Target Shooter July

Target Shooter

1

2

Target Shooter

Visual ExperienceNEWDual flexibility in any hunting situation and in all lighting conditions

The Ultimate

Enhanced flexibility: choice of dot or cross at twilight

For the first time worldwide, the new Varipoint generation featuring the reticle V69 allows for individual response to lighting and hunting conditions: the models 2,5-10 x 50 T* and 3-12 x 56 T* provide an illuminated cross in the first and an illuminated dot in the second image plane thus taking advantage of both concepts.

The new Varipoint Generation with V69www.zeiss.co.uk/sportsoptics

Target Shooter

3

Welcome to the 4th month .......ofTargetShooter21 HFTScopes Part3 ByTimFinley 28 Sightron S111 scope byVinceBottomley Sections6 11 13 15 19 48 Shooting Sport News Shooters Calendar Support your Local Gun Shop BasicRifleMaintenanceby Vince Bottomley ACompetetiveClubmeans aWinningClubbyBill Collaros AirRifleEquipmentPart4 byStanleyShaw TheGreatDiggleEggShoot byVinceBottomley ShootingWebsiteofthe Month Barnard07TubeGunby Vince Bottomley GalleryRifleBasicsby GwynRoberts

33 SavageModel 12 By Laurie Holland

39 A visit to BarnardPrecision ByBrianWalker 43 Ammunition Testing and selection By Carl Boswell

54 58 60 64 71

51 303 ammunition comparisonsbyNigel 73 Greenaway

GunoftheMonth-Dukeof Earl ClubFeature

68 WarrenPotent- World Class Champion byAndyDubreuil4 Target Shooter

Association Pages74 76 77 79 82 83 84 UKBRA UKBR22 FClassUK Quigley Association HFTNews GalleryRifle UKPSA Editor(s). Carl Boswell and Vince Bottomley Advertising and Office Manager AndyDubreuil.email;[email protected] Contributors Vince Bottomley AndyDubreuil LaurieHolland TimFinley CarlBoswell BrianWalker NigelGreenaway GwynRoberts Stanley Shaw Ken Hall

Well,TargetShooterhasbeengoingforfourmonthsnow.Wehavereceivedlotsofcommentsfromyou aboutthemagazine-somerequests,somethoughtsandalotofpraiseindevelopingatargetshooting magazinefortheUKandbeyond. Allofusinvolvedinthisventureareshootersand,asVincesaidlastmonth,itishumblingtoreceivethe positiveresponsefromourreadersandbytheway,manythankstothosesubscriberswhoresponded tooursurvey.Onthispoint,areminderthatsubscribingtothemagazineisofcourseFREE.Thereareno chargestoyoutheshootingpublic,ourreaders.Itsimplyallowsustosendoutreminderstosaythelatest magazineison-lineandgetfeedbacktoquestionsweareaskedwithdataweneedtosupplyadvertisers. Allthishelpsustomakeyourmagazineasdiverseaswecan,coveringtargetshootinginallitsguises. MayIalsoremindyouthatthedownloadversionofthemagazineisnowonthewebsite.Thisallowsyouto savethemagazinetoyourhard-driveforfuturereference;althoughtheywillremainonline,itislikehaving yourowncopy.Thishascostquiteabittodevelopandhostsowehopeyouenjoyit. As Vince commented last month, please mention Target Shooter easy to get mixed up the online magazinetoadvertisersifyouarelookingtobuyproductsyouseeinthepagesofthemagazine.Thishelps keepthemagazinealive,helpsustoextendthediversityofthemagazineandcontinuetobringyouthebest targetshootingmagazineintheUKtoday.PassingondetailsofTargetShootertofriendsandcolleagues willalsogreatlyassistus.Wealreadyhaveasubstantialreadershipbutobviouslywewanttoappealtoand bereadbyalltargetshooters.Youcanhelpbye-mailinginformationaboutustoyourfriends,theirmates and their dog! AttheBisleyPhoenixmeetingafewweeksago,itwasamazingtoseehowmanyofyoustilldidnotknow aboutTargetShooter.Oneguyevenpassedussayingyes,hehadreadthemagazineanditwasgreathis matewasalittledisturbedandaskedwhyhehadnotbeentoldaboutus?Anywayheknowsnow.Forthose ofyouwhostoppedbytosayhellotoAndyandme,itwasarealpleasuretomeetyou. Ifyouarehavinganytechnicaldifficultiesinreadingthemagazinethenpleasecontactus.TargetShooteris notliketheoldpapermagazines,butitsjustasgood-ifnotbetteronceyoubecomefamiliar.Readingit isabitalienatfirstbutthatisbecauseitisanewformatformostofusbutyouwillsoongetusedtoit.We feelitsthewayforwardandmoreandmoremagazinesaregoingon-line.Ourthanksforyourpatronageso farandwehopeyouenjoytheJulyissue. [email protected]@targetshooter.co.ukand [email protected] CopyrightTrinityDigitalPublishingLtdDisclaimerThewebsitewww.targetshooter.co.ukispartofTargetShootermagazinewithallcontentsofbothelectronicmediacopyrighted.Noreproductionispermittedunless written authorisation is provided. Information,pricesanddataisbelievedtobecorrectatthetimeofpostingontheinternetwhichisonoraroundthe1stofeachmonth.Advertisementsthatarefirearm relatedarefromcompaniesorindividualsthatTargetShootermagazinebelievesarelicensedtoholdsuchfirearmsandacceptsnoresponsibilityifcompaniesor individuals are not so licensed. LettersandphotographssubmittedbymembersofthepublictoTargetShootermagazinewillbeacceptedonthebasisthatthewriterhasagreedtopublicationunless otherwisestated.TargetShootermagazinehasnocontroloverthecontentorownershipofphotographssubmitted. Theviewsexpressedinthismagazinearenotnecessarilytheviewsofthepublishersandrelatetospecificcircumstanceswithineacharticle.Thesearetheopinions andexperiencesofwritersusingspecificequipment,firearms,componentsanddataundercontrolledconditions.Informationcontainedintheonlinemagazineoronthe websiteisintendedtobeusedasaguideonlyandinspecificcircumstancescautionshouldbeused.TargetShooterMagazinedoesnotexceptanyresponsibilityfor individualsattemptingtorecreatesuchtestingusinganyinformation,dataorothermaterialsinitselectronicpages.PublishersofTargetShootermagazine.

Webitorial

Target Shooter

5

Shooting Sport News

L

ilja Barrels. Roger Francis from South YorkshireShootingSupplieshasbeenkind enoughtoacquireacoupleofnewLilja4groove 16twist.22rimfirebarrelsfromtheUS.InDan LiljaswordsTheseareperformingverywell. The Lilja barrels are all the rave in the US at IfyouareinterestedinaLiljabarrelthencontact themoment,beingusedbysuchgreatsasMatt RogeratSYSS.http://www.rimfiremagic.co.uk/ To find out more about these barrels visit the Emmons. Liljawebsite.Therearecontactsifyouwishto Thebarrelscomeinavarietyofconfigurations, askmorequestions,asDanwillgetbacktoyou prettyquickly;http://www.riflebarrels.com/ fromdifferentlengthsandchamberingfor rimfire, as well as centerfire. The ones justbroughtinareinactualfactdropin barrelsforthe2013action,astheseare madeasstockitemsattheLiljafactory andthereforefittingisrelativelyeasy. Bill Calfee has been involved with the processesusedtomanufacturethe rimfirebarrelsandthenewproduction hassomeofhiswellhealedknowledge engrained within them. We hope so anyway and cannot wait to test them.

A

Prohibition of self-loading rifles post-Hungerford targeted innocent Practical Rifle shooters, threatening to extinguish the discipline in the UK whereitwasoriginatedbyPeterSaronyandfellow UKPSAhandgunners.Saronyscompany,Armalon Limited,hadbuiltanenviablereputation,initiallyas custompistolsmiths,withtheir.45ACPGovernment Model based hybrids, and subsequently for their Match customised M1As and other popular SLRs. The ban thereby excised a significant sector ofArmalons trade. Sarony developed his Rem 700 based PR QD magazine systems to salvage the sport in the UK. Sarony, an established innovator, designed a totally original bolt-action rifle, his PS21, to overcome all the deficiencies of existing bolt-actions. Realising this would necessitate total in-house manufacture, including the criticalbarrels,in1996heacquiredCNC machining centres. In 2001 the complete hammer forging plus broaching type barrel making lines were acquired from

RMALON LIMITED ONWARDS and Parker-HaleLtd,supplementedbyhoningandother keyplantfromROFNottingham. UPWARDS!Afteralengthyjourney,thecreamof180tonsofplant isnowcomingfullyonlineatArmalonsnew3acre Oxfordshire production site.A full range of superb barrelsisjoining rmalonsmounts,rings,PRs,PCs, A AL42s,AL30Csetc.,towhichwillshortlybeadded moderatorsandbi-pods,plustheexcitingnewPS21!

