At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
1. Midsouth — Athlon Rangecraft Vel Pro Chronograph, $399.99
⏺️ » impressive new compact radar chrono — competition for Garmin
The new Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro Radar Chronograph is an impressive and very affordable compact chrono, now $399.99 at Midsouth. This employs Doppler radar allowing ultra-accurate velocity readings. Since the unit isn’t triggered by a muzzle blast, it can work with suppressors, muzzle brakes, and other muzzle devices. The Rangecraft Vel Pro reads velocities between 65 FPS and 5000 FPS. So far field tests have shown that the Athlon Rangecraft chrono is very reliable and picks up all shots fired with all types of rifles and pistols (even airguns). However the listed velocities may be a few FPS different than a Magnetospeed or Labradar. Athlon also has a good Ballistics Lite App that works with this chrono — see video at 21:45 time-mark. The unit includes a compact tripod.
2. Natchez — Truglo Optics Sale, Save up to 34%
⏺️ » Major savings on Truglo scopes — good for hunters and AR shooters
Truglo optics (scopes, red dots), offer notable features and great value. Right now Truglo optics products are on sale at Natchez at crazy low prices. For example the Truglo 4-16x44m EMINUS16 scope with illuminated reticle and scope mount is now just $209.99 — $111.00 off the regular $321.00 price. And for AR shooters the 1-4x24mm OMNIA4 Tactical scope is discounted to $159.99 complete with rugged Aptus-M1 scope mount (with rings) — a $75 savings.
3. Creedmoor Sports — Peterson Brass Sale
⏺️ » Save on good, American-made cartridge brass
Quality loads demand quality brass. We’ve been impressed with American-made Peterson brass that has performed great for popular cartridge types including 6mm Dasher, 6XC, 6×47 Lapua, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, .300 Norma Mag, .300 WinMag, .338 Lapua, .376 CheyTac and others. Peterson brass is very consistent and holds up well for multiple reload cycles. With the current Peterson sale, there are substantial discounts for: 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, 6.5 PRC, 7mm-08, 7mm RUM, 30 Nosler, .300 RUM, 33 Nosler, and .338 Lapua.
4. Amazon — VEVOR 50″ Rifle TSA-Compliant Hard Case, $96.38
⏺️ » Good waterproof hard case with wheels — great value
Protecting your firearms requires a good, tough transport case. The VEVOR 50″ Rifle Case (#ad) features three layers of protective foam, solid locking points, wheels, and a IP67 waterproof case. This VEVOR gun case meets TSA gun case requirements, making it a good choice for marksmen and hunters who travel by air. At just $96.38 (29% off) this is a great deal — much cheaper than other sturdy, wheeled rifle cases of similar size. This case is Amazon’s #1 Best Seller among rifle hard cases.
5. MidwayUSA — Umarex Air Rifle Sale
⏺️ » Air rifles offer affordable shooting for many disciplines
With centerfire and rimfire ammunition costs rising, more people are giving airguns a try. Air rifle shoppers should consider Umarex airguns. These start at well under $200 with the current Umarex Sale at MidwayUSA. For example, the Umarex Synergis Elite Air Rifle just $179.39 on sale, including 3-9x40mm scope. And the impressive Umarex Gauntlet SL22 PCP Air Rifle is now just $389.89, $60 off the regular price. The Umarex lineup includes a wide variety of airguns from $55 to $1100 — for fun shooting or high-level competition. NOTE: For air rifles no FFL is required for transfer in most states.
6. Midsouth — Rifle Basix Trigger Sale, Save 10%
⏺️ » Excellent Triggers for Remington, Howa, CZ, Savage — 10% OFF
Do you want to upgrade your rifle’s trigger but have a limited budget for the trigger replacement? Consider Rifle Basix Triggers. Offered for many rifle brands including Remington, Savage, Howa, and CZ, Rifle Basix triggers feature crisp breaks and lighter trigger pull weight. Enhanced triggers can translate to better accuracy (and shot consistency) at the range and in the field.
7. Amazon — Frankford Arsenal Universal Seating Die, $67.83
⏺️ » Great, versatile system for seating multiple caliber bullets
Are you tired of buying another expensive seating die every time you try a new cartridge type? With the unique Frankford Arsenal Universal Bullet Seating Die (#ad) you can have one die that loads multiple cartridge types. This clever bullet-seating system includes 3 different stems and 9 sleeves allowing you to seat .224 to .338-caliber bullets with this one multi-caliber tool. Forum members using this system have praised it. NOTE: the universal seating die comes with the .308-caliber sleeve pre-installed.
