NOTE TO READERS--20 PPC and 20 BR load data wanted: Kory Hamzeh, our 20-caliber editor, is hard at work at a comprehensive guide to the 20-caliber cartridges: 204 Ruger, Tactical 20, 20 PPC and 20 BR. He needs recommended load data for the 20 PPC and 20 BR. If you have experience with these cartridges, send an email to Kory @ avatar dot com. (Remove spaces and replace "dot" with a period.) Kory is particularly interested in hearing from shooters who may have switched from the .223 or 22-250 to the fast-stepping twenties. Photo from VarmintsForFun.com.

By the way, we were chatting with Todd Kindler, editor of
Small Caliber News, just today. He told us "If you like the 6mm BR, you'll like the 20BR even better." He suggested we run the ballistics at 500 yards for a 50gr .204 Berger at 3900 fps. Well we did, using Point Blank software (with a 1000' altitude), and the results are shown below. The 105 Scenar has 5" less wind deflection, but the little 20 drops nearly two feet less. We were surprised to say the least. Conclusion: the 20 BR is flatter shooting at 500 yards, and in calm conditions, it could really shine.

Caliber	Bullet	BC	Muzzle Vel	Drop at 500	10 mph Drift at 500
6mm BR	105gr Scenar	0.530	2900 fps	63.89"	15.46"
20 BR	50gr Berger	0.296	3900 fps	41.14"	20.58"

COMPETITION--Robinett Sets New IBS Record: Al Nyhus tells us, "Randy 'R.G.' Robinett fired a possible new World Record in Two-Gun IBS competition this past weekend. RG combined an awesome 499-26X with his 6-power 30x47 Hunter rifle with a 500-26X from his 30BR Varmint for Score rifle for a 999-52X total. This would be a new record pending final scoring and approval by the IBS Score Committee. I was competing at this event and it was great to see Randy set this record. My heartiest congrats to one of BR's hardest working people, a true innovator/experimenter in the world of extreme accuracy and a good friend. As Randy would say: 'Take a bow...you've earned it'."

LAPUA AMMO--Loaded 105gr Ammo Arrives: After much waiting, we finally received a case (30 boxes) of Lapua 105gr loaded 6BR ammo. We'll make this available to users who want to try the ammo. We'd like to do a two-box minimum because that spreads out the shipping costs. Price is $50.00 for two boxes (40 rounds total), delivered to the lower 48 states. Email Mailbox@6mmBR.com to place your order. You can pay by check or PayPal. The cartridge OAL is 2.326" so the ammo will work with chambers with .075" or longer freebore. Max order is 6 boxes per customer. When it's gone, it's gone. First come first served. We had to wait six months to get our hands on this case, so don't hesitate.

HUNTING--6BR Long-Range Penetration Test: Reader Dmoran recently completed a penetration test using 95gr Noslers fired from his 6mm Dasher. He posts: "[I] did a penetration test with 95gr "Nosler" Ballistic Silver Tip bullets in .243/6mm caliber. I had a 1/8" steel plate located 2" inches in front of a second 1/8" steel plate at 800 yards. The load, 34 grains of N140, chron'd at 3215 fps. The bullet passed through the first plate leaving a very nice symmetrical hole and then put an outward bend in the 2nd plate in the shape of the nose of the bullet but did not make it through the second plate, but came very close to getting through also. At 800 yards, calculated velocity was 1601 fps, with 541 ft-lbs of energy. This test proved to me how lethal a 95gr CTBT Nosler bullet can be. Even at this distance (800 yards) I find the 95gr CTBT to show exceptional penetration with great mushrooming effects and retains it's weight well. This also showed me that the penetration was good enough to take down many good-sized game animals. [FYI], the 90 & 95gr Nosler Ballistic-Tips are hunting-type core structured bullets. The lighter ones are varmint type core bullets that are designed for maximum expansion, as are V-Maxs and Blitz-Kings"

GUN TECH--How to Use a BoreScope:
A quality borescope is a pricey tool, but once you have the opportunity to use one, it is hard to imagine how you ever did without it. Rifle Shooter magazine has an excellent article about using a HawkEye BoreScope from Gradient Lens Corp.. In this feature, "What the Eye Can See", writer Terry Wieland explains how to inspect for defects in new barrels, how to recognize different kinds of fouling (in both barrels and brass), and how to spot throat erosion in its early stages. The current generation of HawkEyes can be attached to a still or video camera to record digital images of your bore.

