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June 21st, 2013
Precision rifle shooters don’t have to hit a big-league fastball, or launch a top-fuel dragster in the blink of an eye. Nonetheless, reaction times are important in our sport — both for competitive shooters and hunters. Want to catch that prairie dog before he slips down his hole? You’ll need to be quick. Want to win at short-range benchrest? Then you’ll need to watch your windflags and respond quickly to a change. Miss a major wind-shift and you could ruin your whole weekend.
Here’s a fun test of reaction times from HumanBenchmark.com. The way it works is that, after clicking “Start”, you wait until the background color changes from red to green. The instant you see green, immediately click your mouse. The average (median) reaction time is 215 milliseconds. Hint: If you keep your finger “preloaded” in contact with your mouse button you can shave some milliseconds — but don’t “jump the gun”.
CLICK HERE for Reaction Time Test >>>>>>>>
Tips for Faster Times
Here are three tips to speed up your reaction times:
1) Respond to the color change (by itself), rather than wait to read the word “CLICK!” after the box shifts to green.
2) Try focusing at the corner of the box, rather than the center. This may help you react “without thinking”.
3) Have your index finger “poised and ready” over the left button–you can shave milliseconds by very slightly depressing the button before you actually click.
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September 14th, 2011
Sinclair Int’l is offering some good deals right now. First, Sinclair has the new Rock River Arms 2-Stage AR15 match trigger marked down to $99.00 from $120.00. If you’re building a black rifle, here’s a chance to save twenty bucks. Click the image below to get the discount.
 
Sinclair is also running a sale now on Hornady BTHP Match Bullets. We’ve heard positive reports on the new match bullets with the Advance Manufacturing Process (AMP) jackets. Our friend John Adams has tested some of Hornady’s new 6mm 105-grainers with AMP Jackets. John says they shoot very accurately and are extremely uniform. John tells us: “I’m impressed by the new Hornady 105s. They are some of the most uniform bullets I’ve ever sampled. I absolutely stopped sorting them because the base to ogive measurements were so consistent.”
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September 10th, 2011
Timney Triggers has introduced a new drop-in trigger for the Savage Axis/Edge line of rifles. The new Timney Axis/Edge trigger (Model 633) is CNC machined from solid steel and then case-hardened. The Model 633 Axis/Edge trigger fully adjustable for pull weight, sear engagement (creep) and over-travel. The trigger’s pull weight can be adjusted from 1.5 to 4 pounds, an ideal range for a hunting rifle. Midsouth Shooters Supply has the Model 633 trigger in stock now.
The Timney Axis/Edge trigger retails for $104.95 for the standard blued version and is also available nickel-plated for $114.95. Each trigger is hand-assembled, calibrated, and tested before shipping. Timney offers a lifetime warranty on all of their products. Triggers are Made in the USA.
Story tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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February 17th, 2011
The Tikka T3 is a popular hunting rifle worldwide. The T3 Sporter, a new variant of the T3, is used for match shooting in Europe. On this side of the Atlantic, there has been growing interest among tactical shooters in the T3 because it offers a strong, rigid receiver, smooth-running bolt, and highly functional detachable box magazine. At least two tactical stock suppliers, Manners Composite Stocks and KRG, are offering high-end tactical stocks for T3 actions. Shown below is KRG’s new Whiskey 3 Modular Chassis (W3C) for the Tikka T3. We’ll be testing a Tikka T3 project rifle fitted in the W3C Chassis later this year.
JARD Triggers for Tikka T3
Tikka T3s are very nice rifles out of the box, but the T3’s trigger pull weight is a bit on the heavy side for match shooting. JARD now offers drop-in trigger kits for the Tikka T3, as well as complete Tikka T3 replacement trigger assemblies. With the $110.00 trigger upgrade kit, you can get your T3 trigger down to a crisp, 1.0 pound pull. JARD’s full Tikka trigger assembly, priced at $132.00, can be set for pull weights as low as 12 ounces. The full trigger assembly not only gives you a nice, light pull, but it also offers Over-Travel and Sear Engagement adjustability not provided by the factory trigger. For more info, or to order, visit www.JARDinc.com or call (712) 324-7409.