6

Target Shooter

Fromleft,theoldSierra,thenewone&Lapuas Scenar

LookatthetinymeplatonthenewSierra (centre

S

ierra Bullets latest.

We were all pretty excited about the new 155 grain Sierra 308 bullets introduced late last year. I got hold of a sample from IWA and they were a little bit longer than the old 155s but not so long as the 155 grain Scenar. Well, the first production has at last arrived and Im impressed. They are quite different from my sample in that the nose is very pointy which should definitely improve the BC which was always less than the Scenar. Im sure that all serious F/TR shooters just cant wait to try them not to mention Target Rifle shooters of course. The Scenar is a much longer bullet and so tends to seat deeper in the case, which can compromise powder capacity. At the moment, I cant say how they will seat compared to the existing Sierra but hopefully they wont be much different.

N

ational Rifle Association

Martin Farnan, the Director of Shooting,hasresignedandno oneissayingverymuchabout it. With the Imperial Meeting and the F Class World Championships almost upon us,itisdifficulttoimaginewhat broughtthisabout. The NRA website has the followingstatement: The circumstances leading to Martin Farnans decision to resign are such that we cannot exclude the possibility that we have not heard the end of the matter. We have received clear advice from the NRAs solicitors that we ought not to comment on the circumstances surrounding Martins decision to resign for the time being so as to avoid any risk that we might prejudice the position of the NRA or indeed the NSC. We intend to adhere to the professional advice obtained and therefore are unable to comment further on this issue. RobinPizerChairman,NRA. Well,No10couldnthavesaid itbetter!Thatstatementbythe waywasdatedJune12th.

B

rian Fox found a really good alternative bi-pod to the HarrisatIWA.ThisoneismadeinFinlandandwillfitanynormal sling-swivel.Thelegswillfoldforwardorbackwardanditisverysturdy, lightandwellmade.Thesamefirmalsomakearearmono-podwhich comeswithanaccessoryrailwhichcanbeinlettedintotheunderside ofyourbutt-stock.Seewww.ouluntyostokeskus.com

T

he Conservatives have made a recent announcement about their policy on some shooting sports which is quite interesting. In their EXTENDING OPPORTUNITIES A CONSERVATIVE POLICY PAPER ON SPORT they point out thefollowingonpageeight; Amend firearms legislation to ensure the UK target pistol shooters can train and compete in this country. This will end the absurd situation where we use public money to support athletes to train abroad in an activity banned in this country. Now obviously this is just a policy paper but in the run up to a general election in is a decisive move. The document is web based andcanbefoundvia theSportsmansAssociation website; http://www.sportsmansassociation.co.uk or via the conservativepartywebsiteasapdfdocument.

Target Shooter

7

T

HE LYMAN REVOLUTION GUN VICE

Weve seen several gun vices appear in recent years, and now have another, the Lyman Revolution, imported and retailed byTimHannaminNorthYorkshire. Thenamecomesfromitsabilityto rotate its two clamps and the firearm they hold through 90 degrees, with three fixed and lockable settings at the vertical position plus 45 degrees either side. First impressions are that this is a well thought through and practical accessory, as youd expectfromLyman.Itappearsto be stable, strong, and sophisticated. It consists of two base-pieces consisting of hollow plastic mouldingswithwidelysetfeeton rubberpads(thatcanbescrewed to a bench if one overall length suffices).Tworubberlinedclamp assembliesfitthebasesandrotate on them as noted. They hold the rifle buttstock and forend securely, (or revolver pistol grip and barrel), but are easily tightened or loosened. The front clamp has a top-cap, which with the base holds a heavy rifle or similar at four points very securely. The clamp halves use rubber linedV-formdepressionstohold a large range of forend widths, and at just under three inches at their widest point should hold any size of forend short of that on a full F-Class or BR stock. Inserts are alsoprovidedtoallowthebarrelonashort-stocked rimfire rifle, or a revolver to be secured. The distance between the two end bases / clamp assembliesisvariablebyslidingthemalongapair of hollow aluminium rods to suit whatever is being worked on, and are locked into position with thumbscrews. This is a stable, flexible and sophisticated accessory that is a boon to the shooter, holding a revolver or longarm securely and in a convenientpositiontocleanitorworkonit. Despiteitssizeandfeaturesitonlyweighs8lbs(3.6 Kg), and can be easily disassembled for storage if required.Itisnotsuitableforshootingoffasagun

rest however. The recommended price is 81.25. Contact Tim Hannam, telephone 01977 681639; email:[email protected]

N

are now the exclusive uk importers of the Mcrees precision fully adjustable modular stock system - either fixed or folding with a choice of 7 diferentforeendsabletotakeanyAR15pistolgripand areidealforbenchrest/tactical/Fclass/andhunting/ varminting. They are available in ceramic coating duracoatedinavastarayofcoloursorinthewhitefor you to do your own thing. www. nwcustomparts.com/

orth West Custom Parts

8

Target Shooter

A

Many long-range shooters know of Bryan Litz, the 2008 US Palma champion, former rocket scientist, and now Berger Bullets resident ballistician.Hisexperimentallyderivedworkonhow bulletsreallyperformoverlongranges(upto1,000yd), and his revisions to published ballistic coefficients (BCs)haveinstigatedadebateamongsttechnically orientatedcompetitors,andinawidersenseopened up the whole issue of ballistics data offered to shooters. Bryan has directly challenged the basis and value of the BCs supplied by bullet manufacturers and asserts there are alternatives thatprovidemoreaccurateresults,especiallyatlong ranges.Hehasnowgonefurtherwritingafull-scale bookonappliedballisticsforrifleshooterswithBCs anddetailedinformationonover175bulletsthatis publishedtoday(1stJuly).OurmaninTheNorth(or one of them, as TargetShooter has several) was privilegedtobesentapre-publicationdraftandhas readthebookthrough.HereswhatLauriehastosay aboutAPPLIED BALLISTICS FOR LONG RANGE SHOOTING.WhenIreceivedBryanLitzsdraft,Idevouredit.This iswhatIvesoughtforyearsaplainlanguagebook by an expert that explains ballistic theory in easily understandable terms and moreover applies it to help competitors (and long-range field shooters) perform better. Most such books are either comprehensible but so general that its difficult to apply their contents to shooting situations, or are writtenforotherballisticiansorballisticsstudentsand convey information through mathematical equations. What little maths there is in this book consists of simplearithmeticonly,exceptforkeyequationsinan appendixforthosewhomustseemathematicalproofs. Bryan takes us through the basic building blocks of how bullets perform, evaluating their designs, how their flight is affected by gravity, air density and wind ..andsoon,ineachcaselookingatthesubjectwith a down to earth approach and advising readers how they can apply the information.A key, and inevitably controversial element, is that Bryan is very sceptical of the current practice of calculating a bullets BC on the basis of the G1 drag curve reference, based on a projectile shape that bears little relation to that of modern hollow-point boattail streamlined designs. He uses the G7 reference (based on low-drag artilleryshells)andshowshowitgivesfarmoreaccurate predictionsespeciallyatlongranges.Toapplythis,Part 3ofthebookcontainsdrawings,calculateddragcurves, G1andG7BCsfornofewerthan175long-range(match andsporting)bulletsfromallmajormakersbasedon Bryansownmeasurementsofbulletvelocitiestakenat intervalsover1,000ydorthereabouts,coveringnearly everythingonthemarketin.224to.338calibres.The bookincludesaCDprovidingaballisticsprogramthat lets you run trajectory and velocity tables using

DVANCED EXTERNAL BALLISTICS DATA

the G7 BC. For the first time, shooters can make meaningfuludgements etween heikely erformance f j b t l p o competing bullets, between cartridge and calibre alternatives, (eg heavy bullet .223 Rem v .308 Win for F/TR), or whether a heavy match bullet at a low MV will suffer more or less wind drift than a light alternative starting out several hundred fps faster. Whilethemajorityofbuyerswillbelong-rangetarget shooters, the book also addresses sporting shooting. For instance, it looks at the efficacy of the common practice of using light for calibre bullets at ultra-high MVs to give a flat trajectory in order to minimise range-estimating errors now that affordable, accurate laserrangefindersareavailable. There is much, much more in this book and its ethos is not only to supply both general and detailed information supported by test results, but to help the reader apply it at each and every step to improve his or her performance. I believe that all rifle shooters, other than those who restrict their activities to short-range gallery disciplines, will learn something, more likely a lotfromthisbook.Ifyourealong-rangeshooter,keen handloader,andlikelytocommissionacustomrifleor rebarrelling where you have a choice of cartridges, calibres, and/or bullet weights, you really need this book if you wish to maximise your personal and kits competitiveness. Toorderacopy,visitBryanLitzswebsite www.appliedballisticsllc.com andclickonBOOKinthemenu.

