Hunting season is here. That means many of you will be heading off into the woods. Along with your rifle and ammo, it’s wise to carry some basic survival gear on your hunt. The NRA has just introduced a cleverly-designed multi-function Survival Tube that fits in a pocket.
This new product combines a fire-starter with a knife sharpener. The NRA Survival Tube’s magnesium fire starter and steel striker can produce sparks in the wettest and windiest conditions. The easy-to-use, diamond-encrusted knife sharpener keeps hunting blades sharp. No one wants a dull knife on a hunting or camping trip. The Survival Tube is wrapped with six feet of 550 paracord, and the lanyard gives you another 31 inches of paracord. The NRA Survival Tube stows easily, or it can be hooked to a backpack loop. Price for this useful product is $19.95 at the NRA Store. That’s not bad, but remember that a $0.99 disposable lighter will start fires just fine in most conditions.
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Berger Bullets has launched a great new web resource, the Berger Bullets Events Calendar. This online calendar highlights important shooting matches and other shooting-related events (such as trade shows). We commend Berger for developing this Calendar, which will make it easier for shooters to locate match information and plan ahead. Berger states: “The main goal of this project is to help people get involved in the shooting community and build lasting relationships between shooters. A strong community is the best way to ensure that the shooting sports continue for future generations to enjoy.”
How to Use the Calendar
The Events Calendar employs different colors for different event types — Berger Yellow for Target Matches, Tan for Tactical Competitions, Light Orange for Varmint Competitions, Blaze Orange for Hunting Competitions, Blue for Tradeshows, and Forest Green for Fundraisers.
CLICK Image to Access LIVE Calendar
Click Event on Calendar to See Detailed Information
If you click on an event in the calendar grid, a window pops up showing details for that event — match date, match location, match description, and contact(s) for match registration. Here is an example for the Berger Southwest Nationals.
Map Links and Links to Match Websites
On the window that pops up when you click on a calendar item, you’ll notice one or two colored buttons (the colors correspond to event type). The View Map button links to a map of the match venue, so you can find the shooting range and plan your travel. If there is web page for the event, you’ll see a second colored button linking to that website. Simply click the Event Link for more information.
Berger invites readers to submit events for the Berger Events Calendar. Visit the Calendar Submission Page to provide information on an upcoming event. Note: Berger may not list all submitted items, particularly where there are conflicts with previously listed major events.
Story tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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A digital version of the NRA Tournament Operations Guide is now available FREE online. While supplies last, there are still some copies of the previous version available through the NRA Program Materials Center. However, the newer, free online version will replace it.
The 56-page NRA Tournament Operations Guide is loaded with information that will help your club or organization run efficient events. Featured topics include tournament planning, range operations, statistics, awards, and much more. A great resource for all match directors, the new guide covers eight different shooting disciplines.
Read the Complete Tournament Guide Right Here
A full version of the Tournament Guide is embedded below. Use the white arrows to move from page to page within the document. The down arrow advances one page at a time. Or, you can simply use the scroll bar on the right. NOTE: The “+” control zooms the page to 100% (or larger) for easier reading:
This story by Kerrin Brinkman courtesy the NRA Blog.
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SHOT Show 2013 kicks off in two weeks in Las Vegas. One of our top priorities is to talk with the bullet makers from Berger, Hornady, Lapua, and Nosler.
At SHOT Show 2012 we chatted with Berger Ballistician Bryan Litz about Berger’s popular line of Hybrid bullets. Berger now offers a wide range of Hybrids in multiple calibers and weights. In fact, for .30-Caliber shooters, Berger now offers six different Hybrid match bullets, with weights from 155 grains up to 230 grains. New .338 Cal Tactical Hybrids were released in 2012 and big .375 Cal, and .408 Cal Hybrids are in the works (read more below).
Bryan tells us: “The hybrid design is Berger’s solution to the age old problem of precision vs. ease of use. This design is making life easier for handloaders as well as providing opportunities for commercial ammo loaders who need to offer a high performance round that also shoots precisely in many rifles with various chamber/throat configurations.”
