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September 10th, 2009
Premier Reticles has introduced a new 5-25x56mm “Premier Heritage” Tactical scope. This is a proper First Focal Plane (FFP) tactical scope, offering 1 cm/0.1 milrad turret click values matched with an illuminated reticle with cm/milrad hash marks. (27 milrad Double-Turn knobs are standard; 1/4-MOA clicks are optional.) Total elevation is a whopping 31 milrads (107 MOA). This is not a single-rev turret design, but one revolution covers 15 mils or about 51 MOA. For practical purposes, most shooters can get out to 1000 within one revolution if you have an angled scope base. The scope is 16.34″ overall with a beefy 34mm-diameter main tube. The 5-25x56mm Premier weighs 1.1 kg (39 ounces) and lists for $2899.00. Expect the “street price” to be about $2750.00.
 The new scope has some nice features. First, the new 5-25x56mm Premier has tons of elevation. Total elevation is 31 milrads (equivalent to 107 MOA). As noted there are 15 mils (51 MOA) per revolution. Second, using a patent-pending Lever-Lock™ system, the scope can be zero-locked without tools. Third, the illumination control nests inside the left-hand parallax/focus turret, leaving the 34mm main tube unencumbered by a brightness knob. Finally the scope has a truly useful 5.5-range diopter. That’s enough diopter range to enable many eye-glass wearers to dispense with correction. A lot of smart thinking went into this scope.
CLICK HERE for full Specifications and more photos
• First Focal Plane Illuminated Reticle Gen 2 XR
• Integrated Illumination and Parallax Adjustment
• 31 Milrad (107 MOA) Total Elevation Adjustment*
• 34mm one-piece maintube constructed from 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum
• Quick-focus eyepiece with Locking Mechanism
• Integrated Articulating Lens Covers
• Temperature rated from -40° to +60°C.
• Lifetime warranty
CLICK HERE for Scope Option List
 Big brother to the Premier Heritage 3-15x50mm introduced last year, the 5-25×56 offers excellent brightness, resolution, sharpness and contrast, along with superior color fidelity and light transmission (93% average across all wavelengths). The tactical windage and elevation adjustments on both Heritage scopes feature the patent-pending Lever-Lock™ dial retention for re-zeroing without special tools. Standard turrets have 0.1 milrad (1cm) click values, while “user-swappable” dials are available to change click values to ¼ MOA.
FFP Reticle Features
Currently, all Heritage scopes come standard with First Focal Plane (FFP) reticle placement for consistent subtension regardless of magnification setting. The Heritage 5-25x56mm comes with Premier Reticles’ own patented illuminated Gen II Gen II XR (extended Range) reticle. The illumination control has 11 brightness settings, a locking illumination dial for “off” storage, and a 6-hour time-out function to preserve batteries.
Strong Demand for New Scope
The first run of the new 5-25x56mm Premier Tactical scope sold out, with high demand by both military and civilian customers. However, Chris Thomas, Premier’s President, tells us that “more 5-25s are on their way. Units should be available in about 6-7 weeks, if you order now”. The Premier Heritage scope comes with a lifetime warranty. Premier Reticles is a 63-year-old optics company with headquarters and manufacturing in Winchester, Virginia and an additional design branch in Germany.
*NOTE: On Premier’s spec sheet, elevation is listed as 30 milrad/103 MOA. That was for the prototype. Production models have more.
September 3rd, 2009
The September edition of Target Shooter, the FREE digital shooting sports magazine from the UK, is now available online. There are some excellent articles in this edition. On pages 61-65, you’ll find Laurie Holland’s comprehensive review of the Forster Co-Ax Press. This is probably the most thorough Co-Ax test you’ll see anywhere. Holland puts Forster’s unique reloading press through its paces — decapping, full-length sizing, and priming cases — and concludes that the press is a winner. If you’re considering buying a Co-Ax, this article is a “must-read”.
Vince Bottomley contributes two major stories in this month’s edition. First, Vince reviews two Sightron 36X target scopes, comparison testing the new “Big Sky” 36X scope alongside the earlier Sightron 36X SII model. In addition, Vince showcases his latest project gun. This is a 6.5×47 tactical rifle in an Accuracy International chassis. Apart from the AI folding stock, the gun uses mostly American components. It features a Surgeon action, Bartlein gain-twist barrel, and Jewell trigger. The finished rifle sports a handsome Dura-Coat camo finish from North West Custom Parts in Manchester, England.
