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October 5th, 2014
We recommend that all hand-loaders have a couple reliable reloading manuals as reference guides. Berger, Hornady, and Sierra all offer well-respected load manuals. These can provide starting load information for a wide variety of cartridge types and bullet selections. We do like to cross-check any printed load recipes with current online data, to ensure you have the latest info.
Along with a good load manual, those getting started in metallic cartridge reloading can benefit from a good basic reloading treatise. There’s a new intro guide from the publishers of Gun Digest.
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The New Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide To Reloading, by Phillip Massaro, was created for shooters new to reloading. This is a good starting point for those who want to learn to hand-load safely and efficiently. Hundreds of photos illustrate the text — and we all know a picture can be worth a thousand words.
After discussing the benefits of hand-loading, Massaro’s book covers the basics of metallic cartridge reloading, step by step. Along the way Massaro recommends appropriate presses and tools for reloading both pistol and rifle cartridges. Massaro also explains the variations in bullet and powder types, and how they affect ballistics. In addition, Massaro includes a “Specialty Situations” chapter that reveals common reloading mistakes and issues and offers practical solutions. This section on avoiding common mistakes is one of book’s best features. We wish all reloading guides had a similar section. |
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Editor’s NOTE: This book will be released next week. Accordingly, we have not seen the final, printed version yet. At $14.79, the Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to Reloading is relatively inexpensive. The sample chapters we reviewed provided good basic information in a well-organized fashion. Certainly, we would not tell advanced reloaders and/or competition shooters to rush out and buy this book. However, for folks getting started in hand-loading, this resource should be helpful.
September 26th, 2014
 So, you want to put five shots through one hole at 100 yards? That may be asking a bit much, but with the right rifle, the right technique, and the right load, you might just be able to shoot “in the ones” (i.e. a group measuring 0.1 to 0.199 MOA). You could consume a lot of time and money trying to achieve this level of precision. Or you could learn from “the man”, Tony Boyer, unquestionably the most successful shooter in the history of short-range benchrest competition.
You can literally “go inside Boyer’s brain” by reading his 323-page treatise, The Book of Rifle Accuracy. First published in 2010, this is a beautiful book, full of color photos from cover to cover. Every serious benchrest shooter should read Tony’s book. He has dominated registered benchrest in a fashion that will never be duplicated. Tony Boyer has 164 U.S. Benchrest Hall of Fame points. The next closest shooter, Lester Bruno, has 48 Hall of Fame points. (Totals current 9/21/13).
The full-color book is 323 pages long, with color photos or color illustrations on nearly every page. The hard-cover edition costs $42.50, while the soft cover version is $34.50. Purchase from Amazon.com, or you can buy directly the publisher by visiting www.RifleAccuracyBook.com. The Boyer books are also available from Bruno Shooters Supply, 1-800-455-0350.
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Hard-Back Edition
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The Book Of Rifle Accuracy, By Tony Boyer
September 2nd, 2014
 Our friend Chip Lohman, Editor of NRA’s Shooting Sports USA magazine, has authored an important new book, NRA the Rest of the Story. It’s about the NRA, but it is definitely NOT a political treatise. Rather it examines all the myriad things the NRA does — from safety seminars for kids to running the National Matches at Camp Perry.
Chip explains the “mission” of his new book: “Having worked in NRA’s Youth Program Division and now within the shooting sports community, I’ve wanted to help offset misconceptions in the news about our sport and the people that make it special. By creating a short, inexpensive book that can be passed along by a friend, perhaps some balance can be added to misleading media ‘sound bites’ about the shooting sports and firearms.”
Share the Book
Chip hopes shooting sports enthusiasts will “pass the book along for others to read, especially those who may be on the fence about firearms. For every book sold, I can give two away.”
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“From a multi-faceted man (Marine, teacher, sailor, and editor) comes this many-sided little book that sparkles with bits of information about the NRA’s history and current mission. No polemics, just useful nuggets of data that the publics would be unlikely to encounter otherwise.
This book will not change the minds of dedicated anti-gunners, but it could make the difference in the hands people who want to get the story right, but are too busy to do the research themselves.
