The 2025 F-Class Nationals took place recently at the Winnequah Range in Wisconsin. The match was run superbly with an excellent target system. Competitor John Masek, who finish 10th in F-Open, noted: “Congrats to all the winners in both Mid and Long Range — there were no ‘gimme’ matches the whole week. It was an awesome match and the folks at Winnequah put on a hell of a match. We had hundreds of devices on the Shotmarker system at one time and I don’t remember it ever going down because of it. Great weather and a tricky tricky range led to all kinds of shake-ups each day especially as long range went on.” The winds did become challenging on the final day said Winnequah staffer Kevin Liebetrau.
The Winnequah Gun Club in Lodi, Wisconsin, hosted the NRA F-Class National Championships from August 2nd to 9th, attracting top-tier competitors. This premier event has two main categories: F-Open and F-TR, each with specific equipment and caliber rules. The championship employed ShotMarker Electronic Target Systems for real-time scoring at both Mid-Range (600 yards) and Long-Range (1000 yards).
F-Class Long Range Nationals Top 10 Finishers, F-Open and F-TR
Congratulations to Ryan Mitchell for winning the 2025 F-Open Long-Range Nationals.
Congratulations to Keith Trapp for winning the F-TR Long-Range Nationals for the second time!
Team Competition at the F-Class Nationals
Here is a video from the Long Range Teams Match.
In Team Competition, the Bayou Boys won F-Open with a 1578-72X score with Team Lapua just six Xs behind with 1578-66X. In F-TR division, Team USA F-TR Berger took the title with a 1542-33X score. In second was Team USA F-TR Vihtavuori with a 1527-36X score.
SEE: F-Open Team Results; F-TR Team Results.
Keith Trapp Wins F-TR LR National Championship
Team Lapua’s Keith Trapp won the F-TR division of the USA F-Class Long Range National Championship, with an impressive 1558-58X Aggregate score. This marks Trapp’s second F-Class National Championship win. Trapp won his first F-Class Long Range title in 2022, and his first Mid-Range title in 2023.
“I’m incredibly proud of this win,” said Trapp. “The competition was fierce, but my equipment, particularly the Berger bullets, Vihtavuori powder, and Lapua cases, performed flawlessly, giving me the confidence I needed to perform at my best. It’s truly an honor to win this title for a second time.”
Keith Trapp’s confidence was significantly aided by his choice of ammunition. He relied on Berger 200.20X bullets, propelled by Vihtavuori N150 powder, loaded into Lapua .308 Win Palma cases. Trapp is set to compete this September on the international stage at the upcoming European F-Class Nationals.
Top F-TR finishers in the Long Range Competition. Dale Lucy on left, and Keith Conrad on right. First-place finisher Keith Trapp holds the trophy. Keith won the title the hard way, overcoming a crossfire on Day One. This was a great performance.
Dale Lucy’s F-TR Rifle with Barrel Tuner and SEB Joy-Pod front joystick-adjustable bipod.
Competitor Mike Cateena noted that there was “challenging weather this week for the 2025 US F-Class National Championship and amazingly the rain held off until the finish of the last day.” Mike added: “And congratulations to all the winners and a huge congratulations to the USA F-TR Rifle team — you guys absolutely crushed it at Nationals this year! And thank you Winnequah Gun Club for doing an amazing job at hosting this year’s F-Class Nationals and thank you Criterion Barrels, Inc., Krieger Barrels and Brux Barrels, LLC for supporting the match.”
Competitor F-Class John, who finished 10th in the Long Range event, said the match was run really well and the support services provided to competitors were excellent.
2025 Mid-Range F-Class Nationals Results
The 2025 F-Class Mid-Range Nationals were held August 2-5 at the Winnequah Range. Remarkably, the top five F-Open shooters all finished with 1796 points, dropping only 4 points in nine stages, earning 1796 out of 1800 possible points. Randy Snook won the F-Open Class shooting a 6BRA with a 1796-127X score, winning the title on X-count. Here are the scores for the top five Mid-Range F-0pen shooters: Randy Snook 1796-127X; Brad Johnson 1796-118X; Johnny Ingram 1796-117X; Andy Amber 1796-116X; Dave Lyons 1796-106X.
The top five Mid-Range competitors all finished with 1796 points, dropping just 4 points on 180 targets!
