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February 17th, 2009
A new study by Target Sports Marketing, based on surveys of Camp Perry competitors, provides some interesting facts. First, and this is no surprise, more than 80 percent of competitive shooters reload their own ammunition. The majority of these shooters (60 percent) compete year-round while a larger percentage (70 percent) practice year-round.
Shooters in 50s and 60s Outnumber Younger Participants
Interestingly, there is a significant “generation gap” among shooters. According to the survey, shooters in their 50s compose the largest segment of competitive rifle shooters. And, the combined number of rifle shooters in their 50s and 60s exceeds all other age categories combined. Keep in mind, Camp Perry focuses on traditional NRA High Power, Palma, and long-range events. Were you to survey other disciplines (such as 3-Gun Matches), you’d likely find a different age distribution. Nonetheless, the numbers do demonstrate the need to increase the number of younger rifle competitors. Unless there is a major effort to attract new, younger shooters, it appears that competitive rifle shooting could decline in popularity dramatically in a decade or so, as the Age 50s cohort gets older.
The findings are based on the feedback of nearly 400 rifle and pistol competitors at the 2008 U.S. National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, hosted by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). The study focuses on individual competitor demographics, shooting sports engagement and brand preferences for firearms, ammunition, components and accessories. An animated, narrated summary of the report is available at css.targetsportsmarketing.com. Definitely click the link — many interesting facts are revealed. This particular presentation focused on 186 CMP competitors, two-thirds of whom were rifle shooters.
Graphs and data created by Target Sports Marketing for the CMP.
February 10th, 2009
 The ladies beat the gents at the 2009 Arizona Long-Range Championship at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. Nancy Tompkins (photo left) triumphed over 50 other shooters to win the main 1K event with a spectacular 600-36X, followed by Michelle Gallagher (of Berger Bullets) who shot 598-28X. Trudie Fay was the top shooter in Palma (.308) class. Way to go ladies! In this event, competitors shot prone (with sling) at 1000 yards. There were 60 rounds for record over two days, with two “any sights” stages, and one “iron sights” stage; the second “iron sights” stage was cancelled due to a sudden and severe hail storm.
Savage Tubegun Wows the Crowd at Ben Avery
Tubegun builder Gary Eliseo finished third overall with 596-27X. Gary’s performance shocked many fellow shooters … not because Gary doesn’t have the skills, but because he shot a 200-12x and a 199-6X on Day One with a Savage-actioned rifle. That’s right, Gary was shooting a prototype S1 Tubegun built with an out-of-the-box Savage Target Action with factory Accutrigger. Gary told us: “To be honest, like everybody else, I was amazed at how well that Savage shot. And I did no modifications or accurizing to the action whatsoever. All I did was lap the outside of the action to the S1 chassis for a better fit.”
German Salazar believes the Savage Tubegun is a very important development: “Here’s an affordable long-range prone rifle that can be assembled by the shooter with simple tools. Get a prefit barrel with barrel nut and you don’t even need a gunsmith. You save money, and just as importantly, you save time — no more year-long waits to get your rifle built.”
Plenty of 6mm Rifles on the Firing Line
While the match winner and runner-up were shooting 6.5-284s, the majority of the remaining Top 10 finishers were using a 6mm cartridge of some kind. Gary Eliseo finished third shooting a 6BR Improved (BRX), Randy Tesseidre finished fourth, also with a 6BRX, and German Salazar finished fifth shooting a 6XC and four of the next five finishers also shot 6mm cartridges. This may evidence a trend towards the smaller caliber over the 6.5mm. Why are we seeing more 6mm cartridges used at 1000 yards? According to German Salazar: “The answer is pretty simple — higher scores. Many (but certainly not all) shooters have found their scores increase when shooting 6mm cartridges, as opposed to the 6.5-284 or even the 7mms. The reasons are more consistent vertical and less recoil, and those two factors are related. With less recoil it’s easier to maintain the precise hold needed to shoot 10s and Xs throughout the match.” Third-place finisher Gary Eliseo also feels that some of the 6mm cartridges may be easier to tune than the 6.5-284. “I shoot the 6BRX”, Gary explained, “it’s an amazing little cartridge–easy to load for. With Berger VLDs seated into the lands it’s super-accurate and really holds tight elevation.”
More Match Results on Desert Sharpshooters Website
Complete Match Results are available on the Desert Sharpshooters website. The Top Three F-Class shooters (in order) were Jim Murphy, Larry Bartholome, and Jeff Cochran, while John Brewer was F-Class High Senior. The Palma match for .308 rifles, held on Friday, was tightly contested. Among the 48 Palma competitors in Friday’s match (not part of the championship aggregate), the top five finishers were Eddie Newman (445-26X), Gary Eliseo (444-25X), David Littlefield (444-21X), Trudie Fay (443-29X), and Steve Cunico (442-26X). Trudie was the High Women shooter while Steve was High Senior.
