Blog Update

Haven't posted anything in a while because I've been too busy with other things but here's an upodate of a few things that have happened since my last post:

• Start of the Red Hinds, Fallow Does, Sika, Roe Does and Chinese Water Deeer Seasons (Yesterday)
• 6mm-BR has been busy with some intereting posts including; a new iphone app article and a review of case trimmers
• The October LRH articles are available
• The November Edition of SSUSA is out
• The November Edition of Target Shooter is out
• The November Edition of The Rifleman's Journal is out

Primer Tests

Some interesting results from a primer test.

Danger of Shooting Without a Backstop

Interesting article on 6mm-Br highlighting the dangers of shooting without a backstop. Really goes to show how such a small error can make such a big difference.

Government Response to the HAC Firearms Enquiry

The government has finally released it's Response to the Home Office Affairs firearms enquiry. What does it mean for shooters, NOTHING. essentially there will be no changes to the status quo apart from a possible increase in the application fees and updated guidance to the licensing authorities and police.

I suppose it is both good and bad. Good in that there will be no knee jerk response to the Cumbria shootings but also bad because of the lost opportunity to remove ridiculous parts of the various firearms acts that don't actually achieve anything. For example expanding ammunition and passing land for certain calibres.

GUNS Magazine

The December edition of GUNS Magazine is available online now

October Update

Well, I've been away for a while again but this is what's happened whilst I've been offline:

The October Issue of Target Shooter is available free online

The October Issue of SSUSA is available free online

The new edition of The Rifleman's Journal it out

The fist Bisley Live event happened (despite a poor turnout apparently only about 10000 for the whole weekend!)

The Pheasant shooting season has started

and I'm sure a lot more that I've missed.

Bisley Live

Bisley Live starts tomorrow. This is the first show of it's kind to be held at Bisley (about time too). It's going to be a bit like the game fairs but on a smaller scale I would imagine. With more emphasis on shooting and less on arts and crafts (as most "game fairs" seem to doing these days) it should appeal to shooters more despite being smaller.

It will be the first game fair where people will be able to try different rifles etc too, and with fairly reasonable entry fees it should be a good show.

Gate open at 7am and the show starts at 9:30am.

E-Petitions

The government has launched it's new e-petitions website on which anyone in the UK can create and/or sign a petition. If any petitions get more than 100,000 signatures they have to be debated in Parliament. Here are a couple of shooting related one that you may be interested in looking at:

PETITION TO REPEAL THE 1997 AND 1988 FIREARMS ACTS

Reclassify .22 pistols as Section 1

YouTube based Shooting Blog

This looks like a worthwhile blog to follow. Would be better with commentary but being Norwegian I probably wouldn't be able to understand it anyway. There's a bit of a review from 6mm-BR here.

This is another good blog from YouTube that's worth following. Covers the basics of F-Class and rifle accuracy.

September Long Range Hunting Articles

Long Range Hunting's September articles are available online now. For some reason they missed August.

Particularly interesting wind evaluation article for those who are mathematically minded.

The VLD Experiment

Interesting article about Berger VLD bullet performance.

Sako's New Rifle

Sako has brought out a new version of their TRG, the M10. Looks like a copy of the Remington MSR or Barrett MRAD if you ask me.

I wonder though if being from Sako it will be made available in the UK eventually?

More picture here.

November's Guns Magazine

November's Guns Magazine is available online now.

What's in Your Brass

Interesting article on 6mm-BR this morning about the different brass alloys used in different makes of brass and what effects these might have on your reloading:

Cartridge Brass Alloys Revealed by X-Ray Spectrometers

Coriolis Effect and Spin Drift

Here is an article that briefly explains Coriolis ad Spin Drift and more importantly their applicability to small arms fire.

It includes the equations for the two components of the coriolis effect and a worked example:

Horizontle component

Vertical component

Case Prep

Here's two quite comprehensive case prep articles I've found describing 2 different methods. That's not to say either are the best. There are probably as many case prep methods as shooters.

http://home.comcast.net/~jesse99/caseprep.html

http://www.6mmbr.com/JGcaseprep.html

American Handgunner Online Magazine

The November/December edition of American Handgunner is available online now.

New Rangefinder Binoculars from Swarovski

Swarovski have launched a new rangefinder binocular the EL Range.

New Products in Target Shooter

Finally got round to reading this August's Target Shooter. I'm still not sure about the new layout. This one might be cleaner but I don't think it's as easy to read. Anyway there are a couple of interesting new products in there.

First is the Lenspen Hunter Pro Kit. A small kit for keeping your lenses clean. I don't know about you but I always find the cloths supplied with scopes attract grip faster than anything. These pens a great, and at £15 from Tim Hannams I think I'll be investing in one.

The other is a rain cover for an Aim Field Sports Drag bag. Whilst they are fairly water resistant they do soak it up after a while. Mine got drenched at the fly shoot. I wonder if they'll bring one out for the 60" bag? Currently it's only for the 50".

September's Rifleman's Journal

This months Rifleman's Journal is out now.

This Weeks Sharpshooter

This weeks Sharpshooter is available online now.

There oes seem to be an error in accessing the older ones at the moment though.

September Edition of SSUSA

The September edition of SSUSA is available online now.

Reclassify .22 pistols as Section 1

Please sign this Petition to get .22 pistols re-classified.

September Issue of Target Shooter

The September Issue of Target Shooter is available online now.