Target Shooter

9

NORMAN CLARK GUNSMITHS LTD19 Somers Road Industrial Estate, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV22 7DGTEL: 01788 579651 FAX: 01788 577104

VISIT US AT THE FOLLOWING SHOWS:THE IMPERIAL MEETING and the WORLD F CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP Bodelwyddan Castle Bisley Denbighshire 9th - 30th July 2009 27th - 28th June 2009

BASC WALES COUNTRY FAIR

THE CLA GAME FAIRBelvoir Castle Grantham 24th - 26th July 2009

Pre-book your orders now to avoid disappointment!FOR ALL YOUR HUNTING AND RANGE REQUIREMENTS IN ONE SHOPwww.normanclarkgunsmith.com Email: [email protected]

10

Target Shooter

CalendarofeventsoverthenexttwomonthsThu 02 Jul to Sun 05 Jul Jul NRA Imperial Meeting (National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley) Sat 4 and Sun 5MLAGBPedersoli Challenge,WedgnockThu 09 Jul Ireland v Scotland - Lex Lyons Match (NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley)

Ifyourcluborassociationhaseventsyouwanttopubliciseherethenemailus.Sun 09 Aug NRA Shooting Club Day (National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Sun 16 AugRNTRCCatastropheMatch(National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Thu 20 Aug NRA Shooting Club Day (National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Multi-disciplineNRAShootingClubDay. Sat 22 Aug to Sun 23AugTullibardine(Tayside) OpenMeeting(BlairAtholl(Scotland)) TwodayOpenRifleMeetingwithclassesforTR, F Class and F(TR). This is the Centenary of the competition which started life as the Perthshire Openin1909.http://www.westatholl.org.uk/ Sun 23 AugLMRAvBBCRCvKentRC (NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley)

Fri 10 Jul to Thu 16JulNRAImperial Meeting-MatchRifleEvents(National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Sat 11MLAGBDTLShotgunTraining,Sywell Ranges12th July 100yardbenchrestBisleySunday Mon 13 Jul to Thu 16JulNRAImperial Meeting - Schools Meeting (National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley) Competitions for School CombinedCadetForcesaffliatedtotheNRA.

Wed 26 AugtoSat29AugJerseyOpen Championships (Jersey (Channel Islands) http://www.jerseyrifleassociation.com/Sat 29 Aug NRAOpenDayatAltcar,Merseyside (Altcar(England)) The NRA is hosting another pre ticketed Open DayeventattheAltcarrange,Southport.Visitors will be able to try shotgun, air rifle, fullbore rifle, sporting rifle, laser clays, precision snap, practicalandhistoricalriflestonamebutafew,all withone-to-onecoaching. Sat 29 Aug to Sun 30 AugGalleryRifleNational Championships(NationalShootingCentre(NSC), Bisley) A similar format to the Action Weekends and Phoenix Meeting but you can also compete to be crowned a National Champion. This event ispredominantlyforGalleryRifles,(Centrefireand Smallbore) and Long Barrelled Revolvers and Pistols. Competitions include Multi-Target, Advancing Targets, 1500 Match, Timed and Precision and the Speed Steel Challenge. However, catering for the fullbore shooter, we have some short-range competitions for older militaryfirearmsandtheMcQueenshootforanyrifle. Fri 28th to mon 31st August The UK Nationals run by the UKBR22 will be held at Portishead Club,Bristol 50moutdoor-RimfireUnlimitedandLightVarmint 25 yrds indoors Rimfire Unlimited and Light Varmint-25yrdsoutdoor-AirRifleUnlimitedand Hunter(10.5pound)

Fri 17 Jul Wind Coaching Course (National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley) Short wind coaching course.Sat 18 Jul to Fri 24 Jul NRA Imperial Meeting -FClassRifleEvents(NationalShootingCentre (NSC), Bisley) Individual and team competitions forFClassRiflecompetitors.Startingwith warm-up matches on Friday and Saturday, the GrandAggregatebeginswiththeDailyTelegraph competitionontheSaturdayafternoonand culminates with the F Class International team match.

Sat 25MLAGBDTLShotgunTraining, Sywell RangesSat 25 JulNRAImperialMeeting-HMQueens Prize(NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Shotat900and1000yardsontheFinal SaturdayoftheImperialMeeting.

Sun 26 MLAGBRiflePractice,Bisley100yd- advancebookingrequiredSun 26 Jul to Thu 30 Jul FClassWorld Championships (National Shooting Centre (NSC),Bisley)InJuly2009BisleywillhosttheF Class World Championships.

Target Shooter

11

Welcome to GT Shooting. The premier shooting sports shop in Surrey

Fullbore & .22LR Black Power Air Rifles and Pistols Used rifles and PistolsOur premises are located at

Optics Ammunition Reloading equipment and more...

53 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2RB www.gtshooting.co.uk Tel: 020 8660 6843 Fax: 020 8660 6843We are conveniently situated near the M23 & M25. Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am - 5.30pm

12

Target Shooter

This month we look at GT Shooting in Support your Local Gunshop. The Owner, Tim Hammond, will be known to many people as, until recently, when his partner retired, was a regular stall holder at the Phoenix Trade Fair. However, Tim also has an excellent track record in target shooting. Having shot in national teams for both mallboreand300mrifle,hehasrepresented hiscountryanumberoftimes.Ontopofthis ishehasbeenintheLordEarlRobertsand Queensfinalsapproximatelyfivetimeseach. AsaproprietorofGTShootinghereallydoes The array of rifls and equipment at hand when haveashopthatismanagedbyashooterfor you enter the shop shooters. Thisistrulysupportedbyawideassortmentof The shop itself services the needs of A shootersintheSoutherncounties,asfarsouth accessoriestosupportanyshooter. sTimsays, ifwedonthaveitinthenwewillgetitforyou. as Sussex and the south coast and as far NorthasLondonandEssex.Timhasavariety For such a compact shop GT Shooting holds ofshootingaccessoriesthatmeetstheneeds agreatdealofstock,ascanbeseenfromthe of people for reloading, shooting, optics, etc, websitethatsupportsthebusiness.Iamamazed etc.Allareasofshootingarecoveredwithinthe athowmuchhehasavailable.GTShootingis shop, from rimfire target shooting to shotgun aninterestingAladdinscaveofeverythingthe and service rifle. Tim has been a qualified shooter would want. Not surprising that many armourer for a number of firearms over the shooters and clubs in the Southern counties years and did work on Glocks & Smith & use the shop for many of their requirements. Wessoninthepast.Obviouslywedonthave GTshootingcanbefoundinCoulsdon,notfar these any more, but he will put new triggers offtheM25/M23interchange.Thewebsitefor and hammer springs in your favorite gallery theshopis; rifle. There is also a service offered where http://www.gtshooting.co.uk/ gunsmithing work will be undertaken on Email; [email protected] Or firearms, as Tim works with a gunsmith in [email protected] the area to support his clients. Obviously this is an important resource for any shop as the completepackagecanbeofferedtoshooters thatareusingGTShootingforalltheirneeds. LivinginthesouthernregionIhaveusedTims servicesovermanyyearsfromthepointwhere we had pistols, going through the gallery rifle phase and then onto a my latest acquisition fromhimwhichwasanLBRafewyearsago. The firearms usually in stock include the mostpopularmodelsthatpeopletendtobuy, to the more specialised firearms. The range covers lever actions to Rugers, to LBRs, to blackpowder pistols, to a wide variety of GT Shooting - an Alladins cave for all things air rifles and pistols. There is also a good target shooting related selection of second-hand firearms available. Target Shooter 13

Supportyourlocalgunshop GT Shooting

And only $89.95 plus shipping (forshippingoutsideUSApleaseemailforrates)Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthisuniquereloadingtool,justletmeknow.

