Eurooptic vortex burris nightforce sale




teslong borescope digital camera barrel monitor


As an Amazon Associate, this site earns a commission from Amazon sales.









August 4th, 2011

Lasers Replace Pistols for Modern Pentathlon at London Olympics

UIPM logo PentathlonThe Modern Pentathlon is a 5-discipline Olympic event that combines Horse Riding, Running, Swimming, Fencing, and Shooting. However it looks like there won’t be real shooting anymore, at least at the 2012 London Games.

Union International de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) President Klaus Schormann declared that laser guns will be used instead of air pistols in the Modern Pentathlon at the 2012 London Olympics. Schormann claimed the lasers would enhance safety and allow “competitions in parks and even shooting malls”. Last year, UIPM officials argued for the use of lasers to reduce the environmental impact of lead pellets from air pistols. Schormann stated: “The decision to introduce non-air pistol shooting … is a significant development in terms of lowering the environmental impact of the sport.” That’s nonsense — Pentathlon air pistols fire tiny 7-grain pellets that are easily captured by bullet traps, so there is virtually no environmental risk.

UIPM logo PentathlonSebastian, creator of the Snowflakes in Hell Blog, observed: “The reasoning of the [UIPM] committee is disturbing. I hope this doesn’t portend bad things to come with other Olympic shooting sports, whose environmental footprint is arguably worse.” One Snowflakes Blog reader astutely commented: “It would have been trivially easy to mandate lead-free pellets, if the ‘lead poisoning’ argument were the real reason behind this change. Replacing air pistols with lasers instead of a much simpler requirement to use nontoxic shot suggests that it was the ‘gun-ishness’ of the air pistols, and not the environmental impact, that may have been the primary driver here.”

Technical Problems with Laser Systems
British pentathlete Sam Weale recently challenged the use of lasers in Modern Pentathlon. According to the Inside the Games website, Weale claims persistent technical problems with the laser shooting system have rendered Modern Pentathlon a “lottery” which threatens the integrity of the sport. Olympians can not trust the electronic scoring systems, Weale argues. “It can’t go on, it is embarrassing,” said Weale, who, along with four other atheletes, lodged a protest over malfunctioning targets at the recent European Championships.

Read Full Story on Modern Pentathlon Protest by UK Pentathlete Sam Weale.

UIPM Decision Criticized by USA Shooting & ISSF
The Outdoor Wire’s Jim Shepherd polled leading shooting sports officials and found widespread criticism of the UIPM decision to replace pistols with laser devices. According to Shepherd: “USA Shooting and International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) dislike the change. Their position is simple, the laser gun takes much out of the ‘shooting’ element of external conditions (pistol and pellet accuracy) and turns shooting ‘into an arcade game’. They view it as a possible threat to shooting, moving away from what is ‘shooting sport’.”

EDITOR’s Comment: One wonders if the UIPM’s next move will be to replace fencing foils and sabres with Wii computer-game controllers — in the interest of safety. And shouldn’t the UIPM replace Pentathletes’ four-legged equine mounts with hobby-horses to reduce solid waste and methane emissions?

Permalink Competition, News 13 Comments »
June 3rd, 2011

Target Shooting Magazine Offers iPad Edition

Our friend Vince Bottomley of Target Shooter Magazine, www.targetshooteronline.com, let us know about an exciting new development for the quality UK-based shooting eZine. Starting this month, June 2011, the latest monthly edition of Target Shooter will be available as a digital App for Apple iPads. Each monthly edition can be downloaded from the iTunes store for just $0.99. That’s a good value when you consider Target Shooter has at least 6-8 feature articles every month, plus gear reviews and match reports. Here are some highlight from this month’s June edition of Target Shooter:

  • New Optics for 2011 from Leupold, IOR, March, Schmidt & Bender, Sightron (informative report by Vince Bottomley).
  • Handloading for the 6mmBR (Part 2), by Laurie Holland (Great article — a “must read”.)
  • Visit to Savage Arms Factory (in Massachusetts) by Yvonne Wilcock.
  • New Valkyrie Tactical .308 (in Folding Stock), by Chris Parkin.
  • Reading Mirage for Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest, by Carl Boswell.
  • Review of Bryan Litz’s Applied Ballistics (2d. Ed) book.
  • Target Shooter Magazine

