Capstone Precision Group will conduct four informative seminars about competitive shooting during the 2018 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits. These seminars, designed as introductions to various shooting disciplines, will be led by top competitors. The 147th Annual NRA Convention runs May 3-6, 2018 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. Visit Capstone at Booth #4517 to learn more about competitive shooting from the experts. The seminars will be held each day in Booth #4517, May 4, 5, and 6 on the schedule listed below.

F-Class Shooting – 10:00-10:30

Join members of the USA Rifle Team to learn about F-Class, what you need to get started and what resources are available to help you learn more. This session will be held by the leaders of the United States F-Open and F-TR Rifle Teams. Made up of over 40 members, the team will be traveling to South Africa in 2021 to represent our country.

F-TR Team USA won the 2017 F-TR World Championship.

Precision Rifle Series (PRS) Shooting – 1:30-2:00

The Precision Rifle Series is one of the fastest growing competitive disciplines. Join two of the top series shooters to learn about all PRS has to offer and how you can join in on the fun. This session is led by Matthew Brousseau of Team Lapua and Missy Gilliland of Team Berger. Matthew is currently #1 in the series, and Missy has won numerous women’s and Top 10 daily awards.

F-TR Team USA won the 2017 F-TR World Championship.

Juniors in Competitive Shooting – 10:45-11:15

Do you have a son or daughter who is interested in competitive shooting? Attend our Juniors in Competitive Shooting educational session to learn how get them started on the right foot. Madison Bramley and her father Dan will lead this discussion. At just 14, Madison has already competed and represented the US around the country, as well as Ireland and Canada.

Madison Bramley at Berger SWN. Erik Cortina Facebook Photo.

Women in Competitive Shooting – 2:15-2:45

This is designed specifically for women who are interested in shooting competitively. Missy Gilliland of Team Berger and Gabby Pitre of Team VihtaVuori will talk about how they got their start in the competitive world and how you can get involved. Missy is a PRS shooter, and Gabby competes in Long Range, Mid-Range, and High Power Across the Course (XTC), so this session will cover many topics.

Missy Gilliland photo courtesy Bushnell.com.

High Power Shooting – 3:00-3:30

Are you interested in High Power Rifle competitions? Let us break down the competition, what you need to get started and how you can get involved with our High Power seminar led by Gabby Pitre and Kevin Thomas. Gabby is a member of Team VihtaVuori and has been competing since she was eight years old. Kevin Thomas is a Capstone employee, and has years of experience both shooting and teaching High Power shooting skills. Both have won distinguished badges and been awarded President’s Hundred, among other accomplishments.

About Capstone Precision Group
Capstone Precision Group is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Berger Bullets, Lapua Components and Munitions, Vihtavuori Propellants, and SK Rimfire products. Capstone Precision Group is a part of Nammo Group.

Nosler recently introduced a new series of high-BC bullets with factory-closed meplats. Bryan Litz’s team at Applied Ballistics is now testing these new Reduced Drag Factor (RDF) projectiles to determine their performance — and specifically to see if the BCs are as high as claimed. Nosler bullet testing is underway this week and Litz hopes to bring the results to the Applied Ballistics Seminar in North Carolina later this week (November 3-4, 2016).

Applied Ballistics Seminar Fall 2016: November 3 – 4, 2016 – Caraway Conference Center
4756 Caraway Mountain Road Sophia, NC 27350; Phone: (336) 629-2374. Seminar Sign-Up.

Bryan notes: “If you live in the Southeast region, this is the last seminar for you for at least a year, possibly longer. We will most likely do the next seminars in regions not yet visited.”

Applied Ballistics Library Update
Bryan Litz is hard at work testing new projectiles: “We are currently in the middle of testing all these new offerings that have recently come out. In fact, the lab is up and running today, with some of the new Nosler RDFs going down range. Bullet measurements have been taken with our state-of-the-art digital comparator which is accurate to within 0.0001″. For example, shown below are the measured dimensions for the new Nosler RDF .308 175 grain projectile. For these new bullets, we will not only have complete BC measurements accurate to ± 1%, but we will have Custom Drag Models (CDMs) coming as well.”

