The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has released the results of its latest online survey of active hunters and target shooters. Each month the NSSF surveys shooters’ buying preferences for particular types of merchandise. In August, the NSSF asked shooters to rank the brand(s) of rifle ammo they had purchased most often so far in 2011. Remington lead the way, followed by Federal, Winchester, Hornady, and CCI (in that order).
The NSSF also asked hunters and shooters about their overall spending patterns for the year 2011. Respondents were asked: “Do you think you are buying more, less, or the same amount of hunting equipment so far in 2011 as compared to 2010?”
No hunting on Sunday — sounds old-fashioned, right? It may surprise you, but 11 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia) still have sunday-hunting prohibitions that date back to “blue laws” enacted in the 1700s. But now there is a strong effort to change that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Sportsmen Urged to Attend 10/27 Hearing
The Pennsylvania House Game and Fisheries Committee will hold its third and final public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 27, beginning at 9 a.m. in Room 140 of the Main Capitol Building in Harrisburg, PA. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) along with the Sunday Hunting Coalition is urging all sportsmen to come out and show their support for the removal of this antiquated blue law. NSSF has sent this call to action to every firearms retailer in the state urging their customers to support the repeal and take action by calling committee members. The NSSF estimates that allowing hunting on Sunday could increase economic activity in Pennsylvania to the tune of more than $764 million annually.
Setpoint Ammunition, a subsidiary of Setpoint Systems Inc., has finalized an OEM distribution agreement with Berger Bullets. The agreement allows Setpoint Ammunition to offer a selection of Berger’s precision bullets for use in custom cartridges sold on their SetpointAmmo.com website. Setpoint Ammunition will initially offer three Berger projectiles for use in their 7.62×51 / .308 WIN cartridges: 155gr Match Hybrid; 185gr Long Range BT;and 168gr Match Hunting VLD.
“The agreement with Berger Bullets allows us to offer some of the best projectiles available for use in our precision ammunition,” said Brad Angus, President of Setpoint Ammunition. Angus went on to say that this agreement has been anticipated for some time. “Teaming with Berger has always been one of our goals. When you combine the well-known reputation of Berger Bullets with the unprecedented precision that we’ve built into our ammunition loading process, you get the best custom rifle ammunition available on the commercial market today.”
Setpoint’s Unique Manufacturing Process
The revolutionary Setpoint Ammunition ordering and manufacturing process allows customers to dictate the case, projectile, powder load and overall length of the cartridge via the online ordering system. This unique process gives consumers the ability to fine-tune their ammo to fit their specific firearm and application.
The order is relayed from the website to the manufacturing facility, where fully-automated machines (designed and built for Setpoint Ammunition by Setpoint Systems,) load and assemble the cartridges to high levels of precision. By mechanizing the entire loading process, precision and consistency are maximized. The final outcome is affordable, reliable, high-performance ammunition. (Sales packages are available for military, law enforcement and tactical security groups.)
Here’s a nice promo offer just in time for hunting season. Cabela’s is offering $20 off all orders of $150.00 or more. In effect through October 25, 2011, Cabela’s $20 off deal is good for catalog purchases, online purchases, and even in-store purchases. Just click this link or the graphic above to go to the promo page. Be forewarned, you do need to enter your email address to get the rebate code.
While you’re shopping at Cabelas.com, now’s a good time to gear up for the fall hunting season. Cabelas is having a huge sale on hunting clothing, with prices up to 70% off. You’ll find everything you need for the wild, from camo clothing, to Hi-viz safety vests, and even gloves and headwear.
Disclosure: As a Cabela’s affiliate, AccurateShooter.com can receive a small precentage of online sales generated by our links.
Hunters and shooters — along with the firearms and ammunition industry — are among the leading financial contributors to conservation in America, paying for programs that benefit our nation and all its wildlife. Saturday, Sept. 24, is National Hunting and Fishing Day, a day to honor and celebrate the contributions of sportsmen and women. Across the country this weekend Americans will celebrate by attending events, by teaching others about the efforts of sportsmen or simply by enjoying the outdoor traditions they love with the ones they love. To learn more about NHF Day visit www.nhfday.org.