Third Eye Tactical Picatinny Scope Bases £50

If your after a good quality scope base then try Third Eye Tactical. They offer Picatinny scope bases at a very reasonable £50 or if you want a tapered base £56.50.

And they're made in the UK!

Scope Problem Diagnosis

Having problems with your scope? Have a look here to see if you can diagnose the problem.

Behind the scenes of Accuracy International

Here's an interesting article about Accuracy International.

Robert Gradous Gunsmithing Class 2011 Article

Interesting article I've just found on 6mm-BR about the Robert Gradous Gunsmithing Class. Full article and videos here.

Borris Bans Children from Shooting Events

In the 2012 Olympic ticket giveaway Boris Johnson has banned any of the tickets being given away to children for fear of backlash from the anti-gun lobby.

Personally I thought he had more guts than that. It can only be a good thing to let children see how guns are supposed to be used in a responsible way. How do these people think this rubbish up:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23980400-children-banned-from-shooting-events-in-2012-ticket-giveaway.do

Petition -

Some Anti's (about 50) recently signed a petition to get the the Birmingham Gun Quarter's name changed to either St Chads and St Georges.

Please sign the petition below to oppose the changes:

http://www.savethebirminghamgunquarter.co.uk/

SHOT Business - Free Online Mag

SHOT Business is an industry magazine from the NSSF that is now available online. Their August/September Edition is now available here.

Normal Service

I've not had access to a computer recently so haven't been able to post anything. Normal service should be resumed soon. So whats happened whilst I've been off line:

• The August Issue of Target Shooter is now available on iPhone/iPad.
• The October Edition of Guns magazine is available online now.
• Diggle held its Fly Shoot on the 14th.

New UK F-Class Website

As well as the the new Target Shooter website GB F-Class have launched a new website too.

The new GB F-Class website is also much more professional and user friendly (I can actually access it without all the warnings that the old freewebs site flagged up).

All New Target Shooter

I've been wondering why Target Shooter's August edition was late this month, and here's the reason:

Target Shooter Online

They've launched a brand new website with a new magazine layout too.

I'm not sure about the new mag layout yet but I'm sure it will grow on me. The new website however is definitely much better. Easier to navigate, more information and looks more professional.

Holy Smoke

I saw that a UK company did this as a one off for a gamekeeper a few years ago but now a company in the USA is offering it as a service.

When you die you can have your ashes made into ammunition:

Holy Smoke

Shooting Tech Tips

Interesting web page:

Shooting & Reloading Tech Tips

August Shooting Sports USA Out Today

The August edition of Shooting Sports USA is available online now.

August Rifleman's Journal Out Today

August Editions of The Rifleman's Journal is available now.

IR Thermometer

Excessive barrel temperature can reduce  accuracy, increase copper fouling, and increase barrel wear. Using a cheap IR thermometer such as this one from Maplin can help you keep track of your barrel's temp. Small enough to keep in your range bag and it may save you some barrel life.

Great for load development too. It will enable you to make sure your barrel is at the same temperature for all your groups.

Case Trimming Gadget - The Worlds Finest Trimmer

Nice little gadget on reviewed 6mm-BR this morning - The Worlds Finest Trimmer.

I hate trimming cases so if this does everything it says on the tin I may have to invest in one (or a couple since they are calibre specific). Hopefully they'll bring out a Mk.2 which takes inserts or something.

Available here.

The Heavy Bullet Conundrum

Here's and interesting article discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using light vs heavy bullets in .308:

The Heavy Bullet Conundrum

The First Affordable FLIR System

Finally there is a FLIR system that is within the price range of shooters. It will be interesting to see how much they are when/if they make it over here though.

Worlds Most Expensive Rifle

http://www.luxist.com/2011/03/28/the-classicist-vo-gun-falcon-rifle/

http://www.vovapen.com/VO-Falcon

Insert Shock Smiley Here.

September Edition of Guns Magazine

The September (really, this early) edition of Guns magazine is available online now.

Animal Welfare Group Releasing Foxes

Sometimes you just can't believe the incompetence of some "Animal Welfare" groups.

July Articles on Long Range Hunting

The July articles are now available on Long Range Hunting.

Ultra Long Range Review of Android Shooter App

Another good post on 6mm-BR about the Android Shooter App. Sounds like a great app, almost sounds good enough to make me think about getting an Android phone instead of my iPhone.

I particularly like the Kestrel Bluetooth feature. I wonder if it works in real time? I doubt it but that would be really good.

Sources of Zero Shift

Interesting video and short article about Zero Shift on 6mm-BR today from Horus.

Another Magazine Available Online

Junior Shooters is not a magazine that I am familiar with but apparently it's been around a while in paper form. It's now available online.

Gun Handling Tips

Different shooting positions for shooting off a bench or prone:

Free Recoil : Only your trigger finger and possibly your thumb from your firing hand touch the rifle. The rifle recoils in the bags until it contacts your shoulder after an inch or so of recoil. If firing with thumb contact also apply light, consistent pressure with your firing hand thumb usually on the back of the trigger guard.

One Handed Firm Hold: Full, firm but consistent contact with the firing hand and shoulder. The non firing hand can be used to support the butt by making a fist and placing it beneath the butt or if using a rear bag It allows you to reach around and adjust the rear bag.

Two Handed Firm Hold:  Same as for the one handed method only this time the non firing hand supports the forend.


How you hold your rifle also depends, to a great extent, on the following:

1. Stability: If the position isn’t stable, then you aren't going to shoot well. Because of the amount of body contact with the ground and the low center of gravity prone is the most stable position.