Itjustdoesn'tgeteasierthanthis. Our Digital Headspace Gauge showstheexactchamber clearance(headspace)thatYOUR handloads will have in YOUR particularchamber.Thisisthe bestwaytoadjustyourdieheight without guessing. It is very commontofindtheshoulderof handloadsbeingpushedbackway toofar.Theshoulderofyour handloadsshouldbesetbackno more than .002",foraperfectfit. However,bumpingyourdiewith theshellholderoftenpushesthe shoulder up to .016"toofarin someriflechambers.Thisgauge helpsyoureducecasestretching, andgetlongercaselife.It Improvesaccuracy,anditcan also measureyour"exact"bullet seatingdepthbackfromtheogive. That exposes inconsistent seating problemsandidentifiesbullets with irregular shapes. Resizingdiesaredesignedto makehandloadsfitinthevery smallestchamberthatis designedforaparticularcaliber. This means that your handloads willalwaysbesmallerthanyour particularchamber.Tomake thingsworse,riflechambersare alwaysmadetofitthelargest factoryammomadeanywhere. Machinistscallthis"acceptable tolerances".However,thenext timeyouputthecrosshairsonatargetatlongrange,youhavetoaskyourself"Ifmyhandloadsaresmall enoughtofitanyriflethat'schamberedforthiscaliber,andlargeenoughtonotgetrippedapartwhenfired. . isthatreallycloseenough?"Oneofthemainreasonstoreloadistomakethebesthandloadspossible. Shootersthatnecksizetheircasesalsoneedtoknowhowfartopushbacktheircaseshoulder. Takeyourhandloadingtothenextlevel.ThesenewDigitalHeadspaceGaugesarenowinstockandthey arecomplete,

"This new reloading tool measures your EXACT chamber clearance for any caliber from .22 Hornet to the 378 Weatherby Magnum."

14

Website Address: www.larrywillis.com Email: [email protected] Phone: USA 407-695-2685Target Shooter

Vince Bottomley Basic Rifle Maintenance Part 3

Inpartonewecoveredthebolt,thenthe barrelinpart2,sonowletstakealookat theaction/stock. We can divide our maintenance into three parts: The action itself The trigger The action-bed

Lets start with the action. Most actions will be retained in the stock with two or maybe three screws. This method of retention dates back well over a century soitlooksasthoughsomeonegotitright Zippopetroleumbasedlighterfuelisasgoodasanythingfor pretty early on. By removing the flushingtriggers.Thisparticulartinhasaccompaniedmeto action-screws we can separate the Italy,NewZealand,Sweden,AustriaandAmericaandIve barrelled-actionfromthestock.Ifyourrifle yet to use it! hasanintegralbox-magazine,beprepared for a few bits to jump out. You can pre-empt this recoil lug somewhere usually sandwiched by releasing the floor-plate usually achieved by betweenthebarrelandtheactionormaybepartof theaction.Theverynamegivesacluetoitsfunction operatingacatchneartothetrigger-guard. If we put the stock to one side for a moment and - it transfers the recoil to the stock rather than concentrate on the action, we will probably see a exerting a shear force through the action screws. If your action has a deep rear tang, that may also absorbrecoil. There is little we can do with the action itself This type of integral beyond a thorough clean. With access now box-magazine cum availablefromtopandbottomwecangiveitagood floor-plate and triggerclean internally, especially in the lug recesses. A guard is standard on large amount of debris can accumulate here and most factory hunting it often gets overlooked when we clean the barrel. rifles. Remove it with a proper cleaning tool or improvise withabitofbentwireandafewcleaningpatches. AsquirtwithWD40willhelploosenthecrud.Dont forget to pass a patch or two through the barrel afterwardsitseasytoleaveapatchordebrisin there! Nowforthetrigger.Thisisonebitthatwecanapply

Target Shooter

15

alittleTLCtobutdontgetcarriedaway.Welikea cleantriggerbutwedontwantitlubricatedwithoil. Oilwillaffectthefunctionofthetriggerandwillalso attractdustandgrittheenemyofourtrigger.Ifyour trigger is working satisfactorily, I would say leave wellalone.Ifyouattempttocleanityoucouldeasily disturbgritordebrisandendupjammingthetrigger. If the trigger looks really grungy, then its a good opportunity to clean it. Start by removing it from the action. It will be fixed by one or two screws or it may be retained with a couple of pins as in thecaseofRemingtonstyletriggers.Driveoutthe pinswithasuitablepunchtheyshouldcomeout easily but get ready for springs to fly! Although you will remember where the main screws or pins go, safeties can be another matter so, before you do anything, take a pic or two with your digital camera, then you will know how it all fits together. Clean the trigger with old-fashioned Zippo lighter fluid nothing else. Flush the trigger from the top, liberallydousingitwithfluid.Afterflushing,allowitto drainontosomekitchenrollanddrynaturally.Donot applyanyfurtherlubrication.Asthisarticleisbasic maintenance, I do not intend to cover trigger adjustment. Theaction-bedisperhapsthegreatestinfluencerof accuracyoutsideoftheactualbarrel/chamber.Fora rifletodeliverbestaccuracy,thebarrelled-actionand stockmustbeasonewhenthetwocomponentsare screwed together. This means that the recess in the stockwheretheactionsitswhichwecallthebed mustbeaflawless,solidrecesswhichisaperfectfit.

Acustom-riflebuilderwillachievethisbyindividually bedding the action into the stock using one of several epoxy compounds available the most popular of which is Devcon. Devcon is a two-pack epoxyputtywhichwasdesignedforrepairingmetal castings,soinadditiontobeingimmenselystrongis hasoneotheressentialfeatureitdoesnotshrinkon curing.Beware,Devconbeddingisnotfortheamateur.Itisalltooeasytoendupwithyourrifleglued into the stock permanently! If you want to know more about the process, check out www.6mmbr. com/pillarbedding.html Incidentally, its not uncommonforbenchrestactionstobepermanently glued into the stock. This is undoubtedly the best waytoensureaperfecttrouble-freebedandwhen accuracyisparamountthereisnobetterbed. Of course, a one-off epoxy bed will not be found on any mass-produced rifle and guns from the big four American manufactures will have an assortment of solutions to this critical bedding problem. Probably the best solution is the aluminium block found in rifles like the Remington PSS.Rifleswithalaminatestock-liketheSavage- will usually be bedded directly onto the wood laminate,whichcanbeaproblemasthewoodwill graduallydeformandallowthebeddingtoshiftand theactionscrewsslacken,sofrequentcheckingofthe action-screws is advisable with any wooden stock. Wood-laminate is however very dense and can formareasonablebedbutwalnutstocksaremuch softer and therefore prone to even greater deformities.Thisisexaggeratedbytheactionofoil,

This stock has split beneath the actionyoucanjustseethesplittothe rearofthetangandinthebeditselfjust forward of the magazine cut-out. The bedisalsoblackenedwithoilandthe likebutthenitisover100yearsoldand itstillshootamazinglywell.