You’ll find many other items of interest in this month’s Target Shooter e-zine, including a Benchrest Air Rifle, an intro to Gallery Guns, plus reports from the Imperial Match and the F-Class World Championships held in Bisley, UK. There’s 92 pages of reading, cover to cover, and the price is right. Target Shooter magazine is FREE, just CLICK HERE for the latest edition.
July 27th, 2009
Surgeon Rifles has engineered new, heavy-duty scope rings with unique features. First, the rear ring comes with a bubble level integrated into the top half. This smart invention eliminates one other pricey accessory you’d otherwise need to add separately. The new Surgeon rings are made of high-grade 7075 T6 Aluminum so they are strong yet light. The “wide-body” design offers a full 0.950″ of clamping surface (front to back), secured by three vertical hex-head fasteners per side. The rings will be offered in a variety of heights, from .875″ to 1.125″, in both 30mm and 34 diameters. A 0.625″-wide steel version is planned for later release. Ring sets will cost $199.00 and that includes the bubble level.
Surgeon uses 9-axis machining to ensure exact alignment of ring center with ring base. Preston Pritchett, Surgeon’s owner, explains: “The bottom of the ring is machined at the same time as the bore for the scope on a 9 axis machine. This is done in one operation to ensure that the bore is parallel with the bottom of the ring. We checked another brand and found that they were off .0025″ in .625 inch. We checked ours and found it to be within .0003 in .950.” These rings are very carefully designed and crafted to align square on the rail. Many Weaver-style rings have a sloppy fit on the rail so they can clamp slightly differently from one installation to the next. Surgeon uses alignment pins to ensure its rings clamp properly: “The silver pins you see are 1/8 dowel pins that keep the clamp square to the ring and at the right height.”
For more info on these rings, or to place an order, visit SurgeonRifles.com, or call Preston Pritchett at (405) 567-0183. Surgeon plans to be shipping ring sets in various sizes within three weeks.
July 18th, 2009
Our “master fabricator” and silhouette guru Mark LaFevers recently attended the SoCal Precision Rifle Competition, Mark’s first-ever tactical match. Competition was fierce at this year’s SCPRC. The match winner, and “top gun” among the 50+ competitors was Sgt. Dan Gilland, (USMC), a scout-sniper from a nearby Marine base. This was only Dan’s second civilian match and yes, the young Marine was shooting a .308 Win (7.62×51 to be precise). Jason Boak took second place while Gordon Campfield finished third. Jason was the top shooter among the NorCal guys, who did well, capturing 6 of the top 10 places, earning California intra-club bragging rights.
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Mark told us that the match was a humbling yet very fun experience. In these kind of matches very few, if any, sighters are allowed, and you’re often shooting at unknown distances. Accordingly, it is imperative that you have rock-solid come-ups at all distances, before you arrive at the match. In addition, the SCPRC offered the challenges of angled shooting (requiring ballistic compensation), and lowlight shooting. Log on to the CalGuns.net Forum for a complete match report by NorCal shooter Vu Pham, with lots of photos, plus stage descriptions (match directors take note).
A wide variety of calibers were shot at the match, and Mark observed that no one chambering seemed to have the edge (though a .308 finished on top). However, most of the top shooters were running detachable magazines, and had barrels fitted with muzzle brakes. You can see the dust kicked up from the muzzle brakes in the video below. The first part of the video shows a stage where competitors had to start with standing (off-hand) shots, then transition to a stepped barricade, moving lower and lower as the timer ticked off the seconds. For the standing stages, Mark noted, you wanted a rifle that balanced well and was not too heavy. Some of these beefy tactical rifles, optimized for prone work, are tough to hold offhand.
