supply rifles to the American market more efficiently. Steven Boelter, President of Anschütz North American (NA) operations, tells us that that the new Alabama facility will allow Anschütz to import a wider range of products and carry a larger standing inventory. That’s good for rimfire and air rifle customers.
The new importation/distribution center will soon be supported by an in-house Anschütz service center that will handle warranty repairs and custom upgrades. This will offer Anschütz after-sales service for all company products, as well as warranty support, repairs, spare parts, and tech info. (This new service center will operate as an adjunct to other existing target and air rifle service centers within the USA.) Learn more about the soon-to-be launched service center at www.anschutznorthamerica.com.
Anschütz NA does not sell directly to consumers, but if you are interested in a particular Anschütz product, you can contact the Anschütz’s staff in Alambama. They will answer your questions or connect you with a current Anschütz dealer. The established Anschütz distribution chain and main dealer network in the US will continue to operate as before.
Anschütz North America www.anschutznorthamerica.com
7661 Commerce Lane
P.O. Box 129
Trussville, AL 35173-2837
Phone: 205-655-7500
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If you like sweet-shooting .17 HMR rimfire rifles, and appreciate fine German engineering, then you’ll love the Anschutz model 1727. Rarely seen on American shores, this is the only varmint rifle in the world using the super-fast, straight-pull Fortner action. Developed for Olympic Biathlon competitions, the Fortner action can be cycled in the blink of an eye. Just pull back the side-lever with your forefinger and then snick the bolt back with your thumb. This slick-cycling action has been used for many years in biathlon rifles, but the model 1727 is the first example of a Fortner varminter.
Our friend Steven Boelter, author of the Rifleman’s Guide to Rimfire Ammunition, has been able to test the Anschutz model 1727 extensively, both from the bench and in the field. Steven has published an outstanding online review of the model 1727, lavishly illustrated with great photos that show all the details of this unique firearm. We strongly recommend you visit Boelter’s Rimfire Research & Development Website (RRDVegas.com) and read his Anschutz 1727 Review.
Click Photo to Read Anschutz 1727 Review by Steven Boelter
After bench-testing the model 1727 for accuracy, and then using it on a ground squirrel safari, Boelter came away hugely impressed with this unique .17 HMR rifle:
The 1727 is truly a masterpiece; there really is no other way to look at it. I can’t think of any other rimfire action which remotely comes close in design or function, and executed at this level of precision.
The 1727 combines the accuracy of a single-shot match rifle, provides the convenience of a four-shot repeater, and cycles with nearly the speed of a semi-auto without fear of a dreaded case failure or “Ka-boom”. There’s really nothing else to say about the rifle. With virtually no short-comings in design or function, superb field performance and overall accuracy, it’s to be considered a 10 out of 10.
The only downside, Boelter explains, is the price: “The rifle alone has a suggested retail price of $3,500. When you add a nice set of Talley rings and bases along with a sharp Leupold scope, you’re approaching $5,000 USD. It’s completely out of reach for the majority of varmint hunters, and that is a shame.”
Anschutz 1727 Video Review from Australia. Amazing 50-yd accuracy at 12:00 time-mark.
Story tip by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
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If you’ve been following the Winter Olympics in Sochi, no doubt you’ve been watching Biathlon events. This combination of Nordic-style skiing and precision shooting is hugely popular in Europe. Biathlon requires great physical fitness levels, superior marksmanship skills, and of course, a very accurate .22 LR rifle.
This video shows biathletes at previous winter Olympics. Note how the straight-pull actions allow competitors to shoot rapidly without breaking their position (at the 1:00″ mark, the shooter takes five shots in ten seconds). Target racks are located 50m from the firing line. The targets, which flip from black to white when hit, are 45mm (1.8″) in diameter for prone, and 115mm (4.5″) in diameter for standing.
Biathlon rifles are sophisticated. The top competitors use rigs with slick, straight-pull actions, integrated magazine carriers, and ergonomic stock designs that work well for both prone and standing positions. The advanced slings use “bungee cords” to allow rapid deployment from on-the-back carry position (while skiing) to the shooting position.
