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October 23rd, 2024
 A while back, we featured a portable reloading bench built on a Black & Decker Workmate. That proved a VERY popular do-it-yourself project so we’re showing it again, in case you missed it the first time.
Texan Robert Lewis made himself a great portable reloading bench from plywood mounted to a Black & Decker Workmate. The bench, roughly 22″ x 19″ on top, folds up to fit easily in your car’s trunk or behind the seats in a pick-up truck cab. Four recessed bolts hold the wood top section to the collapsible B&D Workmate. The sides and back of the unit are attached to the base with small nails. There is a small shelf (also nailed in place) which can be used to clamp a powder measure or hold a scale. Shown in the photo is a Harrell’s Benchrest measure and Harrell’s single-stage “C” press.
Click for Detail of Top.
Originally, the whole unit could be built for about $65.00 with pine, or $80.00 with oak (as shown). Robert explained: “The Workmate was $40. If someone bought a 2’x4′ sheet of 3/4″ oak plywood, I think it is around $30. Using pine plywood would be about half that. Fasteners were $3. Spar Urethane would be $5.” [Editor: We have seen major inflation — the Workmate is now $90+ and you’ll be spending more for the wood, so figure the whole project might be $150.00.]
Robert told us: “I used a couple ideas I found on the web. The Larry Willis website gave me the idea to use the Black and Decker Workmate as a base. I found the Workmate on sale for $40 and the top is made from oak plywood I had in my shop. I sealed the wood with three coats of Spar Urethane. The whole thing folds into a nice package for transportation to and from the range.”
NOTE: Since we first ran this story, the price of a Black & Decker Workmate WM225 has increased substantially. But good news — Amazon is currently selling WM225-A Workmates for $77.78, a decent price, particularly for Prime members who get FREE shipping. And for the same $77.78 price at Home Depot, you can get the Workmate WM225 with Local Store Pickup or home delivery (in most states).
Click HERE for FREE WORKBENCH PLANS.
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May 9th, 2024
 The shooting season is now in full swing. When you head to the range you’ll want to be prepared. That means collecting all the gear you’ll need at the range. It’s easy to forget small, critical items, so we’ve provided a checklist of the small “extras” you should pack before you head out to the range. In addition to rifle, rests, ammo, targets, and cleaning gear, here are a dozen essentials you should include in your range bag.
 • Shell-Holder — If you don’t have calipers, you can use a shell-holder to check for excessive case expansion from hot loads. If a fired case doesn’t slip into the shell-holder easily, your load is definitely TOO HOT.
• Extra Earplugs — Always use ear protection when shooting. We bring a 35mm film canister with extra sets of foam earplugs.
 • Hex Wrench or Screwdriver for action screws — Action screws can work loose with time. Always bring the appropriate hex wrench or screwdriver whenever you go to the range.
• Small Wrench for Scope Rings — Check the tension of your scope base and ring fasteners before you go. Bring along a small Torx wrench for the ring screws (or other tool that fits your fasteners).
• Normal and Under-sized Jags — It is often wise to use one-caliber undersize jags when applying solvent with cotton patches. You should have a couple sizes in your range kit.
 • Extra Batteries — Bring extra batteries for all your electronic gear — which can include chronograph, windmeter, digital camera, GPS etc.
• Small Notebook and Pen or Pencil — Use the notebook to record chron data, log group sizes, and make notes about wind and weather conditions.
• Adhesive dots — Bring a few sheets of adhesive dots (sold at office supply stores). Use small white or black dots as target pasters. Use larger red or orange dots as aiming points (target centers).
 • Folding Chair or Camp Stool — This comes in handy if you’re spotting for another shooter, or if you reload away from the firing line.
• Water Bottle — You can’t shoot well if you’re dehydrated. Bring at least two quarts of water with you and keep a bottle at the bench.
• Surveyors’ Tape and Wood Stakes — You can make inexpensive wind indicators using surveyors’ tape attached to the top of wood stakes.
 • Small Plastic Ruler — Use this to measure your group sizes. A transparent (see-through) ruler works best. Rulers are also useful for drawing lines on targets.