Story suggested by Boyd Allen.
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December 7th, 2010
 Geissele triggers are highly regarded by high power and service rifle AR shooters. Now there is a new line of moderately-priced Geissele triggers, sold exclusively by MidwayUSA. Geissele will produce three types of Super-Dynamic triggers for MidwayUSA: Combat, Enhanced, and 3-Gun. These will all boast tool steel hammers and precise, Wire-EDM-cut sear surfaces. The 3-Gun model has a special “short reset” feature to allow quicker shot strings in competition. Unless you’re “running and gunning”, however, you’ll probably prefer the “Enhanced trigger”, which features a 2.2-lb first stage, a 1.2-lb second stage and crisper break.
 Geissele’s Super-Dynamic triggers feature a straight vertical trigger bow, preferred by many competitors. Geissele claims its HI-SPEED hammer cuts lock time by 50% compared to standard AR hammers.
The Combat Trigger features a 2.5 to 3-lb first stage and a 2-lb second stage. Normal price: $209.99.
The Enhanced Trigger has a 2.2-lb first stage, a 1.2-lb second stage and crisper break. Normal price: $224.99.
The 3-Gun Trigger was designed with input from competitive multi-gun shooters and features a “hybrid” 3.5-lb pull and shorter reset for rapid target engagement. Normal Price: $234.99.
ON SALE Through December 31, 2010
These three Geissele triggers are all marked down this month. The Combat trigger is reduced $21.00 to $188.99. The Enhanced trigger is discounted $25.00 to $199.99, and the 3-Gun trigger is marked down $25.00 to $209.99.
Disclosure: MidwayUSA has been a long-term advertiser with this site.
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September 30th, 2010
Earlier this month Wilson Combat launched its new gun blog, which is worth a visit. Though focused primarily on handguns, the Wilson Combat Blog also features tactical rifles and shotguns. While there are match reports and gun maintenance articles, the Wilson Blog is mainly a showcase for products, which are illustrated with really superb photography (some of the best “gun glamour” images on the web). Here are some examples of the “eye candy” Wilson combat offers on its site…
Case Colored 1911 for Trey of Jackson Armory in Texas
Trey calls this unique, Case-Colored custom the “Patriot Elite”. The slide is hand polished and then sent to Doug Turnbull for his exceptional bluing and color case hardened finish on the frame. The frontstrap was left bare to show off case colors.
Custom Professional with Flush-Crowned Barrel
Another interesting gun is this 4″ Commander-style 1911 K-5 with beautiful, fan-pattern Cocobolo grips. Notice that the muzzle is flush crowned. A new option for Wilson, the flush crown is made possible by the use of a flat wire, Glock-style recoil spring. This new feature is only available for compact/professional length slides at this time.
Wilson Arms AR Trigger — Long-Term Test
The Wilson Arms Blog also links to a Military Times long-term test of the Wilson Tactical Trigger Unit (TTU) for AR-type lowers. The Times tested the TTU over six months with 10,000 drops of the hammer. Click Here to read the full review, published on Sept. 29, 2010.
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May 12th, 2010
 Timney Mfg. now sells triggers for left-hand Remington m700 rifles. There is both a standard lefty model (#502) and a safety-equipped lefty model (#511). The model #502 uses the existing safety and bolt stop in your gun, while the model #511 has an external safety on the left side of the trigger housing. Both these left-hand triggers require no gunsmithing, are fully-adjustable, and can be ordered with default pull weights ranging from 1.5 pounds to 4.0 pounds.
External Safety Trigger Based on Innovative 2006 Design
In 2006, Timney began producing a new drop-in trigger for the Remington 700 with external safety. This was a totally new design with a safety that blocks the trigger not the sear. For 2010 has adapted this trigger for left-hand Rem 700 rifles. If you don’t need an external safety, Timney also now offers a standard left-hand trigger. MSRP for either version is $124.95. The housings of both triggers are milled from solid billet. Other components are machined using state-of-the-art Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) from high-grade solid steel. This allows Timney to maintain very precise tolerances on its triggers. For more info call toll-free 866-4TIMNEY, or visit www.timneytriggers.com
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March 1st, 2010
Creedmoor Sports notified us that they have Geissele Triggers (for AR platform rifles), and Lapua Brass in stock. These triggers are often back-ordered for months, so if you need one, you should give Creedmoor a call at 800-273-3366. Chose the Geissele GT-SR trigger for $279.00, or the new SSA model for $170.00.