If you prefer to read Target Shooter on the web, or you don’t have an iPad content reader, don’t worry, Target Shooter will still be available for free through Target Shooter’s website. Just log on to www.targetshooteronline.com. But if you want to see the latest and greatest version of Target Shooter, consider the iTunes download. Vince tells us: “the magazine is so much nicer to read with an iPad — it’s almost better than a paper magazine.” To download Target Shooter, just go to the iTunes Webstore and search iPad apps for “Target Shooter” or “targetshooteronline”.

Permalink - Articles, News No Comments »
May 23rd, 2011

.223 Remington Shooter Equals GB 1000-Yard F-TR Record

At a recent Great Britain F-Class Association Match at the Blair Atholl Glen Tilt range, AccurateShooter Forum member Laurie Holland shot a 96-9V for twenty shots, tying the British F-TR single match record. Laurie accomplished that feat with a Savage-actioned .223 Remington. Laurie proved that the little .223 Rem can be competitive, even at 1000 yards. The Blair Atholl range, 1,000′ ASL in the southern Scottish Highlands, has been described by a top international rifle coach as ‘the world’s second most difficult range for wind’ (behind Trentham in New Zealand). Many British F-Class shooters were therefore surprised when Laurie Holland took his Savage-based .223 Rem F/TR rifle to the range earlier this month to compete in the season’s second GB F-Class Association league round. The event consisted of five, 1000-yard matches over a weekend (three 15-round stages on the Saturday, and two 20-round matches on Sunday). Forty-eight registered GB FCA shooters turned up, split 50/50 between F-Open and F-TR categories.

Though heavy rains were expected, Saturday was dry. However, the predominately 5 o’clock wind grew progressively stronger throughout the day, swinging through 20 or 30° with irregular gusts and lulls. With the range situated on a steep and uneven valley-side, wind changes affect elevation markedly in addition to the usual lateral movements. A gust can send the bullet high and left, while a lull moves POI low and right.

After Matches 1 and 2 Laurie was at the bottom end of the top 10 shooters in the class, but he surged to the lead in the day’s final match that saw the most difficult wind conditions. Laurie’s 66-2V score topped second place Adam Bagnall (reigning GB F-TR league champion) by seven points, and was also better than many F-Open scores. Laurie and his .223 were now tied (on points) with F-TR world champion Russell Simmonds for the overnight lead. Both had 183 points but Laurie was leading by five V-Bulls to one. As chance would have it, Russell and Laurie had been squadded to shoot together on the second detail of Sunday morning’s 20-round Match 4. NOTE: Brits employ a different system for F-Class targets. Target Rings have a 1 through 5 value, with a “V” (rather than “X”) for a dead-center hit. The maximum score possible on a twenty-round match would be 100-20V.


Laurie used the Savage successfully in the 2010 F Class European Championship meeting seen here shooting for GB in the second placed GB F/TR ‘Blue’ Team.

What followed was a classic two-man duel. Laurie explains: “While the F-Open boys on the first detail were still shooting, we had a short but violent rainstorm that really spoiled their day, this finishing just as they took their last shots. As the rain cleared, the wind apparently died too, the flags hanging limp, so we didn’t delay getting set up to take maximum advantage of the conditions. Russell and I both found the Bull / V-Bull on shot 1. Russell drilled five consecutive Vs, while I had two Bulls and three Vs. I began to think I might just hold Russell on points, but he’d hammer me on V-count. We started to find something was moving the bullets about, but there was no way of reading this on the sodden flags or even by the sway of the tops of some tall silver birch trees near the firing point, these usually proving very sensitive. It was a case of watching the plot develop, use intuition, and watch where Russell’s shot went before I took mine. (Remember, we have two competitors to each target taking shots alternately — no string shooting in the UK.)


