 BLOG: March 30, 2007
NEWS, FEATURES, PRODUCTS, and RELOADING TIPS. BLOG ARCHIVE.
SITE NEWS--Check Out the New AccurateShooter.com Bulletin: Earlier in March, we launched a major new feature on the site--our Bulletin. It covers reloading tips, interesting new designs, competition results, and timely bargains. Each entry is indexed and fully searchable (and the search is fast and easy). With the Bulletin, we're able to cover shooting news and product releases faster than ever before, and readers can now post comments. Our Bulletin Page also has a scrolling "feed" that displays the latest threads in our Shooters Forum. We think you'll enjoy this new feature. Click HERE to see for yourself. In this edition of the BLOG, we've "cherry-picked" some of the most popular items from the last three weeks of the Bulletin, which we present below.
GUNSMITHING--New Savage Precision Target Action: Forum member Flatlander recently received a RB/RP Savage Target Action with a .473" boltface. He reports: "I like what I see, and that new Target AccuTrigger is pretty sweet for a factory trigger. I didn't check it with a scale, but I estimate pull was set for well under a pound. I set it up in my truing fixture, checked the receiver face with a B&S Bestest .0001" test indicator, and got just a hair over .002" wobble. A single .0025" pass cleaned it up completely, as did a very light pass with a boring bar on the lug seats. The action and bolt alone weigh 2.25 pounds. Add the AccuTrigger, recoil lug, trigger guard, and bbl. nut, and that goes up to just a hair over 2.5 pounds.
 The recoil lug is double ground. I could not measure any deviation in thickness with my old Lufkin 1" mic. It also has an indexing stud threaded into the backside, instead of depending on a punch-displaced lump as on Savage's standard actions. This saved me the $22+shipping a SharpShooter lug would have cost. One note on this action's screw hole spacing - the front hole is .125" farther forward than that of a M12."
I'm favorably impressed with the action, but am also impressed with Savage's initiative in supplying something like this to those of us who want a good basis for an accurate rifle. For those of you who haven't seen a photo of this action, there's an article on Savage's new F/TR rifle in the April '07 [with several good photos]. The guy who wrote the article showed a photo of a 3-shot group fired at 500 yards. that measured .875"...impressive for an out-of-the-box stock factory rifle." MSRP on the new action is $504.00, with most vendors charging $395-$435 at this time.
 RELOADING--Better B.C. with Pointed Bullet Tips: Ace long-range shooter John Whidden has introduced a new bullet-pointing system that promises to improve the B.C. of match bullets significantly. John tells us that "tests have shown these bullets to have a typical B.C. increase of about 35 to 40 points as compared to bullets right out of the box," and at 1000 yards, "we usually see them impact about 1-1.5 MOA higher. We have reports of .224 80-grainers shooting 2.5 MOA higher just by pointing." The proof is in the shooting. Our own Jason Baney has experimented with Clinch Rivers that had the tips pointed up (not by John though). Jason reports: "Shot round-robin, with my 6BR, 5-shot group centers were 18"+ apart vertically. In other words, the pointed bullets flew 1.75 MOA flatter to 1025 yards. This number has been repeated in matches at Williamsport." What about trimming meplats instead? Well, that does make bullet to bullet B.C. more consistent, but, unfortunately, it reduces the B.C. somewhat at the same time. Pointing the bullet tips with a special pointing die raises the effective B.C. and makes the B.C. more consistent by taking the ragged edges off the meplats. For more info, call John Whidden at (229) 686-1911 or visit WhiddenGunWorks.net.
 LONG-RANGE BR--Tooley's Radical Offset Stock: Here it is folks, the new Tooley offset stock. This radical new rig employs an offset design to counter the torque associated with large-caliber benchrest guns. Dave tells us, "the wide, flat fore-end and offset design really tames the big 30s." The stock is 4" wide along the fore-end with the barreled action offset 1.5" from center. From the trigger guard rearward the stock is pretty much the same as a Tooley MBR, with a bottom flat and slight drop from grip to buttplate. In American walnut laminate or maple laminate the stock weighs 3 lbs., 12 oz., the same as a fiberglass Tooley MBR from McMillan. There is also a lighter "Butternut" wood version that weighs 2 lbs., 12 ounces. So making weight in Light Gun Class should not be an issue.
The stock is legal for NBRSA and IBS 600- and 1000-yard benchrest competition, but it is not legal at 4" for Willliamsport Light Gun Class.
 Dave notes that you can simply saw 1" off the left side (looking from the breech foreward), to make the stock 3" and legal for Williamsport LG and F-Class. Dave tells us "the stock still works really well at 3", it just doesn't cancel as much torque as it does in a 4" configuration." Tests have shown that the 4"-wide stock will effectively soak up 45 inch-pounds of torque, enough to cancel the twisting effect of a 30-caliber rifle shooting 240-grainers at 3100 fps. Scott Fletcher, who is currently shooting a prototype version with a 338 Lapua Improved says the new stock "works fantastic. It's like night and day with a heavy recoiling caliber. It makes a 30-caliber feel like a 6.5. And with a 6.5-284, you can easily shoot the gun free recoil." You can buy the stock right now. Dave has three stocks "on the shelf" and four more will be delivered next week. The stock, un-inletted but ready to finish, costs $350.00, or $425.00 in Tigerstripe maple. Dave notes: "there is no conventional barrel channel so inletting is very easy." For $800.00 Dave will deliver the stock fully inletted and pillar bedded for your action, complete with recoil pad. For more info, email Tooleyrifles[at]carolina.rr.com or call Dave at (704) 864-7525. CLICK HERE to view more photos.