Barrel heat can shorten life and cause erratic testing results. One very good barrel-cooling system is Chuckwalla’s Competition barrel cooler (#ad). This low-profile cooler has a flow tube that fits right-hand bolt-action rifles from .223 REM to .300 WSM. (It can also run in even larger chambers but with a looser fit.) The Chuckwalla’s shape and orange color allows this cooler to serve as a chamber flag. This cooling fan includes a AA battery pack with 8-hour run time and a USB charging connection. NOTE: As the AA batteries are NOT included, we suggest using rechargeable AA batteries.
9. Amazon — Acoway Roll-up Shooting Mat, $17.99
⏺️ » Handy roll-up mat at super-low price — black or green
Most rifle shooters can use a good, simple shooting mat that can be easily rolled up and stored. The ACOWAY Roll-Up Shooting Mat (#ad) measures 76″ x 29″ and has a durable, double-layered Nylon outer fabric in Black or Green. This mat provides a protective barrier between you and the ground. The black mat is just $17.99 while the green version is $19.99, both great deals. The mat folds into a handy smaller size, held with attached straps and clips.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Editor: This story by Tommy C. (aka “dc.fireman”) comes from our Shooters’ Forum. It’s fascinating to see how a relatively inexpensive Savage M12 BVSS varmint rig was transformed into a sophisticated 300M match rifle with a modern chassis, Shilen barrel, and top-of-line sights. With some ingenuity, and careful parts selection, Tommy created a rifle that can compete with match rifles costing many thousands of dollars more. American ingenuity at work!
Savage Reborn — Old BVSS Transformed into 300M Match Rifle
by Tommy C. (aka “dc.fireman”)
So, I began the project of building a 300M International competition gun, about a year ago, intending to compete at the 300M Nationals this year in Minnesota at the Minneapolis Rifle Club. Realistically, I didn’t want to pay the price-tag demanded of the Bleikers, Grunig & Elmigers, Hammerlis, or Tanners that (infrequently) pop-up for sale from time to time. So I decided to build my own 300M Match rifle with an American action, barrel, chassis, and trigger.
Here is Tommy’s completed 300M Match rifle with Savage action in PDC Custom chassis.
I had decided on the .260 Remington (aka 6.5-08) as the caliber choice. This beat out 6.5×47 Lapua simply due to the cost/availability of brass. The .260 Rem cartridge is based on the .308 Win parent. I made my first batch of brass by necking down some Federal .308, and it worked great. [Editor: We do recommend Lapua .260 Remington brass for match purposes for those who don’t have a supply of good .308 Win brass.]
I had an older Savage M12 stagger-feed action, originally from an old .22-250 BVSS. I contacted James at Northland Shooter Supply, and he walked me through the game plan and equipment I needed: Shilen Select Match 26″ barrel, NSS Stainless recoil lug and nut, a set of Forster headspace gauges, and the NSS action wrench.
Catalog photo of current Savage M12 BVSS in .22-250 Rem.
A few months later, I replaced the original Accu-trigger with a Rifle Basix SAV-II trigger, and immediately wondered why I waited so long to do that. The Rifle Basix is perfect for my application. Mind you the he safety DOES NOT work now, but, I don’t need it for my application.
Another member on the AccurateShooter Forum sold me a BVSS stock that has been re-worked by Alex Sitman of Masterclass Stocks, and it served as a placeholder, until I could find a maker who could nearly replicate my Feinwerkbau 2700 Alu stock in my smallbore match gun.
After scouring the AccurateShooter Forum, and multiple internet searches, I found PDC Custom in Michigan. I spoke with Craig Kierstadt a few times, before finally deciding to pull the proverbial trigger on his chassis. He had a few of the older chassis stocks with spacing for the Savage stagger-feed action. He machined an Anschutz rail into the fore-end for my hand stop and sling. Then he powder-coated the chassis black, and sent it to me sans grip and butt plate.
Photo of action/chassis. Tommy says: “It locks up really tightly, and you can tell Craig spent some time on the CNC work need to make this all fit.”