One cannot discuss one of the most useful tools for long range shooters, The Slope Doper, without saying something about its inventor, David Rolls. David was a bold man, bigger than life, who dedicated his life to the service of others. Yet, he was full of fun and a little mischief. He had little tolerance of fools (a man after my own heart), but had great respect for those who deserved respect. It was a loss to all when he passed away in August 2008 at the young age of 61. That being said let me tell you of how he lived and what he accomplished with The Slope Doper.
David Rolls’ Background
David worked for years with the Baltimore City Fire Department as a firefighter and paramedic, retiring at 45. Not being content to sit around, he applied for a job with the Sheriff’s Department of Mineral County, West Virginia and graduated from the state police academy. No small feat for a man of any age, let alone one in his forties. David rose to the rank of Sergeant and held that rank until his passing. As a firefighter, paramedic and police officer, he was the kind of man you would want if you were in a tight spot. He never backed down when it came to helping others. Throughout his life he was active in the Boy Scouts and community activities. He was a lifetime member of the NRA holding the status of Golden Eagle and Certified Firearms Instructor.
As a shooter, David was intensely interested in tactical competitions and was a member of the American Sniper Association. Long distance tactical shooters are frequently faced with the problem of making adjustments when shooting uphill or downhill, as well as windage and normal bullet drop. Chucks Hawks provided a superb discussion of the effects of uphill/downhill shooting for the hunter. I strongly urge every reader to look up Chuck’s article to better understand the problem.
Even knowing that we will be shooting over our target (or at best higher than our aiming point), most hunters do not know how to make the required adjustments in the field. Something had to be devised that could be used quickly in the field by the average hunter. Enter David P. Rolls!
Slope Doper Debuts in 1998 at Storm Mountain
After a great deal of thought, David showed up at the Carlos N. Hathcock II Charity Sniper Competition at the Storm Mountain Training Center in 1998 with a prototype of his Slope Doper. It was somewhat crude by comparison to the current day production model, consisting of a laminated paper protractor with a weight and string, but it worked. It allowed a shooter to determine the impact point of his bullet when shooting at any angle. David had succeeded in combining the science of mathematics with the practicality required for field use. It should be noted that military shooters have used protractors for years, but they had to subtract numbers to arrive at the correct angle. Dave’s invention placed the zero degree point at the top of the arc, virtually eliminating the possibility of error. Ever the perfectionist, with an eye to the future, he asked his best friend, Fred Fischer to design a “professional” version with AutoCad, which Fred gladly did. Fred also had contacts with a manufacturer who happened to be a shooter and they were off. Fred still chuckles when he remembers all of the last minute changes that Dave came up with, but at least they had the basic artwork locked into the AutoCad program to go into production. The rest is history.
The Quantico marine sniper instructor who was the first military member to see a production version of the Slope Doper (and incidentally a member of the two-man team who won the Carlos Hathcock Sniper Competition) was impressed enough by it to remove his personal protractor from his data book and replace it with the Slope Doper David gave him. The Slope Doper is now standard issue with the Marine Corp sniper weapon system; The Slope Doper is packed with each rifle and its accessories. The pointer is easily replaceable with string and a weight if it is lost and the printing on both sides is actually fire resistant. It is mil spec and made to withstand combat conditions. It is aluminum rather than plastic, so that it will not break in cold conditions.
To understand how the Slope Doper works, it is best for me to let David tell you in his own words:
To begin with, you must understand that when you shoot up or downhill, gravity has a diminished effect on your projectile such that if you do not make any adjustment for angle, you will likely shoot over your target. This applies at long distances (greater than 300 yards) at slight angles and at severe angles (greater than 30 degrees) at lesser distances. With slight angles at short distances the adjustment may not be enough to worry about. The Slope Doper is a photo etched, anodized, aluminum plate that has two scales inscribed along an arc. The first scale tells you the angle in degrees, the inner scale gives you the cosine of the angle (what I call the “Slope Angle Factor”) at 10 degree intervals.