October 24th, 2008
In our Gun of the Week section, we’ve featured Gary Eliseo’s innovative R5 Tubegun, chambered in 6mmBR. Gary produces an accurate, ergonomic, and affordable Kit for Cross-the-Course and High Power Shooters. Now Creedmoor Sports has introduced a new, complete rifle based on a second-generation Eliseo system. And the big news? The Creedmoor CSR-1 is designed to shoot the popular medium-sized cartridges: 6XC, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Winchester. (It is also available in .223 Rem.) The new CSR-1 offers sling-shooters a complete, turn-key rifle that rivals the performance of the Tubb 2000 for less money. (The Creedmoor CSR-1 costs $3750.00 complete with adjustable butt stock, but not sights). With the capability of shooting the .308 Winchester, the CSR-1 should also be popular with Palma and even F-TR shooters (who could also shoot the gun in .223 Rem).
The CSR-1 custom match rifle is optimized for across-the-course or long-range shooting. Built around a custom Pierce Engineering action, this new rifle features a 28” Broughton 5C (canted lands) barrel, a Gary Eliseo stock, +15 MOA sight rail, a superb, 2-stage Jackson Trigger with adjustable trigger shoe plus a fully adjustable (and removable) rear stock. Friends, these are ALL top-of-the-line components. Lefties rejoice! The CSR-1 will be offered in BOTH right-handed AND left-handed versions. To allow further shooter fit adjustment, the tubular front hand guard can rotate 15° from center in either direction.
The rifle also includes two (2) custom single-stack 5 round magazines, a single-round loading device (SLED), two (2) removable butt stock 4.8 oz. weights, plus an adjustable hand stop. The adjustable buttstock is top of the line. It can adjust for length of pull, drop, cheekpiece height, and cant angle. Rifle weight (without sights) is 13.25 lbs. Estimated all-up weight (with sights) is 14.75 lbs. Creedmoor Sports also offers a recommended sight kit for $797.90. This includes: Phoenix Top Mount ¼ minute rear sight, Gehmann 510 adjustable rear iris, T2K Ladder front sight with level and extra mount, and Gehmann 2.4 – 4.4mm adjustable front iris.
Shown below is a video of Gary Eliseo shooting his R5 Repeater chambered in 6BR. The new CSR-1 will be a very similar gun, albeit with a superior Pierce action inside and a larger magazine system capable of holding up to .308-sized cartridges.
Special Offer — FREE Ammo or Kalispel Gun Case
If you purchase a CSR-1 rifle before January 9th, 2009, Creedmoor Sports will kick in one FREE case of 6.5 Creedmoor ammo (must be chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, does not apply to other calibers) OR a free Kalispel aluminum gun case. For more info, visit CreedmoorSports.com. You can request a catalog through the website or by calling 800-273-3366.
June 19th, 2008
Dennis DeMille is a past Camp Perry National Champion, and one of the nation’s top High Power shooters. Since retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps, Dennis has served as the General Manager of Creedmoor Sports in Oceanside, California. We recently had the chance to interview Dennis at the Creedmoor offices. With his decades of competitive experience, Dennis has a wealth of knowledge. In this 3-minute interview, Dennis shares insights into the High Power shooting game. He discusses the most effective ways to train for competition, the fundamentals of good marksmanship, and how to recognize and perfect your natural point of aim. Dennis also offers solid advice on how to get the best “bang for your buck” when choosing shooting accessories for High Power and Across the Course competition.
CLICK HERE to WATCH DeMille Interview VIDEO
During our visit to Oceanside, Dennis gave us a tour of the Creedmoor facility. He confirmed that all the new Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor components are in stock: dies, bullets, brass, and loaded ammunition.
Dennis also explained the manufacturing process for Creedmoor’s popular shooting coats. All these shooting jackets are hand-crafted in Oceanside by experts with years of experience. Special templates are used to ensure each coat perfectly fits its new owner.
June 7th, 2008
Carl Bernosky is one of America’s top marksmen, having won the NRA High Power Rifle Championship at Camp Perry eight times, most recently in 2007. What you may not know is that Carl is also a highly skilled and respected stock-maker. He produces stock blanks for Master Class Stocks, and he also sells a variety of designs in both laminated and fancy wood. Visit CarlBernosky.com to see the full selection.
While Carl specializes in target stocks such as the prone stock shown above, he also offers varmint and hunting patterns. Shown below are some of the stocks available from his inventory. Carl also has a stock duplicator and he can reproduce the shape and features of a favorite stock you may already own. Stock blanks, uninletted and unfinished, start at $200.00. Stock duplication for standard hunting style stocks starts at $150.00
Carl also does gunsmithing — from rebarreling jobs to building complete custom rifles. Shown below is a custom, 280AI tactical rifle Carl built on a trued Rem 700 action with Broughton barrel and Master Class Prone Stock.
