In this NSSF Video, Ryan Cleckner, a former Sniper Instructor for the 1st Ranger Battalion, defines the term “MilliRadian” (Milrad) and explains how you can use a mildot-type scope to range the distance to your target. It’s pretty simple, once you understand the angular subtension for the reticle stadia dots/lines. Cleckner also explains how you can use the milrad-based reticle markings in your scope for elevation hold-overs and windage hold-offs.
Even if you normally shoot at known distances, the hold-off capability of milrad-reticle scopes can help you shoot more accurately in rapidly-changing wind conditions. And, when you must engage multiple targets quickly, you can use the reticle’s mil markings to move quickly from one target distance to another without having to spin your elevation turrets up and down.
GOOD RESOURCE: If you want to learn more about using Milliradians and Mildot scopes, we suggest the excellent article The Truth about Mil Dots by Michael Haugen. This article explains, in considerable detail, the use of U.S. Army and U.S.M.C. Mildot scopes. Haugen begins with basic definitions: 1 radian = 2 PI; 1 Milliradian (Milrad or ‘Mil’) = 1/1000th of a radian; 1 Milliradian = .0573 degrees.
Forum member Stan C. (aka BigBamBoo) has created an impressive FREE online database of shooting ranges and clubs throughout the fifty United States, plus Canada. Stan’s new website, ShootingPlaces.com, is simple to use — and it is wicked fast. A handy state/province pull-down menu lets you instantly find all the shooting venues in any particular U.S. State or Canadian Province. Alternatively, you can search for ranges within a given radius of a location or zip code — that’s great when you want to narrow your focus to a particular metropolitan area. The database is very comprehensive, and search results came up almost instantly for us. We ran searches for a number of zip codes near the AccurateShooter.com offices in southern California. Overall the results were impressive, though there was a prominent omission — the Ojai Valley Gun Club, our ‘home range’, didn’t appear. So be aware that the database may not be 100% just yet. But with time, it should become more complete, as users can submit their entries to augment the database.
ShootingPlaces.com employs Google mapping technology that automatically maps the location of all search results. Each shooting facility (returned by the search) is shown by a “bullseye” tag on a regional map. Click the name of a particular facility, and the display switches to a site-specific layout with details about the facility, plus a street map you can use to get there. See example below:
ShootingPlaces.com vs. WheretoShoot.org
Credit Stan C. for working very hard over the last couple of years to create a database that is comprehensive, powerful, fast, and easy to use. ShootingPlaces.com is a great resource for shooters throughout the USA and Canada. ShootingPlaces.com is a genuine rival to the well-established WheretoShoot.org, an online database of shooting facilities, maintained by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).
You may be thinking, “OK, if ShootingPlaces.com and WheretoShoot.org both locate shooting venues, which online directory should I use?” Well, it depends… ShootingPlaces.com is “faster” but WheretoShoot.org is “deeper”. If you simply want to locate and map a shooting range, ShootingPlaces.com is hard to beat for speed and ease of use. However, if want to find out what kind of programs and facilities are offered at a particular shooting range or club, then you should use WheretoShoot.org. The typical site profiles on Wheretoshoot.org are more detailed. For larger clubs, you’ll find details such as range yardages, disciplines supported (silhouette, high power etc.), and specific facilities (clubhouse, on-site camping).
Because ShootingPlaces.com and WheretoShoot.org both have their strengths, we suggest you bookmark both sites. Use ShootingPlaces.com for super-quick searches, and then switch to WheretoShoot.org if you want additional details on specific programs and site facilities.
Here, from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), are eight (8) Free Targets that can be downloaded as PDF files and printed. All targets are available as PDFs and print on standard 8.5″ x 11″ paper. In the future, other targets may be posted on the NSSF Target Page. Want more FREE targets? Visit AccurateShooter.com’s Target Archive to access dozens of FREE, printable target designs, including load-testing targets, varmint targets, NRA bullseye targets, and fun targets.
Click a target to view and print. Right-click and ‘Save As’ to save PDF to your computer.
Intro Training Programs in CA and FL
More than 300 first-time shooters came out to six ranges in California and Florida this past weekend to attend NSSF’s First Shots events. The 20 filled-to-capacity seminars in these two areas served as yet another demonstration of the growing interest in gun ownership across America. “[We give] a sincere thank you to the ranges, their staff, volunteers and participants for making these events a huge success,” said Tisma Juett, NSSF’s First Shots manager. “First Shots also thanks Remington for providing all of the .22 ammo and Birchwood-Casey for the Shoot N See targets.”
Florida ranges offering First Shots Programs included: Hollywood Rifle & Pistol Club (Dania Beach), Arizona Shooting Range (Fort Lauderdale), and National Armory (Pompona Beach). California ranges that held events were Sacramento Valley Shooting Center (Sloughhouse), El Dorado Shooting Range (El Dorado), and United Revolver Club (Sacramento). Learn more about First Shots at NSSF.org/firstshots.