To use the Slope Doper, you must first know the range to your target. Next you have your partner (guide) hold the Slope Doper along side the bore centerline of your rifle while you take aim and read the Slope Angle Factor. If you are alone, you can sight your target along the top edge of the Slope Doper and capture the pointer with your thumb and then read the Slope Angle Factor. If you are not at an exact Slope Angle Factor, it is easy to interpolate. Now take the known distance and multiply that by the Slope Angle Factor. The answer you get is the effective range. You should now shoot as if the actual distance is the lesser distance (at 30 degrees, a Slope Angle Factor of 0.87, 500 yards becomes 435 yards). All other environmental factors, like wind, are still in effect at the actual distance (500 yards of wind is still 500 yards of wind).
To make my life easier, I attached some Velcro to the back of my Slope Doper and on the forend of my rifle. After using my rangefinder for distance, I simply point my rifle at the target, capture the pointer with my thumb, read the Slope Angle Factor, make a quick mental calculation and shoot. If you are an experienced shooter with a scope that has a mil dot reticule, the back of the slope doper has your ranging formulas. The Slope Doper is a must-have for every person who hunts in mountainous country, from the Appalachians to the Rockies. It will help prevent you from missing your quarry. It is a bargain when compared to the $300 – $500 we pay for our rangefinders and binoculars. You can purchase the Slope Doper directly from the Slope Doper Website for $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping (PayPal or mail-order). U.S. Tactical Supply also sells the Slope Doper for $24.95.
A final note: I was watching the Outdoor Channel last week and watched a hunter on a ridge shoot over a 6×6 bull elk in the valley below. The elk disappeared, and the show ended with the hunter and guide talking about the thrill of the chase, even though they missed the elk. Good for public relations, but not so good for the freezer. They should have had The Slope Doper!
Serious shooters dream of having a backyard range where they can practice, test loads, and shoot for fun with friends. For most of us, having even a 50-yard backyard range is impossible. And those lucky shooters who do have their own range can typically go out to 100 yards, but that’s it. It takes plenty of open land to set up even a 200-yard range, and then you still need the side of a mountain for a backstop, or many acres of additional clear land behind the berm, for safety reasons.
Mother of All Backyard Ranges
AccurateShooter Forum member J.R. (aka Huntinco) has put us all to shame. He is building the “mother of all backyard ranges” at a secret location in northern Utah. How long is J.R.’s range going to be? 500 yards? Nope — think WAY longer. J.R. has laid out a facility that is a full 1600 yards from firing line to the final target bay. Plus there are pits every 100 yards out to 1600 yards.
J.R.’s range is not just a strip of vacant land with a few target stands. The range will boast a full-featured shooting facility when it’s completed. J.R. is constructing a finished, covered “all-weather” shooting house with seven indoor shooting stations (and more benches outside). He explains: “I poured a 12×90 pad. I’m enclosing 45 feet and just putting a roof over the other 45 feet. On the enclosed part there are six, 6′-wide shooting stalls, with one on the end that’s 12′ wide. Shooting windows are 5′ wide and 4′ high. One small problem is that, the way the property lays out, only the 12′-wide stall can shoot 100 yards. All the rest will start at 200 yards.”
Interior Finishing Suggestions Are Welcome
J.R. hasn’t finished the interior of his shooting facility yet, so he is soliciting ideas as to how the inside should be laid out: “I need your input because I have never been to a range. I just shoot here on my place. Please help me with [your input] on the inside layout.”
Those of you who have suggestions for J.R., please place a comment here. And no, we won’t reveal where this beautiful range is being built. But we do give J.R. a hearty pat on the back for making his “dream range” a reality. CLICK HERE to view more photos.