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July 15th, 2009
 If you haven’t got your fill of Tactical TV with the Military Channel and History Channel offerings, check out Tactical Arms, a new program hosted by Larry Vickers and broadcast on the Sportsman Channel. Vickers is a skilled gunsmith who has two decades of U.S. Special Operations experience. He is supported by SEAL Team veteran Kyle DeFoor and Australian ADF Commando Jason Falla. These guys are all very knowledgeable and the technical information is solid. Based on the previews we’ve watched, we can say the show has high production values, enhanced by high-quality animated graphics.
Tactical Arms, which offers a unique exploration of modern weapons, from machine guns to battle rifles to combat pistols, will have its primary airing on Thursday nights at 9:30 pm ET during the network’s “Thursday Night Shooting” lineup presented by Midway USA. (Tactical Arms is followed by Handguns at 10:00 PM, and Guns and Ammo TV at 10:30 PM.) Other show times are Wednesday at 2:30 pm and Saturday at 12:00 am Eastern time.
July 10th, 2009
Here’s a new product that may prove useful for tactical shooters and walk-around varminters. The new Monkey Bag™ (MSRP: $29.95) from Shooters Ridge®, is a versatile three-part, poly-filled bag rest that can adapt to a variety of placements. You can stack all three “rolls” to create an elevated front rest. Use one or two rolls in the rear to support your buttstock in prone position. Available summer 2009, the Monkey Bag features a soft suede pad to protect a firearm’s finish and provide a gripping surface. NOTE: As the Monkey Bag hasn’t hit the shelves yet, we haven’t tested it. But it looks promising for shooters who want something more versatile than a “sausage roll” sand-sock, but lighter and more compact than an Uncle Bud’s Bulls Bag.
Filled with polymer stuffing rather than sand, the Monkey Bag is lighter and easier to carry than conventional sandbags. Shooters Ridge claims the Monkey Bag is “ideal for fence posts, box blinds, [and] shooting benches.” This versatile bag joins Shooters Ridge’s existing line of modular bag rests such as the Gorilla Bag and Mini-Gorilla Bag (photo below). For more information, visit ShootersRidge.com.
July 8th, 2009
The 4th annual Southern California Precision Rifle Competition (SCPRC) will be held July 11-12, 2009 at the West End Gun Club, 20 minutes west of San Bernadino, CA. Match director Mark Archuleta, aka “Spaniard”, runs a great match, with a diverse and challenging course of fire. 50 shooters have already registered for the match, one of the most popular tactical comps on the West Coast. This year’s event will include night shooting, 10-12 core stages, and (new this year), a .22LR side match. For more information on the course of fire, and match rules, visit the WEGC Forum and Read this Thread for a complete run-down on the event.
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Mark reports: “Surprises? we have a few of those, so be prepared. All targets will be 1 MOA or bigger. We have paper, reactive and some special targets. Some of the stages are a hybrid of the Sniper Comps you have seen on Discovery Channel. We will be shooting UKD (unknown distances) and LRF are allowed. You will be shooting from terrain (dirt) and barricade as before. There will be some angle shooting as well. The farthest shot will be about 625 yards at angle 5 – 10°, the closest roughly 75 yards.
This event draws top tactical marksmen from around the country. Mark noted: “Last year, at our third SCPRC, and we had shooters from all over the US.” You can see highlights from the 2008 event in our Shooters’ Forum, and below are some photos from the 2008 Match:
Vu Pham from Nor-Cal (above) hit both his cold bore shots on day 1 & 2 last July. There was a 3.5″ Clay pigeon set at about 325 yards, with roughly a 10° down angle. In 2006, 7 out of 22 shooters made the hit, in 2008, 12 out of 34 shooters made the hit. Some folks don’t think that the 10°-15° slope makes a difference, but it does.
Above, Phil demonstrates textbook bipod shooting: working the bolt, maintaining a solid cheek weld and keeping an eye on the next target.
Click Here for Complete 2009 SCPRC Tactical Match Information.
July 8th, 2009
Speaking of all things tactical, if you’re looking for a great pair of cargo pants at a good price, check out the $29.99 Propper F5220 Tactical Pants . This Editor has a couple pairs of F5220s and I’ve given them hard use 2-3 days a week since the beginning of the year. I highly recommend these pants. Offered in Black, Navy, Olive and Khaki for $29.99, this is a great product for the money. In my opinion, they’re every bit as good as the 5.11-brand tactical pants which cost $49.99. (Note: 5.11 pants are 100% cotton. After many washings, they may feel softer than the poly-blend Proppers. But they also wrinkle badly and will shrink a bit — unlike the F5220s.)