In the F-TR Division (limited to .223 Rem and .308 Win), Gabriel Gavrock secured the 2025 Mid-Range Title with a 1785-100X Score. In second was Lusty Leo Cebula with a 1782-94X score. Finishing third was David Schmidt with 1781-97X. It’s notable that Gabe Gavrock (below left in photo) is just 19 years old — so this is a great start to his marksmanship career. Gabe is a member of the Under-25 United States Rifle Team. He is the only junior to ever win a USA F-Class Nationals event.
Team Lapua’s Keith Trapp Makes History at the 2025 Southwest Nationals
Keith Trapp, talented member of Team Lapua, has etched his name in history by claiming his third Southwest Nationals F-Class Target Rifle (F-TR) LR Championship with a Grand Aggregate score of 1237-72X. It was a great performance. Keith finished 3 points ahead of second-place Oleg Savelyev (1234-48X), but with 24 more Xs! (The next highest X-count was fourth-place Alen Tempke with 1223-54X.)
Trapp competed with a .308-Win chambered rifle, utilizing Lapua .308 Winchester Palma brass, Vihtavuori N150 powder, and Berger 200.20X Hybrid Target bullets.
The 2025 Southwest Nationals took place from February 12-16 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Hosted by the Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club, this prestigious annual event attracted over 350 competitors across Sling, F-Open, and F-TR categories. CLICK HERE for full F-TR individual results.
Trapp not only earned him the championship title but he also coached the USA F-TR Vortex team to a strong second-place finish with a score of 2556-106X, which tied first-place Berger F-TR team (1556-125X) on points. Led by team captain Ian Klemm, the F-TR Vortex squad featured Drew Rutherford, Brad Sauve, Tracy Hogg, Mike Francis, Luke Ramsey, and Trapp himself.
2025 Southwest Nationals F-TR Individual and Team Top Five
F-TR Long Range Top 5 Individual
KEITH TRAPP 1237-72X *MW*
OLEG SAVELYEV 1234-48X
NIKLAS MONTIN 1227-49X
ALLEN TAMPKE 1223-54X
BRAD SAUVE 1223-47X HiSr
F-TR Long Range Top Five Teams
USA F-TR BERGER 2556-125X
USA F-TR VORTEX 2556-106X
GUN RUNNERS 2551-117X
TEAM USA VIHTAVUORI 2543-114X
SPIN DRIFTERS 2526-102X
“We congratulate Keith on this momentous achievement,” said Morgan Joy-Twenter, Capstone’s Director of Communications. “This past weekend, he made history as the only shooter to ever win the F-T/R Championship at the Southwest Nationals three times!” Watch the interview below to hear Keith talk about the 2025 SWN event:
Modern F-TR rifle looking down-range at Ben Avery Shooting Facility.
The F-Class Target Rifle (F-TR) category has strict regulations, requiring a rifle to weigh no more than 18 pounds with bipod. See an example above. Additionally, chambers must remain unmodified and use a standard .308 Win /7.62 NATO or .223 Rem/5.56 NATO cartridge.
2025 SWN F-TR champ Keith Trapp has won the Southwest Nationals LR match three times. Here he is shown after his impressive 2022 victory. That year Keith scored 1233-62X, winning by five points with high X-count among all F-TR shooters.
About Lapua Lapua produces superb-quality brass, cartridges, and components for civilian and professional use. In the USA, Lapua products are exclusively imported by Capstone Precision Group, the official distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori, and SK-Rimfire products.
Erik Cortina of Team Lapua has won the 2024 Texas State Long Range Championship for an unprecedented fifth time. Loading Berger 7mm 180 Gr Hybrid Target bullets in his own 7mm PRCW cartridge (formed from Lapua 6.5 PRC cases) Cortina outshot all F-Open competitors and scored a 993-51X. Erik has his own company, Cortina Precision, which produces barrel tuners, tuner/brakes, dies, and other products.
The Texas State Long Range Championship hosted by Bayou Rifles, took place April 12-14 at the Juliff Rifle and Pistol Range in Rosharon, Texas. The Texas Long Range Championship hosted the top shooters from around the USA, competing in both F-Open and F-TR disciplines.