Story tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation has launched GunVote, a voter education website at NSSF.org/gunvote. The new GunVote website provides links to voter registration information for all 50 states, a guide to political races in voter districts, the latest polls, and a selection of news articles covering the campaigns. GunVote also spotlights Candidates’ positions on Gun Rights and the Second Amendment.
“It’s great to see that so many individuals have become firearm owners, but these freedoms require constant support from elected officials at the state and federal levels,” said NSSF President/CEO Steve Sanetti. “Votes on legislation and appointments to the courts have profound effects on our firearms freedoms.” Sanetti noted that two landmark Supreme Court decisions reaffirming the individual right to own firearms — D.C. v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago — were both decided by 5-to-4 votes.
COMMENTARY — Why You Should Participate in Upcoming Elections
The votes of target shooters, hunters and gun owners can make a huge impact in the 2012 election. Participating in the upcoming election begins by making sure to register, then becoming educated about the candidates running for office and discussing choices with family and friends so that they understand the importance of voting. The final step is going to the polls and (when necessary) helping others to get to the polls, too.
More Gun-Owners Need to Register and Vote
In the 2010 Congressional election, only 46.2 percent of women and 45 percent of men 18 and over reported voting, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Gun owners tend to be more active at the polls than this average, but there is a lot of room for improvement. Sanetti adds: “More gun owners need to vote. It’s critical that they do, and that they consider closely what candidates are saying… about our firearms freedoms.”
Imagine if your shooting club organized a public range day and 1500 people attended (including hundreds of first-time shooters). Now imagine that taking place in “gun-phobic” California. Well, believe it or not, this really happened when the San Luis Obispo Sportsmen’s Association (SLOSA) hosted its first annual SLOSA Expo. The January event drew more than 1,500 attendees who shot nearly 40,000 rounds while trying out a variety of shooting disciplines under the guidance of 150 volunteers. As a model event, the SLOSA Expo demonstrates how successful a well-organized Range Day Promotion can be.
Expo Introduces Hundreds of New Shooters to the Sport
The purpose of the Expo is to raise gun-safety awareness and expose non-shooting members of the public to what the shooting sports have to offer. The Expo fulfilled its charter by drawing in 63% new shooters to the SLOSA range. In fact, one-quarter of Expo participants fired their first shots ever.
At the SLOSA Expo, personal instruction, ammunition and loaner guns were provided at no cost to attendees — thanks to a grant from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). Men, women and children of all ages came from as far as 100 miles away to participate in the free fun event. Visitors could try a variety of disciplines including: archery, sporting clays, action pistol, black powder, cowboy action, and much more.
“This one-day event did more to promote the 2nd Amendment and the range itself than 20 years of the range simply being open.” Said Kevin Wooley of Calguns.org. “Kudos to the volunteers.”
“We were elated at the interest and response from the community.” said Art Leach, President of SLOSA. “We expected no more than 500 people to come out for the Expo and were overjoyed to reach over 1,500 guests before 2 o’clock”. One reason for the event’s high attendance is the SLOSA Range’s unique location, just a few hundred yards from scenic California Highway 1.
“This is the first event of this magnitude I’ve heard of ever happening” said Maddy Cooley, Resources Director at SLOSA and author of the Expo grant. “The Expo will forever change the way firearms are viewed by [California] Central Coast residents.”
Story tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
In the future, Virginians will enjoy the restored freedom to purchase multiple handguns within a 30-day period. The Commonwealth is repealing provisions of § 18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia restricting handgun purchases to one-a-month. After passing the Virginia Senate (21-19), legislation (HB940, SB323) overturning Virginia’s present one-handgun-a-month restriction is now on its way to the desk of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. As Gov. McDonnell has said he will sign this legislation into law, we can expect the one-gun restriction to soon be a thing of the past in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“We are pleased that the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have recognized the importance of repealing one-gun-a-month, legislation that rationed the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Virginians,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “We look forward to Gov. McDonnell’s signature on this very important bill.”
If you weren’t able to attend SHOT Show last week, you can still read the Digital editions of all four issues of SHOT Daily, the magazine printed each day of the SHOT Show. You’ll find some interesting product announcements in the SHOT Dailies, plus late-breaking gun industry news.
The DAY 1 edition features the annual round-up of new firearms, while the DAY 2 edition highlights new-for-2012 optics. On Pages 20-23 of the Day 3 edition, you’ll find an interesting article by John Snow on a 6mm Creedmoor wildcat (6.5 Creedmoor necked down — see below). The final Day 4 edition includes a guide to .375-Caliber big game cartridges, along with coverage of the latest Air Gun technologies.