RELOADING TIPS--Neck Turning and Grounding Your Powder Measure: Bullet-smith Victor Johnson (Johnson Precision Bullets), sent us these useful tips:

Neck-Turning: I found that a 1/2 inch Dewalt drill with a keyless chuck will hold many caliber cases without an adapter. Just place the case in the chuck and twist it hand tight. Does the same work as a $250 case lathe.

Powder Measures: If you're throwing powder charges in the fall or winter and have problems with bridging or sticking powder, use a ground wire. I have a 25-foot piece of real small wire with alligator clips on each end. It's that long so I can run it down the hall to a water pipe. Use the wire tie from a bread bag to hold it in a small roll to put in the range box. When using it at the range use a 6" nail from the co-op or Lowe's / Home Depot and just push it into the ground.

CARTRIDGE DEVELOPMENT--More .284 variants: With the release of our 6.5-284 Cartridge Guide, and this week's John Hoover interview, some readers have been interested in other cartridges based on the .284 Winchester case. There is the original 7mm version of course. With the advent of new, high-BC bullets from Sierra, Hornady, Berger and Cauterucio, this has become a very viable 1000-yard cartridge. If you are interested in the 6mm-284, read our Gun of the Week story about John Southwick's Borden-built 6mm-284. To learn about big-bore .284 Wildcats, read the Rifle Shooter magazine article, Wildcatting the .284 Winchester, by M.L. McPherson: "The [30-284] essentially duplicates .30-06 performance with medium-weight bullets. Moreover, when chambered in a long-action rifle, it can significantly exceed .30-06 performance with bullets heavier than about 165 grains. When we jump to .338 bore size, things get very interesting. Bullet selection is large, and, with moderate-weight bullets, this wildcat makes one of the better elk chamberings for those who cannot tolerate significant recoil. It will launch 225-grain bullets at nearly 2,700 fps and is therefore capable of delivering significant energy to targets out to about 300 yards with no sight correction when a 225-yard zero is applied."

MATCH NEWS--Varmint Jamboree July 25-29: . The biggest Varmint competition on the planet kicks off next week in Pierre, South Dakota. Conducted by the Varmint Hunters' Assn. (VHA), the 2005 VHA Jamboree will draw hundreds of shooters, competing for trophies and over $4900 in prizes. Events include: 2-Day Shootout, 3-Man Team Tournament, 3-Gun Tournament (Best Scores from 3 Classes), "Mr. Coyote" Contest, and, new for 2005, a 22LR competition. Jamboree pre-registration is $30.00, and a Shootout Ticket costs $25.00. You must be a member of VHA and registered for the Jamboree in order to compete in the Shootout. To register call 1-800-528-4868. Click HERE for Registration forms, Event Schedule and Shootout Rules.

BARGAIN HUNTER--Big Sale at Lock, Stock & Barrel: 6mmBR.com sponsor Lock, Stock & Barrel, is running a great "Customer Appreciation Sale." Featured products include Hornady bullets. 50gr and 55gr 22-caliber V-Max bullets are just $10.45/100, and the slippery 105gr 6mm A-Max pills are discounted to $13.95/100, a great price for an excellent long-range bullet. There are many other specials found on the home page, including Sightron Scopes and Redding Dies.

PRODUCT UPDATE--Russian Primers: Following up on last week's report on Russian Primers, we've received some feedback from some readers. The good news is that more user tests have confirmed impressively low ES and SD numbers with the Russians. However, one of our Australian readers tested the standard Small Rifle primers and found them someone prone to cratering with the hot charges often used by 6PPC and 6BR shooters. The Magnum Small Rifle primers worked better: "If you [use] light bench rest bullets with powders like Benchmark and faster the standard PMC primer is great but if you want to use heavy bullets like 107gr Sierras use the Magnum primers. I found the [PMC] primers to be the best value for money and they performed as well in large standard and Magnum as Federal and CCI--Wild Bill". For 6XC shooters using the large rifle primers, it appears they hold up fine, but David Tubb cautions that they need to be seated firmly into the pocket for good ignition. As another user recently found that the Green (no-tox) primers seem soft, we recommend Red Box for use in 6BRs and other relatively high-pressure cartridges.PMC Russian Primers cost about $15.60 per thousand from SpecialtyAmmo.com (hazmat extra).