One of the most popular Biathlon rifles is the Anschütz model 1827F Fortner. This features a straight-pull action with a two-stage trigger typically adjusted to 550 grams (19 ounces). The sprint version of the model 1827F weighs just 3.7 kg (8.16 pounds). Remarkably, even the magazines are optimized for “high-speed, low-drag” performance: “Shortened 5-shot magazines were laterally incorporated into the stock to reduce the surface on which the wind can act. Non-slip magazine bottoms make the handling of the loading process easier. An additional magazine release lever on the side makes an even faster exchange of the magazines possible.” (Anschütz brochure).
Credit Chris Cheng, Top Shot Season 4 Champion, for finding these photos of the model 1827F Fortner on theAnschütz website.
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If you watched the position and prone shooters at the 2012 London Olympic Games, you couldn’t help but notice the exotic rifles competitors were shooting. There were wood stocks, metal stocks, off the shelf rifles and customized specials. Why are there are so many different design features and stock types? To answer this question, the NRAblog’s editors called on Jessie McClain of the NRA Competitive Shooting Division.
“The customized rifles, like the Anschütz you showed me, can make a real difference in a shooter’s performance,” explained McClain. “I went from a decent shooter to making the varsity shooting team my freshman year because of the rifle.” As Jessie explained, one new feature out there is the adjustable stock, which she called the Porsche of the shooting world. Fully adjustable from the butt plate to the check piece to the hand stop and risers and bolt knobs, this component is fully customizable to the athlete … which can be a huge advantage. “Every person is different … a customizable rifle fits anyone. A rifle team can purchase four of these and field a shooting team for years.”
Not for Novices
The one warning she did have is that these are not for the novice shooter. Get a couple of years of shooting under your belt and then think about moving on to a customized rifle. That way, you can learn the basics before investing in the high dollar equipment. “You wouldn’t give your 16 year old a Ferrari for his first car, would you?”
The Modern Anschütz Position Rifle
Smallbore match rifle makers are using modern materials in response to the need for greater adjustability (and enhanced accuracy). One of the popular new designs is the Anschütz model 1913 position rifle with a “1918 ALU Precise” brushed aluminum stock. This looks like it has been crafted in an aircraft plant.
Kirsten Joy Weiss is one of America’s top smallbore shooters. Her many titles include the 2012 NRA National Women’s Smallbore 3P Championship. Using her Anschütz target rifle and Lapua ammunition, she has competed at top-level national and international events. To help demonstrate the fun of shooting, Kirsten has started her own YouTube Channel, Facebook Page, and her own website, www.KirstenJoyWeiss.com. There you’ll find shooting tips, gear reviews, and videos. Each week Kirsten does a new trick shot video. Here are three of our favorites.
Here Kirsten Drills the Center of Two Apples with One Shot:
In this Video, Kirsten Shoots from Pilates Position with Rifle Held Upside-Down (Wow!):
For this Trick Shot, Kirsten Shoots the Lead Tip off a Pencil without Breaking the Wood:
Kirsten Joy Weiss Competition Highlights
Kirsten is from Pennsylvania. A 3-time All-American in smallbore, Kirsten led the Univ. of Nebraska Cornhuskers to a 4th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Weiss was an NRA Second-Team All-American and was named to the CRCA All-Collegiate Team twice. In 2012, Kirsten was the top USA athlete-shooter at the Munich World Cup. She won the 2012 NRA Three-Position Women’s Smallbore Championship and also won the Standing Position, while finishing as the National Overall Woman Champion.
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Looking for a gift for a young shooter in the family? Perhaps a niece or nephew, grandson or grand-daughter? Then head over to the Pyramyd Air website. Pyramyd, the nation’s largest retailer of air rifles and air pistols, has a huge selection of airguns that can provide the perfect introduction to the shooting sports for a youngster. And right now, Pyramyd is running a 12 Deals of Christmas Special, with new bargains every day through December 15th. Pyramyd also offers FREE Shipping on orders over $150.00. That all adds up to impressive savings on gift items for this holiday season.
Pyramyd offers a vast collection of air rifles, from $35.00 Red Ryder BB guns to $3700.00 Olympic-class air Rifles from Anschutz and Feinwerkbau.