Kongsberg electronic scoring monitor. This system gives near instant shot marking and lets spectators watch competitors’ performance in real time.

Crowd Watches Two-Man Duel — Laurie Ties Record in Match 4
With the Kongsberg electronic scoring machines, a flashing circle on the target shows the most recent shot, with its numerical Ring Value on the right side of the screen. All of our Fours came up as 4.9s, just leaking out! I was very reluctant to touch the scope knobs knowing just how easily a quarter-MOA ‘click’ can overdo the correction in these conditions and increasingly aimed low and left as the match progressed. As we reached the end we guessed our scores must be close, and amazingly I was getting more Vs now than Russell and his .308. However, neither of us knew we were tied on shot 19, both having dropped four points, and scored eight Vs, so the last shot would be crucial. Russell told me afterwards he sensed the wind had maybe picked up marginally, briefly considered aiming off a little further left, but decided to stick with his previous aim that had given him a ‘V’ – crack, 4.9 at 3 o’clock! My shot 19 had been a Four in exactly the same spot and I eased the Sightron’s reticle dot over to the bottom left corner of the Bull ring – crack, V.0 at six o’ clock for 96.9v total. Just to our right, Adam Bagnall had also shot 96, but with eight Vs, so I won the match and equaled John Cross’s GB F/TR record 20-round 1,000-yard score shot last summer. This increased my overall lead to 1 point. As the shooting concluded, we heard a rising murmur behind and turned to discover we had a substantial audience, mostly of ‘Open’ competitors, who’d been following our progress — electronic scoring not only gives an instant result, but makes shooting a spectator sport!

I’d like to say the fairy tale had a happy ending, but I blew my lead in the final four shots of the final match and ended up fourth in F-TR class, Russell taking the top spot. So, the .223 Rem will have to wait a little longer to get its first GB F-TR league round win.”

Despite faltering in the last match, Laurie still earned two stage medals and posted the highest F-TR V-count (15) in what had been a low scoring weekend. Laurie’s impressive performance with a .223 Rem now has many people reconsidering the Mouse Gun cartridge’s utility in British long-range F-TR competition.

Permalink Competition, News 15 Comments »
January 19th, 2011

SHOT Show Report: Air Arms EV2 — Choice of Champions

It is rare in the shooting sports when a single manufacturer, and single gun type, completely dominate a competitive discipline. But in the world of Field Target shooting, the Air Arms EV2 definitely has proven itself the “best of the best”, winning multiple major events in 2010, among them the European Championship, UK Championship, and World Championship. If you get your hands on an EV2 you’ll notice immediately that the rifle is well-balanced and very comfortable to hold — in any position. All the parts are machined to tight tolerances, and it comes with “all the bells and whistles” right out of the box. Watch the video below to learn more about the EV2 — truly the “choice of champions”.

YouTube Preview Image

The Air Arms EV2 is available from PyramidAir.com for $1959.00, your choice of black, sky blue, or Red receiver and barrel-end fixture.

Air Arms EV2 Field Target Rifle

Permalink Competition, Gear Review No Comments »
August 5th, 2010

Brits Ban Starter Pistols — Five Years Mandatory Jail Time

starter pistol Britain BanGovernment officials in the UK have banned blank-firing starter pistols, claiming they can be converted to fire live rounds. As of June 4, 2010, possession of an Italian-made, bright orange Olympic .380 BBM starter pistol is now a criminal offense (whether or not the pistol has been converted), with a mandatory 5-year jail term. Approximately 1500 of the Olympic starter pistols have been imported into the UK since 2006, and they are widely used in other countries.

UK officials announced an amnesty during which the starter pistols could be surrendered to police in Britain and Wales. But the amnesty has expired. Now, if prosecuted, those who did not give up their starter pistols will be locked up for five years. According to BBC Online: “After 4 June the weapon will be prohibited under the 1968 Firearms Act and anyone caught possessing it faces a mandatory prison sentence of five years.” Note that possession of the starter pistols is now illegal whether or not the pistols have been converted to fire live ammo. Imagine being jailed for FIVE YEARS for having a noise-making device, which is all an unmodified starter pistol really is.

