Applied Balllistics LLC, run by Bryan Litz, has just released new .308 Winchester Tactical Ammunition. This new ammo employs a brand-new 175gr “Tactical OTM” bullet from Berger Bullets. This new projectile is unique in that it was designed to “fly right” even at transonic and subsonic speeds. The new 175gr bullets are loaded to magazine length (2.800″) in new Lapua brass, so the ammo will fit all popular detachable box magazines in tactical bolt guns and gas guns. Bryan recommends a 1:13″ (or faster) twist barrel.
New Tactical Ammo Has Individually-Weighed Charges and Low ES
Unlike most “factory ammo”, Bryan’s new Tactical Ammo features individually weighed charges. That’s right — the charge for each and every round is weighed before it goes in the case. As a result, the new ammo typically delivers Muzzle Velocity (MV) Standard Deviation (SD) under 10 FPS (for 10 shots). That’s a low number, on a par with quality handloads. Bryan has shot this ammo at 1000 yards through a LaRue OBR AR10-type rifle. The ammo shot under one MOA at 1000 yards. Another benefit of the weighed charges is that this allows the use of high-quality extruded (stick) powders. The stick powders are known to deliver great accuracy while being consistent through a wide temperature range.
Berger’s NEW .30 Caliber 175gr Tactical OTM Bullet
This bullet was designed by Berger Ballistician Bryan Litz specifically to optimize performance of the M118LR class of ammunition. The design objectives were to maximize BC while staying within the 2.800” COAL for magazine feeding, and the requirement for the bullet to remain stable through transonic speeds. All of these design objectives were achieved, according to Bryan. The bullet has a length-tolerant tangent ogive shape, so it is less sensitive to seating depth than secant-ogive bullets.
The BC of this bullet is 7% higher than the 175 grain Sierra MatchKing currently used in most M118LR ammunition, and 2% higher than the Hornady 178 grain option. The average G1 BC of the Berger 175gr Tactical bullet is 0.510 from 3000 to 1500 fps. The G7 BC is 0.259, and is a more accurate representation of this bullets performance over a wide range of speeds. (CLICK HERE to read about G1 vs. G7 BC.)
The Berger 175gr Tactical OTM bullet requires a minimum twist rate of 1:13″ to be stable from the muzzle. Transonic stability was verified from a 20″-barreled LaRue OBR with a 1:11.25″ twist.
Early Tests Show Bullet Shoots Great — Report by Robert Whitley
Robert Whitley got a box of early-run 175gr Tactical bullets. He says they shoot great in his own handloads: “I just received some of the new Berger .30 cal 175gr Tactical OTM (Open Tip Match) bullets. Wow — what great bullets for the .308 Winchester! I did some range testing and these things really shoot! As you can see below, I had a 5-shot group around 0.2″ and, then, shooting prone, I produced a 20-shot group that just tore out the X-Ring.” (NOTE: these targets were shot with Robert’s handloads, not the Applied Ballistics pre-loaded ammo.)
While the words “Open Tip Match” might lead one to believe it has a large open tip, this BTHP bullet actually has a small meplat. Robert suspects that, for this bullet’s potential tactical and military applications, it was felt the words “hollow point” should be avoided in favor of “open tip”.
Bullets Are Positioned Optimally When Loaded at 2.800″ Mag Length
These bullets were also made to be loaded at magazine feeding length in the .308 Winchester (2.800″ OAL). Robert reports: “When loaded at a 2.800″ OAL length, the bullets sit perfectly in the neck of the .308 Winchester, with the full bearing surface of the bullet up in the neck of the case, and the junction of the boat tail and bearing surface of the bullet just forward of the junction of the neck and shoulder of the case.”
If you are going to shoot these bullets and expect them to be supersonic the whole way, a 1:13″ or faster twist is recommended, and if you are going to run them at velocities where they might be subsonic/transonic, Bryan confirmed they’ll work in 1:11.25″ twist barrels. Robert notes that his company, AR-X Enterprises, carries 1:11.25″ twist Bartlein .30 Cal barrels as a regularly-stocked item in both the M24/M40/Rem Tactical contour and the Remington Heavy Varmint/Sendero contour.