This list is not intended to be exclusive. There are many other items you may wish to include. Obviously bring safety glasses, and Sharpie-type pens are always handy to mark targets. We invite our readers to add other “essentials” to the list. The important thing is to plan ahead, packing your key items before you drive to the range.
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November 21st, 2023
Thanksgiving is just two days away. What better way to celebrate the Thanksgiving season than to practice your marksmanship shooting some bearded gobblers (of the paper variety). Here’s our custom Turkey Target, ready for family fun. This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
If you prefer color targets, here’s another turkey target, courtesy of the NRA. Hone your skills on a trio of turkeys. The target features three red bullseyes, centered on the gobblers. You can print the target in black and white, but they look best in color. Click the image below to download a FREE printable PDF file.
Get a Full Set of Animal Targets
For your convenience, we’ve packaged the Turkey Target along with five (5) other varmint/animal-themed targets. These are all offered in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format for easy printing.
CLICK HERE to download all SIX targets in .Zip archive.
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April 1st, 2023
At its upcoming Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis, Indiana, the National Rifle Association (NRA) will launch a new activities program for Millennials — young Americans in their 20s and early 30s. The new MRA (Millennial Rifle Activities) program will include a series of special events for Millennials held throughout the nation. These MRA “gatherings” will be unique among NRA competition disciplines. First, all participants in MRA events will receive a participation badge or trophy for showing up. Second, though shooting at targets will be encouraged, no actual gun-handling is required. Millennial participants can choose to watch instead. Finally, for those who do choose to shoot at MRA events, scoring will be optional. Actual scores will be kept confidential, and there will be no published rankings. “At MRA events”, promises an NRA news release, “all participants will be winners!”
 The NRA’s new MRA activities program targets “Millennials” — the young Americans raised on video games and the internet. If you’re not familiar with the term “Millennials”, this refers to Americans born between 1980 and 2000. They represent “the first generation that grew up with the internet and the first to have truly incorporated technology into their daily lives.” READ More.
Scoring Optional at Millennials Matches
Creating a competition program for Millennials has been challenging. With short attention spans, Millennials are easily distracted and they lack motivation to prepare or practice. Very self-absorbed, Millennials were raised on “instant gratification” and see themselves as entitled. These personality traits seem to run contrary to the focus, self-discipline, and mindset required for serious competition. Accordingly, the NRA has taken a whole new approach to MRA matches — scores won’t count and the focus will be on participation. Said one member of the NRA Competition Committee: “These were the kids who got ‘participation trophies’ for playing soccer. We are offering the same kinds of rewards. At our Millennial Matches you’ll be acknowledged just for showing up. Scoring will be optional. The emphasis is not on winning, but on participating.”
An NRA spokesman told us: “We’ve done a lot of research into the Millennial group. This demographic is very different than older generations. They expect to be rewarded for participation and they don’t want to be judged by objective standards, such as numeric scores. We’ve also learned that they like to do activities on the spur of the moment and without preparation. That’s why actual shooting will be optional at MRA events. We expect that many participants will arrive completely unprepared — without a gun or ammo. But they can still participate, and be acknowledged… and that’s what it’s all about. We want to get more Millennials involved, whether they actually shoot or not.”
NRA Millennials Outreach Follows Success of NRA Programs for Women
The NRA’s outreach programs have enabled the organization to grow its membership base successfully. For example, in recent years the NRA has significantly expanded the ranks of female members. The NRA now offers a wide variety of programs expressly for women, including Women on Target instructional shooting clinics, and women’s wilderness retreats. The NRA also has a dedicated website for women, NRAWomen.com. This full-featured site promotes women’s activities and recognizes top lady shooters.
Millennials Create Unique Challenges for Match Directors
Dennis Santiago is a seasoned match director with decades of experience running NRA matches. He said that finding a formula for the new Millennials Match “gatherings” has been a challenge: “Designing a competitive course of fire for the new MRA Millennials discipline is not as easy as you would think. Millennials have short attention spans and it is difficult to draw them away from their digital devices. You have to come up with range commands that can attract their attention. We are thinking of sending commands via Twitter, or possibly streaming match instructions over TikTok.”
