Last week, at the DSEi trade show in London, UK, Sako unveiled an all-new tactical rifle, designed from the ground up as a modular system, which can be user-configured in the field to shoot multiple calibers. By changing bolts and barrels, Sako’s new TRG M10 can be switched from a 7.62×51 NATO round to the .300 Win Mag, or the even larger .338 Lapua Magnum. With the capability of the TRG M10 to shoot both standard and magnum cartridges, Sako now has a product that can compete with other multi-caliber sniper rifles such as the Barrett MRAD, released last year. CLICK HERE for TRG M10 Spec Sheet.
Sako Breaks TRG Mold with New M10
The TRG M10 represents quite a departure from Sako’s current TRG models which use a composite shell over a metal chassis which holds the barreled action. There is no outer shell or “skin” on the TRG M10. The action bolts into a rigid, exposed metal chassis to which a rail-equipped metal forearm/handguard is attached. Bipods can mount directly to a bottom Picatinny-style rail or to a metal block clamped to the rail on the underside of the forearm (See Photos).
TRG M10 Previewed in London CLICK HERE to view more photos of the new TRG M10. These images, taken at DSEi in London, show the rifle both fully assembled as well as pulled apart into its major sections: action/barrel, folding stock, forearm, bolt assemblies, magazines. As the TRG M10 is designed to shoot multiple calibers, it employs two different bolt assemblies to fit both standard and magnum cases (of course this requires a barrel interchange as well).
For Military and Law Enforcement Only — for Now
Currently, the TRG M10 is marketed for “military and law enforcement only.” It will be interesting to see if Sako eventually decides to sell the TRG M10 to American civilian shooters. If Sako changes its mind about the civilian market, we would not be surprised if an announcement to that effect would be made at SHOT Show 2012 (to be held Las Vegas, NV, January 17-20, 2012). The TRG M10 system will next be displayed at the Milipol trade show in Paris, France on October 18-21, 2011.
There is an extensive discussion of the new Sako TRG M10 on the Snipers’ Hide Forum. Overall, the initial reaction of ‘Hide members has been positive. Quite a few of those who commented on the rifle stated they would purchase a TRG M10 if it was offered to civilians. Hopefully Beretta, Sako’s parent company, will recognize that popular demand for the TRG M10 would be sufficient to justify its release to the civilian market. Only time will tell….
More than two dozen of America’s best tactical shooters gathered for three days of competition at the Fall 2010 Alleghany Sniper Challenge, October 9-11, held at Seneca Rocks (WV) along the Eastern Continental Divide. This event is the only one of its kind that offers all steel targets at distances up to 1,200 yards and at varying angles across mountain valleys.
FNH Supplies Rifles for All Competitiors
However, it was the support of FNH USA which made the 2010 Fall Challenge a unique and true first of its kind all-equipment-provided event. FNH USA provided each competitor with one of its FN SPR A5 .308 long range precision rifles with standard 20-inch fluted barrels, McMillan stocks, and a MIL-STD optical rail with +20 MOA elevation. Competitors were also issued identical scopes, rings, slings, and Corbon ammunition. Apart from bipods, competitors were not allowed any other equipment such as GPS units or laser range finders.
“FN’s support was absolutely instrumental in making this match possible,” said Rod Hansen, who run the match along with co-Director John Markwell. “This match places each competitor on a level playing field and represents the most extreme and complete test of each shooter’s skill and knowledge of ballistics,” said Hansen. For more info on the FNH equipment used, call Tes Salb at(703) 288-3500 ext. 125, or email tess@fnhusa.com.
50 Shooters Participate in Two-Weekend Challenge
The Fall 2010 Alleghany Sniper Challenge takes place over two weekends, essentially becoming two matches. The first weekend match took place in September, and FNH USA provided all the rifles for that first weekend as well. More than 50 shooters took part and used FNH rifles over the two weekends.
ASC Counts Misses, Not Hits
Since Hansen and Markwell designed the match from the ground up they also made changes they felt would improve the experience for the competitors. Shooters engage almost 50 targets and are allowed to fire up to 125 shots, but they only count misses, not hits. The shooter with the lowest score wins.
The winners from the first weekend were: 1st Kevin Mussack of upstate, NY, 2nd Geoff Martel of Mt. Morris, NY, and 3rd Eric Underiner of Ringoes, NJ. Winners of the second match: 1st Pete Pi, Jr. from Cor-Bon in Sturgis, SD (who provided all the ammunition used), 2nd Rich Grinn of Clarkston, MI, and 3rd Chris Soyka of Iona, MI. FNH donated two rifles to be awarded as prizes (all prizes are awarded by random drawing and the winner of the match is only guaranteed a trophy).