OPTICS--Rebates on Leupold, Nikon, Burris, Weaver: Midsouth Shooters Supply has a new "Instant Optics Rebate" that saves you up to $50 off the price of a Leupold scope, and up to $40 off a Burris. Weaver and Nikon optics are also discounted. If that's not enough, MidSouth offers its "Price-Match" program: "If someone has a lower price than we do, show us! It must be the exact model and a current price that we are matching. We must be able to see it, so have a web address or catalog ready, and we'll Match It!"

F-CLASS REPORT--Eric Bair Named Team Captain, New Calibers Considered: Outgoing U.S. F-Class Team Captain Larry Bartholome handed over the reins to Eric Bair, effective July 11. Larry did a great job during his tenure, leading the team to a very close Second Place this year at the World Championship in South Africa. Larry noted that some team members will be exploring new caliber options in the months ahead. Alan Warner is working on a new 6XC for Larry, using an 8-twist barrel in the new McMillan F-Class Stock. We hope to have a full report from Larry once the new rifle is complete. Larry believes it has the potential to match the ballistics of the 6.5-284 with better barrel life. For more info on the F-Class team, log on to USFClass.com.

SITE NEWS--New 20 Cal Editor Joins the Team: Kory Hamzeh of Billings, MT has joined the team as our 20-caliber editor. A small-caliber devotee, Kory favors the Tactical-20, but he will also be providing data for the .204 Ruger, 20 PPC, and, eventually, the 20 BR. With Kory's help we'll be bolstering our coverage of these popular varmint cartridges. If you have questions about 20-caliber cartridges, Kory will be the "designated hitter" for our Message Board. If he can't provide answers he can help direct you to other micro-caliber resources on the web.

INDUSTRY NEWS--Matt Reams Joins Sierra as Nat'l Mktg. Director: Matt Reams recently joined Sierra Bullets as its new National Marketing Director. Matt will be filling the role of Adam Braverman who left to work with NAMMO (corporate parent of Lapua and Vihtavuori). Prior to joining Sierra, Matt served with major retailers Graf & Sons and Midway USA. Matt told us he often visits the 6mmBR.com website and he's a big fan of precision shooting. Matt reminded us that Sierra's FREE Tech-Line, 800-223-8799, offers expert advice on ballistics and load recipes for Sierra bullets. He added that load data for the 90gr .22-caliber Match-King is now available:

90gr SMK | .223 Rem Powder/Velocity	2400	2500	2600	2650
H4895 Varget IMR-4064 (Accuracy Load) Reloader 15 Vihtavuori N550 Energy/ft. lbs.	19.5 20.0 20.2 20.2 21.2 1151	20.6 21.2 21.3 21.2 22.2 1249	21.7 22.4 22.4 22.2 23.2 1351	22.4 23.7 1404

CALIBER GURUS/EDITORS Wanted: 6mmBR.com will be adding new calibers to our set of "Cartridge Guides" (currently 6PPC, 6BR, 6BR Improved, 22BR, 30BR, 6XC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5--284). We are seeking folks who would like to be a "Caliber Editor" in charge of a particular Cartridge Guide. Calibers we need help with are 6PPC/22PPC, and .308 Winchester. As a "Caliber Editor", your task would be to collect basic cartridge information, load data, and provide some photos of the round. Ideally the Caliber Guru should have a digital camera and be able to commit 6-10 hours per month. Our Editors qualify for substantial discounts on reloading tools and components. Want to be a Caliber Guru? Then Click Here to email us, stating the caliber in which you're interested.

LAPUA Loaded Ammo--Graf's has 77gr and 90gr Ammo: As of 7/13/2004, after filling back orders, Grafs.com has a few 20-rd boxes of 6BR loaded ammo available. They have 12 boxes of 77gr flatbase, and 31 boxes of 90gr Scenar boat-tails. 6mmBR.com will be receiving one case of 105gr loaded ammo--this had been back-ordered for us since January and we got every box that Graf's had. When we get the 105s and see the invoice we will make the ammo available to site users at our cost plus s/h, with a two-box minimum.