Dennis also noted that a shooting competition with “optional scoring” is something new and different for the NRA. “The concept of recording and reporting scores was hotly debated. Ultimately we decided to make scoring optional. We concluded that mandatory scoring would probably discourage participation by Millennials. To a generation that has been rewarded for simply showing up, we wanted to create a ‘safe space’ and a non-threatening environment for this new class of competitor.”
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November 15th, 2022
Thanksgiving is just 9 days away. What better way to celebrate the Thanksgiving season than to practice your marksmanship shooting some bearded gobblers (of the paper variety). Here’s our custom Turkey Target, ready for family fun this fall. This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). It features a central bullseye with five rings, along with three smaller 3-ring circles. CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
If you prefer color targets, here’s another turkey target, courtesy of the NRA. Hone your skills on a trio of turkeys. The target features three red bullseyes, centered on the gobblers. You can print the target in black and white, but they look best in color. Click the image below to download a FREE printable PDF file.
Get a Full Set of Animal Targets
For your convenience, we’ve packaged the Turkey Target along with five (5) other varmint/animal-themed targets. These are all offered in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format for easy printing.
CLICK HERE to download all SIX targets in .Zip archive.
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February 17th, 2022
A while back, we featured a portable reloading bench built on a Black & Decker Workmate. That proved a VERY popular do-it-yourself project so we’re showing it again, in case you missed it the first time.
Texan Robert Lewis made himself a great portable reloading bench from plywood mounted to a Black & Decker Workmate. The bench, roughly 22″ x 19″ on top, folds up to fit easily in your car’s trunk or behind the seats in a pick-up truck cab. Four recessed bolts hold the wood top section to the collapsible B&D Workmate. The sides and back of the unit are attached to the base with small nails. There is a small shelf (also nailed in place) which can be used to clamp a powder measure or hold a scale. Shown in the photo is a Harrell’s Benchrest measure and Harrell’s single-stage “C” press.
Click for Detail of Top.
The whole unit can be built for about $65.00 with pine, or $80.00 with oak (as shown). Robert explained: “The Workmate was $40. If someone bought a 2’x4′ sheet of 3/4″ oak plywood, I think it is around $30. Using pine plywood would be about half that. Fasteners were $3. Spar Urethane would be $5.”
Robert told us: “I used a couple ideas I found on the web. The Larry Willis website gave me the idea to use the Black and Decker Workmate as a base. I found the Workmate on sale for $40 and the top is made from oak plywood I had in my shop. I sealed the wood with three coats of Spar Urethane. The whole thing folds into a nice package for transportation to and from the range.”
NOTE: Since we first ran this story, the price of a Black & Decker Workmate WM225 has increased. However you can still pick a WM225 Workmate for under $75.00. Amazon is currently selling WM225 Workmates for $70.34. The next best price we found was $72.96 at Home Depot, still a good price (Lowe’s is charging $94.98).
Click HERE for FREE WORKBENCH PLANS.
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November 18th, 2021
Thanksgiving is just one week away. What better way to celebrate the Thanksgiving season than to practice your marksmanship shooting some bearded gobblers (of the paper variety). Here’s our custom Turkey Target, ready for family fun. This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
If you prefer color targets, here’s another turkey target, courtesy of the NRA. Hone your skills on a trio of turkeys. The target features three red bullseyes, centered on the gobblers. You can print the target in black and white, but they look best in color. Click the image below to download a FREE printable PDF file.
Get a Full Set of Animal Targets
For your convenience, we’ve packaged the Turkey Target along with five (5) other varmint/animal-themed targets. These are all offered in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format for easy printing.
CLICK HERE to download all SIX targets in .Zip archive.
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November 11th, 2021
 Do you enjoy plinking with rimfire rifles and shooting reactive targets with handguns? Champion has developed a series of fun targets that tilt, spin, hop, or roll when hit. Made from a “self-healing” rubber-like polymer, Champion’s DuraSeal Targets can be hit dozens of times before they need to be replaced. (If you shoot only rimfire, they might last 200 rounds or more.) Along with the varmint spinners, we like Champion’s weighted wobble targets. These are offered in both a bowling pin shape and a sphere on a post (photo right). When you hit these targets they rock back and forth and side to side. Weights in the round bottom then bring the target back to an upright position.