New Data Coming Soon
Bryan hopes to present the new Nosler data at the Seminar this week in North Carolina. In addition, Bryan is developing information for the Hornady ELD bullets, G9 Competition Series solid bullets, some new Sierras, and some other projectiles not currently in the library: “Once we complete testing on all these new offerings, we will then compile the library for the next library update (which will be done across all platforms). We want to make sure that none of these new offerings are left out. For those who want to see some of the early results, come join us at this final seminar of 2016!”

Custom Drag Models
Applied Ballistics has been providing custom drag models for use in trajectory prediction for the past several years. Custom Drag Models (CDMs) for bullets are a more refined way of modeling drag for bullets because you’re not referencing a standard like G1 or G7, rather you’re using the actual measured drag of a specific bullet in a ballistic solver. This results in more accurate trajectory predictions, especially through transonic.

Earlier this summer, California Governor Jerry Brown signed six restrictive new gun laws. Less than 24 hours after they arrived on his desk, Brown signed six anti-gun bills railroaded through the Democratic-controlled California Legislature. This legislation imposes many new burdens on California gun-owners and criminalizes conduct that was heretofore legal. With little public debate, these bills were rushed through the legislative process. And now Californians are facing the disturbing consequences.

FREE Online Webinar on California Gun Laws
To help Californians understand their responsibilities under the new gun laws, the Michel & Associates law firm is hosting a free online seminar this week. As space is limited, advanced registration is required for the seminar. CLICK HERE to REGISTER.

The seminar will be held, Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 12:00 pm (PT). This live webinar will explain how the new gun laws will affect gun owners, when they will go into effect, and what citizens need to do to comply with these laws. The seminar will be hosted by C.D. Michel and Joseph Silvoso, lawyers with Michel & Associates. Important topics will include:

SB 1235 (Ammunition Purchase Bill): This new law requires the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to record ammunition vendor and ammunition purchaser information. This ill-conceived legislation has caused much confusion. It is unclear how AB 1235 will affect mail-order purchases of loaded ammunition from vendors outside the state.

SB 1446 (Magazine Ban): SB 1446 which will require Californians to forfeit, destroy, or ship out of the state ALL firearms magazines that can hold more than ten rounds. Owners of legally-obtained magazines, previously “grandfathered”, will receive no compensation though they must give up their property. Those who fail to comply will be fined and charged with an infraction, a low-level crime. This magazine restriction goes into effect July 1, 2017.

Other California Gun Laws Signed by Gov. Brown:

AB 1135 (Levine) and SB 880 (Hall) Firearms: Assault Weapons – Expands the definition of assault weapons based on whether a semiautomatic firearm has a detachable magazine, banning thousands of popular firearms.

AB 1511 (Santiago) Firearms: Lending – Makes it illegal to loan a firearm to a person who is personally known to you (except for family members with restrictions).

AB 1695 (Bonta) Firearms: False Reports – Creates a 10-year prohibition on owning firearms for someone convicted of falsely reporting a lost or stolen firearm.

Graphic courtesy The Daily Shooter YouTube channel.

After the success of its winter Ballistics seminar in Michigan, Applied Ballistics has taken its show on the road. Right now Bryan Litz and his team are running a seminar in Texas, and there will be two (2) more seminars this year — one in Michigan and one in North Carolina. These seminars cover a wide range of topics, with the primary focus on basic to advanced ballistics principles as applied to long-range shooting. Bryan uses a multi-media approach: “Everyone learns in different ways — some by reading, others process graphics better. The Applied Ballistics seminars offer a chance to engage industry professionals directly in person, and to ask your questions directly, in live conversation. This format is the best way for many shooters to learn the science of accuracy.”