UPDATE — Here are photos of the Shooting house, interior and exterior. Nice job J.R.!
Midsouth Shooters Supply, one of AccurateShooter.com’s long-term sponsors, is running a Gear Give-Away Contest to promote Midsouth’s Hunting University TV show. It’s easy to enter and no purchase is necessary. Simply click the link at right, let the page load, then fill in your name, email address, and optional comment. Prizes are donated by name-brand manufacturers, including Bad Bull, Gamo (airguns), Hornady, Hevi-Shot, Hypertech, and Limbsaver. Prizes will include Hats, Ammo, Hunting Gear, and Hunting Trips! Entry is free, just click to load the Contest Entry Page.
In the Utah backcountry, a group of avid shooters turned entrepreneurs have created an exciting new shooting sport: Rifle Golf. We kid you not — this is not a late April Fool’s story. Here’s how it works — north of Salt Lake City, at the 8,400-acre Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf facility, 30 realistic wildlife targets have been set up set at distances ranging from 175 to 1,200 yards. Shooters engage targets in numbered sequence as they progress through four covered shooting stations. Hits are scored on each of the 30 full-size metallic animal targets, with bonus points for “bulls-eye” hits to the vital zones. A single session of Rifle Golf (4 stations, 30 targets) costs just $50, with a small fee for ATV rental. The game is challenging yet fun, and it allows hunters to practice their shooting skills at various distances, with both up-angle and down-angle shots. The YouTube video below shows the action at all the shooting stations — definitely watch the video.
ATVs Haul Shooters to Four Different Shooting Stations
Marksmen test their long-range accuracy on multiple targets set up at different angles and slopes along a 6-mile course. ATVs are used to travel to each of the four stations and shooters can choose from the classic course for newcomers or the more challenging masters’ course. Each hole or target is assigned a par value depending on the degree of difficulty. Shooters can cut strokes from their score by hitting the life-size wildlife targets in the vitals area. Successful shooters are rewarded by a “dinging” sound when they hit the steel target fitted to each silhouette.
According to Jeff Petersen, Spirit Ridge guide: “Rifle Golf is an ideal way for hunters to practice their shooting skills. You’ll become a better shooter and identify your limits regarding how far you can accurately and consistently shoot.” We think this kind of multi-target, multi-location shooting experience should be fun for tactical shooters as well as hunters. Offering ranges from 175 to 1200 yards, the Spirit Ridge ‘course’ mimics real-life hunting experiences for riflemen of all abilities. Each station features multiple targets, and the shooters must, at times, make steeply angled shots — just as they would on a real hunt. The reactive targets, complete with ‘vitals’, let you know when your shot is dead-on.
Spirit Ridge — There’s No Other “Shooting Range” Quite Like It
Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf is located in scenic North Central Utah hill country. Groups of four to six shooters are accompanied by a guide who assists with locating targets and scoring. Each shooting station sits on a concrete slab covered by a metal awning. All stations are equipped with shooting benches, a picnic table and chairs for participants, guides, and spectators. The Club House features meeting space, restrooms, showers and other amenities. You’ll find lodging and restaurants in nearby Tremonton, Utah.
“We’re a one-of-a-kind shooting facility,” Petersen said. “While there are plenty of places to shoot targets, there’s no other operation like this. Nobody else has a range of this size and variety.” AccurateShooter.com is impressed with what the folks at Spirit Ridge are doing. They have put together a nice facility in a great location. Having been in business since 2005, they have refined and improved the “product”, and customer feedback has been very positive. As the organizers explain: “It’s Golf with a Gun, an ATV, and NO Dress Code.”
We think Spirit Ridge’s $50.00 “single event” fee is very reasonable, and for $175 you can get a four-session “Punch Pass”. To learn more about Spirit Ridge visit www.spiritridgeriflegolf.com. To reserve a “Tee Time”, or request a group booking, call 435-764-6980. For those of you in the Utah region — a day of “Rifle Golf” would make a perfect Father’s Day gift for an active hunter or shooter.
