2014 and 2012 U.S. National F-TR Champion James Crofts is one of America’s top F-Class shooters. A member of the 2013 World Championship-winning F-TR Team USA squad, James knows a thing or two about long-range shooting, that’s for sure. But you may be surprised to learn how James sharpens his shooting skills at relatively short distances. You see, James often practices with a .22 LR rimfire rifle at distances from 50 to 200 yards. James tells us: “Shooting my F-Class rimfire trainer saves me money and improves my shot process and wind-reading abilities.”
Remington rimfire 40X barreled action in PR&T LowBoy stock with PT&G bolt.
Rimfire Training Teaches Wind-Reading Skillsby James Crofts
Training with the rimfire is extremely useful and can be done from 25 yards out to 200 yards. I am lucky and can shoot 50 yards right off my back deck. That is far enough that any miscue on rifle handling will show up on the target. I use a two dry-fire to one actual shot routine for my practices. This gives me much more positive reinforcement without any negative reinforcement.
Wind reading is extremely important with a .22 LR rifle. I use a set of smallbore flags to aid my wind calls. The smallbore flags are a must and force you to look at the flags and mirage on each and every shot. If you think the flags at Camp Butner move a lot, try smallbore flags around tall pine trees.
Rimfire Training Is Cost-Effective
Rimfire ammunition is much less costly than centerfire ammo. Though .22 LR prices have risen in recent years (and rimfire ammo is harder to find), even now I can get a 500-round brick of .22 LR ammo for less than $75.00. That works out to fifteen cents a round. That’s a fraction of the cost of handloading .308 Win match ammo. Heck, you can pay 40 cents a piece for match-grade .308-cal centerfire bullets. Then you have to figure in brass, primers, and powder.
My CMP 40X Rimfire F-TR LowBoy Clone
My quest into the .22 LLR rimfire field started with an email from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) announcing Rem 40X stripped barreled actions for sale. I thought, “Hmmm… Could one of those little 40X barreled actions be turned into a F-Class training rifle?” My gunsmith Ray Bowman of Precision Rifle & Tool was brought in at this point.
After conferring with Ray, it was decided that he could indeed turn this into a F-Class training rifle. Ray contacted Dave Kiff of PT&G and ordered a new bolt for the Remington 40X rimfire action. Next was the stock decision. I decided to go with a PR&T Low Boy F-Class stock — this is an exact clone of the stock for my .308 Win F-TR competition rifle. Then a Jewell trigger was acquired to complete the components. Ray built this just like he would any custom rifle, other than using the stock barrel. The project turned out awesome. The rifle was a hammer from the beginning even with the stock barrel.
About James Crofts
This spring, James Crofts was chosen as the new Vice Captain for the USA F-TR National Team. James comes from a military background, having served 20 years in the U.S. Navy aboard fast attack submarines. James has also been a shooting member of the 8-man F-TR Team USA, and he is always one of the top shooters in any F-TR competition. James told us: “Now the work begins, but with Ray Gross as Captain I think we can handle it. It will be a tough act to follow. Darrell Buell and Mike Miller set the bar extremely high with back-to-back world championship gold medals.”
Do you have a tactical rifle project in the works, or are you looking to upgrade the bottom metal on your existing bolt gun? Then head over to the PT&G website before the end of month. During April Pacific Tool & Gauge (PT&G) is running a Bottom Metal Blow-Out Sale. You can save 15-42% on quality Bottom metal for a variety of rifle types — Colt, Howa, Remington, Ruger, Winchester. On sale this month are both flush and extended options for detachable box magazines. In addition, you’ll find a variety of hinged, flush bottom metal sets for conventional internal magazines.
New PT&G Bottom Metal for Ruger Actions
Ruger owners take note — PT&G is now taking orders for DBM-capable Stealth bottom metal for Ruger rifles. This bottom metal in offered in both Short Action and Long Action Versions. It will fit the M77, M77 Scout (short action only), and M77 Hawkeye, and Ruger American (with aftermarket stock). The Short Action Version is now $99 (28% off) while the Long Action verision is $119.50 (20% Off).
Here are some more quick highlights from SHOT Show in Las Vegas. There are some brilliantly designed new products, as well as some items that are interesting simply because they depart from the norm. Enjoy these images of interesting products (and people) we saw this week in Vegas.
Era-Tac Adjustable-Angle Scope Mount (0 to +70 MOA)
This is a unique, variable-angle scope mount (with integral rings) that adjusts from 0 MOA to +70 MOA pre-load, in precise, ten-MOA increments. Once adjusted and tensioned, there is no play in the system so your elevation is repeatable. This Era-Tac Mount, made by Recknagel (Germany) is a very advanced design that really works. CLICK HERE for details.