There are a few minor issues with the PDC chassis, but overall, I would rate this a 9.5 out of a possible 10. The price, and the features built into it, plus the ease of which everything fit together, far outweigh any minor issues. And two of the issues I quickly corrected with Teflon tape. I will need to make a walnut cheek piece — a curved one isn’t conducive to aperture iron sight shooting.
Savage Action .260 Rem 300M Match Rifle Components:
Action, Barrel, Stock, Grip
Savage M12 stagger-feed action, 4.27″ spacing
Shilen Select Match Barrel, 26″
Rifle Basix SAV-II Trigger
PDC Custom Chassis — tool-less adjustments
Bobsled SLED for single loading (required)
MEC Contact III Butt plate (German)
MEC handstop/sling swivel (German)
Walnut Target grip for AR-15 (eBay sourced)
Sight Components and Hardware
MEC Spy Long rear sight (German)
Centra front sight tunnel (German)
Centra adjustable aperture (German)
Medesha sight extension tube + collar
Champion’s Choice front sight base
Champion’s Choice mirage band
For his practice load, Tommy shot 123gr Hornady ELD-M bullets with H4831 powder and CCI BR2 primers. This load performed well — Tommy posted: “My 25-shot initial prone test today shows promise. There are five sighter shots, and 20 record shots. One of the 9s at 9 o’clock is my first sighter, the other one I own. The 8 out at 4 O’clock was a round that was difficult to chamber. My initial scoring puts me somewhere in the vicinity of 193-7X.”
The target used is the NRA C2, “300M International Rifle Target, reduced for 200 yards”. The 10 Ring is 2.40″ in diameter, while the Inner 10 (X-Ring) is 1.24″.
Match Load — Varget and Nosler Bullets
For his match load, Tommy switched to Varget and Nosler bullets: “My match load uses 37.9 grains Hodgdon Varget with a Nosler 123gr bullet. This was a recommendation by a gentleman with a lot of experience in 300M shooting.”
Tommy adds: “The amount of knowledge gained via the AccurateShooter Forum has made this all a reality, instead of just a passing thought.”
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
1. Palmetto SA — Stoeger STR-9 Pistols, $199.99 w/$50 Rebate
⏺ After rebate, incredible deal on very good 9mm pistols
German gun-maker Stoeger makes excellent pistols. Accuracy and reliability is very good and we like the trigger better than the Glock. Right now 9mm Stoeger STR-9 pistols are on sale at Palmetto State Armory for just $249.99. That’s a great deal — but it gets even better! Through April 30, 2024, Stoeger has a $50 Mail-in Rebate. That lowers your net cost to just $199.99 — a third of the price of a Glock. For this same $199.99 price choose one of three models: Standard STR-9 (4.17″ bbl, 15+1), Compact STR-9c (3.8″ bbl, 13+1), and Sub-Compact STR-9sc (3.54″ bbl, 10+1).
2. Creedmoor Sports — Anniversary 45 Days of Deals
⏺ Attractive prices on wide variety of products
Creedmoor Sports is marking its 45th Anniversary this month with a major sale on a wide variety of products including scopes, reloading presses, dies, shooting accessories, competition sights, plus bullets and brass. CLICK HERE to see all the current sale items. If you are looking for brass, many types of quality Peterson and Starline brass are on sale now.
3. Grafs.com — Frankford Arsenal F-1 Press, $122.99
⏺ Versatile press, good primer exit, plus built-in light
Here’s a handy, single-stage press with some cool features. The new Frankford Arsenal F-1 press has an open front for easy case placement, plus a built-in LED lamp at the top (great for inspecting cases). And after decapping, spent primers go straight down a tube into a handy, clear, twist-off catch cylinder (as on a Forster Co-Ax). We think this would be an excellent secondary press used for decapping or bullet seating. This intro price — just $122.99 at Graf & Sons — is a great deal. NOTE: This press does NOT have priming capability — you must prime cases with a separate tool. Also, the power cord for the LED light is NOT included. For more details see Frankford Arsenal F-1 Press Review.