Whitley concludes “This is a great offering by Berger Bullets”. While the bullets can be purchased through Berger or Berger’s dealers, the new Applied Ballistics’ loaded ammo should be ordered through Bryan’s website. The price is $40 (plus shipping) for 20 rounds.
CLICK HERE to order through the Applied Ballistics secure shopping cart.
Disclosure: Applied Ballistics LLC advertises Bryan Litz’s Ballisitics Book on this site.
Leupold’s Mark 4 riflescopes are highly respected for their quality of glass, user-friendly tactile turrets, and durability backed up by Leupold’s lifetime warranty. These scopes are favored by police and military shooters. Because of their popularity, Mark 4 scopes are in high demand and retailers maintain pretty high prices. We’ve worked with one of our sponsors to create a very attractive special discount on Mark 4 6.5-20x50mm LR/T M1 scopes, just for our readers.
Leupold 6.5-20x50mm Mark 4 with Leupold Tactical Rings for just $1375.99
Our sponsor DogHouse Outdoors has created a special package with a Leupold Mark 4 LR/T 6.5-20x50mm scope, plus Leupold tactical 30mm rings at a super-low price. These rings have an MSRP of $224.00. Through this special offer for AccurateShooter.com readers, you can get the Mark 4 scope, plus genuine Leupold Mark 4 30mm rings (either aluminum or steel), for just $1375.99. And shipping is FREE! Go ahead and comparison shop and you’ll see what a good value this is.
Choose either a mildot reticle or Leupold’s TMR® (Tactical Milling Reticle). Most tactical shooters seem to prefer the TMR, which has fine hash marks. However, in low light, some shooters say the older Mildot Reticle is easier to see.
This is a limited-time offer. DogHouse Outdoors plans to offer this $1375.99 pricing for the next three weeks, through the end of February, 2011. If you have been looking for a high-quality Leupold tactical scope, you should definitely check out this offer.
First Focal Plane, Mil-Mil Version Also Offered
Because most shooters actually are better served with a second focal plane reticle, and the vast majority of American shooters prefer MOA adjustments, the Mark 4 $1375.99 LR/T package scopes come with 1/4-MOA windage and elevation clicks with a second focal plane reticle. However, for those shooters who need a First Focal Plane (FFP) Reticle (for ranging at all magnifications), and mil-based clicks, DogHouse Outdoors is also offering a Mark 4, ER/T M5 6.5-20x50mm package. This features a FFP reticle, and turrets with 1/10 milrad clicks. The price, including Leupold Mark IV 30mm rings, is $1,775.99. That’s 24% off the normal list price (with the $224 rings). Again, this offer is limited in time. Get your orders in before 2/28/2011.
Schmidt & Bender has a very impressive new tactical scope in the PMII (Police and Marksman) line, the 3-20x50mm PM II/LP/MTC/LT. A first-focal-plane design, the new 3-20X PMII features very bright glass, and a double-turn, locking elevation turret. The scope can be ordered with a variety of reticles, and either 1/4-MOA clicks or one-tenth milrad clicks, with MTC turrets.
First delivered in late 2010, this unit has already drawn praise from the tactical community. JR, posting on SnipersHide.com Forum, declared: “I had the opportunity yesterday while at the Modern Day Marine show in Quantico to take a look at the new 3-20×50 PM II and to say that it impressed would be an understatement. The overall size was right between the 3-12 and the 4-16 and the 50mm objective is perfectly proportioned to this optic. Locking MTC turrets are very user friendly and it’s nice to have the option to leave them in the unlocked position when needed. Having a parallax range of 25 metres to infinity can also be very beneficial in many circumstances. Overall I was very impressed with the newest PM II … this scope will most definitely be sitting on one of my rifles before the year is over.” Another observer, writing in the Optics Talk Forum states: “If money is no object, consider the Hensoldt. But I think the scope that will be hardest to beat in the high-end tactical market will be the Schmidt & Bender 3-20.” That’s probably an intelligent call. However, at $3100.00+ per unit, we wonder how many shooters can actually afford the new 3-20x50mm PMII.
New Illuminated 1-8×24 Hunting and Multi-Gun Scope
At about $1899.00, Schmidt & Bender’s new 1-8x24mm Zenith scope is considerably less expensive. This scope is designed for short to medium-range tactical use, multi-gun competition, and hunting. One nice feature is that the scope has a “pure 1-power” setting that is 100% parallax-free. There will also be an illuminated version offered for $2149.00 US.