The purported reason for the starter pistol ban is that a few of the pistols have been converted to fire live ammunition. Law enforcement officials in London claim that black-painted, converted starter pistols have been “linked” to a handful of serious crimes.

Yorkshire Post Story on Olympic Starter Pistol Ban | BBC Online Story on Starter Pistol Confiscation

Sporting groups in Great Britain have protested the draconian ban on starter pistols. David Brown of UK Athletics equated the banning of starter pistols with taking whistles away from football [soccer] referees. As quoted in the Yorkshire Post, Brown said:

“The implications for our major Olympic sport in the lead-up to 2012 should not be underestimated. The guns are the only thing that give a dual signal, a flash and smoke, to the athletes in front of you and the timekeepers. There is nothing else [to use], except at the Olympic Games level where they have electronic guns.”

Permalink - Articles, News 6 Comments »
June 12th, 2010

Failure of Euro-Style Gun Control Explained by Professor Lott

Cumbria England shooting UKIn the wake of a tragic, multiple shooting in Cumbria, England, there have been renewed calls for yet MORE gun bans in the UK. But it remains to be seen how much further the Brits can go without banning virtually all firearms. The Cumbria shooter was armed with an ordinary shotgun. Britain has already banned handguns and revolvers, banned self-loading and pump-action rifles, and banned most shotguns that hold more than two shells. The Brits have even banned Airsoft-type toy guns. The UK’s Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2006 made it a crime to manufacture, import or sell realistic imitation guns, and doubled the maximum sentence for carrying an imitation gun to 12 months. In Britain, it is even against the law to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of any premises.

Can Britain prevent future mass shootings by banning yet more classes of firearms (whatever that might be)? Recent history suggests the answer is no. In Europe, some of the worst multiple-victim shootings occurred in those countries with the tightest restrictions on firearms. In the UK, to acquire a shotgun, one must go through a police interview, show “good reason” to own the shotgun, and then obtain a police-issued certificate. The police then visit the applicant’s home to verify the shotgun will be securely stored.

Cumbria England shooting UK

Lott Says More Gun Bans Won’t Solve Problem
Professor John Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime, has written an interesting essay for the National Review Online. In that article, Lott analyzes the history of recent mass shootings in Europe. What he has found is that virtually all of these shootings have occurred in locations where it is illegal for private citizens to wield guns for self-protection. Lott suggests, therefore, that the problem of mass shootings will not be solved by more gun control… so long as potential victims are rendered defenseless by laws restricting the right to armed self-defense. Lott writes: “Look at recent history… all of the [multiple-victim public shootings in Western Europe] occurred in gun-free zones — places where guns in the hands of civilians are outlawed.” Here is Prof. Lott’s summary:

Contrary to public perception, Western Europe, most of whose countries have much tougher gun laws than the United States, has experienced many of the worst multiple-victim public shootings. Particularly telling, all the multiple-victim public shootings in Western Europe have occurred in places where civilians are not permitted to carry guns. The same is true in the United States: All the public shootings in which more than three people have been killed have occurred in places where civilians may not legally bring guns.

Large multiple-victim public shootings are exceedingly rare events, but they garner massive news attention, and the misperceptions they produce are hard to erase. When I have been interviewed by foreign journalists, even German ones, they usually start off by asking why multiple-victim public shootings are such an American problem. And of course, they are astonished when I remind them of the attacks in their own countries and point out that this is not an American problem, it is a universal problem, but with a common factor: The attacks occur in public places where civilians are banned from carrying guns. — John Lott

Permalink - Articles, News 6 Comments »
April 7th, 2010

FREE April Target Shooter Magazine is Full of Great Content

Congratulations to Carl Boswell, Vince Bottomley, Andy Dubreuil, Laurie Holland and all the staff at Target Shooter online magazine. Target Shooter has released its April 2010 First Anniversary issue, and it may be the best yet. The hardware photography is high quality and there is something for everyone — from Benchresters to Tactical shooters. You can view the 110-page April issue for FREE at www.targetshooter.co.uk.

