Sinclair Int’l is running a Cyber Weekend Sale with 10% off orders over $150.00. USE Promo Code: RFL. Simply use that Code during checkout to receive your discount
“Doors Open” at 12:01 am on November 26th. At that time you can see selected items at big markdowns. Go to Sinclair’s Cyber Weekend Page to see the special discounts. The exclusive savings run through midnight, November 29! Selected items have special, reduced prices, available all weekend.
Here are some of the featured Cyber Weekend Specials:
We’ve confirmed that Danny Biggs, the Spirit of America’s F-Open Class Winner, shot the match using a bipod, rather than a pedestal rest. This is pretty remarkable because top F-Open competitors have traditionally preferred the stability and quick adjustability you get with a deluxe pedestal rest such as a Farley, John Loh (J.J. Industries), or SEB. Of course, Danny had a trick up his sleeve — his prototype Sinclair International bipod features a quick-adjusting elevation control. No, you can’t buy a bipod like Danny’s — at least not yet. Sinclair Int’l hopes to offer production versions before the end of 2010.
Sinclair staffer Pete Petros competed at the 2010 SOA Match, and recounted his experiences in Sinclair’s Reloading Press. Concerning Biggs’ bipod, Petros wrote:
An interesting fact about Biggs’ win is that he was shooting off of the Sinclair F-Class Bipod which is generally used in F-TR competition. In F-Class open most competitors shoot off of a bench-type rest modified to shoot off of the ground in the prone position. The bipod Biggs [used] is a new-model Sinclair Elevation-Adjustable version of the newer Sinclair F-Class Bipod. Danny has been testing this product for us during the past year and obviously is having great results. We should have these bipods ready for production in a few months. Keep posted to our website for announcements. But trust me, I think Danny would shoot well balancing his gun on a rock –- he’s that good!
While most F-Open shooters used a front pedestal rest, either a joystick design or a center column pedestal with remote-adjustable windage top, Danny used a wide-base bipod, as he had done at past Nationals in the F-TR class. But Danny’s bipod was very special. It is a prototype, modified Sinclair design with height adjustment via a central, vertical-axis knob.
As you can see from the pictures below, the left and right bipod legs are attached to a T-shaped silver (aluminum) bracket. This bracket moves up and down as the silver knob is turned clockwise or counter-clockwise. As the knob turns, its threads pull the T-shaped bracket up and down relative to a center block of aluminum bolted to the bipod’s attachment to the rifle’s forearm accessory rail. With this system, Danny can easily reach forward and make precise adjustments in elevation. Note that the Sinclair bipod’s secure rail attachment is retained and Danny can still adjust rifle cant (tilt), using the rear push-button handle. This rear handle functions like a Pod-lock allowing the rifle to be tilted a few degrees to one side or the other to compensate for side-sloping terrain.
Sinclair International is running a big Labor Day Weekend Promotional Sale. With the use of a promo code on checkout, you can save $15.00, $20.00, or $25.00 depending on the amount of your order. Sinclair explains how this works: “We would like to offer you $15 off your $150 order (code: CP5), $20 off your $200 order (code: CQ2), $25 off your $250 order (code: CR9). Simply enter the corresponding code upon checkout. We’re also offering great discounts off of select items! Not only that, the first 5,000 ground orders will receive a FREE GIFT.”
Many Other Reloading Products are Marked Down This Weekend
In addition to the $15, $20, and $25 off promotions, many popular products are being discounted directly. For example, the $79.95 Wilson Sharkfin Trimmer Kit (with stand) is marked down to $69.95, and the Hornady Lock-N-Load Electronic Powder Dispenser is $25 off, reduced from $249.95 to $224.95. If you need reloading tools and components, you may want to take advantage of Sinclair’s Labor Day Weekend Sale.
You can purchase a Teflon stock tape kit from Sinclair Int’l for $14.95. This has four 5″x5″ segments, enough for two rifles. But if you have a large collection of rifles, you’ll save big bucks by buying directly from a bulk tape supplier. C.S. Hyde Company, CSHyde.com, (800) 461-4161, sells 6″-wide, flexible Teflon-coated and UHMW tapes that work great, with either rubber, silicone, or acrylic adhesives. The price works out to about $1 per rifle.
MiKe Ratigan recommends the “Skived” (blade sliced) PTFE Teflon .005″ tape with silicone adhesive, item 15-5S. This is very low-friction and highly conformable, so it bends easily around your stock contours. You’ll need to call for custom 5″ or 6″ widths, and expect to pay about $40 for a 5-yard-long (180″) roll.
A less expensive option is the UHMW (ultra-high molecular weight) Polyethylene Tape with High Stick Acrylic Adhesive, item 19-5A. C.S. Hyde explains: “UHMW Polyethylene provides a nonstick, low-friction surface similar to PTFE tape but with much higher abrasion and puncture resistance. It is ideal for anywhere high-pressure sliding contact occurs.” The price is just $32.34, for a 6″-wide by 5 yard-long roll, enough for 36 rifles! Compare that to spending $12.50 for four 5″x5″ pieces. On Benchrest.com, AbinTX reported that C.S. Hyde “sent [him] samples of various thickness to try out before ordering. They will price a roll for you depending on how wide and how long you want. It’s not very expensive and you can tailor the amount to your needs.”