“This year, the Texas State Long Range Championship adopted the Bisley pair fire format. This format requires shooters to alternate shots rather than string fire. Time limit is 45 seconds per shot. Reading the wind and staying focused is essential, so I decided I was going to ignore my partner’s shots and shoot my own match the entire weekend”, commented Cortina. “It worked out and I secured my 5th Texas State Championship with a five point margin. It’s one of the most fun matches I have ever attended.”
The F-Open category requires a rifle weighing no more than 22 pounds and chambered in any caliber .35 and under. Rifles are fired from the prone position with rear sandbag and adjustable front rest.
This F-Class John video shows the Texas match and includes an interview with Erik Cortina.
One of the world’s best F-Class competitors, Erik has won many other major F-Open titles in recent years, including the 2023 Southwest Nationals (see below), and the 2023 South African Championships held right before the F-Class World Championships last year. Below is a photo of Erik at the Southwest Nationals in 2023 with his winning rifle:
Great Shooter Interviews on Erik Cortina’s YouTube Channel
Erik also has a popular YouTube Channel with gear reviews and excellent long-format interviews with talented competitive shooters. CLICK HERE to see the videos on Erik’s Believe the Target Channel.
Lapua is a part of the Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Lapua.com.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Today is February 14th, Valentine’s Day. To celebrate this romantic holiday, talented shooter Kirsten Joy Weiss has devised a cool trick shot with her .22 LR Volquartsen semi-auto rifle.
Kirsten wants to create a heart on a paper card. Braving winter weather, Kirsten drills three shots into a heart shape on her target. This trick shot is performed, Kirsten adds, “for the love of shooting”.
See more cool trick shots on Kirsten’s popular YouTube Channel which now boasts 339,000 subscribers. Learn more about Kirsten’s shooting background on her website, KirstenJoyWeiss.com.
While American F-Class shooters have been getting ready for the 2022 U.S. F-Class Championships in Arizona next month, European F-Class aces were busy this month at the European F-Class Championships at the famed Bisley range in the UK. And a few Yanks were at Bisley as well. Our friend and Team Lapua-Brux-Borden member Erik Cortina shot great to take second place overall in the F-Open division, after Germany’s Alexander Kreutz. Past GB/Euro National League Champ Gary Costello took third in F-Open. We congratulate all three men. Erik had new hardware for this match — a prototype SEB NEO-X front rest. Erik told us: “I used the new SEB NEO-X. This was the first time using it in a match. It is truly amazing.”
British shooter and TargetShooter.co.uk editor Vince Bottomley sent this note:
“We were honored to have Erik Cortina over for the 2022 European F-Class Championship. In addition there were shooters from South Africa, Canada, Australia and of course Europe.
Erik acquitted himself amazingly well with second place overall in the F-Open category. The photo shows him with winner, Alexander Kreutz from Germany (center), and Brit Gary Costello in third place (right).
In addition to the usual ‘gongs’ the winner took home a Victrix F-Open gun plus a March scope.
Shooters Respect Passing of Beloved Queen Elizabeth II
After the sudden death of our Queen, participants stood down for a day. This meant that the Teams event couldn’t take place on the final Sunday.”
The UK’s Richie Jones, who helped organize the event, noted: “With Vihtavuori supporting us this year and celebrating 100 years of excellence, we [went] all out to attract our biggest attendance to date and promise all our competitors, six days of extremely competitive, long range shooting on the world-famous Stickledown range at Bisley, UK.”
Dominators — that’s what these blue-shirted guys were at the 2020 Berger Southwest Nationals (SWN). For the third straight year, Team Lapua-Brux-Borden won the coveted F-Open Team Grand Aggregate award at the Berger Southwest Nationals, finishing with a score of 2584-160X (out of a possible 2600). And Team Member Jay Christopherson (AccurateShooter’s System Admin) won the F-Open Overall title, while Team Member Tod Hendricks won the 600-yard Mid-Range Event. Mighty impressive…
Team members are Jay Christopherson, David Christian, Tod Hendricks, Pat Scully, and Jeremy Smith (alternate), with Bob Sebold serving as Coach and Erik Cortina as Captain. Remarkably Jay (1247-83X), Pat (1247-72X), and Tod (1245-81X) placed first, second, and third respectively in the F-Open Grand Aggregate individual awards. That’s right, three team-mates secured ALL the podium places. And all three were separated by only two points!