At most American shooting facilities, you’re lucky to have running water and an electrical hook-up. Those Germans, with their penchant for advanced engineering, have created an amazingly high-tech (and even luxurious) indoor shooting facility that is truly state-of-the art. The NRA is proud of its modern indoor range in Fairfax, Virginia, but the NRA range can’t hold a candle to the advanced Müller Schiess Zentrum facility in Ulm, Germany. This vast complex features an indoor benchrest range with video monitors, a full-sized trap/skeet hall, pistol ranges, and a “running game” hunting simulator that actually displays (in 3D view) the placement of your bullet strike in the moving animal prey. On top of this, the Müller Schiess Zentrum Ulm (MSZU) has a cafe, a restaurant, and a large shopping/retail facility.
We still prefer shooting outdoors, but for a country like Germany, where long, cold winters limit the opportunities for outdoor shooting, a deluxe indoor facility like this makes sense. German reader JPeelen adds: “The problem in Germany is not [just] the weather but density of population. Noise problems led to the closure of many outdoor ranges. Ulm is unique because it offers a 300 meter indoor range, not just 100 meters[.]” Overall, you have to hand it to the Germans for “raising the bar” to a whole new level. View the Müller Schiess Zentrum’s amazing facilities in the video below. The editor of The Firearm Blog wrote: “I have seen the future… and it is in Germany. If you don’t do anything else today, just make sure you watch this video.”
No hunting on Sunday — sounds old-fashioned, right? It may surprise you, but 11 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia) still have sunday-hunting prohibitions that date back to “blue laws” enacted in the 1700s. But now there is a strong effort to change that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
“The agreement with Berger Bullets allows us to offer some of the best projectiles available for use in our precision ammunition,” said Brad Angus, President of Setpoint Ammunition. Angus went on to say that this agreement has been anticipated for some time. “Teaming with Berger has always been one of our goals. When you combine the well-known reputation of Berger Bullets with the unprecedented precision that we’ve built into our ammunition loading process, you get the best custom rifle ammunition available on the commercial market today.”
Hunters and shooters — along with the firearms and ammunition industry — are among the leading financial contributors to conservation in America, paying for programs that benefit our nation and all its wildlife. Saturday, Sept. 24, is 
One cannot discuss one of the most useful tools for long range shooters, 
In the Utah backcountry, a group of avid shooters turned entrepreneurs have created an exciting new shooting sport: Rifle Golf. We kid you not — this is not a late April Fool’s story. Here’s how it works — north of Salt Lake City, at the 8,400-acre 
According to Jeff Petersen, Spirit Ridge guide: “Rifle Golf is an ideal way for hunters to practice their shooting skills. You’ll become a better shooter and identify your limits regarding how far you can accurately and consistently shoot.” We think this kind of multi-target, multi-location shooting experience should be fun for tactical shooters as well as hunters. Offering ranges from 175 to 1200 yards, the Spirit Ridge ‘course’ mimics real-life hunting experiences for riflemen of all abilities. Each station features multiple targets, and the shooters must, at times, make steeply angled shots — just as they would on a real hunt. The reactive targets, complete with ‘vitals’, let you know when your shot is dead-on.
At most American shooting facilities, you’re lucky to have running water and an electrical hook-up. Those Germans, with their penchant for advanced engineering, have created an amazingly high-tech (and even luxurious) indoor shooting facility that is truly state-of-the art. The NRA is proud of its modern indoor range in Fairfax, Virginia, but the NRA range can’t hold a candle to the advanced Müller Schiess Zentrum facility in Ulm, Germany. This vast complex features an indoor benchrest range with video monitors, a full-sized trap/skeet hall, pistol ranges, and a “running game” hunting simulator that actually displays (in 3D view) the placement of your bullet strike in the moving animal prey. On top of this, the Müller Schiess Zentrum Ulm (MSZU) has a cafe, a restaurant, and a large shopping/retail facility.