2009 Fall ASC — Report and Photos
If you are interested in learning more about the Allegheny Sniper Challenge, Ian Kenney has written a detailed report, complete report for the 2009 ASC match. Kenney’s journal features some great photos and even a 3D Google Earth map with a birds-eye view of the target locations. CLICK HERE to read Ian’s 2009 match report, found on ShootingVoodoo.com.
The United States Army’s Joint Munitions and Lethality Contracting Center has awarded Remington Arms a 5-year contract to upgrade 3,600 current M24 sniper rifles to the new M24E1 Sniper Weapon System. The major change will be a conversion from the 7.62mm NATO (.308 Winchester) cartridge to .300 Winchester Magnum to provide “additional precision engagement capability and range”. The contract, potentially worth over $28 million, was awarded after a 9-month competitive evaluation. CLICK HERE for Remington Press Release.
The Army’s new M24E1 sniper rifle will share the Rem 700 long action (receiver) and trigger from the currently-fielded M24, but little else. (The Army specifically required that the M24E1 be built around the same 700 series long action and fire control system.) The M24E1 is considered a “total conversion upgrade”, by which the barrel, stock, magazines, muzzlebrake, suppressor, and even the optics will be changed. The M24E1 will carry a 6.5-20×50 variable power Leupold scope with a first focal plane (FFP) reticle that includes .300 Win Magnum bullet-drop compensation markings.
To the new M24E1s, Remington will fit 24″, 10-Twist (5R) hammer-forged barrels, chambered in .300 Win Mag. After the change in chambering, the most notable difference between the M24 and M24E1 is the new modular metal chassis/stock. There are a variety of adjustments in the rear buttstock section, which also folds forward for easier transport. The forearm has removable Mil Std 1913 Picatinny Rails to allowing fitting of night-vision devices and other accessories. Click Here for Forearm Photo.
M24E1 Contract Follows Production of 15,000 M24s By Remington
It is no great surprise that Remington won the contract to upgrade the older M24 sniper rifles. Remington has been produced nearly 15,000 M24 Sniper Weapon Systems for the military over the past 22 years. The M24E1 may be seen as the “natural evolution” of the Army’s existing Rem sniper platform. While the M24E1 rifle looks radically different on the outside, it remains much the same on the inside. According to Remington:
This long tradition of production and repair makes Remington the natural choice to upgrade this venerable system[.] Current operations in Southwest Asia exposed the need for a more powerful and longer-range sniper round. The baseline M24 was designed from inception to chamber a longer and more powerful round than the 7.62mm NATO, so an obvious solution to the capability gap was to finally exploit the M24’s long bolt action and chamber it for .300 Winchester Magnum.
Here’s a good value for you tactical shooters out there. MidwayUSA has its 50″-long black nylon tactical drag bag on sale for $64.99, marked down from $89.99. This is a very versatile bag that compares favorably with drag bags costing $120.00 or more. The bags feature heavy-duty zippers and tons of storage, including internal pouches for magazines. There is a removable divider allowing two-gun storage, and the drag bag has a shoulder-strap system so you can carry the bag in the vertical mode like a backpack. With two rifles inside, however, that’s a heavy load.
Used this bag recently at a 3-Gun match. It held a full-length AR, Remington 1100, and all the ammo, mags and gear needed for a stage easily. With the backpack straps, it was easy to carry all that weight. Highly recommended. — Bob M., MO
This is a real nice bag. It is just the right size for my 26″. .308 Rem 700. Plenty of padding, nice that it can hold two rifles, but it obviously gets real heavy. Side pockets are perfect size for a spotting scope, although the pockets aren’t padded enough for a scope. Bigger side pocket fits ear muffs and such. — T.M., WI
I was looking for an inexpensive solution to get my rifles to the range, so I purchased one of these drag bags. What a shock, it’s outstanding! Quality materials, excellent design and workmanship. It’s padded, has pockets inside of pockets, supports to wear it as a pack, over the shoulder or like a case. It’s got everything! I also saw one at my local gunstore -EXACTLY- like it for over twice the price! (with a different name of course) Honestly, at twice the price… I’d still like it! If you need a bag, this is it. — J. Dawson, CA
I have few other more expensive bags and I would trade them for this one. Its great. Holds my custom 300 Rem mag and my AR-15 with plenty of room. All kinds of pockets for wind meters, clips, et cetera. – J. Harrison, GA
Black Bags Coming Soon. Green Bags Will Cost More
This black $64.99 drag bag is currently back-ordered, but it is expected in stock on 7/26/2010, so you might as well place an order before the price goes up. Also, note that Midway is offering a special promo for our readers (see below). FYI, a nice-looking olive drab version of this bag will be available in the future for $89.99. If you strongly prefer green you’ll want to wait… but then the price will be higher.