Carl tells us: “Yes, this is our first anniversary issue and we have it packed with articles.” Here are some of the recommended articles in the April Anniversary Edition of Target Shooter:

  • Loading for the .308, Part 6 — Laurie Holland continues his informative reloading series.
  • SEB Neo Coaxial Rest — Vince Bottomley reviews one of the most impressive rests on the market. This is a very thorough review which compares the old SEB Coax with the SEB NEO side by side.
  • Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest — Carl Boswell looks at these rapidly evolving disciplines.
  • Gallery Rifle 1500 — Gwyn Roberts continues his course on Gallery Rifle Basics.
  • New GBR Custom Action — A New Rem 700-footprint action made in the UK.
  • Steyr LG110 Field Test — Tim Finley reviews the Steyr LG110 rifle for Field Target.

Definitely check out the latest edition of Target Shooter magazine. Laurie Holland is one of the best technical gun writers in the business, and when Vince Bottomley reviews a product, he delivers intelligent conclusions you can “take to the bank”. As a special bonus, this April edition includes exclusive reports from the IWA Expo in Germany — the “Euro Shot Show”.

Permalink - Articles, Gear Review 1 Comment »
December 1st, 2009

December Issue of Target Shooter UK Now Online

The latest issue of Target Shooter online magazine has been released and you should definitely check it out. The December issue of Target Shooter is really good — maybe the best yet. READ it here: www.Targetshooter.co.uk.

This month you’ll find an outstanding article by Vince Bottomley, “Building a Rifle for F/TR Class”. Whether you’re shooting F-TR now, or have an F-TR rifle in the works, this story is a “must-read” that will help you choose the right equipment and wring the best performance from it.

The six-page “Hand-loading for the .308 Winchester (Part 2)”, by Laurie Holland, is a fact-filled article that all .308 shooters shoot read and archive. Holland carefully measured various brands of .308 brass, recording weights and neck thickness (see chart below). Even if you are an experienced .308 reloader we guarantee you’ll learn something new from this article.

The December Target Shooter is chock full of other content covering a wide array of shooting disciplines — from Air Pistols to Black Powder Cartridge Rifles. There’s even something for collectors of historic military arms — Nigel Greenaway’s guide to the Enfield No.4 (T) sniper rifle. This issue also includes a 6-page holiday shopping guide featuring interesting new products as well as low-cost “stocking stuffers”. You can read Target Shooter online via a browser plug-in, and print pages you want to save. In addition, you can now downline the entire month’s content as a handy .pdf file for off-line reading.

Permalink - Articles, News 1 Comment »
September 7th, 2009

UK Scouting Assn. Bans Pen Knives — Triumph of the Nanny State

Boy Scout KnifeSorry folks, this is not a joke (or late April Fools’ story). The Boy Scouts Association for the United Kingdom has issued a “guidance” directive telling Boy Scouts not to bring knives to camping events. Prior to this ruling British Boy Scouts were allowed to carry penknives with blades of less than 3 inches.

A Scouts spokesman defended the new policy, saying: ‘We believe that young people need more places to go after school and at weekends, where they can experience adventure without the threat of violence or bullying and the need to carry weapons. Scouting helps to prepare young people with valuable life skills, while keeping them safe by not carrying knives.’

Boy Scout Knife

Hmmm, what will the UK Scout Association ban next? Pointed sticks? Ropes? Heck, those neckerchiefs could be pretty dangerous too — better get rid of them. Lord Baden-Powell is no doubt rolling over in his grave. One troop Leader from Kent, England wondered: “Whatever happened to the first Scout Law: a Scout is to be trusted?” Even the British Guardian website questioned the logic of the knife ban: “Scouts are so closely associated with pocket knives that the term Boy Scout knife is a synonym for penknife.”

READ MORE details about this story.