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Ruger recently announced the new Ruger American Rimfire™ series of bolt-action rimfire rifles, chambered in .22LR or .22 Magnum. These rifles feature an interesting convertible polymer stock and the .22LR versions can run 10/22 magazines. You could say the new rifles borrow features from the centerfire Ruger American Rifle® series, while offering mag interchangeability with 10/22 rimfire rifle. Ruger offers both full-sized (22″ barrel/13.75″ length of pull) and compact (18″ barrel/12.5″ length of pull) models, both of which are available in either .22 LR or .22 Magnum. All models have a suggested retail price of $329.00.
Comb Height Adjusts with Interchangeable Stock Modules
Ruger’s new rimfires feature interchangeable stock modules that provide variable comb heights. Standard models come with long length of pull modules, while compact models come with short length of pull modules. By simply removing the rear sling swivel stud, stock modules can be changed in seconds.
.22LR Models Can Use All 10/22 Magazines
Models chambered in .22LR feature the detachable, flush-mounted 10/22® BX1 10-round rotary magazine and accept all 10/22® magazines. Models chambered in .22 Magnum use the detachable, flush-mounted JMX1 9-round rotary magazine.
Dove-Tailed Action and Bolt with 60° Bolt Throw
Standard 3/8″ dovetails for rimfire rings are milled into the actions, which are also drilled and tapped for mounting Weaver-style bases. The 60-degree bolt can be removed with an easy-to-use, receiver-mounted bolt release that does NOT require a pull of the trigger.
Integral Bedding Block for Action
The new rimfire rifles also feature a patent-pending Power Bedding® integral bedding block system that positively locates the receiver and free floats the barrel. Additional features include a blued, hammer-forged barrel with fiber optic front sight and adjustable, folding leaf rear sight.
New Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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After shooting the new Anschutz model 1727 hunter, three simple words came to mind: “I want one”. This slick little rifle was this editor’s favorite new firearm at the 2013 Media Day at the range. At first glance, it’s just a simple hunting rifle with a European-style walnut stock. But a close look reveals something very special. This little sporting rifle, chambered in 17 HMR, features an advanced, straight-pull Fortner action. This is the same action design found on Anschutz’s top of the line $5000+ Biathlon Rifles. This new model 1727 was revealed for the first time in the world at Media Day.
The nickel-plated action is very smooth and easy to operate. You can flick the action open and closed with a quick movement of thumb and fore-finger (or you can use index finger alone). The adjustable trigger is light and smooth — as you would expect on an Anschutz. This trigger is light years ahead of what you’ll find on a typical factory varmint rifle — it’s that good.
While visiting the Anschutz booth at Media Day, we got to meet young Max Anschutz, who represents the sixth generation of rifle makers in the Anschutz family. Max demo’d the new model 1727 for us and then gave a “shout-out” (in both English and German) to fans of his family’s rifles on both sides of the Atlantic. For this editor, it was interesting to meet this young man as I have now interviewed Dieter Anschutz, his son Jochen, and now Dieter’s grandson, Max.
Watch Straight-Pull Anschutz 17HMR Rifle in Video
The new model 1727 should be available in the USA by mid-April. In the video, the Anschutz rep says the rifle would cost “around $2,000.00″. However, it appears he didn’t convert to U.S. currency correctly. Expect the actual price in the USA to be $3800.00 or higher. Initially, the model 1727 will be released in 17 HMR only. However, Anschutz reps stated that, sometime down the road, Anschutz might produce versions of this gun chambered for the 17 Hornet or new 17 Win Super Mag.
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Do you have an older Anschütz model 54-actioned match rifle with a press-in barrel? Perhaps you want to re-barrel your Anschütz to get a few more years of precision shooting out of the old warhorse? Or maybe you want to adapt the Anschütz to a modern stock design for Silhouette, Rimfire Benchrest, or Prone shooting. If you’ve got an older Anschütz m54 that needs re-barreling, you need to send it to a gunsmith who has a proven track record with the model 54s, a smith who can remove the original barrel properly and then install either a new press-in barrel, or a screw-in barrel (after threading the action).
Mark Penrod — Recommended Anschütz Smith
Forum member Edward (aka EAL22) suggests sending Anschütz rimfire projects to Mark Penrod in North Manchester, Indiana. Writing in our Shooters’ Forum, Edward states:
“Penrod can fix you up. He can either press fit [a new barrel] or thread your action [for a screw-in barrel]. He has built guns both ways. Here are some photos of his work. It’s not a bench gun but a nice Anschütz in a System Gemini stock.”