Mossberg Gets Patriotic
Mossberg was “showing the flag” (literally) at its SHOT Show booth. Here a row of camo-dipped Mossberg shotguns and rifles are decorated with Old Glory.
New Precise Micrometer-Top Bullet Seaters from Sinclair Int’l
Sinclair showed off its new dial-adjustable seating dies for use with arbor presses. Though produced by L.E. Wilson, these are a step up from the regular Wilson micro-adjusting hand dies. These new Sinclair dies eliminate the guesswork. Each hashmark actually gives you a .001″ (one-thousandth) change in bullet seating depth. There’s a tactile click as you rotate the micrometer top past each hash mark.
World Champions Gather At Sands Expo
Four members of the World Championship-winning USA F-TR Team were on hand when we paid a visit to the Nightforce booth at SHOT Show. Left to right, here are four of the team that triumphed at Raton: Ray Gross, Dan Pohlabel (with rifle), Phillip Kelley, and Brad Sauve.
Wow, Is There Anything PT&G Isn’t Making These Days?
Pacific Tool & Gauge had dozens of new products on hand. There were gunsmithing tools, replacement bolts (for many different action types), barrel vises, action truing tools, you name it. Heck, Dave Kiff even showed us a new aluminum rifle chassis PT&G will be manufacturing. This company is now producing a vast selection of precision metal parts and tools.
300 AAC Blackout, Actually Blacked-Out
Australian Outback, backed by the folks who acquired ADI, is making a big push to sell loaded ammunition in the USA. To jazz up their new 300 Blackout ammo, the bodies of the brass cases have a distinctive black finish. So the Blackout Ammo is black… get it?
Kimber SOC (Not Your Ordinary Kimber Bolt-Gun)
No, this is not an Accuracy International, or a Surgeon, or even a Colt tactical rifle. Believe it or not, this is the new Kimber “Advanced Tactical” metal-chassis rifle, dubbed the “SOC” for “Special Operations Capable”. The chassis felt stiff and strong. The bolt cycled smoothly, but the trigger pull was pretty heavy (we’re told it can be adjusted.)
Do you need bottom metal for your Remington-footprint action (factory or custom) or a Winchester action? Then visit PacificToolandGauge.com pronto. Right now PT&G has bottom metal marked down, with savings up to 42%. Choose from a variety of styles. There are hinge-mount, flush-mount, and magwell-type versions offered, starting at just $75.00, a 42% savings over the $129.00 regular price. If you want one of these bottom metal sets, act quickly — the Special concludes at 11:59 pm on December 28, 2013.
Sale Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
SHOT Show 2013 has been underway since Monday. This show seems bigger than ever, and the sheer number of noteworthy products on display is mind-boggling. We’ve seen some remarkable new scopes from Nightforce, Kahles, and IOR-Valdada. Dave Kiff at PT&G has some “game-changing” new products. Winchester’s new 17 Win Super Mag rimfire cartridge has generated lots of interest, and Savage showed off its new B.MAG bolt action chambered for the new cartridge.
Here’s a quick sample of some cool or interesting products we saw in action on Media Day or on display inside the Sands Convention Center. We’ll do more complete write-ups/reviews once we “back to the office” and have a change to digest spec sheets and edit video. But please enjoy this photo “sampler” from SHOT Show 2013.
New Kahles 10-50X Competition Scope, with Central (big wheel) Parallax Adjustment
New Savage B.MAG Rifle Chambered in 17 Win Super Mag Rimfire
Prototype “Tinkertoy” Benchrest Rifle from McMillan Built on “Alias” Action
New Datum Dial Ammunition Measurement System from Forster Products
New .338 Lapua Magnum Action and Complete .338 LM Rifles from Kelbly’s
New Savage Bolt from PT&G with User-Adjustable Spring Tension
Futuristic $22K Tracking-Point Rifle System with Automatic Ranging, Ballistic Calculation, and Aiming Solution
New .375 Caliber, 350 grain, ultra-high-BC Match-King Bullet from Sierra
Vectronix Laser Rangefinder Units ($1995.00 – $8510.00)
Air Arms S400 Multi-Purpose Rifles (Regular and Biathlon Models)
Accuracy Int’l PSR Multi-Caliber Rifle System — ‘Takedown Edition’ in .338 LM
Pacific Tool and Gauge is running a SHOT Show Special with big savings on bolts, bottom metal, chamber reamers, gauges and more. SHOT Show Special prices are offered for FOUR DAYS ONLY: January 15 through January 18, 2013. If you see something you want in the Specials list below, don’t hesitate. You can save $20-$30 (or more) on these SHOT Show Special items.