Weighing 80% less than metal targets. DuraSeal spinning targets are extremely reactive so you can see every time your shot impacts the target. DuraSeal self-sealing, hole-closing material lets bullets pass through with little damage to the target prolonging the life of the target. DuraSeal is constructed to absorb hundreds of rounds from rifles and handguns.
Champion also offers “bouncing balls” and a 3D Star targets that hop and roll when shot. These make good long-range tactical rifle targets. The lifespan is not that great with large heavy bullets, but one of the ball or star targets should survive many dozens of hits with a .223 Rem or 6mmBR. We do recommend sticking to .22 LR rimfire rounds for best target longevity.
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May 26th, 2021
A while back, we featured a portable reloading bench built on a Black & Decker Workmate. That proved a VERY popular do-it-yourself project so we’re showing it again, in case you missed it the first time.
Texan Robert Lewis made himself a great portable reloading bench from plywood mounted to a Black & Decker Workmate. The bench, roughly 22″ x 19″ on top, folds up to fit easily in your car’s trunk or behind the seats in a pick-up truck cab. Four recessed bolts hold the wood top section to the collapsible B&D Workmate. The sides and back of the unit are attached to the base with small nails. There is a small shelf (also nailed in place) which can be used to clamp a powder measure or hold a scale. Shown in the photo is a Harrell’s Benchrest measure and Harrell’s single-stage “C” press.
Click for Detail of Top.
The whole unit can be built for about $65.00 with pine, or $80.00 with oak (as shown). Robert explained: “The Workmate was $40. If someone bought a 2’x4′ sheet of 3/4″ oak plywood, I think it is around $30. Using pine plywood would be about half that. Fasteners were $3. Spar Urethane would be $5.”
Robert told us: “I used a couple ideas I found on the web. The Larry Willis website gave me the idea to use the Black and Decker Workmate as a base. I found the Workmate on sale for $40 and the top is made from oak plywood I had in my shop. I sealed the wood with three coats of Spar Urethane. The whole thing folds into a nice package for transportation to and from the range.”
NOTE: Since we first ran this story, the price of a Black & Decker Workmate WM225 has increased. However you can still pick a WM225 Workmate for under $60.00. Amazon is currently selling WM225 Workmates for $59.58. The next best price we found was $69.61 at Home Depot, still a good price (Lowe’s is charging $94.98).
Click HERE for FREE WORKBENCH PLANS.
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August 1st, 2020
Right Click and “Save as” to download printable PDF versions of target.
 In the hit Hollywood movie “The Patriot”, the hero Benjamin Martin (played by Mel Gibson), tells his sons: “Aim small, miss small”. That advice was given to help his sons survive encounters with the British redcoats, but the “aim small, miss small” mantra can benefit target shooters as well.
We have found that novice and intermediate shooters can often improve their accuracy simply by using targets with smaller, more precise aiming points. Inexperienced shooters can benefit by starting with a large-size aiming circle, and then progressing to smaller and smaller target dots. This lets the shooter increase the challenge as his gun-handling becomes more steady and his aim improves.
Here are two rimfire training targets with “big to small” target circles. Start with the largest circles, then move to the smaller ones in sequence. This systematic drill provides increasing challenge shot-by-shot. Novices often are quite surprised to see their accuracy improve as they move from bigger to smaller aiming points. That provides positive feedback — always a good thing.
Right Click and “Save as” to download printable PDF versions of target.
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April 13th, 2019
Useful reloading gear does not have to be costly. Here are ten handy (and very inexpensive) items that belong on your loading bench or in your range kit.
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 • Magnifying Glass – We use a flat, 2″x2″ pocket 4x-8x magnifier. This folds up on itself. Very handy, we use it to inspect bullets and brass. Use this to check your flash holes for burrs, and check the meplats of your bullets before loading.
• Clear 35mm Film Cannister – Use this to transfer the thrown powder charge to the little measuring cup that sits on your scale. That way you don’t get any kernel splash. Also if the charge weight is obviously off, it’s easy to dump back in the measure. A film canister works pretty well as a trickler too.
• Compressed Air in a Can -- Get these at office supply stores. Use the can (with tube attached) to blow crud out of cases after cleaning the neck with a brush, and blast loose debris out of primer pockets.