2. Durability: If you change your position even slightly between one shot and the next it will affect your accuracy therefore, the position has to be durable. A properly fitting stock will help maintain position. Ideally, your cheek should never leave the comb during the string and your position must be as close to naturally looking strait forward as possible.

3. Comfort: You shouldn't feel any pain or discomfort whilst trying to mintain your postion. If you are not comfy it will affect the stability and durability of your shooting position.

Shooting Tips:

1. Concentrate on your trigger contol. The trigger must be squeezed gently straight back; any twisting, pushing or moving side to side will ruin accuracy. Practice by dry firing with snap caps. Practicing in the dark may help you concentrate more on your actual trigger technique.
2. Slow your breathing and heart rate as much as possible. There is a natural pause in your breathing after you have exhaled. I always time my shot to coincide with this pause and try not to think about it too much, just do it.
3. Maintain and memorise your cheek weld, it must be consistent. Your head shouldn't be leaning over to one side, as above the alignment must be as close to naturally looking strait forward as possible.
4. Don't fire too many shots in one go. Once fatigue starts to set in accuracy will deteriorate. This will also allow your barrel to cool.
5. When shooting with a bipod push forward slightly on the rifle to improve stability.
6. Use a sling. Even a simple carry sling wrapped around your non firing hand will improve stability in most positions.
7. Practice! There is no substitute for trigger time. Competition and advice from others is the quickest way to learn. Get out there and try different shooting styles and positions and you'll soon lear what works for you.

This weeks Sharpshooter

This weeks Sharpshooter is available online now.

Refurbish Your Brass

Here's an interesting new service that's being offered in the UK. Refurbish your old brass by having it annealed. At £23 per hundred it makes it quite attractive compared to new brass prices, and if you've ever tried to anneal your own brass, you'll know how time consuming and how much of a pain it can be.

Target Shooter App

The July issue of Target Shooter is now available as an App. May and June are available free but future editions will be 59p which is still very cheap for such a great mag. The online versions will still be available free.



Wind Reading Articles

Want to improve your wind reading skills? Here are 10 of best articles/discussions I've found on the subject:

http://www.sniperflashcards.com/windreading.php

http://www.6mmbr.com/windreading.html

http://www.6mmbr.com/Winddrift.html

http://www.odcmp.org/1206/USAMU_Wind1.asp

http://www.odcmp.org/0107/default.asp?page=USAMU_WIND2

http://www.shooting-the-breeze.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5569

http://www.ultimatesniper.com/Docs/21.PDF

http://cheaperthandirt.com/blog/?p=2262

http://www.snipersparadise.com/bits-o-wisdom/basics/71-reading-wind-there-are-no-flags-on-the-battlefield

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=985972

July Issue of Varmint Hunter

The July Issue of Varmint Hunter is available online now. You can only view the full issue if you subscribe.

 

Another Free Online Magazine

Hunting Illustrated is a free online magazine by Christensen who are better known (to me anyway) for their carbon fibre barrels and rifles.

Exploded Firearms Diagrams

Looking for exploded firearms diagrams? Try these two links and you'l probably find what your looking for. Between the two of them they have diagrams for most rifles, shotguns or pistols.

http://www.okiegunsmithshop.com/lvl25.html

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/schematics/default.aspx

Petition to Relax the Ban on .22 Target Pistols in the UK

Here is a petition to relax the ban on target pistols in the UK. Not that our government will take any notice but the more signatures the better the chances.

July Issue of Shooting Sports USA

The July Issue of Shooting Sports USA is available online now.

July Issue of Target Shooter

The July Issue of Target Shooter is available now.

This Month Includes:

• The results from the Egg Shoot
• A review of the Desert Tactical Arms Bullpup
• New F-Class Bipods

Simple Tactical Bolt Handle Modification

The Bolt Lift from KRG is a quick and simple way to give your rifle a Tactical Bolt Handle. It may look a bit plasticy but if you don't like it just take it off and at $28 its cheap too.

There's a brief write up of it here, with more to follow and some pics of the installation.

This Weeks Sharpshooter

This weeks Sharpshooter blog is out.

Barbour Partridge Shooting Game

This is an addictive game from Barbour.

Random Website of the Month

Rate My Tweed

The Differences Between Weaver and Picatinny Rails

Ever wondered what the difference between a Weaver and a Picatinny rail is? This article from Brownells explains all.

Essentially because the Picatinny Rail is covered by a Mil-Std they should all be the same otherwise they are not a Picatinny rail. Weaver rails however, can vary in size depending on the manufacturer.

The Figures below are the dimensions of a Picatinny rail.

Zeroing - How to Zero in Two Shots

The method below should get you on target in 2 shots saving time, ammo and barrel life.

1. Set your rifle up on something solid where it will stay on target without any support. A good set of bags is best.
2. Remove the bolt and boresight the rifle. Sighting through the bore aim the barrel at the target (I've found a 2" black dot on a white background at 100yds  or  4" dot at 200yds is best). make sure the rifle maintains this position.
3. Without moving the rifle, click the reticle onto the target.
4. Fire a shot as you normally would either off your bipod, bags, freehand or whatever.
5. Set the rifle up in a rest as you did for number 1.
6. This time aim the scope at the target. Make sure the rifle maintains it's position.
7. Without moving the rifle click the reticle onto the BULLET HOLE.
8. Your rifle should now be zeroed.
9. Fire a second shot or preferably a group to confirm your zero.