If you have been looking for Lapua Brass, Creedmoor has ample quantities for most of the popular cartridges: .223 Rem, .220 Russian, 6mmBR, .243 Win, 6.5×47 Lapua, 6.5-284 Norma, .308 Win, 30-06, .338 Lapua Magnum.
CLICK HERE for Lapua Brass at Creedmoor Sports
You may want to stock up now while supplies are available. To give you an idea on price, Creedmoor sells a 100-ct box of .308 Win Brass for $75.95.
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February 17th, 2010
Timney Triggers has a new Trigger Pull Gauge. This spring-type tension scale measures pull weights from 8 oz. to 10 lbs. and is also calibrated for metric (kg) weights. The wide hook makes the gauge easy to use even with over-sized trigger guards. The Timney gauge features a “tattle-tail indicator” that stops at the highest resistance. This works as follows — as you pull back on the gauge, the sliding indicator will move towards the heavier side of the scale; once the sear releases the sliding indicator remains at the point where the highest amount of pressure was exerted on the trigger.
We still think the Lyman Digital Trigger Pull Gauge is the best on the market, but it costs $52-55.00 compared to $28.49 for the Timney gauge. The Timney Trigger Pull Gauge will be available at MidwayUSA (item 969947) before the end of February.
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January 13th, 2010
Blaser, popular German builder of deluxe straight-pull hunting rifles, has released a new rifle with a unique, to say the least, detachable magazine system. The magazine is integrated with what would be the trigger guard/bottom metal on a conventional rifle. Pull out the R8’s magazine and the trigger guard and trigger shoe come with it — it’s all one unit.
This short video illustrates how the unique magazine/trigger works:
Presumably, combining the external trigger linkage with the magazine offers a safety advantage. This way, if you have a round still in the chamber, even after removing the magazine, you can’t pull the trigger to fire the round. Blaser states: “When removing the magazine, the R8 automatically de-cocks and once the magazine is removed, the cocking slide cannot engage anymore. Today, this is a very important safety feature securing the rifle against misuse by unauthorized persons.” It sounds like a good idea, but we wonder how practical this system is. Murphy’s law dictates that some hunter will travel half way around the world for his “hunt of a lifetime” only to find he forgot his magazine and now he has a rifle without a trigger. Most conventional rifles with detachable magazines can still be used as single shots even without the magazine.
The one real advantage we see to the R8 design is that the whole action/receiver is extremely short, allowing a more compact rifle length. Blaser claims: “The design of the R8 magazine above the trigger allows the overall length of the rifle to be 9 cm (3.5 inches) shorter than conventional bolt action rifles.” Another nice thing about the R8 is that the trigger pull is crisp and light right out of the box. The Blaser R8’s trigger breaks at just 1 5/8 pounds, and lock time is extremely fast. And the R8’s cocking mechanism is something new. According to Blaser, the R8 does not rely on a spring to reset the trigger after firing. Instead it uses a “desmodromic trigger mechanism” for improved reliability in wet or dusty conditions. (For those of you who don’t ride desmo-valved Ducati motorcycles, a “desmodromic” design typically employs a rocker arm and cam lobe to achieve reset.)
All the interesting new features of the Blaser R8 are illustrated on Blaser’s German website via an interactive Product Gallery. CLICK HERE to view the Product Gallery.
Starting in February 2010, the Blaser R8 will be available from Blaser dealers in a variety of models: Professional, Jaeger, Luxus, Attaché, Baronesse, Safari PH and Safari Luxus. In addition a custom-engraved R8 Custom class model will be offered. For more information, visit Blaser-usa.com.