4. Midsouth — Rifle Basix Triggers and Trigger Components Sale
⏺ Trigger assemblies for Rem, Winchester, Ruger, CZ, Marlin and more
Rifle Basix makes a wide variety of trigger components for custom rigs as well as factory rifles. There are complete trigger sets for Rem 700 and Howa/Weatherby types. In addition there are upgraded parts for factory triggers including: Savage, Ruger, CZ, Marlin, and Winchester and more. Right now at Midsouth you can get major savings on the full range of Rifle Basix triggers. Get complete Rem 7/700 trigger sets starting at $124.99, with Ruger and Marling upgrades for just $89.99.
5. EuroOptic — SIG Sauer Optics Sale, Save up to 42%
⏺ Huge savings on scopes, binoculars, laser rangefinders, and red dots
Right now EuroOptic.com is running a big sale on SIG Sauer optics products. You’ll find savings up to 42% on quality scopes, binocs, and rangefinders. Along with the items shown above there is a great combo deal with a Sierra 3BDX 3.5-10x42mm riflescope w/KILO2800 Rangefinder for just $449.99, a $200 savings. This is a great package for game hunters.
⏺ Excellent, rugged rifle case at a very good price
When flying or driving it’s vital to protect your rifles. A good hard case option (at a great price) is the APACHE 9800 Weatherproof Protective Rifle Case. On sale for $169.99, this 53″-long case is $150.00 less than an equivalent-size Pelican case. Constructed from durable polypropylene, this quality hard case can protect long guns from from impact, moisture, and dust. The built-in purge valve equalizes pressure so you can open the case after changing elevations. NOTE: Case interior dimensions are 50⅜” by 13⅝”.
7. Bullet Central — ThorroClean Bore Cleaning System, $21.49
⏺ ThorroClean is ultra-effective, and favored by many top shooters
You can clean rifle barrels faster and more efficiently with the modern twin-bottle ThorroClean System from Bullet Central. We’ve been told by championship-class shooters that this stuff works exceptionally well — way better than most other conventional bore cleaners. The ThorroClean System has two elements. First use the bore cleaner fluid. Then follow with the bore flush liquid. This unique two-part system is extremely effective at removing both carbon residue and copper.
8. Amazon — Caldwell AR-500 Steel Targets, starting at $16.99
⏺ Great deals on durable AR500 steel targets — watch video below right
Caldwell’s bright, easy-to-see steel targets come in multiple shapes and sizes for competition, training, and recreational use. Made of AR-500 grade hardened steel, these bright yellow targets can withstand thousands of rounds. Rated up to a 3000 fps impact velocity and a 3500 ft-lb impact energy, these targets come in seven styles and sizes with three hanging solutions. These bright yellow Caldwell AR500 Steel Targets (#ad) are on sale now on Amazon, starting at just $16.99 for the 5″ Gong Target.
When traveling by air with a handgun, the pistol must be in a case with a TSA-approved lock. The Snapsafe Treklite XL Lock Box complies with TSA rules. It will hold two compact pistols or one larger pistol with magazing (which must be UNLOADED). Made with a strong polycarbonate case, This lightweight (2.2 lb) lock box is one-third the weight of a steel box. Right now the Treklite XL FDE Lock Box is just $29.99 at Midsouth, 25% OFF the regular price.
10. Amazon — NEIKO 6″ Digital Calipers, $24.99
⏺ Good, reliable digital calipers at attractive price
Every handloader needs to measure shoulder bump, cartridge length, and other dimensions. A good set of calipers is essential. If you need calipers, check out the NEIKO Electronic Digital Calipers (#ad). The tool’s body/frame is constructed of finely polished stainless steel with a knurled thumb roller and locking screw that ensures smooth sliding and accurate positioning. If you’re getting started in reloading or are looking for a back-up set of calipers, this is a good option.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Editor: This story by Tommy C. (aka “dc.fireman”) comes from our Shooters’ Forum. It’s fascinating to see how a relatively inexpensive Savage M12 BVSS varmint rig was transformed into a sophisticated 300M match rifle with a modern chassis, Shilen barrel, and top-of-line sights. With some ingenuity, and careful parts selection, Tommy created a rifle that can compete with match rifles costing many thousands of dollars more. American ingenuity at work!
Savage Reborn — Old BVSS Transformed into 300M Match Rifle
by Tommy C. (aka “dc.fireman”)
So, I began the project of building a 300M International competition gun, about a year ago, intending to compete at the 300M Nationals this year in Minnesota at the Minneapolis Rifle Club. Realistically, I didn’t want to pay the price-tag demanded of the Bleikers, Grunig & Elmigers, Hammerlis, or Tanners that (infrequently) pop-up for sale from time to time. So I decided to build my own 300M Match rifle with an American action, barrel, chassis, and trigger.