Save an Extra $10 off Order of $50.00 or More
If the price reduction for the Tactical Drag Bag isn’t enough of an incentive, MidwayUSA is offering an exclusive promotion for AccurateShooter.com readers this July. To save an additional ten bucks on your order of $50 or more, use PROMO CODE 2437210 during check-out. This promo expires 7/31/2010. NOTE: If, for any reason, this Promo Code does not activate during the online purchase process, call MidwayUSA’s customer service department, at 1-800-243-3220.
Many of our readers are now using smart-phones for ballistic calculations. Now there is a new App for the iPhone which makes mildot target ranging simple and easy. Mil-Dot Rangefinder 2.0 does all the math for you. Just input the size of the target, and the program calculates range instantly, in yards and meters. The standard edition costs just $1.99 while the “Pro” version is $9.99. We think that, if you’re going to really use this program in the field, it’s well worth paying ten bucks for the Pro version. The Pro edition gives you a full-featured ballistics calculator with windage/elevation corrections. That calculator alone is worth the extra money, and the Pro version offers many other features, which are listed below:
Target ranging (yards and meters)
US Army and USMC mil-dot reticles
Target Info display
Advanced ballistics calculator
Fast windspeed/direction adjustment
Range card (ballistics chart)
Point of impact indicator
Bullet drop compensator
Windage/elevation corrections
Time to target
Shot energy/velocity at target
Multiple Ballistic Profiles
This is a very powerful program. We suspect it will take most users a few days before they really understand all its functions and options. To see a more detailed demonstration of the Mil-Dot Rangefinder App, click on the YouTube video below. There’s no voice-over, so the video can be hard to follow. But at least the video showcases the flexibility of the program and the wide variety of functions it offers. Credit The Firearm Blog for spotlighting this useful App.
The 2010 Eastern CMP Games were held at Camp Butner, NC on 8-11 May. Now in its 4th year, the Eastern CMP Games is more popular than ever — entries were up 32% from 2009. Participation in the Eastern Games rifle events has grown from 265 event entries in 2007 to 764 entries this year. In fact, if the 83 entries in the two service pistol events and 72 entries in this year’s new Vintage Sniper Test Match are also counted, the 2010 event entry count was a whopping 919. As a result, the capacity of the three Camp Butner ranges was stretched to the limit. For the 30-shot As-Issued Military Rifle Match on Saturday, an absolute maximum of 200 shooters were squadded in four relays on a 50-point range. The 32-point Rimfire Sporter range was also filled to capacity for its two scheduled relays on Sunday afternoon.
The Creedmoor Cup segment of the event was dominated by military shooters, most of whom are with the USAMU. SPC Sherri Gallagher won the Creedmoor Cup Overall and the Match Rifle Aggregate. Sgt. Tyrell Cooper won the Creedmoor Cup for Service Rifle and the Service Rifle Aggregate. In Service Rifle Team competition, the USAMU Praslick team finished first with 1957-80X, while the Virginia Shooting Sports Assn. Team took the Match Rifle title with a 1929-58X collective score.
There were many outstanding performances at the Eastern CMP Games, highlighted by David Thompson’s double win in the Carbine Match AND the As-Issued Military Rifle 3-Gun Aggregate. This was David’s second-straight 3-Gun Aggregate win. His 2010 score, 858-19X, was two points higher than his winning Agg. for 2009.
Of the three Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle matches, the Garand Match was the most popular with 213 shooters. The match winner was Randy Ent, with an excellent 291-8X total. Sean Leighton posted a 290-5X to win the Springfield Match. Robert Pestridge, shooting a 6.5×55 Swede, won the Vintage Military Rifle Match. In the As-Issued M1 Garand Special EIC Match, Phillip Randall shot a 379-7X to top a field of 121 competitors. Among the 10 “introductory” 4-point leg EIC winners were TV personality GySgt R. Lee Ermey (USMC retired), and Hornady Ballistician Dave Emary, lead developer of Hornady’s .30-06 match ammo currently issued to CMP Garand and Springfield competitors in Regional and National Matches.
