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October 31st, 2014
NEW PRODUCT REPORT by Dennis Santiago
At the recent Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches in Phoenix, I received a box of the all-new .30-06 Match-Grade ammunition from Dennis DeMille of Creedmoor Sports. My job was to test the ammo (at the Games) and write about it. This box was part of Creedmoor’s 3-million-round production run for the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). CLICK HERE for Ammo Sales.
Author Dennis Santiago (right) with Dennis Demille of Creedmoor Sports (left).
The new .30-06 “Match-Grade” ammunition from Creedmoor is impressive. This ammo is made from top-quality components: brand new Lapua .30-06 brass and 167gr Lapua Scenar bullets. The ammo, optimized for 200-yard CMP Games tournaments, runs at 2720 fps. DeMille says the Standard Deviation (SD) is very tight with this ammo — comparable with precision hand loads. The low SD reflects great attention to detail in ammo assembly. Creedmoor’s industrial loader is run at half-speed to improve consistency. Charges are thrown precisely — I believe in two (2) half-charges.
When you hold the ammunition up to the light, each round appears a perfect clone of each other round — something that cannot be said for some other factory ammo (even so-called “match ammo”). This is about a close as one is likely to get to a precision hand load. The good news is that Creedmoor plans to produce similar ammunition in other chamberings.
The economics of the ammunition are equally intriguing. This ammo is being sold by the CMP for $1.30 per round. Think about that — new .30-06 Lapua brass sells for around $100.00 per hundred cases. So, you get to fire a precision match round for about 30 cents and have premier once-fired brass for future use. The price per rounds tells me that CMP isn’t making money on this — it is being sold at near cost to promote marksmanship.
Great Ammo at a Great Price
In offering this new .30-06 ammo at an affordable price, the CMP is making it possible for non-reloading competitors to have the same quality of ammunition as those who handload with premium components. This will be a major improvement for shooters of m1903s and M1 Garands. I think this ammo can be real equalizer for those who do not currently hand-load their own .30-06 ammunition. The CMP and Creedmoor Sports are to be commended for collaborating on this game-changing product introduction.
Where to get the Creedmoor Sports CMP .30-06 Ammo
The CMP is now selling the Creedmoor-produced .30-06 ammo on the CMP website, item #4C3006CS167-100 (click the “e-Store” button to launch shopping cart). The retail price is $130.00 per 100-round case (i.e. two boxes). That works out to $1.30 per round.*
.30-06 Ammo Performance
When someone hands you a box of ammo with a challenge how can you not throw all your match plans out the door and play? I was planning to fire the CMP GSM match with my M-1 Garand the next day using 150gr SMK handloads but I said, “What the heck. Let’s go for it.” You get five sighters in a GSM match which is plenty to zero with new ammo.
The ammo is optimized for shooting 200-yd CMP matches with rifles like my as-issued DCM M-1 Garand.
I shoot the M-1 Garand matches with a rebuilt 5-digit receiver gun with a 1950s barrel refurbished at Anniston Armory that I got from the DCM back in the day when the postman delivered them. It shoots true and has garnered its share of Western Games trinkets over the years including a number of golds and one of those coveted M-1 EIC 4 points medals. It’s a good platform for the test. Sighters revealed the Creedmoor ammo shoots about two minutes higher impact versus my pet load. The tale of the tape said 96-2X slow prone, 93-1X rapid prone and 81-1X offhand totaling 270-4X. The DCM machine took home a bronze in 2014.
Accuracy and Consistency
This Creedmoor ammo is indeed amazingly consistent. The slow prone stage was a pure joy to shoot. This ammunition is “brutally honest”. It will reveal every little error you make be it defocusing on your front sight drenching in sweat under the Phoenix sun, not being fast enough to reset your NPA mid-string in your rapid as the big gun moves you around or just being jittery on your feet during the back half of your offhand. With this ammo I felt confident to trust that any error was mine after each shot. There was no wondering about the ammo. I knew its feedback was accurate. That is a huge thing to be that confident in one’s gun and ammunition. I never felt that confident with HXP or even my handloads. If anything, I now know that even my ammo for the M1 Garand and M1903A3 will benefit from the same careful case preparation and assembly as my tactical rifle or long range ammo.
*At the Western CMP Games this Creedmoor .30-06 ammo was sold at a discounted price of $1.15 per round. That’s an example of the great deals one can get by attending CMP competitions.