The Secrets of the Houston Warehouse

The Secrets of the Houston Warehouse article is a very interesting read about pure, unaffected rifle accuracy. It's written by benchrest shooters so it's heavily centred around benchrest shooting but I think most shooters will find it interesting.

What gets me though is the fact they had a 300yd indoor range unaffected by wind etc and they spent most of their time messing about at 100yds!

iSnipe is back!

The latest update of iSnipe has brought back the old functionality. The one of the previous updates introduced a new user interface that made iSnipe difficult to use quickly and therefore made it useless in the field. It also introduced a few bugs which stopped some of the features such as the shot incline working properly.

This new update has brought back the option of having the old user interface which is much easier and quicker to use. It has also fixed (as far as I can tell so far) all the bugs.

Shooting Skirt

Here's a novel idea.



I've been thinking of something similar to hold my anemometer whilst target shooting.

Available here.

Shooting Blogs

Some interesting blogs:

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/gun-nut

http://www.nrablog.com/

http://thepackingrat.net/

http://jamesmarchington.blogspot.com/

If only we were allowed them

We might not be allowed them but the Brownells AR-15 Builder is still fun to play with:

Barrel Life Calculator

Here's a useful tool from 6mm-BR a Barrel Life Calculator. Don't expect it to give you an exact to the bullet estimate of when your barrel will be shot out but it will give you a starting point.

There are a lot of other things to consider like alloys and what you consider to be poor accuracy too. In my experience it give low estimates but is a good comparison tool for lets say deciding what calibre to go for.

NB: The powder heat potential list is in the comment in the cell you enter the heat potential in.

New Sharpshooter Blog Out

This weeks Sharpshooter blog is out.

OnTarget Precision Calculator

OnTarget Precision Calculator can be used to accurately measure groups. The target image is imported from a scanner or camera. Target distance and hole size are defined, then circles are positioned over the bullet holes. Group information is automatically calculated and displayed.

V1.1 is FREE too.

How to Chamber a Barrel

I wouldn't recommned having a go at chambering your own barrel unless you are confident in what you are doing but the following articles will give you an idea of how other people do it:
http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/50calibre/chambering_50cal_rifle_barrels.htm

http://www.homegunsmith.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=17186

Long Range Hunting June Articles Out Now

The June Articles from Long Range Hunting are available on their website now.

Guns Magazine

I can't believe I haven't seen this one before now. Guns Magazine is an American subscription magazine but with free digital editions. The August edition is out now and free to read online. I've also added it to my links page.

Being an American mag, it features those things we're not allowed anymore quite heavily but still an interesting mag. There are also quite a few back issues online too.

Long Range Shooting Game

Great for when your bored at your desk and would rather be out shooting, this game is a long range shooting simulation that give you the chance to practice your mil-dot ranging and wind/elevation corrections etc. The full version is better but the demos are good too.

Top 10 iPhone Shooting Apps

The top 10 apps for shooters:

10.  iSnipe - This used to be my favourite ballistics app until one of the recent updates. The user interface was one of the best and it has some nice features as well as being very accurate at predicting elevation and windage out to long ranges. The latest updates have made it slow to use so it's no longer practical in the field, hence it's demotion to number 10.

9. BulletFlight - Another ballistic app. Nice user interface and uses once of the most accurate ballistic calculators available but the high cost keeps it down at number 9 because it doesn't offer anything more than some of the cheaper ballistic apps.

8. Modern Weapons Small Arms - An encyclopedia of guns. Useful facts about most firearms that you never needed to know. Has come in useful for settling debates at the range a few times though. Only really covers military firearms. Would be better if it covered sporting firearms too.

7. Army Sniper - The U.S. Army’s official field manual in an app. Army Sniper includes over 800 pages of content.

6. Histance - Not really a shooting app but it can be used as a GPS range finder. Select a "New Location", choose the location on the map, drop the pin and it will tell you the straight line distance between you and the pin. And its free.

5. Shot Group Calculator - Take a pic of your group and then with a bit of drop and drag it will work out your group size and other useful statistics. A little bit expensive for what it is at £5.99 but still a nice app.

4. Wind Meter - This app works by directly measuring the volume of wind flowing over your iPhone microphone and converting it into an effective wind speed reading. Although it will never be as good as a dedicated anemometer, it is fairly accurate based on the comparisons I've done so far.

3. Density Altitude Calculator - The name pretty much says it all. Doesn't automatically get the information needed which would be a nice feature, so you need to have it all before and enter it manually, and doesn't accept humidity. Otherwise a great app for shooters, even without humidity it will get you reasonably close and hopefully the next update will correct for this.

2. ShotPlot - From the producers of iSnipe. A way of recording your shots/scores on a variety of different targets. It will also work out statistics, do mil-dot ranging and unit conversions. There are similar apps that do this but this one is by far the easiest to use.

1. Ballistic FTE - Simply the best ballistic app for the iPhone. Has the best calculator and features ad once you get used to how it works, it is the easiest and fastest to use. Has all the features (and more) of BulletFlight but at nearly half the price. Make sure you get the Field and Tactical Edition (FTE) with the HUD though.

Sharshooter Blog out

The 15th June Sharpshooter blog is out now.

Must be one of the few "naturalists" that talk sense.

Bushnell Fusion 1600 Rangefinder Binoculars Review

Summary:

Good build quality and optics with fantastic rangefinding performance at a third of the price of the nearest competitor.