Call (541) 826-5808 to order and mention the SHOT Show Special. Remember deals expire at the end of the day on January 18, 2013!!
PT&G 2013 SHOT Show Specials
CHAMBER REAMERS
Custom and Wildcat Chamber Reamers
(Sm to Med) with removable pilot — $135 each
Standard SAAMI or CIP Chamber Reamers
HSS with removable pilot — $110 each
Carbide with removable pilot — $175 each
BOTTOM METAL
Remington “Stealth” Detachable Mag Bottom Metal — $99 each
L/A: BDL bolt in black | L/A: M5 black | S/A: M5 black
(Not including mag box and no engraving)
Remington & Winchester Trigger Guard — $79 each
Long Action and Short Action Aluminum in the white
(Not including follower or spring)
ONE-PIECE BOLTS
RH custom size on the OD. L/A or S/A, with or without flutes
Your choice of extractor type — $175 each
RH standard size .699 OD, with or without flutes.
Your choice of extractor type — $149 each
HEADSPACE GAUGES
Small to medium — $25 each
Large (50BMG) gauges — $42.50 each
PT&G Expands Plant, Adds New Products, Launches Custom Shop
Dave Kiff, founder of PT&G, tells us there are many positive new developments at his company: “We will have new products coming out for 2013. There will be 14 new reamers, fixtures and rifle parts coming out after SHOT Show [plus] we are adding more bolts and bottom metal. Plus, we are now able to sell overseas with our ITAR in place.”
With ever-increasing demand for its products, PT&G has grown dramatically in recent years. The company has invested $2.5 million dollars, expanded its production facilities, and added many more highly-trained staffers. Dave notes: “We have gone from 49 people to 126 toolmakers and office staff. Two years ago I decided to grow to meet the demands and needs of our customers and added machinery, buildings, and new employees. It has been a long, hard road but… we are just about over our growing pains.”
New PT&G Custom Shop
Dave has started a custom shop with fast turn-around. Dave says: “We are offering a 48-hour delivery on emergency tools and a 1-6 week delivery on tools that a gunsmith can wait on[.] We are able to stock SAAMI and Match grade chamber reamers on the shelf.”
Enhanced Certification System
Dave has created a new certification system: “[We have] put together a certification-auditable form that is stapled to the invoice and is filed so that if a customer has a question on a reamer size we can look up the tool and read the inspection data. This is working great.”
Want to invest in a gun-making milestone, with authentic “PPC Provenance”? Here is a rare opportunity to acquire a set of guns that forged new frontiers for rifle accuracy. Dave Kiff, founder of Pacific Tool & Gauge, is selling a consecutive built and numbered set of four (4) benchrest rifles which belonged to Ferris Pindell, one of the fathers of the PPC cartridge. These four game-changing guns were custom-crafted by Pindell with help from his friend and fellow PPC inventor Lou ‘Doc’ Palmisano.
Dave Kiff tells us: “These are the four rifles that June Pindell had sold me a while back. I have #1, #2, #3 and #4 of Ferris Pindell’s original custom-made Benchrest rifles. These are consecutive builds. I am selling all four at cost! Several collectors (and one museum) have offered a generous amount of money for only one or two of them, but I would hate to split them up. I would much rather sell all four of them complete for $6,900.00 and keep them all together. There are two PPCs and two BRs from what his wife told me. June told me these are the rifles that Ferris and ‘Doc’ Palmisano built when they created the PPC cartridge. This would be a great addition to any collection or a great start for anyone interested in shooting competition, as the rifles look very usable.”
For more information, call Yvette of PT&G at (541) 826-5808, or send email to yvette [at] pacifictoolandgauge.com .
Sale tip by Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
Pacific Tool & Gauge, has an outstanding new product, a precision-machined replacement bolt head for Savages. This product, available in a variety of bolt face sizes for $49.99 per unit, can benefit nearly everyone who shoots Savage bolt guns.
When visiting German Salazar’s excellent Rifleman’s Journal website, we were pleased to see a recent, in-depth review of the PT&G Replacement Bolt Head for Savage Bolts. Written by Norm Darnell, this detailed review explains the benefits of the PT&G replacements, compared to the standard Savage bolt heads. After polishing, the factory bolt head can become slightly dished. According to Darnell: “The area around the firing pin hole sometimes has an indentation deep enough to allow the primer to flow into this void. This makes an unsightly blemish on a fired primer and can lead to hard extraction or worse. One [Savage] rifle I inspected had a continuing problem with pierced primers despite reasonably mild loads[.]” Even after machining the factory bolt face to make it flat, Darnell encountered problems: “The firing pin hole seemed to wear excessively which was of some concern. Material strength of the investment-cast bolt head* appears to be the source of these recurring problems.”