Record-Setting Performances by Team
Notably Team Lapua-Brux-Borden established a new Ben Avery range record along the way to winning the Palma Team Match with a score of 1791-113 (out of a possible 1800). We’re told that the Team’s 793-47X LR score was also a new match record. Jay set a LR Aggregate Record with 799-50X, while Tod set a LR individual relay record of 200-18X.
Photo by Sherri Jo Gallagher.
Team Lapua-Brux-Borden — Winning “Team First” Philosophy Commentary by Jay Christopherson
For Team Lapua-Borden-Brux, winning gold is the entire focus. To that end, ego is the only enemy. Sure, we all have egos as individual shooters, but as a team, ego is subsumed into that one overriding goal. If you can’t do that, then you can’t shoot on Lapua-Borden-Brux. No matter how good you think your rifle is or how well you are shooting individually, the coach is the only arbiter — no exceptions. Every job on the team is focused towards that single goal of gold and no job is more or less important than another. Our plotter saves points by spotting high or low trends and calling that out, and ensuring we don’t lose points when a scorer misses a shot. Our back-coach saves points by spotting upcoming condition changes or making observations. Our target-puller strives to provide an example of the best possible target service. And our scorer focuses on providing attentive service to the team next to us. A failure in one job is a failure in all and we either win or lose together as a team. That is only possible when each individual understands that there is only one goal.
The Berger Southwest Nationals, hosted by the Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club, took place February 5-9, 2020 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ with a sold-out roster of 400 competitors. America’s biggest rifle match west of the Mississippi, the Southwest Nationals is a “must-attend” event for long-range shooters competing in F-Open, F-TR, and Sling disciplines. Competitors from at least nine different countries were in attendance. The Grand Aggregate is the total score from firing points of 600, 800, 900, and 1,000 yards.
Praise from Team Captain
“I am very proud of the team”, stated Team Captain, Erik Cortina: “From setting a new range record to placing first in the F-Open Grand Aggregate, our success is directly attributed to Lapua’s premium components.”
About Lapua — Premium Brass, Bullets, and Ammunition
Lapua produces the highest-quality small caliber cartridges and components for civilian and professional use. Lapua is a part of the Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori, and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Lapua.com.
Thursday 2/6/2020 was the first Team Day at the Berger Southwest Nationals (SWN). Dozens of squads competed in F-TR, F-Open, and Sling Divisions. This 4-Man Palma Team Match had 15 shots for record each at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. This is a real test of wind-reading and marksmanship. Phil Kelley reports: “Tricky conditions challenged great teams throughout the day.” We first want to congratulate Team Lapua Brux Borden (LBB), with a convincing Thursday win in the F-Open Division. We were especially proud of this performance because Team LBB member Jay Christopherson serves as AccurateShooter.com’s system administrator. Congrats to Jay (far right below) and his team-mates including David Christian, Tod Hendricks, Pat Scully, Erik Cortina (Captain), and Bob Sebold (Coach).
Team Lapua Brux Borden Archive Photo from 2019 at last year’s Berger SWN.
In the F-TR division, Team USA Independence took top honors with a 1773-83X total for four shooters: Ian Klemm, Wade Fillingame, Fritz Braun, and Luke Ramsey.
In the Sling Division, Team USNRT Milanovic took top honors with 1782-82X, finishing three points ahead of Team USNRT Gill. Captain/Coach Oliver Milanovic lead the team with 449-30X.
In team competition, the shooter relies on his coach and spotter.
Berger SWN 600-Yard Mid-Range Match Results
In the Mid-Range match, Tod Hendricks topped the F-Open field with 598-37X, a dominant performance. Jim Fowler finished second with 596-20X, and our own Product Tester John Masek was third with 595-33X. John, aka “F-Class John” in our Forum, prepares our Deals of the Week, and does product reviews. Here is his latest Teslong Borescope Review.
In the F-TR Division, the top three shooters all finished with 584 points. However, Mid-Range Champion Scott Harris (584-30X) tallied a huge X-Count advantage over second-place Doug Boyer (584-21X), and third-place Ian Klemm (584-20X). Congrats to all three men.
In the Sling Division, Randy Teissedre won with 597-33X, followed by Mike Kelley with 593-30X, and Larry Sollars with 592-32X.
High Winds for Mid-Range Match on Wednesday
It was windy and cold to start the day for the 600-Yard, Mid-Range Match on Wednesday at the Ben Avery Range in Phoenix. Capstone’s Adam Braverman posted: “Nice full value wind to start the Mid-Range portion of the SW Nationals sponsored by Capstone Precision Group. 38 degrees felt like 27!”