• Pin Vise – A simple pin vise with a #53 bit is perfect for deburring Lapua PPC and BR flash holes without reaming the flash-holes any larger. The Lapua PPC/BR flash-hole diameter is 1.5 mm, or 0.059″. Amazon.com sells a handy $8.28 pin vise kit with 10 bits, including the ideal 1.5mm bit. Other vendors offer a #53 pin vise bit that measures .0595″ or .060″ (depending or source). You can find pin vises and bits at hobby stores. Note — The model shown below is currently out of stock, but there are many pin vise sets offered from $7 to $15.
• Bounce Dryer Sheets – The common dryer sheets eliminate “static cling” on your plastic reloading parts such as powder measure cylinders, powder funnels, and reloading press plastic bins. Thanks to Doc76251 for this tip.
 • Ballistol Aerosol – Try using this versatile lubricant/solvent for full-length sizing. Spray some on a patch and you can wipe the carbon of your case necks. Then, continue to apply a very small amount of Ballistol on the case bodies — just thin sheen is all you need. Ballistol is super slippery, and easy to remove. For general full-length sizing (on small cases) it works great and doesn’t leave a gooey, waxy, or chalky residue. For heavier case-forming jobs, we recommend Imperial Die Wax.
• Shotgun Mop – Stick this in the chamber when using Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner. This will seal off the chamber so the foam doesn’t flow into your action. For long chambers screw on one section of cleaning rod to aid extraction.
• Colored Sharpie Marking Pens – Mark your bullets ahead of the bearing surface, and the color transfers to the target. This way you can shoot multiple loads at the same point of aim and discern which load shoots the tightest. (Recommended for 300 yards and beyond). With colored bullet tips you can test multiple loads “round robin” to equalize wind effects. When testing seating depths for example, you can mark the longer-seated set of bullets red and the shorter-seated set green and shoot them during the same sequence. Just look at the colored marks on the target to see which grouped better.
• Thin Latex Gloves – You should keep a box of inexpensive, disposable latex gloves (the kind doctors use) in your loading room. These will prevent contamination of primers or powder kernels that you handle directly. Also, use the gloves when handling fine blued tools or firearms to prevent transfering body oils and salts that promote rust.
• Plastic Washers for Neck Mic – If you use a Sinclair Neck-wall Micrometer Gauge with integral stand, you can use thin plastic washers to adjust the height of the case on the mandrel. This makes it much easier to measure the same point on the case neck every time. Thanks to MikeCR for this tip (and photo).
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March 23rd, 2019
AccurateShooter.com offers a cool page with over 50 FREE downloadable targets. You’ll find all types or FREE targets — sight-in targets, varmint targets, rimfire targets, bullseye targets, tactical targets, load development targets and more. CLICK HERE for all our free targets, including our LOAD DEV target.
OK, if all that isn’t enough, we just found four new targets that we really like, plus our fan favorite “bughole” target.
Load Development and OCW Target
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TARGET
This is a nicely-designed six-bull grid target. Use this for load development or accuracy testing. Set your scope so you can aim at the orange diamonds while your shots impact in the box above. This target has a visible background grid so it is easy to estimate your group size. You’ll find other load development targets in this Shooters’ Forum Thread.
Five Diamond Grid Target
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TARGET
Twin Row Target Circles for Load Development
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TARGET
This target was created using Open Office (Draw) by Forum member TwoBoxer for 100-yard load development and practice. He tells us: “The color, size of the center dot, crosshair lines, etc. were varied to work with my scope and magnification at 100 yards. I expect the group POI to move as elements of the load are varied. So concern about obliterating the aim point is minimal, and needs to be controlled by how you zero the rifle in any case.”
Poker Target — Get the Best Hand
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TARGET
With this playing card-themed target, each shooter takes five shots and the one with the highest hand wins. You can also shoot for four-of-a-kind, against the clock, fastest four (without a mistake) wins.
Fly Shoot Target — Can You “Bug-Hole”?
CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD TARGET
Go for true “bug-holes” with our Fly Shoot Target. You can shoot all the flies first, then go for the smaller black dots. Watch out for the bio-hazard rings!
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