To learn about upcoming seminars, watch a preview video, or get more information, CLICK THIS LINK. NOTE: If you want to get involved, places still remain for the summer and fall seminars. SEE Registration links below:

SUMMER: Tustin, Michigan, July 18-19, 2016 | INFO and Registration
FALL: Sophia, North Carolina, November 3-4, 2016 | INFO and Registration

Full House in Texas — Ballistics Seminar is a Big Success
As you can see, this week’s seminar has been hugely popular, with over 130 shooters in attendence. Bryan Litz tells us: “Engagement at the Dallas seminar is great. With so many participants (130+), there’s a lot to discuss! Our content covers a lot of the aspects of long range ballistics, and the guys take the conversation into various applications such as hunting, competition shooting, and Military/LE applications as well. On Day One we covered basic and advanced trajectory features, Ballistic Coefficients, and laser rangefinder performance — all before lunch. In the afternoon we discussed wind from academic and practical standpoints. The afternoon session included a briefing by former USAMU team coach Emil Praslick, one of the best wind coaches in the world. After dinner there were informal break-out sessions with myself and guest speakers. Day Two (Tuesday) will be just as full — we’ll cover a lot of ground.”

After the success of its recent winter Ballistics seminar in Michigan, Applied Ballistics has decided to take its show on the road, offering additional Ballistics seminars in three different states (Texas, Michigan, and North Carolina). These three seminars will cover a wide range of topics, with the primary focus on basic to advanced ballistics principles as applied to long-range shooting. Registration is now open for the three (3) upcoming Ballistics Seminars:

1) Addison/Dallas, Texas, May 23-24, 2016 | INFO and Registration
2) Tustin, Michigan, July 18-19, 2016 | INFO and Registration
3) Sophia, NC, November 3-4, 2016 | INFO and Registration

This video explains the subjects covered by Applied Ballistics Seminars:

Ballistician (and current F-TR National Mid-Range and Long-Range Champion) Bryan Litz will be the primary speaker at the spring, summer, and fall seminars. He will present material from his books and the Applied Ballistics Lab, and he will discuss his experience shooting in various disciplines. The seminar will feature structured presentations by Bryan and other noted speakers, but a great deal of time will be alloted for questions and discussion. By the end of the seminar, participants should have a much better understanding of how to apply ballistics in the real world to hit long-range targets. Along with Bryan, other respected experts will include:

Emil Praslick III – Head coach of the U.S. Palma team and retired head coach of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. Emil will discuss tactics, strategy, and mindset for successful wind-reading.

Eric Stecker – Master Bulletsmith and President of Berger Bullets. Eric will be presenting on precision bullet making technology.

Nick Vitalbo – Owner of nVisti Tactical Innovations and chief engineer for Applied Ballistics. Nick will discuss the state of the art in laser rangefinders and wind reading devices.

Mitch Fitzpatrick – Applied Ballistics intern and owner of Lethal Precision Arms. Mitch specializes in Extended Long Range (ELR) cartridge selection and rifle design.

Ballistics Seminar Topics

• Trajectory Basics – zeroing, point blank range, danger space, incline shooting.
• Wind – Mechanism of wind deflection, reading the wind, wind strategies, wind sensing gear.
• Secondary Effects – Spin drift, Coriolis, aerodynamic jump.
• Bullet Drag Modeling/Ballistic Coefficient – Definitions, testing, use.
• Bullet Stability – Basic gyroscopic stability, transonic stability, limit cycle yaw.
• Ballistic Solvers – How they work, best practices, demos.
• Weapon Employment Zone (WEZ) Analysis – How to determine and improve hit percentage.
• Optics and Laser Technology – State of the Art.

The seminars costs $500.00. But consider this — each seminar participant will receive the entire library of Applied Ballistics books and DVDs, valued at $234.75, PLUS a free copy of Applied Ballistics Analytics software, valued at $200.00. So you will be getting nearly $435.00 worth of books, DVDs, and software. In addition, a DVD of the seminar will be mailed to each attendee after the seminar concludes.

Bryan Litz explains: “Subjects will be introduced from an academic-first, principles perspective. Once the scientific basis for the material is established, the ideas are further demonstrated with examples from instrumented live fire. We explain the science, and then present examples of the principles in action. You’ll leave with an understanding of the subject matter, as well as a knowledge of how to apply it in the real world.” To learn more about the Ballistics Seminar, read this AccurateShooter Forum Thread.

Seminar Daily Schedule:

A 4-hour morning block (with breaks)

1 hour lunch break

A 4-hour afternoon block (with breaks)

1 1/2 hour dinner break

Side-bar discussions organized by discipline and subject matter

Seminar Included Materials:

Full library of Applied Ballistics Books and DVD set, valued at $234.75.