16

Target Shooter

Whentighteningtheactionscrews,do it with the rifle vertical and your finger touching the stock and barrel. Tighten the front screw, then as you tighten the rear screw you should not detect excessive movement with your finger. Ifyoudo,youhaveabeddingproblem andyouarestressingtheactionnot goodforaccuracy. that the recoil-lug is firmly against its recess.Tightentheaction-screwswith the rifle vertical. Place a finger at the end of the fore-end so that you can feel both the barrel and stock and, as you tighten the screws, you will feel thebarrelmoveinrelationtothestock. Tightenthefrontscrewfirstandwhen youtightentherearscrewfeelforany movement between barrel and stock. If your bed is perfect, movement will notbedetected.Ifyoufeelmovement, thentheactionisrockingonthefront screw. If this movement is excessive, you could actually be stressing the action by bending it. A rifle will never shoot well under these circumstances. Remember,whentighteningtheaction screwstheywillonlyhavearoundsix threadsintotheactionandanAllenkey inthehandsoftheham-fistedwillsoon strip uarter-inch crew. ont verdot! aq s D o i

waterandcleaningfluidswhichinevitablyfindtheir wayundertheactionandsoakintothewood.Rather Finally,wewillcheckthatthebarrelisfree-floating thanprovidingafirmsolidbed,thewoodcansoften (if it should be!) by passing a piece of thin card and even split. along the underside of the barrel and check that no part of the bolt-handle is touching the stock Whenthishappens,thereisnotalotyoucandoand when the bolt is closed. Obviously, if the barrel areplacementstockisthebestandcheapestoption. or bolt is fouling the stock, its not too difficult to Analternativecouldbepillar-bedding.Unfortunately, carefully relieve it with a piece of sand-paper or this is not a cheap process and will probably cost what have you. Not all barrels are designed to morethanadecentaftermarketstockbut,ifyouare be free-floating however - some are pressure inlovewithyourchunkofwalnut,itcouldcertainly beddedsothatthebarrelisdeliberatelyincontact restore that lost accuracy and the aforementioned withthestock-usuallynearthetipofthefore-end. web article also covers the pillar-bedding process. After all that work, will your rifle shoot better? Before we replace the barrelled-action, check Maybe not but hopefully you will now know why! for any obvious high-spots in the bed which may be observed as shiny patches on the underside Next month we will cover the scope and mounts. of the action. High spots will prevent a proper full Please mention bed and will do nothing for your rifles accuracy. Letsnowre-assemble.Hopefullythetriggerisback inplacewiththesafetyworking.Leavetheboltout asyoureplacethebarrelled-action. Do-uptheaction-screwsfinger-tightthenstandthe rifleonthebuttandgiveitabounce.Thiswillensure

when using advertising in the magazineTarget Shooter 17

** NEW ** QuickTarget Unlimited (QTU) Lapua Edition ** NEW ** Exterior ballistics program downloadable free from www.lapua.comThe great Lapua reloading combination. Designedforcompetitionshootersandhunterswhotaketheir reloading seriously. To maketheidealcartridge,thebulletsandcasesmustfulfillthehighestquality specifications.ThecombinationofsuperiorLapuabulletsandcaseswithVihtavuori premiumpowderistheperfectassuranceofaccuracy. Lapua Scenar Bullets A match bullet that represents the very cutting edge of its class. Thesebulletsdeliveroutstandingperformanceduetotheirsuperb ballistic coefficient. The hold the 600 out of 600 world record of the International Shooting Union.

4PL7073 7.62 m

Cases Lapuacasesarethebestintheworld.Allthecasesarestronganduniformly precise,allLapuacasesaremanufacturedtobereloaded,againandagain.Unlike otherbrands,flashholesaredrilledtoensurenosprueinterferes with ignition.

N100 series widely used in all target discipline,N100seriesofferoutstanding performanceinalmostanycentrefirerifleapplication. N500 series powderscanofferdramaticincreasesin velocity without any adverse affectsonpressure,thismakesitidealforalllongrangeapplications. N300 series pistolspowdersofferreliableperformancealongwiththecleanburning characteristics shooters associate with Vihtavuori powder.

18

www.timhannam.com Tel: 01977 681639 Fax: 01977 684272 Target Shooter email: [email protected]

Alltheseproductsandmoreavailablefrom

A COMPETETIVE CLUB MEANS A WINNING CLUB

By Bill CollarosHi all. Another short from Bill in Australia, but I thoughtitwaspoignant,asitissomethingwehave beendiscussinginintheUKrecently. Theheadingofthisstorymeansexactlywhatitsays. We have found having at least 6 of the top rimfire shooters in the country as members breeds a natural competitive streak that goes a long way to making our club one of the best & most feared clubswhenitcomestocompetitions.Theprincipals of this story could actually be used & transferred underanyotherclubshootingdisciplinesacrossthe boardintheshootingworld. Thisjustdoesnothappenbyaccident&hasevolved overthepastfewyears,buthowcanitbedone? Slowly over the past 4 years we have had people raisingthebaratclublevelweekinweekoutatour weeklycompetitions.Thishasbeenthroughupgrade ofammunition&equipmentbutalsothroughstriving tobeatthepersonshootingnexttoyoueveryweek. We have also sought & found knowledge from constantly asking questions of champions from all over the world & not resting on our winning score, yetstilltryingtoachievehigherscoreseachweek. Our club secretary has brought in a system of a weekly competition that is run as if it is a normal tournament every week. Each week we shoot a different style of target & have the policy of the targets you shoot first up are your scoring targets. Thishasenabledustohavethesameanticipation &nervesyouhavewhenyoufirstsitdown&have to shoot in a tournament. It has improved our mind set&nerveswhenweactuallygettoatournament immensely.Alsobychangingthetargetstyleseach week we also get a chance to try & improve Proud dad and winning on the different disciplines available to us & daughter more importantly you dont get sick of shooting the same thing every week. Of course leading up to competitions we concentrate & train more on that particular target. Thissystemseemstohavebredawinning& strivingtoimprovemindsetwithintheclubthat has helped everyone improve their scores. In time it will also hopefully help the club to attractmoremembers&juniorswhowantto teamup&learnfromthebest.

Target Shooter

19

Portsmouth Gun Centre Ltd 295 London Road North End Portsmouth PO2 9HFOpening Times Mon 9.30 - 5.30 Tues Closed Wed Closed Thur 9.30 - 5.30 Fri 9.30 - 5.30 Sat 9.30 - 5.30

Tel 02392 660574 Fax 02392 644666 E-mail [email protected] Website www.portsmouthguncentre.com

We stock a full range of Rifles, Pistols, Air Guns, Shotguns, Ammunition, Reloading Equipment and Accessories. All major brands stocked including BSA, CZ, Air Arms, Marlin, Ruger, Umarex, Uberti, Cometa, Pedersoli, Berreta, Lincoln, Webley, Pedersoli, etc.

20

Target Shooter

Hunter Field Target Scope Test Part 3

Tim FinleyPart three of the HFT scope tests has the actual measured results for all 13 scopes tested so far, they are at the end of this part. The scope I most wanted to cover in this third partwasoneIaskedLeupoldforwhenIwent toIWAin2007,Iaskedthemiftheycouldmake me an HFT scope based upon their 3-9*33 EFR scope. It only needed them to put in a Mildotreticle,whichinthestandardscopewas not available as a reticle option. I looked at thatparticularLeupoldscopeduetoitssuperb optical quality (its a Leupold) and small exit pupil. emember xit upils he bjectiveens ia R e p i t o l d dividedbythemagnificationItsobjectivelensis 33mmindiameterwithninetimesmagnification. Thereforethisscopehasa3.6mmexitpupiland the smaller the exit pupil the less the potential parallax error. The scope also has an

Hawke SR12 PA adjustment adjustableparallax,IknowHFTscopeshaveto beleftsetonthecompletionbutforsettingupand fine-tuning of the rangefinding an adjustable parallax is a lot easier. Leupold very kindly agreed to make me up a test scope. Its arrival,thankstoPatMundayandTimLesserof Leupold prompted me to look at other scopes I had neglected to test so far. HFT has a .22 class and the Hawke SR12 has a calibrated reticle specially designed for the pronounced curve 12 ft/lb trajectory of the .22 calibre pellets.InfactIhadusedanSR12-aboveinthe titleblock-inangeronanactualHFTcourseto see form myself if it worked, to some success asIshotaGoldbadgelevelscorewithit.Ihad also neglected the Hawke MAP reticle, its a muchsimplerandcheaperreticlethantheSRs I have used one for hunting and knew it had usable points of aim for HFT. I did not know if it could be used for rangefinding on a HFT targetsand15,25and40mmdiameterdiscs.The downsidewiththecheaperendoftheMAPseries innonP/Aadjustable,butagainyoudonotreally Target Shooter 21