– Dr. Judy Tant, National Pistol Champion |
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August 27th, 2014
Top Shot Season 4 Champion Chris Cheng has written a new shooting skills book, Shoot to Win. This book is designed primarily for new shooters looking to master basic techniques. However, it also provides tips for all competitors, no matter what their skill levels. On the Top Shot TV show, Cheng was able to beat many more experienced marksman because he was smart, he trained methodically, and he had excellent fundamentals. He showed the world that a relative novice with proper training can prevail in head-to-head competition over more experienced shooters who may have acquired “bad habits” (technique flaws) over the years.
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Chris Cheng won the title of “Top Shot,” a $100,000 cash prize, and a professional shooting contract. How did a tech support guy with limited shooting experience beat out 17 other competitors — including military snipers, police officers, and seasoned shooting pros? Well, that’s the question this book answers. Cheng covers his approach to staying calm under pressure, teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership.
Chris was excited about his new book: “Shoot to Win is coming out October 7th! This has been almost two years in the making….” The book is primarily a treatise on beginning rifle, pistol, and shotgun marksmanship. The book also how explains how Chris trained for, and then won the Top Shot competition. If you are interested in Shoot to Win by Chris Cheng, you can pre-order the hard copy book at Amazon.com right now (for October 7, 2014 release). An eBook version will be coming out later this fall as well. |
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August 15th, 2014
 Readers often ask us: “Is there a decent, easy-to-comprehend book that can help my wind-reading?” Many of our Forum members have recommended The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters by Linda Miller and Keith Cunningham. This 146-page book, published in 2007, is a very informative resource. But you don’t have to take our word for it. If you click this link, you can read book excerpts and decide for yourself. When the Amazon page opens, click the book cover (labeled “Look Inside”) and another screen will appear. This lets you preview the first few chapters, and see some illustrations.
Other books cover wind reading in a broader discussion of ballistics or long-range shooting, such as Applied Ballistics for Long-Range Shooting by Bryan Litz. But the Miller & Cunningham book is ALL about wind reading from cover to cover, and that is its strength. The book focuses on real world skills that can help you accurately gauge wind angle, wind velocity, and wind cycles.
All other factors being equal, it is your ability to read the wind that will make the most difference in your shooting accuracy. The better you understand the behavior of the wind, the better you will understand the behavior of your bullet. — Wind Book for Rifle Shooters
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The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters cover the techniques and tactics used by expert wind-readers. There are numerous charts and illustrations. The authors show you how to put together a simple wind-reading “toolbox” for calculating wind speed, direction, deflection and drift. Then they explain how to use these tools to read flags and mirage, record and interpret your observations, and time your shots to compensate for wind. Here are some reviews from actual book buyers:
I believe this is a must-have book if you are a long-range sport shooter. I compete in F-Class Open and when I first purchased this book and read it from cover to cover, it helped me understand wind reading and making accurate scope corrections. Buy this book, read it, put into practice what it tells you, you will not be disappointed. — P. Janzso
If you have one book for wind reading, this should be it. Whether you’re a novice or experienced wind shooter this book has something for you. It covers how to get wind speed and direction from flags, mirage, and natural phenomenon. In my opinion this is the best book for learning to read wind speed and direction. — Muddler
As far as I know this is the only book of its type. It’s very well written in a way that’s easy to understand for such a complex subject. The charts and graphs are extremely helpful. It’s a bit on the short side at about 146 pages but still packed with knowledge. — R. Johnson |
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August 4th, 2013
 The 13th Edition of Cartridges of the World is a handy reference that contains illustrations and basic load data for over 1500 cartridges. The latest edition (released in October 2012) includes 55 new cartridges. This important reference guide can be ordered through Amazon.com for $24.73. Cartridges of the World, the most widely-read cartridge reference book, is now even more comprehensive, with 55 new cartridges added since the last edition including popular wildcats and new offerings for AR-platform rifles.
The 13th Edition of Cartridges of the World (ISBN: 9781440230592) includes updated cartridge specs, plus essays by leading writers on the topics of SAAMI guidelines, wildcatting, and new cartridge design trends. Cartridges of the World is the most authoritative cartridge reference guide in print. If you are a cartridge collector or are interested in the history of cartridge development, this book is a “must-have” resource.