SITE NEWS--About the Banner Ads: We've recently added banner ads for a dozen or so sponsors. Sponsorship helps cover increased bandwidth charges as the site grows. We also have a couple project rifles in the works and sponsorship will enable us to test multiple barrels and stock configurations. We've tried to place the banners so they don't interfere with navigation. For a few months we tried sponsored text ads instead. Frankly that didn't work too well. The company that provided the text ads never paid us--not one penny. One last note, you will see about 7% of the banners are not shooting-specific. Running these ads lets us avoid the cost of a dedicated ad server and we can provide better reports to our sponsors. You may see some ads that promise a "Free TV" or the like. We've asked that these be removed from the ad "mix". In general if you see a come-on like that, just reload the page and a different banner will appear. Please support our sponsors. You should know that folks like Richard Franklin, Dave Kiff, Kelly McMillan, Bill Shehane, and Clay Spencer have been really helpful, providing both technical advice and content.

IN MEMORIUM--Epitaph for Skip Talbot: Last weekend, noted shooter Skip Talbot passed away. On July 1st, he suffered a ruptured spleen while at the annual Fifty Caliber World Championships in Raton, NM, and died in the hospital after surgery. He was a great shooter and a true innovator. He really advanced the "state of the art" in long-range shooting, and Skip was a leading force among 50 BMG shooters. Lynn D. has said: "Look at the NBRSA records page for 1000 yards [and] you will see Skip has 8 records and his gunsmith Randy Dierks has two--together they hold or held all but one or two of the records possible. Skip's records in 50 caliber BMG shooting are just as dominating. He will long be remembered as a true ambassador of the shooting sports and a pleasure to shoot with." Greg Culpepper observed: "Skip was and remains a model of the quintessential gun guy. Generous of himself, modest of his accomplishments, always encouraging of those around him, and first to offer friendship. Skip was as classy a guy as we will ever be privileged to know." John Burtt, President of the Fifty Caliber Institute, wrote: "Perhaps the most enduring gift of greatness is its ability to inspire others, an example that quietly challenged us to find the best in ourselves every day. In that Skip Talbot was as great a man as I have ever known. The 50 Caliber community has lost a founding father, a mentor, a champion . . . and one hell of a man. We will miss him more than words can say. Godspeed and straight aim, Skip."

Services were held July 9, in Fallon, NV. In honor of Skip, the NBRSA 1000-yard Nationals (September 23-25 in Sacramento, CA) will be conducted as the Skip Talbot Memorial Match. Read this thread on Benchrest Central, and this Eulogy on FiftyCal.org to learn more about Skip and how he will be missed by his friends and fellow shooters. (Photo courtesy Fifty Caliber Institute.)

PRODUCT NEWS--Tri-Lug BAT Actions: Bruce Thom of BAT Machine confirmed that the first run of 60 triple-lug actions is done. Unfortunately they are all spoken for. But the new action, which offers a shorter bolt throw, is now in regular production. The Tri-Lug is not on the BAT Machine website yet, but click this BAT-LINK to get more info.

FIELD REPORT--Dakota Prairie-Dog Trip--Ruger .204: Our friend Ken Lunde recently returned from a week in South Dakota, visiting his Dad and hunting prairie dogs with his new Cooper Arms M21 Montana Varminter. Ken reports: "I shot a total of 300 rounds through my two rifles. Specifically, 200 rounds of .204 Ruger and 100 rounds of .223. I was using handloads for both, and the bullets were the Sierra 32gr BlitzKing and the Hornady 40gr V-Max, respectively. The rifles, of course, are Cooper Arms M21 MTVs. I also shot just over 50 rounds through my dad's Cooper Arms M21 Classic (with Schnabel forearm) in .222. Of the 300 rounds fired through my rifles, I figured that I got about 250 prairie dogs. Two or three of the shots were 'doubles'. Wind is always a factor for these type of hunts. There is always wind. The farthest shots were out to 500 yards. The most common shots were between 200 and 300 yards. The .204 Ruger cartridge surprised me. It's very flat-shooting, bucks the wind better than .223, and is very effective against prairie dogs. By the way, it turns out that my dad has the very first .22-250 that [Dan Cooper] made. It is a Classic Varmint Extreme with ebony forearm tip. His M21 Classic with Schnabel forearm is only one of about 30 ever made." We hope to feature a complete report from Ken--with lots of photos. Ammo Photo © 2005, Ken Lunde.