 INDUSTRY NEWS--Eye Candy from Euro IWA Shot Show: On the Russian Guns.ru site, there are dozens of photos from the recent (March 9-12) IWA Shot Show in Germany. (Click HERE to download IWA official Daily Reports.) Reader Remus has pictures of new F-Classers and cool new rifles from Anschutz, Grünig & Elmiger, Keppler, Oberland, Prechtl, and Sauer. In this forum thread click the inline photos to see bigger versions. The text is in Russian, but you shouldn't have any trouble navigating. Here are direct links to photos:
Prechtl Euro F-Classer: Photo 1 | Photo 2 | Prechtl Web Site
Oberland 6.5x47 AR-style: Photo 1 | Photo 2
Keppeler 300m Free Rifle: Photo 1 | Photo 2
Grünig & Elmiger 300m Rifle: Photo 1 | Photo 2
Sauer Engraved Showcase Rifles: Photo 1 | Photo 2
 BENCHREST--New BR Shooting Book: Mike Ratigan, a top Benchrest competitor (and Super Shoot winner), has just released an outstanding new book, Extreme Rifle Accuracy. This book is valuable for anyone involved in precision shooting, though Mike's principal focus is on 100/200/300 Benchrest competition. Other top shooters tell us Mike's new book is a "must-have" resource. Butch Lambert tells us "It is far and away the best BR book written. Very comprehensive, it touches on every aspect of our game", and Mike Marcelli reports: "This is by far the most comprehensive book on the sport ever released. Mike not only hits the major points, like rest alignment and bag set up, he even addresses the little issues such as making sure your rest feet are on a solid surface and checking to see if the bench is stable before shooting. He points out all the little things that can bite you." To order the book, priced at $34.95 for softcover and $42.95 for hardback, contact Mike at (580) 256-2963, or fax/mail this ORDER FORM.
TECH TALK--Ultrasonic Cleaning: There has been much interest in Ultrasonic case cleaning. Here are two tips to achieve the best results:
 Apply Dry-Lube Inside Case Necks
Jason Baney has found that Ultrasonic cleaning leaves the inside of the case-necks so "squeaky clean" that there is excess friction when seating bullets. On a fired case that has been cleaned conventionally (no ultra-sound), a thin layer of carbon remains to lubricate the bullet entry and exit. To restore that lubricity in cases cleaned with ultrasound, Jason applies a dry lube to the inside of his case necks. Jason prefers the $10.95 moly dry lube kit from Neconos.com. With this kit, small carbon steel balls transfer moly to the neck when you place your brass nose-down in the container.
De-gas the Solvent Before Adding Brass
One of our readers, Eddy M. in Glasgow, Scotland writes: "I have read a couple of articles recently about ultrasonic cleaning of cases and not one has mentioned de-gassing the cleaning liquid before starting to clean items. As an engineer who travelled around for ten years servicing ultrasonic tanks I would like to point out that the cleaning liquid when first put into the tank has invisible disolved air bubbles in it which will absorb ultrasonic energy until the liquid de-gasses. (10 minutes in a powerful industrial tank--longer in a small hobby tank). You must let the tank run on its own for 20 minutes on the first use of the liquid to allow this to happen. Only after the new liquid or re-introduced liquid has been de-gassed will the tank give good results."
 TACTICAL--260 Rem Match Ammo: The .260 Remington is a popular long-range competition cartridge, particularly in Tactical and Silhouette matches. Check out our story on Terry Cross' Match-Winning 260. But until now, if you wanted to shoot the .260 Rem with high-BC match bullets you needed to hand-load your ammo. Now, for a limited time, Black Hills is offering .260 Rem match ammunition loaded with Lapua Scenar 139gr bullets (.615 BC) in Remington brass. Price is $23 per 20rd box, $225 per 200, plus shipping. Order from GA Precision, (816) 221-1844.
 SPORT--New Nationwide Shooting Range Database: A service of the NSSF (Nat'l Shooting Sports Foundation), WhereToShoot.org offers a Searchable Database of pistol, rifle, and shotgun ranges around the country. You can search by state, or select a particular distance from any zip code. The database is very complete. We searched for ranges within 60 miles of our zip code, and a comprehensive list of ranges was returned instantly, with links for detailed, range-specific info. The individual range pages also include web addresses, phone numbers, and map links.
 OPTICS--New 6-24x50 Nikon Scope: We're excited about the NEW Nikon 6-24x50 Monarch. Initial reports from Shot Show 2007 were very positive. It has a 1" tube, limiting its range of elevation compared to the Leupold 8.5-25x50 LRT, but otherwise this Nikon could be a real rival to the Leupold. Priced at $519.00 from The Optic Zone, the new Monarch is over $300.00 less than Leupold's 8.5-25 LRT--and you don't have to pay extra for a Target Dot or Fine Crosshair reticle. This could prove a great scope for long-range varminters and F-Class shooters on a budget. Just use an angled scope rail or Burris Signature Rings with inserts to add extra elevation as needed.
 BLOG Items Wanted: Can you share a smart reloading tip, or news of a great bargain on gear? Can you give us a report from a major match? Then contribute to our 6mmBR Blog. Just email your comment or news item to Mailbox@6mmBR.com. Please keep photos under 300 kb.
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