May 18th, 2014
Creedmoor Sports will be producing high-quality loaded ammunition very soon. This will be crafted with top-quality bullets, and premium-grade Lapua brass. General Manager Dennis DeMille tells us: “We received four pallets of brass today and we have 13,005 pounds of powder waiting for production.”
Here’s a preview of what will be on the market very soon:
Oh, the beauty of it — all that Lapua brass. From Finland with love….
What does 13,005 pounds (6.5 tons) of powder look like? That would last most reloaders a few seasons. Hoarders, eat your hearts out….
December 20th, 2013
 Here’s good news for target shooters and hunters — there’s a new supplier of quality, match-grade ammo. Creedmoor Sports will be manufacturing .30-06, .308 Win, and .223 Rem ammunition beginning in May of 2014. It will be sold as “Creedmoor Ammo”, with hunting and match versions.
Help Design the Box — Get a Free CASE of Ammunition
Creedmoor Sports is looking for help designing the packaging for its new ammo line. If you successfully come up with the best graphics to be printed on the box, you’ll receive a cases of ammunition. Dennis DeMille, Creedmoor’s General Manager explains: “The person whose artwork we use, or slight variation thereof, will receive their choice of the very first case of one of those three calibers of ammunition.” Dennis adds: “Look at these boxes as your blank canvas. The ammunition, all calibers, will be in boxes of 50, and in cases of 100 (two boxes of 50)”.
Creedmoor’s Box Design Goals (Things to Keep in Mind):
The packaging design needs to appeal to competitive shooters, recreational shooters, and hunters alike. While any one package might not appeal to all groups, we don’t want one group to look at the box and think “That’s not for me”.
The ammunition WILL be match quality (we don’t want to give away any more details just yet), but changing the projectile would make it a match quality hunting round. Ideally what we want is one box design that will be suited for all applications.
The name of the Ammo will be “CREEDMOOR AMMO”, however, we don’t want to use the Creedmoor bursting bomb logo. If you have ideas for a new logo, please share those concepts with us at Creedmoor.
Send your ideas directly to Dennis DeMille, at demille [at] creedmoorsports.com. Please put “NEW AMMO BOX DESIGN” in subject line so that it doesn’t get lost among the many emails.
April 12th, 2013
Our friends at Creedmoor Sports are in the final stages of the company’s move to Anniston, Alabama. To mark this event, Creedmoor is offering FREE Ground Shipping this week on most products (ammo, brass and bullets excluded). Creedmoor’s G.M. Dennis DeMille tells us: “We loaded one semi yesterday and four more are being filled here today. It’s going to take about four days to get to Alabama from California and a few days to get unpacked. As a token of our appreciation for your patience during our move, here’s a FREE Ground Shipping Coupon good all week long….”
FREE SHIPPING
Use coupon code MOVING2013
Excludes ammo, brass and bullets.
Ground shipping only. Contiguous states.
Not valid on previous orders.
No orders will be shipped until week of April 22. |
NOTE: Without the Coupon Code, the discount will not be applied. If you can’t get the coupon to work, put the Code in the bottom of the checkout page and we’ll remove the shipping charges before we charge your card. If there is ammo, brass, or bullets on the order, the Coupon Code will not work. |
February 7th, 2013
 On or before April 15th, 2013, Creedmoor Sports will cease all operations at its current Oceanside, California location and relocate to newly acquired facilities in Anniston, Alabama. Creedmoor has dubbed this move “Operation Roll Tide”.
Creedmoor Sports has secured its new Alabama headquarters facilities already, so the change-over should be very smooth. Customers can continue to place orders with the Creedmoor website and continue to use Creedmoor’s toll-free order line, 1-800-CREEDMOOR.
Dennis DeMille, Creedmoor Sports General Manager, explained the reasons behind the relocation: “The decision to move was based on several factors including: business climate, proximity to greater number of customers, employee pool, and growth potential. Our new facilities are located aboard old Fort McClellan, ten minutes North of CMP Headquarters in Anniston. Morris Building of Anniston began construction and renovation February 4th on the existing building and on a new addition.”
 Dennis adds: “We look forward to the increased opportunities this move provides and we appreciate your support during this transition. Many of our employees key to production and operations will be moving with us, thereby minimizing any potential disruption to service.”