Earlier this year I bought a pair of Leupold RXB-IV Rangefinder Binoculars. The first time I took them out I managed about 3 or 4 readings before the battery went flat. No big deal I thought, must have come with a duff battery. I was initially impressed that they came with a battery but anyway......... I replaced the battery and tried again only for the same to happen again. The same happened the third time. I though the chances of three batteries being flat are slim so I did an internet search for Leupold RXB faults which returned quite a few results of people experiencing similar problems, including one review that said out of 21 units 11 were defective!

I contacted the Sportsman Gun Centre where I bought the Leupold's and explained the situation. They arranged to send them back for repair or exchange. After about a month I got a reply that because they were no longer being made they could not be repaired and did I want to swap them for one of Leupold's rangefinder monoculars? NO! There was a reason I bought binoculars and not a normal monocular type range finder. I like to carry as little gear around with me as possible and the bino's are 2 in 1.

After a bit of haggling with SGC I negotiated a deal to pay a bit more towards a pair of Bushnell Fusion 1600 Rangefinder Binoculars (I would just like to say at this point what great service I received from SGC. They bent over backwards to sort the problem as quickly as possible).

Now for the review bit. I've been using the Bushnell's now for about 6 months and I am very impressed. The optical quality is not quite swarovski standard but they are not far behind and for the money they are brilliant.

A while back I used them during an unknown distance comp out to ranges of 800+ yds on steel fig 11 targets. It was quite a foggy day and other people using Leica Geovid's and similar were struggling to get readings through the conditions but the Bushnell's works flawlessly in all but the worse fog. As long as you could see the target it would give you a reading.

The best reading I have had so far from them is 1536yds off a tree trunk which is pretty amazing when you consider that Bushnell only claim performance on trees etc (non-reflective targets) out to 1000yds. Previous rangefinders I've owned have never been as good as the manufacturer claims but in this case they actually exceed the claimed performance.

The SCAN, Brush and BullsEye modes are nice features too. Depending on what mode you have them in (which is easy to select with the 2 button operation) you can set them up to ignore certain targets. The different modes are described in more detail in the instruction manual.

All the controls and adjustments are easy to use even with gloves on. They are big enough to be easily worked but not so big as to be accidentally operated. The unit as a whole is mostly well though through.

Features:

• Rated range from 10 to 1600 yards
• Bow mode: provides line-of-sight, angle and true horizontal distance from 10-99 yds
• Rifle mode: provides line-of-sight, angle, and bullet-drop info for most of today’s popular calibers
• VSI (Variable Sight-In) allows sight-in distance options of 100, 150, 200 or 300 yards sight-in distance in rifle mode
• Continuous scan and prioritization modes to go with the first return or distant returns
• 10x magnification
• 42 mm objective lens
• Selective Targeting System - Automatic SCAN, BullsEye & Brush modes
• Multicoated optics and RainGuard (R) lens coating for maximum performance
• Uses 1 CR2 lithium battery for long life
• Accurate within 1 yard

Well, that's all the good bits but I do have a few niggles with the Bushnells.

One thing I liked about the Leupolds was that they gave you the horizontal distance equivalent out to their maximum range. The Bushnells will only give you this out to 99 yds in bow mode. Admittedly you can use the built in ballistic calculator to give you the corrected drops but these are only for standard cartridges at certain velocities and chances are that your calibre won't match exactly. I prefer to use my own drop charts anyway which is why I would like to know the horizontal distance. The Bushnells do give you the angle though so it's not difficult to work it out.

Depending on how close your eyes are together the display will be at an angle. The display is designed so that the display is level when the bino's are at their widest. If the lenses are any closer together it appears at an angle. Again, I'm being pedantic really but still it would be nice if it were level.

The display can be quite dull if it is a bright day or at certain backgrounds. It is still readable (just) in the brightest conditions but a if it were a little brighter it would be better.

They are heavier than your average bino's of a similar size but then they are lighter and less bulky than a pair of bono's and a separate range finder. This is also partly due to the excellent build standard. They do feel as though they are well put together and could stand a fair amount of abuse. Good for me as I am good at breaking kit.

For:

• Quality Optics
• Performance at very long range
• Price
• Lot of features
• No need to carry a separate rangefinder
• Variable Sight-In
• Build quality

Against:

• Fairly heavy
• Display at an angle depending on distance between lenses
• Only gives horizontal distance out to 99 yds
• Display could be brighter

The Dreaded Donut

The Dreaded Donut or Doughnut seems to have come up in general shooting conversations quite a lot recently, but there doesn't seem to be that much information on the internet about the subject, other than a few forum conversations, so I thought I'd write a bit about them.

Donuts form because the brass on the shoulder of a case is thicker than the brass in the neck. Donuts can be created in a couple of ways:

1. When a case is necked up more brass is required to form the larger calibre neck. This brass comes from the thicker shoulder brass. As you enlarge the neck part of the shoulder becomes the neck.
2. When a shot is fired there is always amount of brass flow from the shoulder area into the neck. This is why we have to trim our cases occasionally. This flow of brass from the shoulder to the neck could cause the formation of donuts which will get worse after each firing.

In both cases it is the thicker brass of the shoulder entering the neck that creates a donut.
 
There are two main ways of dealing with donuts. You can either internally or externally turn your necks to remove the donut or you can seat your bullets so they don't contact the donut. If you chose to remove the donuts you can use either a standard neck turning tool once the neck has been sized or an internal reamer such as the Forster Neck Reamer once the case has been fired.
 