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Cartridges of the World by author Frank C. Barnes was first published in 1965. The 13th Edition is edited by Richard Mann, a contributing editor for Shooting Illustrated and American Rifleman magazines. Frank Barnes (1918-1992) began collecting information on handgun cartridges at the early age of 12, thanks to his father, a police officer. Frank Barnes was an innovative cartridge designer, who invented the original 308 x 1.5″ Barnes, predecessor of the 30BR case. Before Frank began a law enforcement career, he was a college professor. Frank was also a pilot, and a race-car driver. Learn more about Cartridges of the World (13th Ed.) at www.gundigest.com. |
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February 4th, 2013
Nancy’s book is finally shipping! The updated Second Edition of Nancy Tompkins’ book, Prone and Long Range Rifle Shooting, is now in stock and can be ordered from RifleShootingbyNancy.com. Price is $45.00 including shipping in USA, or $59.00 with shipping in Canada (overseas price is $68.00).
The Second Edition is bigger and better than ever. The new, 382-page Second Edition features color photos, and the book is now a hardback for greater durability. The Second Edition contains a new section on F-Class shooting and you’ll find new and updated information throughout the book. Nancy, the first woman to win the NRA National High Power Championship, is one of the greatest competitive rifle shooters in history. In her book she shares insights that can assist rifle shooters of all levels, in a wide range of disciplines. You’ll learn about shooting fundamentals, wind/mirage reading, body positioning, sling use, gear selection, match preparation, visualization techniques, and much, much more. The book also includes sections by Middleton Tompkins on reloading, equipment, and building a Palma rifle.
CLICK HERE for Complete Topic List by Chapter.
 Nancy Tompkins — A Truly Legendary Rifle Shoter
Nancy Tompkins has been shooting competitively for over 38 years. She has won the National Long Range Championships 4 times (1986, 1997, 1999 and 2003), the across-the-course National High Power Championships (1998), the Metric Smallbore Nationals (2012) and the Fullbore Nationals (2012).
Nancy has also been the Wimbledon Cup winner (1993) and a 7-time Leech Cup winner (1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2011 and 2012). She has won both team and individual medals in the World Championships and has been on seven Palma Teams (as both a shooter and a coach).
January 12th, 2013
 By Danny Reever
Shooters’ notebooks (aka “data books” or “log books”) allow the shooter to record critical shot data and general information. To log data, I’ve seen everything used from simple note cards to huge ledger books and everything in between. I’ve tried many of the commercial logbook offerings as well as some of the military-type sniper data books. Invariably they lack some “mission critical” information pages, while being stuffed with pages that aren’t useful at all. One ends up discarding non-useful pages only to be left with a shortage of really functional pages.
Given the shortcomings of most commercial data books, I resorted to making my own logs using simple spiral notebooks. That was until I discovered Impact Data Books, created by Tony Gimmellie, a competitive shooter and USMC vet who served seven years as a Marine Scout Sniper. While in the military, Tony made his data books for himself and for other Marines because commercial offerings lacked important (and even essential) features.
After Tony left the Marines in 2001 he set out to create modular data books with removable, replaceable pages. Some years later, Tony met Tom Challey who brought much-needed design and layout skills to the project. Starting in 2009, Tony and Tom began selling Impact Data Books. Customized Impact Data Books are now used by the U.S. military, federal and state law enforcement agencies, gun manufacturers, and by well-known shooting schools. Standardized, pre-made Impact Data Books are sold by MidwayUSA and other vendors. Two sizes are offered: the standard 9 1/8″ by 6.5″ book or a 5.5″ x 4 1/4″ pocket-sized version.
TAB GEAR Cordura covers for large or small Impact Data Books are $42.00 from Riflesonly.com.
Review of Impact Data Books
 The first thing that you will notice about an Impact Data Book is the durable Poly-carbonate three ring binder. The tough plastic covers have been scored so that the book lays open flat and won’t accidently close. Covers come in two colors: tan with the Impact Data Book logo in black, or black with logo in red. The standard page material is heavy, 80-weight executive stock, or, for a slight additional charge, you can get “Rite in the Rain” water-resistant stock.
Each Impact Data Book comes with a set of standard pages that include: wind observation, general ballistic tables, range estimation, size of objects reference, yards to meters conversion tables, common conversion formulas, leads for moving targets, angle fire information, mil-value adjustments, and MOA-adjustment values. You then can choose among eight (8) sets of ten double-sided pages to augment the basic reference pages.