We know our readers like accurate rifles — the more accurate the better. You guys also love really great craftsmanship and state-of-the art componentry. To satisfy that lust for amazing, accurate rifles, we’re starting a new feature — Sunday GunDay. We’ll try to do this a couple Sundays a month, provided we have some great candidates. For our first Sunday GunDay feature, we are presenting a stunning .284 Win F-Open match rifle owned by David Christian of Team Borden/Brux/Lapua. This impressive rig is as good as it gets in the F-Open game. The write-up is by David’s friend, Forum member F-Class John.
Tips For Competitors from David Christian
1. Tracking is Really Important. I learned this lesson from Bill Brown. Make sure your rifle is tracking exactly on your bags. If you slide the gun back and forth and it does not line up on your original aim point, something is out of alignment with you rear bag or mat and needs to be adjusted.
2. Wind Calls — Be Brave. Don’t be timid with your wind calls. It is better to err with a slight over-correction, rather than miss a change entirely.
3. More Data is Good. Keep track of as much data as you can so that you can learn from it. For example I shoot as much as I can with my chrono and track my load speeds so that I can tell if I am drifting out of my node.
David Christian’s .284 Win F-Open Rig
Report by F-Class John
Here’s match rifle that’s as handsome as it is effective (and accurate!). In its first-ever tournament, this impressive rig took 8th place overall in F-Open at the 2019 Berger Southwest Nationals. This .284 Win hammer was wielded by David Christian, the newest member of Team Borden/Brux/Lapua. David built this .284 Winchester around a Borden BRMXD action with black PVD coating and a Jewell BR trigger. What I found fascinating is that David had built all of this before ever being approached for the team. When I asked him how that worked out, he simply said he picked the components he liked the best and knew would do the job. It was just the universe in action that he’s now on the team that matches his gear and he’s certainly not complaining that he gets to represent them now.
David uses a custom-contour 32″-long Brux 1:8.5″-twist barrel that tapers from 1.35” to 1.25” because he likes the extra stability and weight it brings. It’s all mounted in an amazingly-crafted Cerus Stock (Speedy Gonzales “Spear of Destiny” design). While Will McCloskey built the stock, it was finished to perfection by Devin Wiggett and mounted by Terry Wright of Right Rifle in Oregon. You might also notice that the buttstock features a R.A.D. recoil system which adds the final touch to the system.
Stunning Laminated Maple/Cherry/Walnut/Wenge Cerus Stock
When asked what people comment on when they see his gun, David says it’s the stock, hands down. Having handled this gun myself, I have to agree and believe me when I say the pictures don’t do it justice. The exterior forearms are torrified Maple while the core is made up of Brazilian Cherry, Walnut, and African Wenge wood. It makes for an ultra-strong stock with stunning beauty to match.
David currently tops this beauty with a Kahles K1050 10-50x56mm scope featuring the MOAK reticle. David really likes the 20 MOA per revolution dial as well as the top-mounted parallax adjustment. This is especially helpful for him as David shoots left-handed. Most scopes have a left-side parallax knob which is difficult for him to use during a match.
You can’t have a rifle this good-looking and functional without riding on the right gear. David uses a Protektor DR Bag and a SEB Special Edition NEO coaxial front rest. All told it took nearly six months to get all the parts delivered and assembled but he looks at that as a short term loss and a long term gain. Using Erik Cortina’s load development methods with Berger 180gr Hybrid Target or 184gr Hybrid Target bullets and quality Lapua brass, David has achieved some amazing results. Here’s a representative target from a recent match. That’s mighty fine shooting!
If you want to “hit the ground running” in the F-Open game, this wouldn’t be bad setup to emulate and if you see David at a match, he’s always more than happy to talk to you about it.
Today was the final day of the Berger Southwest Nationals (SWN). Two 1000-yard individual matches were scheduled. But the weather gods did not cooperate. Sunday matches were cancelled due to high, gusty winds from the North-Northeast that made it very difficult to handle the large, wood target frames. With concern for the safety of pit workers, match organizers waited until 10:00 am, then canceled the matches. It was a disappointment for some, but all the competitors still enjoyed a great week at Ben Avery.