The Rimfire Sporter Match was also popular, attracting 58 shooters. Using a CZ 452 rifle, Ron Villanueva won the scoped-rifle class, posting a 595-41X T-Class score. This is the highest score ever recorded in a CMP-sanctioned Rimfire Sporter event. Congrats to Ron on his superb marksmanship. In the O-Class for open-sighted rifles, Richard Sauer had the other winning score in the Rimfire Sporter Match with a 562-14X total. Other top shooters are listed by event in the table below. You’ll find a detailed report on the CMP Eastern Games in the latest First Shot CMP Online Magazine. Complete scores for the 2010 Eastern CMP Games rifle events are posted on the CMP Website.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: In a subsequent BBC Interview, Harrison reported it took about NINE shots for he and his spotter to initially range the target successfully. Then, he reported, his first shot “on target” was a killing shot. That makes the story more plausible.
In a stunning display of marksmanship, and the ultra-long-range capability of the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, a British sniper killed two Taliban machine-gunners at a confirmed range of 1.54 miles. The distance to the target was GPS-ranged at 8,120 feet or 2,706.6 yards — well over a mile and a half. According to Britain’s Times Online, this successful engagement was the longest ever: “The previous record for a sniper kill is 7,972 feet, set by a Canadian soldier [in Afghanistan] in March 2002.” (Canadian Cpl. Rob Furlong used a McMillan Tac 50 in his 2002 engagement.)
The amazing shots were made by Corporal Craig Harrison of the Household Cavalry using an Accuracy International L115A3 rifle, chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum. L115A3 rifles, part of the British Army’s Sniper System Improvement Programme (SSIP), were first deployed to Afghanistan in May 2008. Corporal Harrison, with the assistance of his spotter, Trooper Cliff O’Farrell, dropped two Taliban machine-gunners with successive shots while providing covering fire for an Afghan national army patrol south of Musa Qala last November. Harrison told the Times that: “We saw two insurgents running through [a] courtyard, one in a black dishdasha, one in green. They came forward carrying a PKM machine-gun, set it up and opened fire on the commander’s wagon. I rested the bipod of my weapon on a compound wall and aimed for the gunner firing the machine-gun.” Harrison fired three rounds, the first killing one machine-gunner, the second killing the other (who had taken over the weapon), and a third to disable the enemy gun.
A shot at this ultra-long-range requires a superbly accurate rifle, a highly-skilled marksman, and favorable conditions. Harrison said: “Conditions were perfect, no wind, mild weather, clear visibility.”
Corporal Harrison is a brave soldier. During an ambush later in his Afghan tour of duty, a bullet pierced his helmet but failed to penetrate his skull. Some weeks after that, he broke both arms when a road-side bomb exploded under his vehicle. After recovering from his wounds, Harrison volunteered to return to Afghan duty.
On Wednesday, April 28, the Shooting USA TV show reprises its special “Old Sniper” broadcast. In this popular episode, 84-year old WWII veteran Ted Gundy, who served as a U.S. Army sniper in the Battle of the Bulge, meets with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) at Fort Benning. For a week, the “Old Sniper” (and his son) were honored as VIP guests of the USAMU at Fort Benning.
At the end of the show Gundy received a new replica of the 1903 Springfield A4 Sniper rifle. The rifle, complete with vintage-type scope, was presented by Val Forgett of Navy Arms. Then, shooting from a rucksack rest, Gundy proceeded to hit steel at 300 yards. CLICK HERE for Full Story with details.
This Shooting USA Special broadcast helps viewers remember our remaining WWII veterans, while showing the dedication and hard work of the modern-day USAMU. Broadcast times (on the Outdoor Channel) are shown below (check your local listings).
For many firearms owners, the answer to the question “Why own a .50 BMG?” is simply “because I can.” There is also a very active group of .50 BMG shooters who compete in long-range tournaments. At the 2009 Fifty Caliber Shooters Assn. National Championships, Lee Rasmussen shot an amazing 1.9557″ 5-shot group in Heavy Gun Class, breaking Skip Talbot’s 2.600″ single-group record set in 1999. That demonstrates the remarkable accuracy possible from .50-caliber firearms.