November 7th, 2007
Hornady has announced a new, 6.5mm cartridge designed for Across-the-Course and High Power shooters, and 3-gun competitors. (We think the new round may also prove very popular with hunters and tactical shooters.) Dubbed the 6.5 Creedmoor, the cartridge is smaller than a .260 Remington (.308-size case) but larger than the 6.5×47 Lapua. Measuring 1.920″ from base to mouth, 6.5 Creedmoor brass features a 30° shoulder and minimal body taper. Case capacity is “right around 53.0 grains of H20″ according to Hornady. The 6.5 Creedmoor uses a large rifle primer and large flash hole.
Hornady says its 6.5 Creedmoor is designed to operate at “standard” .308 Winchester pressures, for increased “barrel and case life”. The 6.5 Creedmoor factory ammo is loaded to “under 60,000 psi” according to Hornady engineers. That’s quite a bit less than the 62,000 psi SAAMI max pressure limit for the .308 Winchester, or the 63,090 rated max psi of the 6.5×47 Lapua. Compared to max-loaded 6XC or 6.5×47 cases, the lower-pressure 6.5 Creedmoor should, theoretically, provide good barrel life. Dennis DeMille, who has been testing the factory 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, reports that the factory ammo is “not on the ragged edge at all–pressures are ‘sensible’, with excellent reliability as a result.”
6.5 Creedmoor Loaded Ammo Specifications
| Bullet |
COAL (max) |
Powder |
Grains |
Primer |
Velocity |
PSI |
| 120gr Amax |
2.820″ |
H4350 |
43.5 |
LrgR |
3020 fps |
under
60,000 |
| 140gr Amax
| 2.820″ |
H4350 |
41.2 |
LrgR |
2820 fps |
under
60,000 |
The new cartridge looks speedy on paper. Hornady claims its factory-loaded 6.5 Creedmoor ammo will deliver 3,020 fps with the 120gr Amax and 2,820 fps with the 140gr Amax from a 28″ barrel. Those velocities are at the extreme high end of what we’ve seen a 6.5×47 Lapua deliver with 123gr and 139gr Scenars. In the 6.5×47, with handloads, it’s more realistic to expect 2950 fps with the 123-grainer, and about 2800 with the 139. Lapua’s factory-loaded 6.5×47 rounds are considerably slower. So, it appears the 6.5 Creedmoor will enjoy a slight velocity edge over 6.5×47 handloads, and a sizeable speed advantage over Lapua 6.5×47 factory ammo (with similar bullet weights).
BALLISTICS: 6.5 Creedmoor vs. .308 Win vs. .223 REM
Background of Cartridge
 The new cartridge was conceptualized by Dave Emary, Hornady’s Senior Ballistician, and Dennis DeMille, General Manager of Creedmoor® Sports and two-time NRA National High Power Rifle Champion. Dave and Dennis wanted to provide factory-loaded ammo that would be 100% competitive with any High Power chambering, including the 6XC and 6.5×47 Lapua. The 6.5 Creedmoor was purpose-built for match rifles, including the Tubb 2000 and DPMS/Panther Arms LR Series. Its case is shorter than the 260 Remington, so you can load even the longest bullets into .308-Win length magazines. Pushing a 120gr Amax at 3000+ fps, the 6.5 Creedmoor offers a nice, flat trajectory plus good wind-bucking ability. Dennis Demille has used the prototype cartridge for many months now in a Tubb 2000 rifle. He says, the load is “moderate and very reliable. There have been no issues with stiff bolt lift or primer cratering.” The factory ammo runs “under 60,000 psi” according to Emary, and uses Hodgdon H4350 powder–43.5 grains with the 120 Amax and 41.2 grains with the 140 Amax.
Loaded 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is slated for release in January or February 2008 “at the latest”, according to Dave Emary. Ammo should be priced about $22 per box of 20 rounds, roughly the same as Hornady .308 Win match ammo. Brass, produced by Hornady in the USA, should be available by late spring. The new 120gr Amax bullet should be released very early next year.
DOWNLOAD 6.5 Creedmoor Illustrated Brochure
May 21st, 2007
Featured Contributor Larry Medler has created nice plotting sheets for both standard and F-Class targets. Larry notes: “Here is the sheet I use to plot my shots at 600 yards. The sheet is printed on 8.5 x 11 inch paper (landscape orientation) which makes it larger than most plotting sheets. However, it is easier to use. I also graph my results later (after shooting) just to review the day and better understand how well or not so well things went. The sheet is made using Excel. I also print my sheets on 28 lb. paper using a laser printer. Laser-printed sheets are more water-proof than inkjet-printed sheets. I added the F-Class sized target plot for 300, 500, 600, and 1000 Yards to the Excel Workbook.” Click HERE to visit Larry’s web page where you can download either sheet as an MS Excel file.
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