SR12 reticle

cheaperthanthat.Thefinalscope is the 3-12*44 compact SWAT fromAGS,Ihaveusedthisscope for hunting, its size, sidewheel adjustable P/A, scope caps, sunshade etc make it an ideal huntingscope.Theonlyrealfault and unfortunately its quite a big one is the spacing on the dots, theyaresettoTwoMildotson10 times magnification, rather than the normal one Mildot spacing. WhyAGS did this I do not know, its the only failing of the scope, AGS mag ring but would the scope still be able to used to rangefind using the blurredsightpicturealone? Thetestsonthefournewscopes AGS mag ring were the same as the last time, checking the Mildot spacing on the reticles for bracketing and then measuring the actual parallax error at 15, 25 and 45 yards when set to a 23 yard parallax.Topoftheshoporfirstup was the classy looking Leupold, Tim Lesser did say the spacing maynotbeaperfectMildotasthe reticlewasmadeforatacticalten mag scope. It turned out to be a Mil and a quarter Mildot, but as the dots were slightly pointed at each end I was able to use their tips to still use the first dot down AGS PA adjustment to bracket a 40mm disc at 40 and 45 yards. For shorter range bracketingauniquesetoffigures fortheLeupoldwouldhavetobe workedout,butitcouldeasilybe done,asforrangingusingtheP/A, setto23yardsthescopeworked perfectly wit the 40 yard target clear and the 45 slightly blurred. TheHawkeSR12wasnext,Ihad to up the P/A to 26 yards due to theincreaseinmagnificationfrom 10 to 12 times. It has to set on 12 for the reticle to work for the needtohaveanadjustableP/A,yesitsnicebut aiming marks. Set on 23 yards not essential. P/A adjustable MAP scopes are P/Athe45yardtargetwasjusttooblurredtoget available,butIwantedtoincludethecheapest ausableaimpoint,theseareallthingsaspiring HFTscopeIcouldfindandat53youwillnot HFTers must think about. The reticle can be find another usable HFT scope better or usedtobracketa40mdiscusingthebottomline AGS in test cradle AGS in test cradle 22 Target Shooter

Hawke MAP in test cradle

Hawke MAP objective

Hawke MAP turret 4-12b rainguard

and1stdotuponthereticle,totellthedifference betweena40and45yardtarget,whichisvital withsuchacurvedtrajectoryonalegallimit.22 calibreairrifle. The Hawke MAP I have used for hunting, its simpledesignhastwotickmarksoneitherside

oftheverticallineandthreebelow andoneabovecenter.Thesehave still been worked out to use on airgunballistics.Thescopeisa3 to 9 times mag, 40mm front lens and not P/A adjustable, so I first hadtosettheP/Ato23yards.This waseasilydoneasthefrontlensis not glued in, the protecting collar attheendofthescopehastobe screwedoffandthethreadedlens carrier tuned to alter the P/A. Set up a target card with line or dots drawn on it at 13 yard and turn the lens until when you move your head the reticle stayed glued to your aim point, I did it on the MAP in less thantwominutes.Ifoundthe2nd hashmarkfromthecenteronthe horizontalcrosshairtobedeadon oneMildot,soIcouldusethatona 40 and 45 yard 40mm target disc. Younormallyusetheverticalpart ofthereticletorangebutthelittle MAP had a good exit pupil size. ThefinalscopewastheAGSSWAT 3-12*44compact,withitsspacing of2Mildots,itmakesituselessfor bracketrangefindingandHFT,also the objective is rather big. Really 42mm diameter objective scopes are the biggest one should go to foratentimesmagnificationscope for HFT. It does score over the othersinhavingsidewheelP/Aand scope caps. When set on 23 yards itworkedverywellandP/Aranging. In this four way final test I would recommendtheHawkeMAPasat worksandisvery,verycheap.The Leupold stands out as a must for theexperiencedHFTshooterand several are being used to good effectinthe2009UKAHFTseason. IwillaskPatandTimifitispossible tofitatrueMildotintheninetimes scope as it would in my opinion make the perfect HFT scope. For diehard.22HFTshooterstheSR12isthebestout there,IknowIhaveusedonanactualHFTcourse. PartfourwillhavetwoscopesIhavekeptapart as they have special reticles, not your normal Mildot so to speak. They have reticles with Target Shooter 23

Leupold in test cradle

Leupold PA adjustment

Leupold turret

Mil spacings, potentially makingthemmoreaccurate than the standard MilDot reticle used in HFT. They are the Falcon and the LeupoldMarkFour2.5-8*36, very interesting scopes so look in Target Shooter magazine next month to find out how they perform.

24

Target Shooter

TointroduceourselveswearetheUnitedKingdomAssociationof RimfireandAirRifleBenchrestShooting.Bythatwemean"True BenchrestShooting".TheAssociationisrecognisedbyrimfire shootersacrossintheUK,withpartnersacrossEuropeandtherestof theworld,asthepresentativebodythatpromotesrimfireandairrifle benchrestacrossthiscountryandwithotherpartnersinEuropeanand World events. Visitourwebsitefornewsaboutnationalandinternational competitionsthatallcanhaveagoat.Fromnovicetochampion shooter,everyoneiswelcome www.benchrest22.org

Target Shooter

25

26

Target Shooter

Target Shooter

27

Sightron S111 Series 8-32 Scope

Vince BottomleyAbove - Heres what comes in the box a sun/rain shade, lens covers, manual, allen key, lens cloth and a soft coverSightron scopes have been around Stateside for about fifteen years but until recently, they hadnt really excited the accuracy crowd. All that changedacoupleofyearsagowiththeirBigSky range and Sightrons actually began to appear on benchrestriflesasanalternativetoLeupoldsand Weavers. heseweretheS11scopesinfixed36power T utilising Japanese optics and a build-quality backed-upbyanoquibblenewforoldreplacement guarantee. Igottohavealookatthe36powerbenchrestscope at IWA in 2007 but the official UK importer didnt seem to be interested in stocking them - the only ones I have seen over here were personal imports directfromAmerica.

The Sightron mounted on my benchgun using the excellent Kelbly rings

At this years IWA show, the Sightron stand was one of my priority visits and apart from seeing some very interesting scopes, I also got wind of a new UK importer. That new importer is Aimfield Sports, who of course do the superb drag-bags and shooting mats and three months on, theyre here!Yes,youcanactuallyhavean8-32orafixed 36X right now and several other models for that matter. Take a look at the Aimfield Sports website t ww.aimfieldsports.comfor he ull ange. aw t f r Carl Boswell already has a 36X for review but the 8-32 is more my style as a long-range benchrester and F Class shooter, however I had already tested the scope for Target Sports magazine last year and it seemed pointless to repeatthetestandtieupascopewhichwouldbe bettermountedonsomeonesrifle! Soheresareprintofmyreviewofthe8-32S11 model which Laurie Holland had sourced direct from the US. At first glance, the Sightron could easilybemistakenforaLeupold.Itsverynicely proportioned and clean looking - devoid of any uglyprotrusionsforilluminatedreticlesandthelike My 100 yard test target. Im pointing to the and is very similar in size and weight to my 8.5return to zero result. You can see a shot 25LeupoldVX111.IdecidedthatIwouldhaveto mount it on my 6PPC benchrest rifle to properly in each corner of the target with the putthisfinescopethroughitspaces. closing error in the bottom left Fortunately,Ihadasparesetof30mmKelblyrings