Permalink News 7 Comments »
August 22nd, 2009

Savage F-TR Team — World-Beaters on a Budget

Savage ArmsIt seems hard to believe you can compete and win at the highest levels of long-range shooting competition with a stock factory rifle, but that’s exactly what Team USA did at the recent F-Class World Championships in Bisley, England. The U.S. F-TR team, which included Team Savage shooters, dominated the F-T/R division, winning a total of 14 medals at the World Championships (and various side matches associated with the event).

Savage Arms F-TR

Three Oregonians, Darrell Buell, Stan Pate, and John Weil, together with Forum member Monte Milanuk of Wenatchee (WA), crossed the Atlantic to represent the USA and Savage Arms. The competition is held once every four years and features some of the best talent and most expensive custom rifles from around the globe. The matches are held over several days, at distances of 800, 900 and 1,000 yards.

The Savage Shooters used the Model 12 F-T/R from Savage Arms, chambered in .308 Winchester. This exact model can be purchased from any Savage dealer for a suggested retail price of just $1,265. The results speak for themselves: Team Savage came home with seven gold medals, two silvers, and two bronze from the World Championships. The Team also earned two gold medals and a bronze at the associated side matches, including the Bog Oak Trophy Match held in Ireland.

NOTE: In addition to the four Team Savage Members, the full F-TR Team USA included a number of other shooters, using other rigs. The USA F/TR team that traveled to Bisley consisted of 11 shooters: Darrell Buell (Captain), Gary Rasmussen (Wind Coach), Brad Sauve, Dale Carpenter, John Weil, Jeff Rorer, Stan Pate, Mike Miller, Paul Phillips, Warren Dean, and Monte Milanuk. Gary Rasmussen coached F-TR Team USA and Kathy Buell was official record-keeper. Monte Milanuk explained: “While almost half the team was using a Savage-actioned rifle of some sort (Warren, Darrell, John, Stan & Monte), the rest were using four Barnards (Brad, Paul, Dale, and Mike), one Stolle Panda (Jeff), and a Wichita (Gary).”

All of the above participated in the FCWC as individuals, and worked together throughout the entire event (both team and individual stages).

The final firing team that represented the USA in the main F-Class Team World Championships, selected according to performance during certain ‘team’ event stages during the Imperial Meeting, consisted of: Darrell Buell (Captain), Gary Rasmussen (Wind Coach), John Weil (Shooter), Paul Phillips (Shooter), Monte Milanuk, (Shooter), Jeff Rorer (Shooter), Dale Carpenter (Reserve/ Plotter).

The remaining four shooters entered in the Rutland Cup, a match held concurrently with the FCWC, primarily for countries which cannot field a full 8-man team for F-Open. The USA F-Open and F/TR teams both used their ‘extra’ shooters in this event. In the Rutland Cup, the USA F/TR team consisted of Stan Pate (Captain/Shooter), Mike Miller (Coach/Shooter), Brad Sauve (Shooter), and Warren Dean (Shooter).

Savage Arms Team Savage F-TR

Team Savage poses with the Bog Oak Team Trophy. Team members are, from left: John Weil, Darrell Buell, Monte Milanuk and Stan Pate.

World Championship National Teams Match (F-TR)
Team USA 1st place… World Champions
Full USA F-TR Team Roster: Darrell Buell (Captain), Gary Rasmussen (Coach), Dale Carpenter, Monte Milanuk, Paul Phillips, Jeff Rorer, John Weil, Kathy Buell (register keeper).