McMillan unveiled a new stock that should appeal to readers who like McMillan tactical stocks but want something with greater versatility for sitting, kneeling, and standing shots. The new McMillan A3 Sporter combines the popular features of the A3 tactical stock with a redesigned fore-arm, plus a buttstock with more drop at the rear. For a tactical shooter, the feel of the handgrip and comb will be familiar. However, the buttstock will fit the shoulder better when standing. Also a flared beavertail has been added along the fore-end to provide more secure placement for your front hand.
McMillan’s Dick Davis explained: “Our tactical stocks — the A2, A3, A4, A5 — are designed as prone stocks. The comb is very high and very straight, and they have very little drop at heel. They’re made to shoot when laying down on the ground. They don’t shoot well standing up offhand as a hunting stock”. Davis added: “The tactical shooters have been bugging [us] for years for a hunting stock they can shoot offhand”. For its new A3 Sporter, McMillan has modified the butt and the fore-arm to create a better platform for hunters. Now, Davis says: “We have a good off-hand stock with a vertical, tactical-style pistol grip that the tactical guys are used to shooting”.
Benchrest Stocks — Good for Varminters As Well
In addition to the A3 Sporter, Dick Davis explained some of the differences between the older style McMillan Benchrest stock design, and the more modern Edge stock. Both stocks can work very well in a competitive benchrest gun, but they can also function very well for a varmint rifle shot from a front sandbag or pedestal rest. For a varmint gun, we actually really like the older benchrest stock. It has a comfortable hand grip and the round toe on the buttstock works well for bag-squeezers. Davis confirmed that this stock is quite popular with varminters: “Over 1/3 of McMillan benchrest stocks are used in field varmint rifles”. Shown below is the original McMillan benchrest stock.
Alan Orr of Sightron unveiled some impressive products at the 2011 SHOT Show. The first is a fully upgraded Sightron SIII 10-50X60mm LR scope. When first introduced in 2010, Sightron’s 10-50X scope became an immediate “hit” with AccurateShooter.com readers. The 10-50X offered seriously powerful magnification with reasonable weight — all in an affordable package. With “street price” under $1000.00, the Sightron 10-50X was much less expensive than rival “big-name” scopes with comparable magnification. As first released, Sightron’s 10-50X scope was a smart choice for F-Classers and long-range benchresters. For 2011, the 10-50X scope has been made even better, yet the price has stayed pretty much the same. That’s the kind of progress we like.
As upgraded, Sightron’s 10-50x60mm scope has new target turrets, a new reticle option (hash marks with center dot-in-circle), and dual-color, selectable illumination. At around $995.00, this scope is in a class by itself. Looking at the offerings of other scope-makers, you’d have to pay hundreds more to get a comparable 50-power riflescope with reliable tracking and good glass. Yes the Schmidt & Bender 12-50X scope is better, but the S&B costs three times as much as the Sightron. The Sightron 10-50X’s price to performance ratio makes it a very attractive choice for F-Class and long-range Benchrest.
Exclusive ‘Sneak Preview’ of New 1-7X Sightron ‘Tactical Hunter’
After showing us the updated 10-50X scope, Sightron’s Alan Orr gave us an exclusive look at Sightron’s prototype 1-7X Tactical/hunting scope. This all-new scope offers wide field of view, selectable illumination and choice of 1/3 MOA or Centimeter clicks. This versatile, illuminated riflescope can be used for everything from tactical matches to big-game safaris. We definitely expect to see this compact 1-7X illuminated optic on many multi-gun rigs in the months ahead. The “street price” for the new 1-7X is expected to be right around $950.00. Expect the first units to ship in 120 to 150 days (i.e. at the start of summer).
Yes, bigger is better. Leupold has upgraded its popular “folded-light-path” compact spotting scope, by adding an HD-glass, 80mm front objective and boosting the magnification up to 60-power. That will give this NEW scope better low-light performance and higher magnification while retaining a usable exit pupil (if you increase magnification without increasing the front lens diameter, the exit pupil shrinks). The unit costs $1800, not bad considering the price of other 80mm spotters, and the Leupold is much easier to carry, given its compact design.