With the cancellation of Sunday matches, the three individual champions — Sling Division, F-TR, and F-Open have been decided based on the Friday and Saturday results. We congratulate the three new Champions: Bob Sebold (F-Open), Phillip Kelley Jr. (F-TR), and Allen Thomas (Sling).
Top Five Overall – F-Open
Bob Sebold, 843-49X
Keith Glasscock, 843-38X
Jay Christopherson, 841-45X
Stephen Potter, 841-37X
James Crofts, 841-34X
Top Five Overall – F-TR
Phillip Kelley Jr., 838-35X
Ellis Berry, 837-42X
Niklas Montin, 836-35X
Peter Johns, 835-36X
Edward Shelley, 832-33X
Top Five Overall – Sling
Allen Thomas, 844-37X
Oliver Milanovic, 843-45X
Trudie Fay, 842-32X
Nancy Tompkins, 840-43X
Angus McLeod, 840-43X
Team matches concluded yesterday, Saturday. In team competition, Team Lapua/Brux/Borden won the F-Open Division, while Team McMillan finished first in F-TR Division. In the Sling Division, Team USA National Hayes topped the field. Congratulations to the winning teams.
Wicked Winds on Saturday Challenged Competitors
Saturday’s weather was not kind to shooters. Along with cloudy skies came wind — lots of it. The wind was veering, and gusty — with significant changes in velocity. It was hard to predict the cycles — if they could be called that. Erratic was more like it. Many shots were out in the 7 and 8 rings. One champion-level shooter told us: “That was ugly — I got my clock cleaned”. Another shooter said “I ran out of paper to hold off”. At one point, Team Lapua/Brux/Borden (LBB) waited over 30 minutes to take a shot, hoping to get into a steady condition. The patience paid off. Team LBB shooter Jay Christopherson’s final shot (after the long wait) was a 10.
Above is a view from a spotting scope during the 1000-Yard Team Match on Saturday. During the course of the day, there were many 7s and 8s showing on the targets. One competitor said “the wind was so bad, I was holding off the frame”.
Team Lapua/Brux/Berger shot great in tough conditions on Saturday to win the F-Open Team competition. Second from left is Jay Chistopherson, AccurateShooter.com’s System Administrator. When he’s not shooting, Jay works hard to keep our Shooter’s Forum and content sites running smoothly.
The team announced: “Team Lapua-Brux-Borden pulled off a major win today at Berger SW Natinols. Conditions were very challenging but our wind coach was able to keep up with the conditions. Our rifles shot very flat which allowed us to rack up points and Xs. We have a great team and amazing sponsors: Lapua, Brux Barrels, Borden Actions, Cerus Rifleworks. Team members: Jay Christopherson, Eric Cortina, Steve Harp, Tod Hendricks, Pat Scully, and Bob Sebold. Notably, Bob Sebold also won the 2018 Berger SWN Individual F-Open title, making him a double champion.
Eliseo Tubegun with Nightforce Competition scope. These versatile rifle chassis systems are produced by Competition Machine in Cottonwood, Arizona.
Photo by Sherri Jo Gallagher.
There couldn’t be a match without the dedication of the folks who work the pits. At the Berger SWN, competitors did pit duty, ferried by trailers, and there were also some volunteers.
Photo by Sherri Jo Gallagher.
They say behind every successful man is a good woman. Derek Rodgers, current F-TR World Champion, is no exception. His wife Hope Rodgers was on hand throughout the SWN to cheer on her husband.
For many sling shooters, the Berger SWN is the second most important event of the year, right after the NRA Championships, held at Camp Perry (OH) and (now) Camp Atterbury (IN). Check out those patches.
Industry Report — Berger, Lapua and Capstone Precision Group
Last year Berger Bullets was acquired by the Nammo Lapua Group. Berger Bullets, along with Lapua Products, SK Ammo, and Vihtavuori Powder, are now distributed in the USA by the Capstone Precision Group. Berger will continue to offer its full line of bullets, plus Berger-branded Ammunition (formerly ABM Ammo). Likewise Lapua will continue to offer its superb caftridge brass, plus Lapua’s full line of bullets and loaded Ammunition. In this video, Capstone’s Director Bill Gravatt explains how Capstone is working to expand the availability of Lapua and Berger products. In addition, Eric Stecker explains how Berger Bullets can increase production significantly, now that Berger is operating in the large Nammo/Lapua facility in Mesa, Arizona.