Free copy of Applied Ballistics Analytics software, valued at $200.00.

Binder including: hand-outs, articles and various assorted utility worksheets.

Certificate of Course Completion & Audio CD of event content (to be sent to each attendee.)

Seminar Locations and Schedules:

Spring 2016: May 23 – 24, 2016 – Dallas/Addison Marriott, 14901 Dallas Parkway, Dallas TX 75254 Phone: (972) 661-2800

Summer 2016: July 18 – 19, 2016 – Kettunen Center, 14901 4H Drive,Tustin, MI 49688 Phone: (231) 829-3421

Fall 2016 : Nov. 3 – 4, 2016 – Caraway Conference Center, 4756 Caraway Mountain Road Sophia, NC 27350 Phone: (336) 629-2374.

Applied Ballistics LLC will offer its first-ever Ballistics Seminar early next year in Tustin, Michigan. This two-day seminar will feature Ballistician Bryan Litz and other experts including Eric Stecker, President of Berger Bullets, and Ray Gross, Captain of the U.S. F-TR Rifle Team. Bryan, the primary speaker, will present material from his books, the Applied Ballistics Lab, and his experience shooting in various disciplines. Bryan recently won both the Mid-Range and Long-Range F-TR National Championships. Bryan will be assisted by Nick Vitalbo, Owner of nVisti Tactical Innovations and lead engineer for Applied Ballistics. The seminar, held February 29 through March 1, 2016, will include classroom sessions followed by live fire demonstrations with sophisticated instrumentation.

Ballistics Seminar Topics

• Trajectory Basics – zeroing, point blank range, danger space, incline shooting.
• Wind – Mechanism of wind deflection, reading the wind, wind strategies, wind sensing gear.
• Secondary Effects – Spin drift, Coriolis, aerodynamic jump.
• Bullet Drag Modeling/Ballistic Coefficient – Definitions, testing, use.
• Bullet Stability – Basic gyroscopic stability, transonic stability, limit cycle yaw.
• Ballistic Solvers – How they work, best practices, demos.
• Weapon Employment Zone (WEZ) Analysis – How to determine and improve hit percentage.
• Optics and Laser Technology — State of the Art.

The seminar costs $500.00. But consider this — each seminar participant will receive the entire library of Applied Ballistics books and DVDs, valued at $234.75, PLUS a free copy of Applied Ballistics Analytics software, valued at $200.00. So you will be getting nearly $435.00 worth of books, DVDs, and software. In addition, a DVD of the seminar will be mailed to each attendee after the seminar concludes.

Bryan Litz explains: “Subjects will be introduced from an academic-first, principles perspective. Once the scientific basis for the material is established, the ideas are further demonstrated with examples from instrumented live fire. We explain the science, and then present examples of the principles in action. You’ll leave with an understanding of the subject matter, as well as a knowledge of how to apply it in the real world.” To learn more about the Ballistics Seminar, read this AccurateShooter Forum Thread.

Early Bird Special — Save $100.00
If you register before the end of December, 2015, you’ll receive $100.00 off the regular $500 registration fee. This $400.00 Early Bird Special price can be secured by registering through the Applied Ballistics online store.

The two-day seminar will be held at the Kettunen Center in Tustin Michigan. Lodging costs range from $115-$240 (all-inclusive). This price includes three meals each day, and starts at 3:00 pm the day before the seminar, and goes to breakfast the morning after the seminar concludes. Contact the Kettunen Center directly to reserve accommodations.

Speedy tells us: “We will go over the theory and physics of bedding and different materials, processes and procedures used to ensure a long-lasting and accurate bedding job. I will demonstrate [how to get best results] through proper control and knowledge of the bedding process and we will spend the remainder of the week bedding rifles students bring with them to class. A full list of tools will be post on Murray State NRA web site. I look forward to seeing some of you there.”

To register for the Precision Bedding Seminar
at Murray State, contact either:

Elaine Reese
Secretary/Gunsmithing Dept.
580-371-2371 ext. 243
rees0919 [at] student.mscok.edu

Chad Mercer
NRA Coordinator
580-371-2371 ext. 244
cmercer [at] mscok.edu