Individual World Championships (F-T/R)
900 Yard Day 1 — Stan Pate 1st (gold medal)
800 Yard Day 2 — Monte Milanuk 1st (gold medal)
900 Yard Day 2 — John Weil 1st (gold medal)
1000 Yard Day 2 — Stan Pate 1st (gold medal)
800 Yard Aggregate Match — Monte Milanuk 1st (gold medal)
900 Yard Aggregate Match — John Weil 1st (gold medal)

Individual World Championships Grand Aggregate
S. Pate 3rd (bronze medal), D. Buell 9th, J. Weil 10th, M. Milanuk 13th

Other Major Matches
Duke of Cambridge (900-yard match) — John Weil 1st place (gold medal)
Ireland — Bog Oak Team Trophy
Darrell Buell, Stan Pate, Monte Milanuk, John Weil, Gold Medal

Permalink Competition 3 Comments »
August 3rd, 2009

New August Issue of Target Shooter is Online

The August issue of Target Shooter, the excellent UK-based webzine, is now available FREE online. As usual, this edition is chock full of interesting feature articles written “by shooters, for shooters”. You can either read the monthly e-magazine online, OR you can now download the entire August issue to your computer. This lets you peruse multiple articles at your leisure. (For readers with a slow web connection, reading offline may be more convenient, once you’ve downloaded the file.)

Rimfire Ammo InspectionAmong the featured articles this month are an authoritative section on rifle maintenance and scope-mounting by Vince Bottomley (p. 13), a user’s guide to the Redding T7 press by Laurie Holland (p. 55), and an excellent guide to Rimfire Ammo selection and sorting by Carl Boswell (p. 40). If you follow Carl’s procedures (including the visual inspections shown at right), you’ll experience fewer unexplained “flyers” — we can guarantee that.

Complete F-Class Worlds Report
Amazingly, Target Shooter’s August issue contains a detailed, 4-page report on the 2009 F-Class World Championships which concluded just a few days ago in England. You’ll enjoy the reports from the field and interviews with top F-Classers from around the world. In addition to the match report, the August Target Shooter profiles Britain’s Gary Costello, the winner of the Individual World F-Class Championship.

Gary’s rifle was built by American gunsmith Alan Warner and is chambered as a 7mm-270 WSM. (The 270 case is used because it has a slightly longer neck and slightly less capacity). The action is an aluminium Stolle Panda with RBLP configuration. The scope is a March 10-60X mounted in Kelbly rings. The stock is an Alex Sitman Master Class laminated long-range thumbhole model. Sadly, the handsome gray/blue stock broke at the thumb-hole during shipping from the USA. However, Pet Walker of Walker Customer Rifles in West Yorkshire restored the stock to better than new condition, providing Gary with a beautiful rig that carried him to victory.

Gary Costello Britain F-Class Champion

Permalink - Articles, Competition, Gear Review, Reloading 5 Comments »
July 23rd, 2009

News and Photos from F-Class World Championships in UK

F-Class competition at the Bisley Range in the UK is well under way. Currently, shooters from many countries are competing in the F-Class segments of the annual U.K. Imperial Meeting tournament. This will be followed by the actual F-Class World Championships, an event held every four years. The F-Class Worlds officially start with the individual championships next Monday and Tuesday (July 27-28) with the “main event”, the Team Championship, on Wednesday and Thursday (July 29-30). USA F-Class Open Team Vice-Captain Shiraz Bololia is providing regular written updates in his Bisley Blog. Here’s part of his latest report: “Today there was only one 300-yard match …. For me it was an early morning shoot at 8:00 am. The wind was dead. The weather was cool and overcast. Reminded me of the Plantation 300 yard range in Bellingham, WA where I shoot a lot of matches. First time since I got here the wind was less than 2 MPH. Less than ½ MOA change on my gun. It was a 15-shot match and I shot a perfect 75 with 15 Vs. As Coach Mead later said, even a blind Hog could have done that! Anyway that guarantees me a spot in the finals. Lot of US shooters in the St George’s finals.”

AK’s Great Bisley Photo Collections
In addition, British shooter “762AK” has posted fantastic collections of images from the World F-Class Championship, as well as the Imperial Meeting, which is being held concurrently. 762AK, a very talented photographer, is updating his Bisley photo collection daily. You should definitely check out these collections on Flickr. Click the links below to see hundreds of quality photos.

2009 F-Class Worlds | F-Class Worlds Slideshow

Imperial Meeting 2009 | Imperial Meeting Slideshow

2009 F-Class World Championships Bisley

Permalink Competition, News 2 Comments »