Bigger Objective, Better HD Glass, More Useful Magnification Range
We’ve always liked the Leupold compact spotter because it is light weight and it’s Newtonian (folded light path) design makes it much more compact than most spotters of comparable magnification. The U.S. Military currently uses the Mark 4 “tactical” version of the Leupold 12-40x60mm spotter. However, we felt that the glass in the 12-40 spotter was not on a par with the latest generation HD spotters from Kowa, Zeiss, and Leica, or even Nikon and Pentax for that matter. Leupold has taken a huge step forward by gracing its new spotter with a big, HD (low dispersion) front objective. This should give the scope better perceived sharpness with much less color fringing (chromatic aberration) when viewing targets at long range. Upsizing the objective to 80mm makes the scope brighter, improving low-light performance. That’s important, particularly for tactical guys and hunters. The bigger objective also allows Leupold to increase magnification all the way from 40X to 60X. Do you always want a 60-power view? No, but it is great have 50% more magnification on tap when you need it.
60X is a Good Thing for Target Shooters
Most 40-power spotting scopes struggle to resolve 6mm and 6.5mm bullet holes at 600 yards. With HD glass and 60X magnification, you’ll have a much better chance to see small bullet holes at long range (though you’ll also need good viewing conditions). That’s a huge advantage for the long-range target shooter. Overall, we were very pleased that Leupold engineered this much-enhanced 80mm spotter. We predict it will be a big hit with anyone who needs serious magnification in an easy-to-carry optic.
If you’ve been shopping for Burris riflescopes or binoculars, visit SWFA.com. Texas-based SWFA is running a special liquidation sale on Burris optics with some items marked way down “below distributor cost”. Supplies are limited. Here are some examples of the savings:
Below you can see a small sample of the many items on sale (CLICK HERE for full list). Visit SWFA.com or call (972) 726-7348. SWFA offers a price guarantee and SWFA claims it “will beat any price”.
March scopes (built by Japan’s Deon Optical) have become extremely popular with short-range benchrest competitors, and we are seeing an increasing number of 600-yard and 1000-yard shooters upgrade to March scopes. The March product line offers high magnification (up to 60X power), a wide choice of reticles, and extremely bright, sharp lenses.
March has also quickly acquired a reputation for reliable tracking and shot-to-shot consistency. In the unforgiving short-range benchrest game, if your reticle shifts just a tiny amount from shot to shot, that can open up your group and drop you from a top place to “also-ran” status. Top short-range shooters have praised the March for its ability to “stay put” with no reticle movement, shot after shot.
New Website with All the New Scopes (with Specs)
In the USA, March scopes are sold by Kelby’s Inc., which has a page dedicated to March products on the www.Kelbly.com website. If you need MORE Information about the March scopes, there is now a new March Website, with more models, more photos, more data, and more reticle diagrams. You’ll find the latest Benchrest models on the new March website, including the popular 36-55x52mm Benchrest EP Zoom Scope, the 10-60×52 Zoom, and the 40X, 50X, and 60X fixed-power BR scopes. In addition, the website features March’s new hunting and tactical series of optics, including the 1-10×24, 2.5-25×42 scopes which boast a revolutionary ten times Magnification Ratio.
If you’re looking for “all things tactical”, including boots, cargo pants, packs, gloves, headwear, optics, rangefinders, and Pelican cases, U.S. Cavalry is a reliable source, with good prices. There are a variety of current coupon offers that can save you 5-12% on top of U.S. Cavalry’s already low prices.
10% OFF entire order (Expires 12/31/2010). Use Coupon Code: CAVTWEET
10% OFF entire order (ongoing). Use Coupon Code: USCCJ10 or CAVTNP
10% OFF entire order $99+ (limited time). Use Coupon Code: PJUSC10 or CJ10
5% OFF entire order $49+ (limited time). Use Coupon Code: PJUSC5 or CJ5
Free Shipping (ongoing). Use Coupon Code: PNQFREE
NOTE: if the most attractive Coupon Code doesn’t work, just try a different code from the list above. Code terms can change without notice. CAVTWEET did work 12/3/2010 for one reader, giving 10% off.
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.
Exclusive ‘Sneak Preview’ of
If you’ve been shopping for Burris riflescopes or binoculars, visit 