For those not familiar with Hybrid bullets, the Hybrid design blends two common bullet nose shapes on the front section of the bullet (from the tip to the start of the bearing surface). Most of the curved section of the bullet has a Secant (VLD-style) ogive for low drag. This then blends in a Tangent-style ogive curve further back, where the bullet first contacts the rifling. The Tangent section makes seating depth less critical to accuracy, so the Hybrid bullet can shoot well through a range of seating depths, even though it has a very high Ballistic Coefficient (BC).
In the video we asked Bryan for recommended seating depths for 7mm and .30-Caliber Hybrid bullets. Bryan advises that, as a starting point, Hybrid bullets be seated .015″ (fifteen thousandths) off the lands in most barrels. Watch the video for more tips how to optimize your loads with Hybrid bullets.
Berger is Developing New Large-Caliber and Hunting Hybrids
In related news, Berger announced that it will be offering a series of .338-caliber Hybrids. First Berger is reintroducing the Gen 1 .338 Cal, 300gr Hybrid bullet in Berger’s Hunting line. Berger will also be making a 250gr Hybrid Hunting bullet using the same type of jacket as the original Gen 1 300gr Hybrid bullet. In addition, Berger has released a .338 Cal 250gr Match Hybrid OTM Tactical bullet, along with a 300gr Match Hybrid OTM Tactical projectile.
More big bullets are on the drawing board. Our source says “.375 Caliber and then .408 Caliber are the next new calibers to be made at Berger”. These are in the design phase, and Berger needs to build a new machine, so the .375s and .408s will not be available until 2013 at the earliest.
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Team Remington/Bushmaster shooters will be conducting a free shooting clinic in conjunction with Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches held at Ben Avery Shooting Facility outside Phoenix, Arizona. The clinic will be held at the Activity Center on Wednesday, October 19, 2011. The clinic commences bright and early, at 7:30 am, kicking off the Creedmoor Cup phase of events (Oct. 19-23). CLICK HERE for Western CMP Games Program and Schedule (PDF).
What the High Power Clinic Will Cover
The free shooting clinic will be conducted by team coach Ken Roxburgh, and Team Remington/Bushmaster members. The clinic will offer formal classroom instruction, practical application, dry and live fire training, and demonstrations by some of the world’s leading high power service rifle and match rifle competitors. Clinic Topics will include:
Fundamentals of High Power Shooting
Positions — Standing, Sitting, Prone
Trigger Control and Aiming
Courses of Fire
Effects of Weather
Wind Reading
Weapon handling and safety
Competition Data book
Range Etiquette
Rifle Care and Cleaning
Assembly/disassembly of Match Guns
How to Sign Up for the FREE High Power Clinic
Interested shooters can register for the Team Remington/Bushmaster High Power Rifle Shooting Clinic at the CMP website. There you can learn more about the clinic and download the Registration Form. Participants are encouraged to bring their shooting equipment and rifles; ammunition is not required for the course. To prepare you may want to read our article on the Basics of High Power Competition.
If you’re interested in watching a real pro shooting Service Rifle, here’s former National Champion (now Creedmoor Sports G.M.) Dennis Demille, shooting 300-yard Rapids from the prone position position. This was filmed at last year’s Southwest Nationals. You’ll see him adjusts his sights while looking through the spotter. Then watch how calm and steady Dennis stays from shot to shot. That comes with years of practice and training.
How about a bolt gun? This next, high-def video was taken by our friend Jonathan Ocab a competitive shooter and talented photographer from Southern California. It shows Dennis Demille shooting the 200-yard Rapids (sitting position) with a Tube 2000 bolt-action gun. Notice the quick reload after he empties his first magazine.
Editor’s Note: Both Remington and Bushmaster are Freedom Group Companies. The Freedom Group is owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private holding company. Now, please read carefully, because there is much mis-information floating around the internet currently. Georges Soros, either individually or as part of an investment group, does NOT own or control Cerberus. Repeat George Soros does NOT own or control Cerberus. Nor does he (or his investment companies) own or control any of the Freedom Group of companies. Got that?
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Hornady is rolling out a series of new Boat-Tail Hollowpoint (BTHP) match bullets. These are all-new non-tipped bullets, not merely modified A-Max designs. There will be a 105gr 6mm, a 140gr 6.5mm, a 162gr 7mm, three new .30 Cal bullets (178, 208, 225 grains), a 285gr .338-cal bullet, and a monster 450gr .416-caliber projectile. These BTHP bullets feature Hornady’s new AMP (Advanced Manufacturing Process) jackets, which Hornady claims are “the most consistently concentric bullet jackets available”.