 “Tactical” Pants vs. Denim Jeans
I much prefer cargo pants (aka “tactical trousers”) to regular jeans for field use. Propper’s tactical pants have a double-seat and double knee. The large side pockets are big enough to hold a shooters’ logbook on one side and a digital camera (or windmeter) on the other. The front slash pockets are deep and secure so keys and miscellaneous gear won’t fall out. The small pocket on the left is perfect for a cell phone. The waistband is elasticized around the back, improving comfort when you’re kneeling or bending.
Fit-wise, the F5220s were exactly the size advertised. Made from a 65 poly/35 cotton blend, they do NOT shrink in the wash. The Propper pants are truely wrinkle-resistant, so they look good enough that you can use them for general use, and they don’t scream “commando wannabee” like camo BDUs.
Lighter-Weight Version Offered
Do I have any criticisms of the Propper Tactical Pants? Well, with the elasticized waistband, fairly heavy fabric, and serious load capacity, you’ll probably need to wear a belt — always. By contrast, with my old 501 Levis, I don’t really need a belt. Also, on hot summer days, I wouldn’t mind a lighter-weight fabric. But for those very warm conditions, Propper offers the model F5243 Lightweight Tactical Trouser. It shares all the features (and pockets) of the F5220s, but comes in a lighter 65 poly/35 cotton Ripstop fabric.
Propper is a well-established American company that provides uniforms to the U.S. Military and to many Law Enforcement Agencies. I think you’ll be more than satisfied with the overall quality of Propper’s tactical pants, in terms of both materials and workmanship. You can purchase Propper clothing from Amazon.com or BDU.com.
June 26th, 2009
We noticed that the shooting media has touted Wilson Combat’s announcement that it will sell the FN “Patrol” .308 rifle for $1995.00. This rifle, as built by FN, has a Hogue black or olive drab stock with an aluminum bedding block. The action is a Model 70 clone.
When we saw this rifle on Wilson Combat’s website we thought, “Hmm, that looks familiar….” Sure enough, CDNN Investments is now offering essentially the same FN rifle (but with non-fluted barrels) for nearly $1400.00 less.
Wilson Combat FN Patrol (with trigger adjustment) — $1995.00
Wilson Combat FN Patrol (no trigger adjustment) — $599.99
CDNN is also selling an olive drab (green) version for $699.99. And if you don’t like either Hogue stock, you can buy the barreled action for $499.99, or the FN Patrol short action (complete with scope rail, bottom metal, and detachable magazine) for $349.99.
June 14th, 2009
The Hensoldt line of optics represents the premium military/tactical series of riflescopes and spotting scopes produced by Germany’s Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH. Hendsolt products are expensive, to be sure, but they offer many features found in no other tactical optics. Thanks to importer HDC, LLC, Zeiss Hensoldt products are now available in the American marketplace, through a network of dealers, including G.A. Precision, McMillan Firearms, SWFA, Superior Shooting Systems (David Tubb), and Tac Pro Shooting Center. You can review the specs and features of Zeiss Hensoldt scopes on the HDC website, www.hudisco.com.
HDC, LLC was selected by Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH, a subsidiary of the Carl Zeiss group, to become the distribution partner in the USA for the Hensoldt line of Zeiss optics. This allows HDC to bring to the American market the latest and most advanced optical products from the Zeiss factories. The Hensoldt line offers unrivaled glass quality and state-of-the-art technology in both telescopic and reflex sights.
Below is a video of the remarkable 6-24x72mm SAM scope. This optic integrates superb, ultra-bright apochromatic fluorite glass with a calculator module that provides ballistic info and weather data to the shooter. SAM stands for “Sniper Auxiliary Module”. An integrated ballistics calculator can be programmed for up to four different types of ammo. Sensors in the integrated ring mount measure weather parameters. These values, as well as scope data, are then directly projected into the visual field of the eyepiece. This provides selectable displays of elevation clicks, windage clicks, angle of fire, cant angle, temperature, and air pressure.
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