The links below have more information on the subject:

http://home.comcast.net/~jesse99/6XC_DonutCutter.html

http://home.comcast.net/~jesse99/donuts.html

http://home.comcast.net/~jesse99/doughnuts.html

http://www.6mmbr.com/260aiforming.html

New Sharpshooter Blog out

 

The 8th June Sharshooter Blog is now available on the Shooting Times website.

Long Barreled Pistol Test Case

There has been an interesting development in the law regarding LBPs. See here for more details.

Pressure Signs - Truths and Myths

There is an interesting post on 6mm-BR today about pressure signs. It discusses which commonly used pressure indicators are reliable and which aren't.

New Links

I've added some new links to the links page.

The Diggle Egg Shoot 2011

On the 30th May the annual Diggle Egg Shoot took place. This year because it is Diggle's 150th Anniversary they were planning on holding a special one off, never to be repeated 1000yd shoot but because of lack of interest this was cancelled at the last minute and the usual 100, 300, 500yd comp was held instead.

Despite the weather which was appalling there was a good turn out. About 30 people attended this years egg shoot.

Because of the weather it was decided to shoot from the covered firing points. I much prefer firing prone but under the covered firing point you have to fire off benches which I have to say Diggle has some of the better ones that I've used.

The course of fire was the same as usual for the first two rounds. 3 shots from 100 and 300yds at a gopher target for score and group. Usually the last target round is shot at 500yds but because of the weather everyone voted to move back to 600yds and use the covered firing point, so rounds three and four were 3 shots at the same gopher target as used at 100 and 300yds for group and score and 1 shot at a chicken egg at 600yds.

The thing I like about the egg shoot is no sighters or wind flags are allowed. So although it is known distances you must know your drops and be good at wind reading without any aids, much like you would if you were hunting. There is also an element of KYL (know your limits) in that the head is worth more than the body target on the gopher but is a smaller target. So there is potential for a very high score if you think you can hit the smaller target but if it goes wrong you have more chance of scoring nothing. Considering that some people haven't even hit the paper at 500yds before it's easy to get zero at the longer distances.

Wind wasn't a problem this year, unlike previous years. What little there was, was coming straight down range from 12 o clock but on the firing point you couldn't feel any, which I think will have helped a few (including myself) with the scores this year. Usually even if there is not much wind it can be tricky to read it at Diggle.

Prizes are given for group at each range as well as an overall prize for best score and to anyone who breaks the egg. The results will be published in next July's Target Shooter.

New Sharpshooter Blog out

The 3rd June Sharshooter Blog is now available on the Shooting Times website.

RCBS Launch ReloaderHub.com

RCBS have launch a new website called ReloaderHub.com. At first glance this looks like a high quality website and a useful reloading tool. It has some nice features like the Reloading Calculator which will work out the cost of your reloads if you know the cost of the components. Being American though this is calculated it dollars although if you ignore the $ sign and enter the price in pounds it will still give you the correct price per reload. Another nice feature is the regular Competition's that RCBS intend to run regularly. This month there is chance to win an RCBS Reloading Starter Kit.

Having had a quick look around it seems a bit crude as a source of reloading info. Trying to find reloading data is not easy as it is submitted in a forum format and as a result is littered with general forum chat too. But, as the site is only a couple of months old I'm sure the problems will be sorted out over time.

Case Dimensions

If you are building a rifle or you are a reloader it can be useful or even essential to know your case dimensions. The best place to get this information is from SAAMI who were set up to maintain standards in the Firearms industry.

They have case/chamber dimensions/drawings for most rifle, pistol and shotgun cartridges on their website and for even a few of the more popular wildcats. They also have some useful resources such as a table of unsafe chamber and cartridge combinations. This is not to say that other combinations that are not listed are safe.

Anyway, its well worth looking at their new (ish) website.

New issue of Shooting Sports USA out

The June Issue of Shooting Sports USA is out now.

New issue of Target Shooter

The June Issue of Target Shooter is out now.

National Shooting Week

It's National Shooting Week from the 28th May - 5th June. Find an event near you.

New Sharpshooter Blog out today

The new Sharpshooter Blog is out today.

Brunton ADC Anemometers

I've had a Bunton ADC Summit now for about 4 years and I have to say it's a great bit of kit. I bought it of eBay from a seller in the states for about £30 inc P&P and import duties and it has served me well. Until last month when the batery cover broke. Because of the design of the unit it is nearly impossible to fix or bodge so I contacted Brunton to ask about a replacement. A month later (due to customs over here I must add) and not only have they sent me TWO replacement parts but they sent them FOC too! Can't beat customer service like that.

These little Anemometers are great. They are much cheaper than the Kestrel equivalets and offer all of the features below:

Displays current barometric pressure (in hPa,mb or Hg)

Storm alarm

Displays the past 24 hour pressure tendency

Predicts the coming 12 hour's weather

Altitude

Altimeter alarm

Water flow meter - (Not so sure about this one I certainly won't be trying it!)

Ski run counter  

Current, max and average wind speed

Water resistant

If your going to get one make sure you get the Summit or if you're feeling flush the Pro. The other models don't offer pressure and Altitude readings which are useful for shooters.

An anemometer is a very useful item and all long range shooters should have one. I used mine whilst shooting the Steel Challenge at WMS a while ago and it was invaluable. There were some very tricky winds but at least this gave me somewhere to start as well as providing me the alt, temp and pressure information to plug into my iPhone ballistic software.

The only thing I don't like about them is they turn on every time you push a button so if you've got it stashed in a pocket or rucksack etc it'll be turning on every two minutes and the battery won't last as long. Although it is claimed to last 4 years, if I leave the battery in it lasts about 6 months which is still useable but also very annoying when you want to use it and the battery is dead. It would be much better if it had a cover of a dedicated on/off switch.