Sinclair International has just released its completely new Competition Shooting Rest BR. It’s a beefy unit, weighing over 30 pounds… and yes, it’s fully approved for both IBS and NBRSA benchrest competition at all distances. The new rest should start shipping in mid-May, 2010. The price is $599.00 including top bracket, but not the front sand-bag (both Edgewood and Protektor bags will fit).
Key features are: 1) Very low center of gravity for stability; 2) Smooth, precise windage control built in to the base-plate; 3) Ambi-dextrous design; and 4) Built-in carry handle on the front (target) side. The windage control, which employs twin tapered roller bearings for smoothness, is a clever design that provides nearly 48″ of windage movement at 100 yards. The oversized windage control knob is positioned near the rear (vertical) speed screw so you can easily and quickly control both the vertical and horizontal with the same hand. And you Southpaws, don’t worry… the post, center column, controls and windage adjustment disassemble and reassemble on the opposite side, for left-hand use.
The Sinclair Competition Rest’s components are “super-sized” compared to older Sinclair front pedestal designs. The new rest’s center column diameter is upsized to 1.95″ from 1.375″, the threaded post is increased to 1″ diameter from 3/4″, and the leg screws are now .5″ (up from .375″). The rear fluted speed screw is also oversized. The new Competition Rest also includes mounting holes for attachment of raised ammo caddies or a timer-holder. In addition, the Sinclair Competition Rest features a new, lockable fore-end stop assembly that adjusts for length, height, and cant (angle).
Danny Biggs, two-time F-TR National Champion, decided to shoot Open Class at this year’s 2010 F-Class National Championships in Sacramento. Danny did very well, finishing third overall in F-Open with a score of 1324-67X. Danny’s X-count, the highest of all competitors, was 10 Xs higher than F-Open winner Derek Rogers and runner-up Ken Dickerman, who both finished with 57X.
While most F-Open shooters used a front pedestal rest, either a joystick design or a center column pedestal with remote-adjustable windage top, Danny used a wide-base bipod, as he had done at past Nationals in the F-TR class. But Danny’s bipod was very special. It is a prototype, modified Sinclair design with height adjustment via a central, vertical-axis knob. As you can see from the pictures below, the left and right bipod legs are attached to a T-shaped silver (aluminum) bracket. This bracket moves up and down as the silver knob is turned clockwise or counter-clockwise. As the knob turns, its threads pull the T-shaped bracket up and down relative to a center block of aluminum bolted to the bipod’s attachment to the rifle’s forearm accessory rail. With this system, Danny can easily reach forward and make precise adjustments in elevation. Note that the Sinclair bipod’s secure rail attachment is retained and Danny can still adjust rifle cant (tilt), using the rear push-button handle. This rear handle functions like a Pod-lock allowing the rifle to be tilted a few degrees to one side or the other to compensate for side-sloping terrain.
We watched Danny shoot with this heigh-adjustable bipod, and it worked superbly. With its wide foot-print, the bipod is ultra-stable. During recoil, the ski-type feet slide evenly straight back. Danny was able to quickly dial in a little vertical, as needed, during his string of fire. This gave him more precise control over elevation than other bipod shooters who had to slide their guns forward or backward or pinch the ears of their rear bags to make small changes in rifle elevation.
Production Plans Not Yet Certain
Wondering “Where can I get one?” Unfortunately, the Biggs Bipod adjuster is not in production yet, and we don’t know for sure if this design (or something like it) will be added to the Sinclair Int’l F-Class Bipod in the future. But Danny Biggs certainly demonstrated that the concept works superbly. We expect micro-adjusting vertical controls to appear on other F-Class bipods at future matches.
As an extended “Black Friday” sales promotion, Brownells is offering 10% off all orders over $150. This promo, which started on November 27th, runs through midnight, on “Cyber-Monday”, November 30th. To qualify for the 10% discount, visit brownells.com and use Coupon Code CYB to get 10% off any order over $150. NOTE: There are also many specially-priced items on sale all weekend long. You can use the 10% discount (Code CYB) even on these special sale items.
Sinclair International is running a similar promotion through midnight on Monday November 30th. Again you can get 10% off any purchase. However, to qualify for the discount, your total order must exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00). To get your discount (on orders over $200) use Promotion Code SAVE10 during online check-out.
Sinclair International has a new tool assembly that lets you sort bullets by base to ogive length. The $79.95 Sinclair Bullet Sorting Stand with Dial Comparator (item 59-2000) comes with a heavy black granite base that stays put on your loading bench. The included dial indicator has a quick-release lever allowing easy placement and removal of bullets into the comparator. This lever allow the spring-loaded indicator shaft to pop up out of the way.
The special base comparators used with this tool (see photo), are sold separately for $10.99, and are offered in 22 caliber, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, 30 caliber, and 338 caliber. The sorting stand can also be used with Sinclair multi-caliber hex comparators (item 09-700, $18.25).