New Creedmoor Sports Address:
Creedmoor Sports, Inc.
167 Creedmoor Way
Anniston, AL 36205
Creedmoor Sports will be very close to the CMP’s Anniston location and roughly 30 minutes (by car) from the CMP’s new 500-acre shooting facility (currently under construction).
Here is the entrance to Creedmoor Sports new Alabama facility, along with the new street sign on the nearest corner. You’ll find updates on Creedmoor’s “Operation Roll Tide” business move on the Creedmoor Sports Facebook Page.
December 13th, 2012
Here’s a cool new item for the avid shooters on your Xmas gift list. For this holiday season, Creedmoor Sports has created special package-wrapping paper with target graphics. The unique, heavy-weight gift wrap features Dennis DeMille’s High Power Rifle National Record Target score of 200-20x+100-8x at 200 yards. The 36″ x 24″ sheets are made from 60# stock with a gloss finish. Individual wrapping sheets cost $1.95 or you can buy five sheets for $7.95. This special wrapping paper with bullseye graphics is perfect for gifts to the shooters in your family, or for gifts a club may present to members at year’s end.
May 25th, 2012
 The 2012 CMP Eastern Games and Creedmoor Cup took place May 5-13, 2012 at Camp Butner, NC. CMP events ran May 5 through May 8, followed by the Creedmoor Cup matches May 9-12. In the Creedmoor Cup segment, SGT Sherri Gallagher won the overall individual Championship (and Match Rifle Division), shooting 2386-138X out of a possible 2400. Just one point behind was fellow USAMU shooter SSG Brandon Green, with 2385-123X. Sherri also won the Creedmoor EIC match. Sherri proved, once again, that she’s hard to beat when she’s “on her game”. Top Service Rifle shooter was Army Reservist CPT Samuel Freeman (2375-106X), followed by SSG Tyrell Cooper (2370-94X). USAMU Team Praslick won the 4-person Team Match Rifle Championship, while USAMU Team Peters won the 4-person Team Service Rifle Championship. CLICK HERE for complete 2012 Eastern Creedmoor Cup Match Results.
 Creedmoor Sports’ General Manager Dennis DeMille was “Top Shot” at the CMP Games. Dennis won the Garand Match by six points, and Dennis also took the coveted Three-Gun Aggregate Trophy. Glendale Rutherford won the Springfield Match, while Sean Leighton won the Vintage Military Match. The M1 Carbine Match had a high turn-out, with 99 shooters. William Bowling (360-4X) took top honors by one point over William Aten (359-2X). In the popular Rimfire Sporter Match, Jacob Guay (594-41X) edged Ron Villanueva (594-39X) on X-Count to win the title.
In another tightly contested match, the team of Douglas Armstrong and Kenneth Clowdis (390-13X) won the Vintage Sniper Team Match by one point over Paul Patel and Howard Burrill (389-16X) of team ‘Hardleg 1′. However, Paul Patel topped a huge field of 122 shooters to win the Individual Vintage Sniper Rifle Match, with a two-point margin over runner-up Doug Armstrong.
CLICK HERE for complete CMP Rifle Match Results. You can see a large collection of Eastern Games photos at the CMP online photo archive.
Photos Courtesy Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).
April 15th, 2012
Creedmoor Sports now sells authentic Springfield 1903 A3 and A4 rifles that have been re-stocked, re-barreled, and refinished by by Curt Wolfe at Rockridge Machine Works. If you have been interested in acquiring one of these rifles for use in Vintage Military Rifle matches, here’s some good news. As of April 2, 2012, the Rock Ridge Springfield 1903-A3 and A4 are now both recognized as Curios and Relics. This means that anyone possessing a valid 03 FFL (Curio and Relics Federal Firearms License) are now eligible to have these particular rifles shipped directly to them. (However, please check with local laws to see if other restrictions may apply — such as waiting periods and storage restrictions). The A3 variants start at $875.00 while the 1903 A4 “Sniper” model sells for $1135. The Rock Ridge A3s and A4s both feature turned-down GI Bolts, and NEW 1:10″ twist .30-06 original contour barrels.
The C&R status of the Rock Ridge 1903 A3/A4 has been confirmed by an April 2, 2012 letter issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). CLICK HERE to read ATF Letter.