Forum member Bill B. concurs: “I second the suggestion that you send it to Mark Penrod. I’ve just got done working with him on a Hall rimfire action to which he fitted two barrels, a Benchmark and a Lilja. I am building a prone position rifle. He was easy to work with providing good communication, and he’ll do whatever is needed to make your rifle shoot its best.”
Other Recommended Smiths — Bruce Hongista and MT Guns
Another recommended rimfire smith is Bruce Hongisto. Forum member Steve W., a benchrest shooter, says: “My suggestion is to email Butch Hongisto at Hongisto [at] fidnet.com. Butch does amazing work and has made two rimfires for Lapua to use in their factory accuracy evaluations in Finland. Write Butch and ask him which way you should go. He knows his stuff.”
In California, Chesebro Rifles (the successor to Mac Tilton’s MT Guns) has a vast selection of older Anschütz match rifles. Gunsmith Mark Chesebro can rebarrel an older model 54 as well as adapt older Anschütz rifles to modern stocks. Mark even is working on converting single-shot model 54s to repeaters fitted with sturdy, inexpensive CZ detachable magazines. I’ve held the prototype repeater conversion with a 24″ barrel, and it is very cool. I predict the rimfire tactical guys will be lining up to buy these single-shot-to-repeater conversions. Availability is still a few months away. For more info, visit ChesebroRifles.com.
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Gary Elesio of Competition Machine has come up with a new product for smallbore shooters. Gary has a new H1 Tubegun Chassis for the Hall custom rimfire action, a very high-quality, single-shot action that can be fitted with a Jewell trigger. The new H1 Chassis, like other Elesio tubegun kits, features a fully-adjustable skeleton-style stock, and a tubular forearm. The forearm can be rotated so a sling-shooter can “dial in” the best angle for his hand-stop. We think this new H1 action should be popular with rimfire prone and position shooters who are looking for an affordable, all-American alternative to expensive European match rifles. Below is a “sneak peek” at Elesio’s new H1. This shows the H1 receiver housing fitted with a Picatinny-style rail. MSRP for the H1 has yet to be announced.
About the Hall Action
The $1075.00 Hall action is a high-quality, custom-crafted design built to benchrest standards. The action is 1 3/8″ diameter by 7 ” long and is made of 416 stainless steel, with heat-treated, tool steel locking lugs. The action features an Anschutz-type feed ramp, and it comes with a trigger housing which uses 40X Remington-type triggers (Jewell Remington triggers will work). The Hall action is currently available with either right or left port, but only right bolt.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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In an interview with NRABlog.com, Rachel gave credit to her Cornhusker team-mates for helping her secure the championship.
If you’ve been following the Winter Olympics in Sochi, no doubt you’ve been watching Biathlon events. This combination of Nordic-style skiing and precision shooting is hugely popular in Europe. Biathlon requires great physical fitness levels, superior marksmanship skills, and of course, a very accurate .22 LR rifle.
If you watched the position and prone shooters at the 2012 London Olympic Games, you couldn’t help but notice the exotic rifles competitors were shooting. There were wood stocks, metal stocks, off the shelf rifles and customized specials. Why are there are so many different design features and stock types? To answer this question, the NRAblog’s editors called on Jessie McClain of the NRA Competitive Shooting Division. 
Kirsten Joy Weiss Competition Highlights
After shooting the new Anschutz model 1727 hunter, three simple words came to mind: “I want one”. This slick little rifle was this editor’s favorite new firearm at the 2013 Media Day at the range. At first glance, it’s just a simple hunting rifle with a European-style walnut stock. But a close look reveals something very special. This little sporting rifle, chambered in 17 HMR, features an advanced, straight-pull Fortner action. This is the same action design found on Anschutz’s top of the line $5000+ Biathlon Rifles. This new model 1727 was revealed for the first time in the world at Media Day.
The nickel-plated action is very smooth and easy to operate. You can flick the action open and closed with a quick movement of thumb and fore-finger (or you can use index finger alone). The adjustable trigger is light and smooth — as you would expect on an Anschutz. This trigger is light years ahead of what you’ll find on a typical factory varmint rifle — it’s that good.
Mark Penrod — Recommended Anschütz Smith