Impact Data Books offer many alternative page formats. Drawing from over 250 different page designs, you can optimize a modular book for your individual needs. If you shoot short range benchrest, 600- or 1000-yard benchrest, F-class, NRA Service rifle there are pages for you. Want blank pages, grids, circles, animal silhouettes, drills, special shapes, even Shoot-N-C targets? Impact Data Books offers those pages too. And if you still can’t find what you need, Tony and Tom can customize a page for you or your organization, optimized for your discipline(s).
The complete modular book will have 100 double-sided sheets providing the shooter with 160 data collection pages, 20 pages of reference material, plus 3 round-count pages, 3 note pages, 2 sniper range cards, and two field sketch pages. Over all, you’ll have 200 pages optimized for your needs. In the real world, that’s far more useful than any “off-the-shelf” data book filled with many pages you don’t need or want.
What Do They Cost?
A pre-made Impact Data Book, such as the F-Class book, costs $32.00. You’ll pay $42.00 for a fully-customized 200-page (100 sheets) modular data book. Additional page sets can be added for just $3.99 per set of ten double-sided pages.
Danny’s Custom GroundHog Match Data Book
I shoot a lot of GroundHog/Varmint Matches. For these competitions, I wanted a book that would work at many different club matches yet adapt to each club’s particular yardages and course of fire. I worked with Tony to come up with a GroundHog Match book that contains: one set of index pages with wind charts etc.; 40 double-sided GroundHog Match sheets; one shooters info/rifle info page; 10 load development sheets; 10 round-count sheets; 10 blank end-of-fire data sheets; 5 note pages; and 5 come-up sheets.
I think any shooter involved in groundhog shoots or fun varmint matches can benefit from this GroundHog Match Data book, priced at $32.00. You can order from me, we3reevers [at] embarqmail.com, or order directly from Impact Data Books, P.O. Box 223, King George, VA 22485.
January 2nd, 2013
 By Michael Bussard, edited by John B. Allen, David Kosowski, Charles F. Priore, Jr.
If you’re a serious shooter, the latest 4th Edition of the Ammo Encyclopedia (released in August, 2012), belongs in your library. This 972-page book is probably the most comprehensive and up-to-date book in print covering current and obsolete cartridges and shotshells. Bussard’s Ammo Encyclopedia is a massive resource work. The 4th Edition now boasts over 100 chapters.
One of the best features is a 12-page color section depicting actual size drawings of 265 current rimfire/centerfire cartridges and shotshells. You won’t find that many “life-size” cartridge drawings in one place even on the internet. Cartridge profiles and ballistic charts have been expanded to include all new factory cartridges. The authors have even included air rifle pellets and historical images and charts. Softcover, 972 pages.
| Comments from guys who bought the book:
“This book contains a vast array of information on many modern and even obsolete ammunition. Definately recommend for any modern reloader novice or experienced.” – Duggaboy460
“It’s a great reference book for individuals who reload their own ammunition. There is a lot more info in this Edition. Everyone who likes this information should have it in their library.” – Reloader
“I like the general and technical comments that are available for each and every cartridge. Information that predicts if a cartridge will stay in production for many more years or rapidly become obsolete.” – RSL1 |
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December 14th, 2012
 Nancy Tompkins has been working on a new Second Edition of her popular book: Prone and Long-Range Rifle Shooting. Nancy just announced that the final proof has been submitted to the printer (at last), and the book should be available in six weeks, i.e. early February, 2013. Nancy posted today: “Mid gave me roses last night after I sent the proof for book to the printer. Yay! After thousands of hours of work… I AM DONE! In six weeks it will be a book.”
The enhanced Second Edition will feature updates to the current chapters, more photos, plus an entirely new chapter on F-Class Shooting. The Second Edition will be issued with a hardback cover, for increased durability. Price isn’t set yet, but Nancy hopes to keep the price “under $40.00″. The book will be available from Sinclair Int’l and direct from Nancy via her website, RifleShootingbyNancy.com.
Author Profile: Nancy Tompkins has been shooting competitively for over 33 years. She has won the National Long Range Championship four times. Nancy was the first woman in history to win the National High Power Championship (a feat accomplished by only two ladies, the other being Nancy’s daughter Sherri Jo Gallagher). Nancy has also been the Wimbledon Cup winner, and a 5-time Leech Cup winner. She has won both team and individual medals in the World Palma Championships, and has been on 6 Palma Teams (as both a shooter and a coach).
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