Dennis DeMille, G.M. of Creedmoor Sports, reports: “These rifles are NICE! Issue condition nice. Much nicer than the one I set a National Record with.” The A4s feature original Remington actions with turned-down GI bolt, fitted to new 4 groove, 1:10″ twist barrels chambered in .30-06. All fire-control parts are original GI. The A4s come with walnut-stained reproduction “C” stock, Malcolm reproduction of original Weaver 330C (M73B1) scope, original GI buttplate, and repro GI military leather sling. The A3s have original Smith Corona M1903 actions, and click-adjustable iron sights. NOTE: Both the A3s and A4s use intact receivers, NOT re-welded decommissioned versions.
January 23rd, 2012
At SHOT Show, Creedmoor Sports’ General Manager, Dennis DeMille, spotted something that he thought would be a big hit with his customers — new builds of Springfield 1903-A3s and 1903-A4s using Remington or Smith Corona receivers with parkerized finishes. These rifles are built by Curt Wolfe at Rockridge Machine Works in Pennsylvania. DeMille learned about these rifles from Hornady’s Dave Emary, who gave Curt’s work at Rock Ridge a strong endorsement.
Dennis reports: “These rifles are NICE! Issue condition nice. Much nicer than the one I set a National Record with.” The A4s feature original Remington actions with turned-down GI bolt, fitted to new 30-06 4 groove, 1:10″ twist barrels chambered in .30-06. All fire-control parts are original GI. The A4s come with walnut-stained reproduction “C” stock, Malcolm reproduction of original Weaver 330C (M73B1) scope, original GI buttplate, and repro GI military leather sling. The A3s have original Smith Corona M1903 actions, click-adjustable iron sights, and will be available in both “Scant C” stocks and straight stocks. NOTE: Both the A3s and A4s use intact receivers, NOT re-welded decommissioned versions.
1903s Should Be Avaialble in Mid-February
Vintage military rifle shooters should find these rifles affordable. Dennis says: “We’ll be selling the A4s for $1,075.00, while the A3s will sell for $875.00. We should have some of all models in stock within a few weeks.” CLICK HERE for more info on Creedmoor’s new 1903-A3 or 1903-A4 rifles. Creedmoor Sports expects its first shipment from Rockridge in mid-February.
August 25th, 2011
 The August 2011 digital edition of Shooting Sports USA is available online — free for the reading. This issue contains a “must-read” expert symposium on the subject of Eye Dominance, as it affects both rifle and pistol shooting. No matter whether you have normal dominance (i.e. your dominant eye is on the same side as your dominant hand), or if you have cross-dominance, you’ll benefit by reading this excellent article. The physiology and science of eye dominance is explained by Dr. Norman Wong, a noted optometrist. In addition, expert advice is provided by champion shooters such as David Tubb, Lones Wigger, Dennis DeMille, Julie Golob, Jessie Duff, and Phil Hemphill.
Development of the 6.5 Creedmoor Cartridge
Also in the August Edition of Shooting Sports is a feature on the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge. This story covers the origin of the cartridge and its performance both as a match cartridge and as a hunting round. Hornady Chief Ballistician Dave Emary explained: “the original intent of the cartridge was as an across-the-course match cartridge. We envisioned it as an off-the-shelf round that would produced the accuracy and ballistics to compete in all match disciplines right out of the box. At the same time we realized that the same characteristics would make an exceptional hunting cartridge with the right bullets.”
 6.5 Creedmoor Brass No Longer Washed After Annealing
Here’s an interesting update on Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor brass and loaded ammo. In a move to improve case quality and neck uniformity, Hornady recently changed the 6.5 Creedmoor production process, eliminating the case-washing step after annealing. So now you will see annealing coloration on 6.5 Creedmoor brass, just like on Lapua brass. Dennis DeMille of Creedmoor Sports wanted to improve the consistency/uniformity of 6.5 Creedmoor case-necks. At Dennis’ suggestion, Hornady conducted tests which showed that the “standard industry practice” of washing brass could potentially alter the necks in undesirable ways. Bottom line, unwashed annealed brass was determined to have an accuracy edge over washed brass. Looking at these results, Hornady decided to forgo the post-anneal washing process. As a result, the latest 6.5 Creedmoor brass now displays the distinctive coloration left by neck/shoulder annealing. Learn something new every day, eh?
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