Here is Tommy’s completed 300M Match rifle with Savage action in PDC Custom chassis.
I had decided on the .260 Remington (aka 6.5-08) as the caliber choice. This beat out 6.5×47 Lapua simply due to the cost/availability of brass. The .260 Rem cartridge is based on the .308 Win parent. I made my first batch of brass by necking down some Federal .308, and it worked great. [Editor: We do recommend Lapua .260 Remington brass for match purposes for those who don’t have a supply of good .308 brass.]
I had an older Savage M12 stagger-feed action, originally from an old .22-250 BVSS. I contacted James at Northland Shooter Supply, and he walked me through the game plan and equipment I needed: Shilen Select Match 26″ barrel, NSS Stainless recoil lug and nut, a set of Forster headspace gauges, and the NSS action wrench.
Catalog photo of current Savage M12 BVSS in .22-250 Rem.
A few months later, I replaced the original Accu-trigger with a Rifle Basix SAV-II trigger, and immediately wondered why I waited so long to do that. The Rifle Basix is perfect for my application. Mind you the he safety DOES NOT work now, but, I don’t need it for my application.
Another member on the AccurateShooter Forum sold me a BVSS stock that has been re-worked by Alex Sitman of Masterclass Stocks, and it served as a placeholder, until I could find a maker who could nearly replicate my Feinwerkbau 2700 Alu stock in my smallbore match gun.
After scouring the AccurateShooter Forum, and multiple internet searches, I found PDC Custom in Michigan. I spoke with Craig Kierstadt a few times, before finally deciding to pull the proverbial trigger on his chassis. He had a few of the older chassis stocks with spacing for the Savage stagger-feed action. He machined an Anschutz rail into the fore-end for my hand stop and sling. Then he powder-coated the chassis black, and sent it to me sans grip and butt plate.
Photo of action/chassis. Tommy says: “It locks up really tightly, and you can tell Craig spent some time on the CNC work need to make this all fit.”
There are a few minor issues with the PDC chassis, but overall, I would rate this a 9.5 out of a possible 10. The price, and the features built into it, plus the ease of which everything fit together, far outweigh any minor issues. And two of the issues I quickly corrected with Teflon tape. I will need to make a walnut cheek piece — a curved one isn’t conducive to aperture iron sight shooting.
Savage Action .260 Rem 300M Match Rifle Components:
Action, Barrel, Stock, Grip
Savage M12 stagger-feed action, 4.27″ spacing
Shilen Select Match Barrel, 26″
Rifle Basix SAV-II Trigger
PDC Custom Chassis — tool-less adjustments
Bobsled SLED for single loading (required)
MEC Contact III Butt plate (German)
MEC handstop/sling swivel (German)
Walnut Target grip for AR-15 (eBay sourced)
Sight Components and Hardware
MEC Spy Long rear sight (German)
Centra front sight tunnel (German)
Centra adjustable aperture (German)
Medesha sight extension tube + collar
Champion’s Choice front sight base
Champion’s Choice mirage band
For his practice load, Tommy shot 123gr Hornady ELD-M bullets with H4831 powder and CCI BR2 primers. This load performed well — Tommy posted: “My 25-shot initial prone test today shows promise. There are five sighter shots, and 20 record shots. One of the 9s at 9 o’clock is my first sighter, the other one I own. The 8 out at 4 O’clock was a round that was difficult to chamber. My initial scoring puts me somewhere in the vicinity of 193-7X.”
The target used is the NRA C2, “300M International Rifle Target, reduced for 200 yards”. The 10 Ring is 2.40″ in diameter, while the Inner 10 (X-Ring) is 1.24″.
Match Load — Varget and Nosler Bullets
For his match load, Tommy switched to Varget and Nosler bullets: “My match load uses 37.9 grains Hodgdon Varget with a Nosler 123gr bullet. This was a recommendation by a gentleman with a lot of experience in 300M shooting.”
Tommy adds: “The amount of knowledge gained via the AccurateShooter Forum has made this all a reality, instead of just a passing thought.”
Match Load — Varget and Nosler Bullets