Measuring Bullet Bearing Surface with Calipers and Comparators
While we like this Sinclair tool, the same function can be performed with a regular set of calipers, using two comparators with caliber inserts. If you use the Hornady (formerly Stoney Point) OAL system you probably already have a #B2000 comparator body and a caliber-specific insert ($3.99 at Grafs.com).
Buy a second body ($14.39 at Grafs.com) and second insert (of the same caliber) and mount one on each caliper jaw, opposite each other. Tuck the bullet’s boat-tail in one insert and the “pointy end” in the other, and you can quickly measure the bearing surface. It takes a few tries to get the right “feel” of how hard to close the caliper jaws. But if the comparator bodies are set up right, the process should be quite repeatable, and you can probably measure just as fast with calipers as with the Sinclair measuring stand. However, the Sinclair unit should be a bit more precise, if you’re trying to resolve bullet lengths to less than one-thousandth. If you want to measure base to ogive (rather than bearing surface length), just remove one comparator and measure with the heel of the bullet (end of boat-tail) touching one jaw, and the bullet’s “pointy end” in the remaining comparator.
For years, Sinclair Int’l has offered a reamer for small, BR-sized flash-holes, product #07-3000. This popular tool features an 0.0625″ cutting tip to uniform the .059″ flash-holes on Lapua 220 Russian, 6mmBR, 6.5 Grendel, and 6.5×47 brass. Sinclair’s tool works from the outside, indexing off the primer pocket. For those people who believe in the utility of reaming small flash-holes (an open question), the Sinclair “outside-in” design may be the best. But until now, there has been no equivalent “outside-in” reamer for cases with large flash-holes.
Sinclair recently introduced its NEW .081″ large flash-hole reamer, item #07-3081. This $37.50 tool is designed to ream standard flash holes (.080″) to exactly .081 inch, both for small primer pockets and large primer pockets. This tool will remove most burrs left in manufacturing and will uniform the flash-hole diameter of all your brass to ensure consistent ignition.
Double-Ended Design Works with Both Small and Large Primer Pockets
Sinclair’s all-stainless three-piece tool features a double-ended reamer guide for both large and small primer pockets, a knurled handle for easy turning and a straight fluted .081″ reamer. It is designed for all cartridges (with either small OR large primer pockets) with standard .080″ flash holes.
As one Sinclair customer noted: “This is a tool that has been needed for a long time.” As a result, the .081″ flash-hole reamers have been back-ordered through 12/1/2009. But if you order now you should have yours within 5-6 weeks.
IMPORTANT: We recommend, if you order this tool, that you mic the actual diameter of the cutter tip. We have found that some flash-hole reamers, of ALL brands, arrive with slightly oversized cutter tips. Indeed we’ve seen tip diameters of other brands (not Sinclair) vary by as much as .006″ (six-thousandths). You want to make sure you don’t have an oversize cutter before you ream hundreds of cases.
Guns & Gear is a new television series produced by respected shooting sports journalist Jim Shepherd and Gun Talk Radio host Tom Gresham. Forum members who watched the debut episode of Guns & Gear gave it high marks, saying it was informative and well-made.
This week’s episode of Guns & Gear should interest our readers. The show features reloading tools from Sinclair International, the AR platform M&P 15 rifle from Smith & Wesson, and Nosler Accubond bullet penetration tests. Guns & Gear airs on the Versus Cable Network at the following times: Tuesdays at 3:00pm EST, Wednesdays at 8:30am EST, and Thursdays at 8:30am EST. For other time zones, check your local listings.
You can view segments from previous episodes and learn more about featured products by visiting www.gunsandgeartv.com.
Sinclair Int’l is running a Cyber Weekend Sale with 10% off orders over $150.00. USE Promo Code: RFL. Simply use that Code during checkout to receive your discount
We’ve confirmed that Danny Biggs, the Spirit of America’s F-Open Class Winner, shot the match using a bipod, rather than a pedestal rest. This is pretty remarkable because top F-Open competitors have traditionally preferred the stability and quick adjustability you get with a deluxe pedestal rest such as a Farley, John Loh (J.J. Industries), or SEB. Of course, Danny had a trick up his sleeve — his prototype 
While most F-Open shooters used a front pedestal rest, either a joystick design or a center column pedestal with remote-adjustable windage top, Danny used a wide-base bipod, as he had done at past Nationals in the F-TR class. But Danny’s bipod was very special. It is a prototype, modified Sinclair design with height adjustment via a central, vertical-axis knob.
Danny Biggs, two-time F-TR National Champion, decided to shoot Open Class at this year’s 2010 F-Class National Championships in Sacramento. Danny did very well, finishing third overall in F-Open with a score of 1324-67X. Danny’s X-count, the highest of all competitors, was 10 Xs higher than F-Open winner Derek Rogers and runner-up Ken Dickerman, who both finished with 57X.
Sinclair International has a new tool assembly that lets you sort bullets by base to ogive length. The $79.95 Sinclair 
Sinclair recently introduced its NEW 