28

Target Shooter

whichwouldfittheDavidsonbaseon turrets are clearly but tastefully incised. mybenchgun.Thismountingsystem Note side-focus knob. is one of the best you can get and certainly a good alternative to a Picatinny rail, especially if you are looking to save a few ounces. If you are serious about your shooting, the Kelblyringsareverystrong,lightand accurate but not cheap. I normally lightly lap-in my scope-rings but with theKelblysitjustisntnecessary. After bore-sighting the Sightron, a coupleofshotshadmezeroedat100 yards. My target is a two-foot white square with a small red aiming-spot in the centre. Test one checks the return to zero ability of the scope. OnlylastweekattheDiggleroundof theFClassLeague,Ioverheardone hadalookthroughtheSightrononanFClasstarget shooter claiming that his zero shifted at different magnification settings. I was surprised at1000yardsImhappythatitwillsuitmostFClass to hear this as even the cheapo Chinese offerings shooters. will pass this test. The Sightron was no exception Ournexttestisroundtheangles.Thisisintended andifyoulookatmyphotographofthetargetyou to check the tracking ability of the scope and the will see that I am pointing to two shot-holes less accuracy of the windage and elevation adjustment than half an inch apart. One shot was fired on full but before I carried out this one, Laurie was 32 magnification and the other on eight power. anxious to know how much elevation he would The real problem with this test is finding an have.Asheisintendingusingthescopeona308, aim-pointforthelower-poweredmagnificationshot, he will need about 36 MOA to go from 100 yards as the dot in the centre of the Sightrons crosshair to 1000 yards with a 155 grain bullet. Now we are is a quarter minute of angle (MOA) at full power zeroed,wecaneasilycheckthisbywindingupthe butafulloneMOAateightpowerandIneededto elevationturretwhilstlookingthroughthescopeand stickalargeraiming-markonthetargetforthetest. ensuringthatthecrosshairmoveswitheveryclick. Iwouldpreferasmallerone-eighthMOAdotasthis Thecrosshairstoppedmovingafter144clicksand, iswhatIamusedtowithbenchrestscopesbutsome aseachclickrepresentsaquarterMOA,wehave thinkthatthisistoosmallforgeneraluseandhaving exactly36MOAofadjustmentjustenough-though westillneedtoverifythata Reticle is focussed by rotating the click is indeed one quarter rubber-cushioned eye-piece. Note MOA. Not many scopes will take you from 100 to also the zoom ring. 1000 yards without using a tapered scope-rail, so a big plus for the Sightron. Nowforroundtheangles. With our aim-point on the red centre-dot Im windingoff 32 clicks of elevation and adding 32 clicks of left windage. Still with my crosshaironthecentredot, the first shot is fired and it impacts in the bottom left corner of the target. Now, we wind-on 64 clicks of elevation and fire another shot,againusingthesame aim-point.Shottwoimpacts inthetopleftcornerofthe

Target Shooter

29

Sightron S111 Series 8-32 Scope

target. Now 64 clicks of right-wind and shot three impacts in the top right of the target. We continue with this exercise until we return to our first shot in the bottom left of the target. In a perfect world, shotfivewillgothroughthesameholeasshotone but this is the real world and our shot impacts just underhalfaninchawayseepic.Thisisanexcellent resultandwellwithinthelimitsofrifle,ammunition, conditions and of course the nut behind the butt! By taking a couple of check measurements, we can see how accurate our quarter-minute clicks are. The sides of our square if you remember are 64 clicks in length. A click is a quarter MOA so each side is 16 MOA. Taking one MOA as 1.047 inches, the sides of the square should measure 16.75 inches. They actually measure nearer 17 inches,soaverygoodresult.Fewscopesofferthis standardofadjustmentaccuracy.Bymeasuringthe diagonals of the square we can also verify that it is a true square it is, so we can be confident of our windage and elevation adjustments on range. Beforeourfinalcheck,Ishouldcommentthatthere is noticeable chromatic aberration or fringing present. This manifests itself as a yellow-green edge to areas of high contrast in this case, the edge of the target. Fringing is a product of glass lensesandcanonlybeeliminatedbyusingfluorite inplaceofglass.However,providingthatitdoesnot degradetheimageanditdoesnt-itshouldnotbea problem.Forme,eye-reliefwasaboutthree-inches. Our final test is to check the resolving power of the lenses. Originally, I used a lens test chart for this purpose but even the cheap scopes became good enough to resolve all the

images on the chart so now I compare test scopes with the best of my own scopes, an 8-32 Nightforce BR scope. The lenses on the older Nightforces were legendary and if I recall, only the Schmidt & Bender 5-25 power scope has proved superior. To carry out this comparison, we need a bright clear day and both scopes must be solidly mounted and carefully focussed on the target an electricity pylon about four miles away. The Nightforce will resolve all the cabling and intricate lattice-work on the pylon and I was surprised to see that Sightron imagewasjustagoodinfact,ifanything, itwasslightlybetterexhibitingalittlemore contrast. I can now see why the Americans are raving about these scopes. Incidentally, thefringingthatIexperiencedat100yards was totally absent. The lenses have a blue-green anti-flare coating which, combined with the internal treatment of the body-tube, was effective in controlling flare whenlookingtowards(butNOTinto)thesun. The Sightron is finished with a satin black coating which resisted any ring-marking during my review. The turrets come with dustcovers and the adjustment graduations are clearly incised in gold and the turrets move with a positive click.ClicksareaquarterMOAandtherearefifteen minutes per revolution. Similarly,thezoom-ringandside-focusadjustershave thatreassuringprecisionfeelandarealsotastefully markedingold.Finally,thereisnoilluminatedreticle andthereshouldntbeonapuretargetriflescope.We onlyshootinbroaddaylightonhighcontrasttargets whyshouldwehavetopayforanilluminatedreticle? So, our scope is a very good product and ticks all the boxes and will serve you well in F Class competitionoranyotherlong-rangedisciplines.This isnothoweveracheapChinesescope,andthisis reflected in the price of around 800. The nearest rival, the 8-32 Nightforce is however considerably more expensive and heavier which could be significantifyouarebuildingarifletoaweight-limit asinbenchrestorF/TR. Tech Spec. Model Company UK Importer Objective Ocular Reticle dot Click value Body tube Length Weight S111ss832x56LRD Sightron Inc. N. Carolina, USA Aimfield Sports 56mm 42mm Fine crosshair with quarter MOA Quarter MOA 30mm 15.35 inches 24.7 ounces

30

Target Shooter

firearm solutions to suit you

SECTION 5

Section 5 deals in all forms of these specialised weapons revolvers, semi-automatic pistols and rifles, and dart guns. We have one of the largest and most comprehensive stocks of these weapons in the UK, ready for immediate sale, magazine or cylinder restriction, De-Activation or export to approved countries.

TRAINING

Email: [email protected]

DE-ACTIVATION

HUMANE DISPATCHWeb: www.sect5.co.uk Tel: 07549 945 292 Fax: 0845 280 1620 Target Shooter 31

32

Target Shooter

Laurie Holland

SAVAGE MODEL 12 PRECISION RIFLES (part 2)Above - Phil Gibbon and his 6.5-284 Norma 12 F is the combination to beat in 600 and 1,000yd UKBRA FS-Class Benchrest Floating Talk of lugs brings us to another Savage feature, the pinnedonbolt-head.TheSavagebolthastwiceasmany components as the Remington 700 (17 compared to 8) to reduce machining, manufacturing time, and cost as its cheaper to make small components that are assembled on a factory bench using pins and screws than a few big ones requiring boring and milling. This arrangement provides us with a big plus because the bolt-head is free to rock around a bit on the bolt body, it floats and ensures the lugs sit squarely on their The unique Savage cocking piece bearing surfaces. Should you fancy a calibre/ pin on the rear right side of the bolt body. This and the external sear pro- barrelchangethatinvolvesadifferentbolt-facediameter, just take the bolt apart, remove the cross-pin and swap vide an excellent arrangement now bolt-heads. At first sight there appear to be four lugs, that trigger feel has been sorted but the rear pair remains in the three and nine oclock positionsinthereceiverandblocksthelugraceways.These Last month, I looked at the Savage 12 Precision rifles lugsareactuallygas-bafflesandhelpprovidesmoothbolt stiff, solid bottom receivers with minimum size ports, operation.Asecondbridgetypebafflesitsonthebolttail. and their excellent target AccuTrigger. Lets look at the bolt now, an apparently standard Mauser type, twin The other Savage signature feature, derided by opposedlugsat3and9oclockwhenopen,andpositioned traditionalists, is the barrel locking nut, again originally erticallywhenlocked.Closerexaminationrevealsunusual adopted to reduce production costs. Assembly sees a features,n articular ocking nd triker elease. nlike ost chambered barrel screwed into the receiver body using i p c a s r U m designs,thereisnoboltshroudandcockingpieceatthe rear,insteadacockingpiecepinwitharoundbutton headthatprotrudesfromatriangularshapedaperture The front end of intherightsideoftheboltbody,oneedgeofthetriangle the bolt with the acting as a cocking cam forcing the pin back on pencil lead against bolt-opening. the bolt-head The sear is even more unusual, most of the component visible above the stock alongside the right receiver wall acting as sear, bolt-stop and cocking indicator. When the rifle is cocked, the pivoting sear holds the cocking piece pin (hence firing pin) back, while a trigger extension holds the sear.Pressthetrigger,theextensiondrops,thesear pivotsoutofthewayofthepinreleasingthestriker.The downsidewasdifficultyingettingalight,crisppull,a hurdle that Savage has now cleared with the Accu Trigger.Anupsideistheabsenceofthenormalsear arrangementthatpushesthebolttailupwardsinother twin-lug designs, tilting the bolt in the receiver and reducing pressure on the top lug while increasing it on the lower.

retaining pin. The rear lugs are gas baffles

Target Shooter

33

The 12 F ventilated forend is designed to ride a 3 BR front-rest bag

a headspace gauge before locking it with the nut no torquing-up, gauging, then removal and re-machining of the barrel if headspace is outside tolerance as in conventional practice. Moreover, headspace tolerances arereducednotanissuewithcustomriflesbutdefinitely oneinmass-producedmodels.