All of that said, if money was not object I'd have a Kestrel 4500 NV with Horus ATrag Ballistics. It has built in ballistic software as well as all the usual features but at £450-£500 I think I'll stick to my Brunton and iPhone for now.

Two Great Resources for Shooters from ShootForum

ShootForum is a great forum anyway but it offers two of the best freely available resources for shooters on the web.

The first is the Shooting Map which has the details and locations of Clubs, Gunsmiths, and Shooting Organisations from all over the UK. It is updated regularly and any member of the forum can add to it so it will only get better.

The second is the Bullet Database which has details (including BC, weight and SD) for thousands of bullets.

Long Range Hunting May Articles

The May Articles from LRH are up now.

Includes Part 3 of there Precision Shooting Series.

More Articles Added

New Long Range Shooting articles added to Articles Page.

Review of Various Anemometers

Just found an article that has a short review of various anemometers.

The review includes the following models:

La Crosse	Hand-Held Anemometer
Extech	Mini-Anemometer
Speedtech	Skymaster SM-28
Brunton	ADC Wind
Brunton	ADC Pro
Kestrel	1000
Kestrel	2500
Kestrel	3000
Kestrel	4000

The website has lots of other articles too.

New Links Added

I've added some links for Reloading Data and The Law to the Links Page.

Retro-Fit Redding Micrometer Stems

Whilst they haven't announced when they are going to make them available for sale Redding have announced retro-fit micrometer stems for standard seaters. More on 6mm-BR.

Field Density Altitude Compensator data card/slide rule

Here's a short review of the FDAC on 6mm-BR.

I've seen these before and have been wondering if it's worth getting one. The user guides (FDAC and Mil-Spec) give a good explanation of how to work out Density Altitude and one of the more usable estimation tables that I've seen.

Currently I think it is only available for .223, .308, 300 win mag and .338 so I'm not sure I'll be getting one just yet but if they bring out more calibres I may be interested.

You can try it on their website if you are interested in one.

Various Rifle Scope Reviews

Just found this website that has quite a few reviews of various optics and rifle scopes and some interesting articles as well.

Tactical Rifles Scope Reviews Part I

Tactical Rifles Scope Reviews Part II

Rifle Scope Fundamentals

The reviews include the following scopes:

March Tactical 3-24x42 FFP
Hensoldt 4-16x56 FFP
Premier Heritage 3-15x50 DT
IOR 3.5-18x50 FFP
Nightforce NXS F1 3.5-15x50
S&B PMII 4-16x50
Leupold ER/T 4.5-14x50
US Optics SN-3 T-Pal 3.2-17x44
SWFA S.S. HD 10x42

Sightron's Latest Scopes

Sightron have added a range of new scopes to their line up. One I've found particularly interesting is their SIII SS 6-24X50 LRMOA. The main feature of which is a MOA-dot (so to speak). Whilst not actually a dot it uses a graticule with 2 MOA spacing:

Another nice feature is the lower cross-hair extends nearly all the way to the bottom rather than turning into a thick post allowing you to use all of your sight picture for either range finding or accurately holding off.

Other notable features include tactical turret knobs and 100 MOA of windage and elevation adjustment which should mean you can get out to 1000yds without a tapered base (for most calibres).

Sightron's are know for their good glass quality but I've always thought their build quality wasn't the best. Hopefully if these new scopes are supposed to be more 'tactical' that is something that may have been addressed. Either way I'm impressed enough that I think I'm going to get one. The reticle design and MOA spacing are features that I've been wanting on a scope for a while. Hopefully other scope manufacturers may follow suit.

At only £843 they're very well priced compared to similar products.

More details are available in Sightron's catalogue.

Another Online Shooting Magazine

Just found another that looks to be fairly new and appears to be free:

Tactical Gun Fan

New Online Sniper Magazine

Well, not so much new as I have only just found it. Not free but under $7 per issue if you subscribe yearly.

The free sample issue looks good.

Sniper Worx

New Shooting Articles Released

The May issue of SSUSA is out now Here.

LongRangeHunting have put their April articles up but not in the usual Articles Index page. Available Here.

In particular the second part of their Precision Shooting series has been posted. This looks like quite a compregensive article at 6 pages long. It covers data gathering, ranges cards and wind reading

Borka Torque Wrench

The Borka torque wrench accepts 1/4" hex bits, is small enough to fit in your range bag, easy to use and is less than half the price of other similar products.

12 Setting Driver

6 Setting Driver

6mm-BR Review

Tech Specs

Available from Brownells.

Also available is the Sniper Rifle Accessory Kit which includes some other bits and drivers and comes in its own TAB Gear pouch. Available from Triad Tactical.

Target Shooter - May Issue

The May issue of Target Shooter is out now - Here.

Primer Dimensions

Taken from the Primers and Pressure article on 6mm-BR.

Pressure/Altitude Articles

Shooting Pressure/Altitude articles added to the Articles section.

New Shooting Equipment Page added

I've added a new page:

Shooting Equipment

Compact Knife Sharpener

Just found this.

Looks like a nice bit of kit. Small enough to carry around with you or leave in your car it's ideal for hunting or stalking etc.

The Dangers of Not Following Published Reloading Data

Interesting piece on 6mm-BR today about a blown up rifle as a result of using duplex loads (mixing powder types in the same case).