VIRTUAL VARMINTING--Online Shooting Game: CCI offers a fun interactive "shooting gallery" game that lets you plink at varmints. CLICK HERE to load the game (requires Flash-enabled browser). It starts off easy, but then you need good reflexes (and a fast mouse-finger) to tag all the critters as they pop out of tin cans. Among the various Flash shooting games, this is one of the best. Note: it's not necessary to enter a user-name or password--that's only if you want your score recorded. WARNING--This game can be addictive. Also there's some realistic sound effects so you may want to turn down your speakers if you're at work. Have fun!

PRODUCT UPDATE--Russian Primers: Folks have been asking about the "Russian Primers" again. Well here's the skinny: PMC now markets the Russian Primers. Many long-range shooters have had very good results with these. Tests showed that PMC's Red Box version offers Lower ES and SD for precision shooters. The primer cups are harder than most domestic brands so they resist piercing at high load pressures. David Tubb tell us: "I have been using Russian primers exclusively. They use a different sinoxide (close to the European type) compound mix which (in my testing) consistently delivers better extreme spreads over Federal 210s. Be sure they are seated firmly into the case--if not they can be hard to ignite." The Green Box product is a non-toxic version, free from lead or other heavy metals used in most primers. We recommend Red Box for rifle and Green Box for pistol. PMC Russian Primers cost less than other premium primers. The Red Box small rifle primers cost about $15.60 per thousand from SpecialtyAmmo.com.

COMMENT on OPTICS--The Off-Axis Reticle Problem: We've noted in our optics reviews that we've seen too many scopes that arrive with canted or "off-axis" reticles. One leading domestic manufacturer accepts up to 3 degrees of cant as "production tolerances." That's WAY too much. We believe it's time for consumers to speak up. When a scope is mounted, and the vertical turret is straight up and down, the vertical cross-hair should be exactly in line with the turret. If it is not, you will get some slight windage movement as you adjust elevation, and likewise you'll get some vertical when you adjust windage. This WILL affect accuracy, particularly at long distance. Recently a customer received a NightForce with a canted reticle. We were pleased to hear that NightForce acknowledged this wasn't right and made the fix. Nightforce scopes use an etched-glass reticle that, when fitted properly, will be perfectly plumb with the turrets. (Leupold scopes employ wire reticles in most of their product line, and these seem to be more prone to get out of alignment during shipping or rough handling.) Nightforce's representative explained that the bottom of the turret housing and the top of the elevation turret should be in perfect alignment with the verticle cross-hair, and likewise the windage turret should be parallel to the horizontal cross-hair. The scope was sent into Nightforce and the condition was fixed. You can easily determine if you have an off-axis reticle if you use a bubble level on your rifle (to ensure it is not canted), and then sight to a plumb line. When the vertical crosshair is precisely aligned with the plumb line, your turrets should be square. A difference of 1 degree or more should be readily visible, particularly if you use a reticle leveling tool (such as the Segway Leveler shown in the photo). We had one Leupold LRT that arrived nearly 3 degrees off-axis. This was quite noticeable--when we had the vertical cross-hair straight up and down, the vertical turret was rotated away from top dead center--enough that other shooters would notice and comment.

VIDEO Feature--Stiller Viper in Action:
Many of you may not have seen how Jerry Stiller's innovative Drop-Port functions with a 6BR or 6PPC case. Well we can tell you, it is one slick little system. Just retract the bolt and you case exits, nose-first, through a small port, coming to rest right under the gun. It works by gravity alone so you don't need a conventional ejector, with the case alignment issues an ejector can create. Our Belgian friend David Bergen was kind enough to create a video showing his Viper Drop-Port in action. NOTE: This large, 7-megabyte file is best for users with high-speed connections. Left-Click the image to stream video. Right-Click and "save as" to download the file.