All Bullets Except the 6mm and 6.5mm Can Be Purchased Now
Unfortunately, the 6mm and 6.5mm bullets have not reached dealers’ shelves yet, as far as we can tell. However, the .30-caliber match bullets, the 162gr 7mm, and the new .338 and .416 bullets, are in stock now either at Grafs.com or Sinclair International. Our price check revealed that, for those new Hornady Match bullets currently carried by both vendors, Grafs.com has the lower price by a couple dollars per box. Grafs.com also offers free shipping (after a flat-rate handling charge). The prices in the chart below are for Grafs.com, except where only Sinclair Int’l has inventory in stock.
High BC and Improved Concentricity — But Will They Shoot?
Hornady boasts some pretty high G1 BCs for most of these new match bullets. In addition, Hornady claims the new bullets have superior concentricity because their AMP jackets exhibit “near zero wall-thickness variation”. We’re anxious to try some of the new AMP-jacketed bullets to see if these bullets really are exceptionally accurate, or whether Hornady’s marketing claims are mere hype. Watch the video below to learn more about these new bullets.
Disclosure: Hornady does not advertise with AccurateShooter.com and does not contribute to this site as a sponsor. Story sourced by Edlongrange.
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In Norway, the annual Landsskytterstevnet (Rifle Country Fair) is Norway’s largest shooting tournament. One of the most popular Landsskytterstevnet events is a rapid-fire competition. The objective is to achieve the most hits on multiple targets in the alloted time period (typically 25 seconds or less). In some stages, all targets are at the same distance, while in other stages the shooters engage targets at 3 or 4 different distances.
You would think that a semi-automatic rifle would dominate the rapid-fire matches, but that isn’t the case. In the video linked below, civilian shooters with mag-fed Sauer 200 STR bolt-action target rifles outpace Norwegian army personnel using HK select-fire rifles in semi-auto mode. You’ll be amazed to see how fast the civilians can shoot their target rifles. It’s a great video… be patient and let it load from the Norwegian server.
Crowds Cheer Shooters
Equally amazing is the size of the crowd and the spectators’ enthusiasm. We’ve never seen anything like this in the USA. Over 1000 Norwegian fans are clapping, cheering, and singing during the match. You’d think this was a Big Ten Football game! Obviously the Norwegians love their shooting sports. Electronic scoring and big display screens allow the crowd to follow the fast-paced action.
Thanks to Gary Eliseo for finding this video. Gary says: “Check out how the boltgunners manipulate the bolt and operate the trigger, also how the gas gunners struggle to keep up! Looks like great fun, were going to try to put on a ‘Stangshoot’ like this at BRRC (Burbank Rifle & Revolver Club) next year.”
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Among its many features, AccurateShooter.com offers a searchable Event Calendar. We try to include a wide variety of competitions, shooting events, and major gatherings (such as the NRA National Meeting next month in Phoenix, AZ). Where possible, our event listings include web links and match registration info.
Hey Guys — You Can Submit Major Events for Calendar
We solicit reader contributions to our event calendar. While we can’t list typical weekend club events, we’ll try to include major championships and special annual events, such as “Extravaganza of Silhouette” in California, and the Williamsport “World Open”. Please include the dates of the event, a one- or two-sentence summary, plus a link to a descriptive webpage. You can also attach an event logo, range map, and/or photo. Please limit submissions to important events of significant regional, state, or national interest. Please send your calendar listings to mailbox [at] 6mmBR.com.
NRA Event Calendar
The NRA, through its Shooting Sports USA publication, offers a comprehensive calendar of shooting matches nationwide. This covers all the NRA disciplines: pistol, black powder, silhouette, air rifle, smallbore, F-Class, and High Power. The Shooting Sports Calendar is updated regularly, and can be downloaded for free in .pdf format. Click the link below to download the latest version of the NRA’s competition calendar.
Hunting season is here. That means many of you will be heading off into the woods. Along with your rifle and ammo, it’s wise to carry some basic survival gear on your hunt. The NRA has just introduced a cleverly-designed multi-function Survival Tube that fits in a pocket. 
A digital version of the 
Crowds Cheer Shooters