If you are reloading you should always use published reloading data from a reliable source.

The Differences Between Savage Actions

Over the years there have been many changes to the design of Savage Actions. Below is a summary of the changes that have been made.

Savage Action Lengths

Long Action:  5.062" (all years)

1st Gen. Short Action:  4.522" (1959 - 1988)
2nd Gen Short Action:  4.275" (1998 - 2005)
3rd Gen Short Action:  4.400" (2006 - present)

Receiver

Pre-2003, Non Accu-Trigger has a flat rear scope base mount.

Post-2003, with Accu-Trigger has a round rear scope base mount.
Firing Pins    

The standard caliber firing pin measures .145" in the area it would pass through the cross pin.
On some (but not all) pre-2001 magnum actions the firing pins are .095" in the area it would pass through the cross pin.
The cross pin hole and the hole in the bolt face are different sizes for their corresponding firing pin sizes.
    
In 2001, Savage firing pin diameters were reduced on ALL models to the smaller size.

Bolt Faces 
   
WSM and UltraMag calibers use a controlled round feed bolt head instead of the standard bolt head.

  

Barrel Shanks

Standard barrel shank diameter on standard calibers are 1.055" x 20tpi. 
WSM, RUM, and SAUM calibers it is 1.120" x 20tpi. 

The barrel nut is also bigger internally, but has the same external diameter.

Some WSM and RUM rifles were initially made with the standard barrel shank diameter.

If unsure measure the diameter of the threads.

 
 
More details can be found on the Sharp Shooter Supply Website.

Latest Online Shooting Mags Out Now

I know I'm a bit late but I've not had access to a computer for a while. The April editions of Target Shooter and SSUSA are out now.

BBC Spouting More of it's Usual Rubbish

The BBC are at it again with more of the rhetoric against shooting.

What is the problem with children under the age of 10 having shotgun certificates? They have to be supervised legally until they are 15 and cannot buy firearms or even ammunition until they are 18! By obtaining a shotgun certificate they are showing responsibility by going through the propper processes, they will always be supervised and therefore will be learning gun safety from an early age.

The BBC are just trying to promote panic in the 'oh my god we must stop it now' nanny state.

New Long Range Shooting Articles

Long Range Hunting have put their March articles up today. Available here.

The Precision Shooting article looks interesting. Part 1 covers the rifle basics, from bedding to cleaning.

New Rifle Build Part 1

I have finally got round to starting my latest rifle project, a light weight stalking rifle in .308. My last two projects were supposed to be light weight stalkers but turned out considerably heavier than I expected so this time it's definitely going to be light weight!

My donor rifle (pictured below) is an old Rem 700 (short action) which I picked up cheap from my local dealer. I would have preferred a short action Savage but trying to find a cheap second hand one is nearly impossible. The other advantage of the remy is availability or parts, although savage parts are rapidly catching up.

I've had the action for ages but I finally got the stock this weekend, a McMillan Lazzeroni Thumbhole in a green, black and grey marble finish. It's a very nice looking stock and feels, as you would expect from McMillan, very well made.

As you can see from the pic I've already tried the action in the stock. It fits nicely but I think I'm still going to epoxy bed it once I have the barrel fitted. I'm also going to have to relieve the barrel channel a little too I think.

The donor rifle itself as you can see was an old classic hunter style and looks as though it has very little use. When I had a look with a borescope the barrel looked almost new. I was tempted to leave it as it is for a while but then I though just because it looks new doesn't mean it's going to be accurate so I've ordered a Pac-Nor #5 contour 1in10 twist polygonal blank which hopefully should be here in the next couple on months. 

I've gone for polygonal because my last project was fitted with a polygonal barrel and whilst I haven't had it long enough to make any firm conclusions on first impressions I'm impressed. I am getting slightly increased velocities compared to what I should be getting according to the reloading manuals (taking barrel length into consideration too), accuracy is very good and fouling is minimal.The claimed advantages are as follows but as I said I haven't come to my own conclusions on some of them yet:

Not compromising the barrel's thickness in the area of each groove as with traditional rifling.

Providing a better gas seal around the projectile as polygonal bores tend to have a slightly smaller bore area, which translates into more efficient use of the combustion gases trapped behind the bullet, slightly greater (consistency in) muzzle velocities and slightly increased accuracy.

Less bullet deformation, resulting in reduced drag on the bullet when traveling through the barrel which helps to increase muzzle velocity.

Reduced buildup of copper or lead within the barrel which results in easier maintenance characteristics.

Prolonged barrel life.

As for the #5 contour, I could go lighter but then it would be getting close to the limit for cutting a 5/8 thread so I can fit my moderator.

Anyway, that's it for now. More to follow on the build when I get the new barrel.

Shooting in the News

Gun mounted sniper detection system

One shot two kills

1000yd fox target at WMS

Understanding Minute Of Angle

Video and short article:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2011/03/understanding-minutes-of-angle-moa-intro-video/

Haven't had chance to watch the vid (16 min long) yet but will do later to see if it is any good.

Edited 22/03/11:

Watched this video last night. Covers the basics of MOA so if your fairly au fait with MOA it’s not the video for you.

Tangent, Secant and Hybrid Ogive's explained

For anyone who doesn't know the difference there is an interesting article/post on 6mm-br that describes them all:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2011/03/tangent-vs-secant-vs-hybrid-ogive-bryan-litz-explains/

Not very long but worth a read.

Updated Links

Starting slowly but I have just added a few links to the links page:

http://bulletspoint.blogspot.com/p/links.html