SMART NEW PRODUCT--Covered Loading Tray:
File this in the "it's about time" department. There are times when we have to leave a loading bench with charged cases sitting in a loading block. We've always nervous about doing so--sometimes putting a piece of cardboard on top to make sure nothing falls inside. Also, with loaded rounds, before they're placed in field boxes, it makes sense to have some protection for bullet tips. Cabela's recently introduced a covered loading block that seems like a real good idea. We'd like Sinclair Int'l to offer a similar optional cover for their fine Delrin loading blocks that we use. The Cabela's unit costs $11.99 and is item ZS-21-5760: (127) for .308 case-head diameter, and (126) for .223 cases.

CALIBER GURUS/EDITORS Wanted: 6mmBR.com will be adding new calibers to our set of "Cartridge Guides" (currently 6PPC, 6BR, 6BR Improved, 22BR, 30BR, 6XC, 6.5 Grendel). We are seeking folks who would like to be a "Caliber Editor" in charge of a particular Cartridge Guide. Calibers we need help with are 20PPC/20BR, .204 Ruger, 22PPC, 6.5-284 and .308 Winchester. As a "Caliber Editor", your task would be to collect basic cartridge information, load data, and provide some photos of the round. Ideally the Caliber Guru should have a digital camera and be able to commit 6-10 hours per month. Our Editors qualify for substantial discounts on reloading tools and components. Want to be a Caliber Guru? Then Click Here to email us, stating the caliber in which you're interested.

SITE NEWS--Vote for New Sister-Site Name: Slowly but surely, 6mmBR.com is expanding to include new calibers and new shooting disciplines. Both readers and potential sponsors say they want more diverse caliber coverage. To reflect a broader content mix, we are thinking of developing a sister site with a more general name. This would include all the current content from 6mmBR.com, but have a different look and feel on the home page. Some of the choices are: AccurateGuns.com, AccurateCalibers.com, and RiflePrecision.com. Cast your vote for one of these domain names (or six other options) in our Reader Poll Section.

6mmBR.com MESSAGE BOARD--Have You Tried it Yet?: Over 1000 people visit 6mmBR.com every day, but most folks haven't yet posted in the Message Board. Here's how you get there. Just go to the left column, near the top, and click on "6mmBR Forum". If you'd prefer to browse the Message Board without the navigation tools (for less clutter on your screen), just click on "Full-Screen Forum". There's also a link for "Message Board" in the middle of our home page. It's easy to register for the Message Board, and Classified Ads are FREE! Got something to sell? The 6mmBR.com Forum is the place to go. It is easy to upload photos from your hard drive and put them in your listing--complete instructions are provided.

RUMORS from Europe--A New 300m Maxi-BR Cartridge?: One of our "inside sources" tells us that at least one major team will be fielding a new cartridge at the upcoming 300m Swiss Nat'l Championships. Details are sketchy, but it appears to be along the lines of a 6x47 Swiss Match, maybe a bit bigger, with a .308-size rim and about 43-44 grains H20 capacity. Interesting, we're told that the case is designed to shoot a 6.5mm bullet in the 120-130 grain range. No word yet on the primer size. Whether this is the rumored new Lapua cartridge we can't say yet. We will be contacting Lapua in Finland on Monday, July 4 to see if we can get more details.

RELOADING TIPS--Handy-Dandy Extras for the Bench: Here are a set of useful, inexpensive gadgets that can make the reloading process easier.

Magnifying Glass--We use a flat 2" square pocket 4x-8x magnifier. This folds up on itself. Very handy, we use it to inspect bullets and brass.

Clear 35mm Film Cannister--use this to transfer the thrown powder charge to the little cup on the scale--helps with small-neck cases and you don't get any kernal splash. Works pretty well as a trickler too.

Compressed Air in a Can--Get these at office supply stores. Use it with the tube attached to blow crud out of cases after cleaning the neck with a brush, and blast loose debris out of primer pockets.

Colored Sharpie Marking Pens--Mark your bullets ahead of the bearing surface, and the color transfers to the target. This prevents crossfires in competition, and lets you shoot different loads with the same setup and POA.