The 2012 SHOT Show Dailies are available online at Shotbusiness.com and the SHOT Show Blog, or just click the links below. You can read the Digital Editions online, or download PDF versions to your computer. NOTE: The PDFs are very large files, slow to download.
Americans of all walks of life are purchasing more pistols, rifles, and shotguns than ever before. Based on NSSF-adjusted FBI background check (NICS) records, American purchased 10,791,275 firearms in 2011. That’s an all-time record, and a 14% increase over 2010. Gun sales hit a new high in 2011 after a decade of steady increases (see chart). In 2002, ten years ago, slightly less than 7,000,000 firearms were sold. The 2011 sales figure represents a 54.1% increase over 2002 sales. And the NICS figures are conservative, because they do not report multiple gun sales made with a single background check.
Gun Ownership Becomes More Universal
The increase in gun sales over the last ten years reflects growth in the ranks of gun owners. A significant percentage of recent sales have been made to first-time gun owners. And more women are arming themselves. Gun ownership is becoming more universal, not limited to the traditional groups of male hunters and sportsmen. A recent Gallup Poll found that: “47 percent of American adults currently report that they have a gun in their home or on their property”.
First-time buyers and women are driving the spike in gun sales. USA Today reports: “Some gun industry analysts attributed the unusual surge to a convergence of factors, including an increasing number of first-time buyers seeking firearms for protection and women who are being drawn to sport shooting and hunting.” Confirming that view, Bloomberg.com states that more women, liberals, and Democrats are buying guns. Multiple factors are at work according to CNBC.com: “Uncertainty in a presidential election year. Warriors returning from the battlefields. The comeback of the hunter. These are just some of the reasons… why firearms makers are ringing in 2012 like gangbusters.”
Gallup Gun Ownership Poll Summary
“A clear societal change took place regarding gun ownership in the early 1990s, when the percentage of Americans saying there was a gun in their home or on their property dropped from the low to mid-50s into the low to mid-40s and remained at that level for the next 15 years. Whether this reflected a true decline in gun ownership or a cultural shift in Americans’ willingness to say they had guns is unclear. However, the new data suggest that attitudes may again be changing. At 47%, reported gun ownership is the highest it has been in nearly two decades — a finding that may be related to Americans’ dampened support for gun-control laws. However, to ensure that this year’s increase reflects a meaningful rebound in reported gun ownership, it will be important to see whether the uptick continues in future polling.”
The NSSF adjusts NICS data by subtracting out NICS purpose-code permit checks used by several states such as Kentucky, Iowa and Utah for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions of firearms sales and transfers on new and used handguns and long guns. For more NICS info visit the NICS website.
Are factory rifles really more accurate than ever? This question is examined in the December issue of SHOT Business. In this issue you’ll also find a good discussion of modern bullet design. In his article Whatever Happened to Bad Bullets?, author David E. Petzal explores why and how bullet performance has improved in recent years. You’ll find plenty of other interesting content in SHOT Business magazine, including numerous gear reviews, retail selling advice, recent news briefs, ATF Q&A, and much more.
The latest issue of SHOT Business magazine is now available for FREE online. You can either read the feature stories in a conventional web layout at Shotbusiness.com, or view the magazine-style ePaper version. This takes longer to load, but you can see larger photos, and flip from page to page like a conventional print magazine.
In this NSSF Video, Ryan Cleckner, a former Sniper Instructor for the 1st Ranger Battalion, defines the term “MilliRadian” (Milrad) and explains how you can use a mildot-type scope to range the distance to your target. It’s pretty simple, once you understand the angular subtension for the reticle stadia dots/lines. Cleckner also explains how you can use the milrad-based reticle markings in your scope for elevation hold-overs and windage hold-offs.
ShootingPlaces.com vs. WheretoShoot.org
Intro Training Programs in CA and FL
Imagine if your shooting club organized a public range day and 1500 people attended (including hundreds of first-time shooters). Now imagine that taking place in “gun-phobic” California. Well, believe it or not, this really happened when the San Luis Obispo Sportsmen’s Association (SLOSA) hosted its first annual 
At the SLOSA Expo, personal instruction, ammunition and loaner guns were provided at no cost to attendees — thanks to a grant from the 
In the future, Virginians will enjoy the restored freedom to purchase multiple handguns within a 30-day period. The Commonwealth is repealing provisions of § 18.2-308.2:2 of the Code of Virginia restricting handgun purchases to one-a-month. After passing the Virginia Senate (21-19), legislation (
If you weren’t able to attend SHOT Show last week, you can still read the Digital editions of all four issues of SHOT Daily, the magazine printed each day of the SHOT Show. You’ll find some interesting product announcements in the SHOT Dailies, plus late-breaking gun industry news.
First-time buyers and women are driving the spike in gun sales. 