Today is the last day of the Berger Southwest Nationals. After the cancellation of Sunday’s 1000-yard matches due to high winds, this year’s 2018 SWN concluded with the Award Presentations. We watched as scores of medals — along with heaps of cash and Berger bullets — were handed out. AccurateShooter.com also awarded prestigious Corinthian awards to Nancy Tompkins (Sling) and Rick Jensen (F-Class).
Photo by Sherri Jo Gallagher.
Team McMillan was the top-performing F-TR squad at the Berger SW Nationals. The team includes many former members of the all-conquering Team Sinclair.
Erik Cortina is one of the nation’s top F-Class shooters. A member of Team Lapua-Brux-Borden, Erik has been a top performer at National and World F-Class Championships. Erik is also a very smart guy and a skilled toolsmith who has upgraded his shooting equipment in interesting ways. Today we feature three “How-To” videos from Erik. These show how to upgrade a SEB Coaxial Rest, how to improve the performance of an RCBS Chargemaster, and how to create your own Modified Case for measuring length to lands.
1. How to Upgrade your SEB Co-Axial Joystick Rest
Joystick (coaxial) rests are used by top shooters in benchrest and F-Open disciplines. With coaxial rests, you can adjust both vertical and horizontal aim instantly in one fluid movement — there are no mariner wheels to spin or knobs to turn. Just gently stir the joystick to move up, down, or sideways. Erik Cortina explains: “If you want to get into F-Class (Open) and want to win, you should get a SEB rest. SEB makes an excellent product, but the one thing we upgrade automatically … is adding the F-Class feet. These have a bigger footprint and a spike on the bottom [so you can] dig the feet into the ground and make your rest a lot more stable.” In this video Erik installs a set of Blake Machine Co. F-Class feet. These feature a set-screw, so they are easy to attach and then remove for travel (no Loctite!). “Simple yet effective” declares Erik.
In the second half of the video (starting at 5:30), Erik installs a Dan Bramley Joystick Holder. This features two clamp-on cradles that hold the joystick crosswise below the top (see photo). This handy accessory ensures your handle always remains with the rest (and doesn’t get left at home when you travel to a big match). This joystick holder has been popular with competitors. Erik says, “The Bramley Joystick holder is $60.00 — money well spent.” To order, email Dan at dbramley [at] yahoo.com.
2. How to Make a Modified Case for the Hornady OAL Tool
In this video, Forum member Erik Cortina shows how to create a custom modified case for use with the Hornady Lock-N-Load Overall Length Gauge (formerly the Stoney Point Tool). While Hornady sells modified cases for many standard cartridges, if you shoot a wildcat such as the 6mm Dasher or .284 Shehane, you’ll need to create a custom modified case. And even if you shoot a standard cartridge such as the .308 Win, you can get more consistent measurements if you make a custom modified case from a piece of brass fired in your chamber.
MORE INFORMATION: Want to learn more? We published a much longer story in which Erik explains in greater detail how to made the Modified Case. That article illustrates the 5/16″ – 36 RH HSS Tap required and shows how to set up the lathe to drill and tap your case. If you are serious about making your own Modified Cases, you should Read the Full Article.
3. How to Make the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Work Better
Erik Cortina has been fiddling around with his RCBS ChargeMaster and he discovered something interesting. Through a series of tests he determined that the ChargeMaster dispensed slightly more precise charges when he trickled the last few 10ths of a grain on to the RCBS pan. Erik wasn’t expecting this result, but he confirmed there may be a slight benefit to this trickling method (as opposed to allowing the ChargeMaster to dispense the full charge). You can see Erik’s test procedure in this video:
We should note that Erik’s preferred method of weighing powder is to first dispense a slightly lower charge with the RCBS, transfer the pan to a laboratory-class Sartorius magnetic force restoration scale, then trickle up with his Omega (Dandy Products) Powder Trickler. However, if you don’t have a $800+ laboratory-grade scale, you might just try trickling on to the ChargeMaster pan.
MORE INFORMATION: We have published a more lengthy Bulletin Article that covers Erik’s Chargemaster Performance Findings in greater detail. That article has more photos plus a clever, bonus “Beep Defeat Tip”. If you own a Chargemaster, we recommend you READ the Full Article.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Praise from Team Captain