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December 10th, 2009
 Our recent post about Norway’s annual Landsskytterstevnet (Rifle Country Fair) marksmanship competition was very popular. American sling-shooters noticed how Norway’s marksmen used a different sling set-up and how the Norwegians were using their middle finger or ring finger to pull the trigger. This allows faster cycling of the bolt in rapid-fire competition.
CLICK HERE for more Landsskytterstevnet streaming videos
Unfortunately, some of our readers with slower internet connections were not able to stream the video from the Norwegian server. Here are two YouTube videos posted by reader ICECOOL from Norway. The first shows John O. Ågotnes shooting rapidfire in the Stangskyting discipline (25-second time limit). The gun is a Sauer 200 STR (Scandinavian Target Rifle) chambered in 6.5×55.
The second video, below, shows competitors in a 3-position (standing, kneeling, prone) shooting competition at the 2008 Samlagsskyting Finals. This provides good closeups of the Norsk sling arrangement. Note also the electronic scoring technology which instantly plots the shots on the target. This makes it exciting to watch the match… tension builds until the final shot. American clubs could benefit from electronic scoring which allows the crowd to follow the action.
 ICECOOL has posted more links to Norway shooting match videos on the Firing Line Forum. Many of these matches are actually broadcast live, in prime-time, by Norwegian Television.
One interesting fact about Norway’s shooting matches is that they are partly funded by the Norwegian government. On the Firing Line Forum, member UltimaThule noted that: “The National Rifle Assn. of Norway receives financial support from the Department of Defence — 1/10 of one per cent of the National defence budget. What would your anti-gun people say if the American NRA got $560 million dollars a year from the government?”
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July 19th, 2009
 Ernie Paull from California was an active competition shooter for many years. However, his eyesight has declined so he has turned his attention to providing components for shooters and gunsmiths. Through his Ernie the Gunsmith website, Paull sells a variety of useful products including gun trigger springs, pillar-bedding kits, Accu-Risers, and pillar installation tools. This Bulletin post focuses on Ernie’s trigger springs. Ernie offers springs for a wide variety of rifles: Browning (A-Bolt, A-Bolt 22, X-Bolt), CZ (m452), Kimber, Remington (XR100, XCR, 7, 700, 722, 788, 7600 and more), Ruger (77, 77-22, LC6), Tikka (T-3), Weatherby (MK-V), and Winchester (M-70).
Springs start at just $6.95. Ernie also sells springs for the Rem-compatible Shilen Benchrest trigger, as well as Rem 700 ejector springs and trigger alignment springs. For Rem 700 rifles, Paull makes a spring that fits all Remington M-7 and M-700 triggers including the 2007-vintage X Mark-PRO trigger (but not the new X Mark-PRO trigger introduced in 2009). Ernie says: “on average, installation of his Model-700 spring will reduce factory triggers’ weight of pull by 1½ to 2½ lbs with no other changes. The exact amount of creep, overtravel, and weight of pull are dependant upon the type and amount of tuning accomplished by your gunsmith.”
 We often hear requests from Tikka T-3 owners asking how they can reduce their trigger pull weight. Paull offers a Tikka T-3 varmint trigger spring which can reduce the pull weight significantly. The photo at left shows the Tikka T-3 trigger assembly.
While there is more to a good trigger job (in most cases) than just a spring swap, you need to have the proper rate spring when adjusting trigger pull weight downwards. NOTE: For safety reasons, we recommend you consult a competent gunsmith before modifying factory triggers. We stress the word competent…
Ernie has observed that some gunsmiths try to lighten trigger pulls by modifying factory springs in questionable ways: “I have worked with gunsmiths in the past who, when the subject turned to trigger springs, preferred to clip them, grind them, heat them, bend them, smash them, or simply back out the weight of pull screw until there was no or almost no pressure on the spring. With any of these methods, you get a spring whose rate is rapidly rising as the trigger is pulled. As the trigger is released, the spring rate rapidly decreases as it approaches full or near-full extension. A more uniform weight of pull will be achieved when the trigger spring is compressed within its normal working range throughout the entire movement of the trigger. In the long run, the benefits of saved time, plus more uniform and reliable results, will more than offset the cost of these [replacement] springs. If you want a lighter trigger pull, you need a lighter trigger spring.”
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