Bounce Dryer Sheets--Eliminates "static cling" on your plastic reloading parts like powder throwers, powder funnels, and reloading press guides. Thanks to Doc76251 for this tip.

Shotgun Mop--stick this in the chamber when using Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner. For long chambers screw on one section of cleaning rod to aid extraction.

Plastic Washers for Neck Mic--If you use a Sinclair Neck-wall Micrometer Gauge with integral stand, you can use thin plastic washers to adjust the height of the case on the mandrel. This makes it much easier to measure the same point on the case neck every time. Thanks to FireHawk for this tip (and photo).

Brass Rod about 4" Long--If a bullet gets stuck in the rifling when using a Stoney Point tool, just drop the rod down through the muzzle and it will bump the bullet loose. This is much easier than using a full-length wood dowel.

SAVAGE NEWS--Report on Brownells' Tooley-Style Stock: Another one of our readers, BHawk, has created a great-looking Savage conversion using a Brownells' Tooley MBR clone stock. He reports these stocks require a great deal of finishing work: "Thanks in large part to this forum, I have been inspired to build my own rifle which I have recently finished. It still has the factory .243 barrel and Accutrigger, but the plan is to switch to 6BR and add a better trigger. I am still trying to decide between the Sharpshooter Supply and the Rifle Basix. Any input would be appreciated. The purpose would be mainly for F-Class shooting. Not sure if the 12 oz. minimum of the Sharpshooter trigger would be sufficient, as I am used to lighter triggers on my small bore rifles. The bolt handle and recoil lug are from Sharpshooter Supply. Stock is one of the unfinished bench rest stocks from Brownells. There is a tremendous amount of work involved if you go with one of these stocks. Sharp Shooter Supply also sells these finished and painted or filled and primed. Lock, Stock & Barrel also carries them as the 'Stockade Benchrest' model."

HOT DEAL--Great Price on Reactive Targets: During July, MidwayUSA is running a special on Caldwell 8" diameter adhesive "Insta-View" Targets. These are similar to the Birchwood Casey "Shoot-N-C"â„¢ targets. When a bullet hits the target, a bright flourescent yellow ring appears around the bullet hole. With these targets, we could easily see 6mm bullet impacts at 400 yards with a 25-power scope. A pack of 40 targets (item 996177) costs just $4.99 (normally $17.99). That's a LOT cheaper than other brands. The paste-on targets also work great for pistol shooting.

GEAR SPECIAL--Jard AR15 Triggers on Sale: Tube-gun, Service Rifle, and Cross-the-Course shooters will be interested in this deal. Jard adjustable AR15 3-lb triggers are discounted this month at MidwayUSA from $133.99 to $114.99. Midway has both large (Item 773586) and small-pin versions (Item 811469). One purchaser reports: "Installed this trigger set in a [Bushmaster] after careful planning. After 600 rounds, I think this set is a Best Buy for single-stage triggers. Works great, no variations, smooth sharp pull." The Jard is a vast improvement over a stock trigger, and it costs a lot less than a Jewell. If you want a super-light pull, however, the Jewell is more sophisticated and will go much lighter. If a 3-lb trigger is what you need (to meet Service Rifle rules), the Jard will do the job.

LAPUA DATA SHEETS: Lapua has made available its latest data sheets including 6mm loaded ammo, 6BR Brass, and 6mm Scenar bullets. CLICK HERE to download a .zip archive with data sheets in .pdf format.

CALIBER GURUS/EDITORS Wanted: At the request of both readers and potential sponsors, 6mmBR.com will be adding new calibers to our set of "Cartridge Guides" (currently 6BR, 6BR Improved, 22BR, 30BR, 6XC). We are seeking folks who would like to be a "Caliber Editor" in charge of a particular Cartridge Guide. Calibers we hope to add include .204 Ruger, 22 PPC, 6 PPC, .243 Win/.243 AI, 6.5-284, and .308 Winchester. As "Caliber Editor", your task would be to collect basic cartridge information, load data, and provide some photos of the round. Our Editors qualify for substantial discounts on reloading tools and components. Want to be a Caliber Guru? Then Click Here to email us, stating the caliber in which you're interested.