After testing out PT&G replacement bolt heads, Darnell found that his problems were solved. With the PT&G replacement bolt head, “the cartridge case heads and primers indicated no case-head rounding or primer damage”. Darnell was convinced, so he proceeded to fit PT&B bolt heads “on all three of my 308 bolts and one 223 with one spare bolt of each.” It appears that PT&G has a winner here — a smart, affordable new product that remedies a commonly-observed problem with factory Savage bolt heads.
* In the article, author Darnell writes that Savage factory bolt heads are investment cast. Fred Moreo of Sharp Shooter Supply says this is not correct: “Savage bolt heads were NEVER investment cast. From the get-go they were machined from solid stock. In 1988 they went to special profiled 41L40 bar stock to save machining operations and heat treated to 35-42 RC.”
Pacific Tool & Gauge is now offering a Full-Length Re-Size Reamer and Die Blank Kit for $107.50. Yep, you read that right — you get a solid pilot (HSS) reamer AND the die body blank for $107.50, total. The reamer can be a standard-spec chambering or you can send in a file or print to have the FL re-size reamer match your current chambering. Some folks have wondered: “Can’t I just make a sizing die using my chambering reamer?” The answer is no. A resize die needs to be smaller than your actual chamber so that it can down-size the brass to ensure proper feeding and extraction. This kit from PT&G is a great way to get a custom sizing die for an affordable price. NOTE: You must still get a competent gunsmith to run the FL re-size reamer into the die body blank to create the finished die.
The resizing die kit (item N3861330) contains: One (1) Solid Pilot (HSS) Re-Size Reamer (excludes 50 BMG & Canon Type Reamers); and One (1) Caliber-Specific Die Blank. NOTE: This offer excludes 50 BMG and canon-type reamers.
PT&G 10% Discount for Owners of Stiller Actions
Here’s a great deal if you own a Predator, Tac30/300 or other Rem-clone type action from Stiller’s Precision Firearms. Last week, PT&G announced that it will give a 10% Discount on Remington-type PT&G parts used with compatible Stiller Actions. To qualify for the 10% discount, customers must provide proof that they own, or have purchased a Stiller Action for which there are compatible parts from Pacific Tool & Gauge. Please contact the PT&G sales staff for more information. Send email to pacpes [at] medford.net or call (541) 826-5808.
Story Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Dave Kiff of Pacific Tool & Gauge showed off some trick products and specialty tools at SHOT Show 2012. First he showed his new Remington bottom metal. Designed originally for a Remington M5 installation, there is also a BDL version that requires minimal stock modification to put in place. This allows you to convert a BDL to accept the reliable AICS detachable box magazines (DBM). Call PT&G at 541-826-5808 and ask about the SHOT Show Special price for AccurateShooter.com readers. (Limited Time Only, subject to availability.)
Micro-Adjustable Reamer Depth Stop
Dave also showed us the handy micrometer-adjustable reamer depth-stop jointly developed by PT&G and gunsmith Nat Lambeth, one of our long-term Forum members. This clever little device give you ultra-precise control over cutting depth. It can save any gunsmith considerable time when cutting chambers, as it assures positive depth control with no guesswork — so you can spend less time measuring incrementally. At right is Nat Lambeth holding the Lambeth-Kiff Adjustable Reamer Stop.
Spiral-Fluted Throat Reamer
Some gunsmiths prefer to start chambers with zero freebore, and then cut the throat in a second step with a throating reamer. You can also use a throating reamer to extend the freebore as needed to shoot a longer type of bullet. PT&G offers an excellent throating reamer with spiral-cut flutes. We have received very positive feedback on this product from respected gunsmiths. One smith raved about the spiral-fluted reamer, saying it “cuts smoothly, with zero chatter, leaving a very fine throat finish”.
Do you need bottom metal for your Remington-footprint action (factory or custom) or a Winchester action? Then visit 
With ever-increasing demand for its products, PT&G has grown dramatically in recent years. The company has invested $2.5 million dollars, expanded its production facilities, and added many more highly-trained staffers. Dave notes: “We have gone from 49 people to 126 toolmakers and office staff. Two years ago I decided to grow to meet the demands and needs of our customers and added machinery, buildings, and new employees. It has been a long, hard road but… we are just about over our growing pains.”
Want to invest in a gun-making milestone, with authentic “PPC Provenance”? Here is a rare opportunity to acquire a set of guns that forged new frontiers for rifle accuracy. Dave Kiff, founder of 
Dave Kiff of 
Micro-Adjustable Reamer Depth Stop