Steyr Knocks $1300 Off Price of HS .50 and HS .460
If you’re looking to acquire a .50 BMG, and don’t want to go the custom rifle route, Steyr Arms has a deal for you this month. Steyr Arms has drastically reduced the price of its big-bore, ultra-long-range HS .50 and HS .460 rifles to $3,995 for the entire month of April — or while supplies last. This promotional sale represents a savings of nearly 25 percent off the previous $5,299 price for HS .50 and HS .460 rifles. To learn more, visit www.SteyrArms.com, or call Steyr at (205) 655-8299.
Both the Steyr HS .50 and HS .460 rifles are single-shot bolt-actions, featuring 33″ fluted, free-floated barrels fitted with large, three-chamber muzzle brakes. The modular metal chassis allows easy disassembly for cleaning and transportation. Note how the +20 MOA scope rail is attached directly to the barrel block. This prevents loss of zero when the rifle is disassembled for transport or storage.
The .460 Steyr Chambering — Bigger than the .416 Barrett
While most of you are familiar with the legendary .50 BMG chambering, you may be curious about the “.460 Steyr”. This cartridge was developed by Steyr to provide superb ultra-long-range ballistics with less recoil than the .50 BMG. Like its .50 BMG big brother, the .460 Steyr can launch bullets that stay supersonic well past 1500 meters. The .460 Steyr was designed by Horst Grillmayer (Austria) in 2002, and the projectiles were designed by Guido Wasser (Switzerland). Production of rifle and cartridge started in 2004. The .460 Steyr was a way to offer an ultra-long range, sporting/sniper rifle and cartridge in juridictions which banned 50-caliber rifles. As with the .416 Barrett cartridge, the .460 Steyr cartridge was developed by shortening and necking down the .50 BMG case; however, the .460 Steyr is longer than the 416 Barrett. Loaded ammunition for the .460 Steyr is offered by Ammo-one.com, which provided the image below.
A touching episode of Shooting USA aired yesterday on the Outdoor Channel. Luckily, it will be repeated this Saturday, February 20th. In this show, 84-year old WWII veteran Ted Gundy, who served as a U.S. Army sniper in the Battle of the Bulge, meets with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) at Fort Benning. For a week, the “old sniper” (and his son) were honored as VIP guests of the USAMU at Fort Benning. This story was broadcast on the “Impossible Shots” segment of Shooting USA. CLICK HERE for Full Story with details.
Gundy, who lost his right leg to an artillery shell, can still wear his WWII uniforms. He regularly puts on his “dress greens” when attending funeral services of Army veterans, a service he renders as a member of the Missouri Honor Guard.
At the end of the show Bundy received a new replica of the 1903 Springfield A4 Sniper rifle. The rifle, complete with vintage-type scope, was presented by Val Forgett of Navy Arms. Then, shooting from a rucksack rest, Bundy proceeded to hit steel at 300 yards.
This Shooting USA Special broadcast helps viewers remember our remaining WWII veterans, while showing the dedication and hard work of the modern-day USAMU. The show can be pretty emotional at times, but it’s well worth watching. If you missed the Feb. 17th broadcast, the show will be repeated on Feb. 20th at the following times: 4:30 PM EST, 3:30 CST, 2:30 MT, 1:30 PT (check your local listings). You can also purchase a DVD of the Old Sniper broadcast for $9.95.
Sako Breaks TRG Mold with New M10
Many of our readers are now using smart-phones for ballistic calculations. Now there is a new App for the iPhone which makes mildot target ranging simple and easy. 
The 2010 Eastern CMP Games were held at Camp Butner, NC on 8-11 May. Now in its 4th year, the Eastern CMP Games is more popular than ever — entries were up 32% from 2009. Participation in the Eastern Games rifle events has grown from 265 event entries in 2007 to 764 entries this year. In fact, if the 83 entries in the two service pistol events and 72 entries in this year’s new Vintage Sniper Test Match are also counted, the 2010 event entry count was a whopping 919. As a result, the capacity of the three Camp Butner ranges was stretched to the limit. For the 30-shot As-Issued Military Rifle Match on Saturday, an absolute maximum of 200 shooters were squadded in four relays on a 50-point range. The 32-point Rimfire Sporter range was also filled to capacity for its two scheduled relays on Sunday afternoon.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: In a subsequent BBC Interview, Harrison reported it took about NINE shots for he and his spotter to initially range the target successfully. Then, he reported, his first shot “on target” was a killing shot. That makes the story more plausible.