Again,thissetupdeliversexcellentresultsstraightoutof theboxwhenalliedtoSavagescurrentbarrelquality,and isaboonforhomegunsmiths.Changingthebarrelneeds apaddedvice,headspacegauge,andbarrel-nutwrench. Pac-Nor makes pre-chambered and threaded stainless match-quality barrels in a large range of calibres / chamberings,twistrates,lengthsandprofiles.Thisfacility playedasignificantpartinmydecisiontobuya12F.Load development for my handloading features is expensive whenanewrifleorconventionalrebarrellingisneededfor eachcartridge,sotheSavagesetupoffersconvenience The F is even more ready for benchrest or F-Open and a large cost reduction while still providing a superb competition, the stock designed to ride a front-rest and actionandplatforminthe12F. rearbag.Itisamassivelaminatedeffortwithathree-inch wide forend and broad flat horizontal buttstock bottom Stocks face.The latter is actually too broad at around the inch Lets move onto the rifles as they come out of the box. andwouldridethebagbetterifitwasalittlenarrower.The Both use variations of the Competition action with the threebeddingpillarsaresmalldiameterandlookslightly target Accutrigger, but LRPV models have two stock countersunkbelowthetimber.TalkingthisoverwithVince bolts instead of target models three, without any Bottomley, its sensible to regard the design as wood apparenteffectonaccuracywiththesmallcartridgesused ratherthanpillarbedded,andherecommendsasimple inthismodel.LRPVshave26barrels;Benchrest,F,F/TR, epoxybeddingjobusingathinlayerofAralditeonthearea

andPalma30.TheFisavailablein6mmBRNormaand 6.5-284Norma;theF/TRandPalmain.308Winchester only, while you can get an LRPV in .204 Ruger, .223 Remington (7 or 9 rifling twist options), .22-250 Remington, and 6mm BR Norma. The LRPV uses a version of the H-S Precision composite varmint / police rifle type stock with a moulded in full-length aluminium alloy bedding block, riflescope friendly sporter buttstock andsemi-beavertailforendsuitedtoabipod.Itsagreat design,butsocommonnowadaystheresnotalottosay aboutit.SinceIwantedtouseitoffthebench,myLRPV hasaSinclairInternationalforendstabilizerscrewedon inlieuofthefrontslingswivelstudprovidingathree-inch wide Delrin plate to ride the front-rest bag. Apart from unscrewingtherearslingswivelstudtoridetherearbagand addingascope,thatsit,readyfortestingandcompetition.

The 12 F buttstock has a broad horizontal lower edge parallel to the bore and forend to ride a rear-bag

34

Target Shooter

Officially, Savage laminated stocks are pillar-bedded, but the three pillars are very small diameter and slightly countersunkunder the receiver allowed within BR Factory Sporter (FS) class rules as is muzzle re-crowning, also recommended.TherearethreestockformsintheTargetseries. The12Frifleisasshowninthephotographs,andappears tobeusedonthenewModel12BenchrestDualPortrifle. The 12 F/TR stock has a narrower and more rounded forendforbipoduse,arakedlowerbuttstockedge,andis supplied with two different height cheekpieces. The 12 Palma rifle stock has a multi-adjustable buttstock and differentforendforpronehand-heldshootingwithasling and handstop making it the most expensive model. All havegrey-colouredlaminatedstocks. 100ydandtheFin1,000ydmatches.However,theytake placeonconsecutivedays,oneweekendpermonth. Logistics, plus the threat of D-I-V-O-R-C-E from my long-sufferingotherhalfruledthiscommitmentout,soit wasachoiceofwhichproducedbetterresultsfirst.Tomy surprise, this was the .204 Ruger LRPV, quickly producing one third inch and better groups on Diggles 100yd A range despite its notoriously variable winds. Conversely, the 6.5-284 Norma 12 F was finicky about loads and only performed really well with low velocity combinationsbutalikelycausehassincebeenfound, so I expect the rifle to redeem itself. The LRPV has performedexceptionallywell,justneedingmetoreadthe Performance wind.(Just?!)Inanyevent,threeoutingshaveproduced TheoriginalideawastousebothriflesinFS-Classinthe twoclasswinsandtheFSsmallgroupeachtime. UKBRAsummerBenchrestseriesatDiggle,theLRPVin Shooting either rifle is pleasant smooth actions, crisp A Sinclair International forend stabilizer was fitted and light triggers. In fact, I shoot the .204 LRPV using to the LRPV (on right) to make it ride a BR front-rest free-recoil and squeezing the trigger against the rear of properly

Target Shooter

35

flip that the fall of shot is seen through the scope. Talking about which, neither comes with sights of course, just four tapped holes for mounts. Ive fitted Ken Farrell Picatinny rails to both, and carriedoutMr.Farrells instructions fully on checking for play. Rail to action body fit was perfect on both so no epoxy was needed a testament to how precisely the rails are machined, likewise and perhaps more With the 12 F providing a platform for years of future handloads development, it was decided to invest in unexpectedly the factory produced receivers, something you cannot guarantee from every top-class sights a Ken Farrell 20-MOA sloped rail, rifle-maker. A budget but excellent Edgar Schmidt & Bender PMII 12-50X56 target scope, and Brothers Opti-Mate 24X44 target scope was ARMS 34mm QD levermounts usedinitially,butthishasjustbeenreplacedbya Sightron36X42modelfromAimfieldSports. the trigger guard with the thumb and forefinger only. In thisheavyrifle,.204recoilisnegligibleonereasonwhy The 6-5-284 F? Trying a Wheeler Engineering itispopularwithfieldusers,therebeingsolittlemuzzle screwdriver-form torque wrench on review from Norman Clark Gunsmiths showed the action bolts were little more than handtight, less than 10 in/ lbs needed to undo them. Theyve been screweddownto50in/ lbstorqueandIllrerun some classic 6.5-284 competition loads with expectations of much improved results, with the Araldite epoxy bedding technique triedafterwards.Iknow these rifles perform Phil Gibbons walked away with the UKBRA 1,000 yard FS class championshiplastyear, some groups only six inches at this range! This year, there are so manySavageFriflesin use I counted six at the last PSSA winter series 600yd BR round itsaquestionofwhich Savageownertakesthe classwin(whileembarrassingsomeownersof custom BR Light Guns), although Phil still takes some beating.

The .204 Ruger 12 LRPV can shoot! A 0.207 group shot in a UKBRA 100yd competition. (The 5-match aggregate was in the threes.)

36

Target Shooter

The .308Win Savage 12 F/TR (second from the camera) is a popular and effective rifle in its class, seen here in a 2008 F-Class League national round. (The rifle nearest the camera is also a Savage 12, Osprey Rifles Stuart Anselm with his rebuilt 12 BVSS sporter.)

So finally, whats the financial damage from a Savage Competition model and where can you get one? They were a fantastic bargain last year, F models selling for 1,300 and the action/trigger for 500. The big fall in the valueofthepoundhasimposedheftyincreases,sotheimporterscurrentRRPforthe12F/TRis1,700,andthe 12 F 1,850, but reduce that by 200 in each case. From?The supplier for these models is Osprey Rifles (www. ospreyrifles.com), full details of Savage Competition rifles, actions, and contact information on this website.Email : [email protected] Tel : 0161 4083555

The Savage Specialists We still have a limited supply of precision target actions for sale at 500 for your next custom project. The new RRP is 920 so grab a bargain while you can URL : www.ospreyries.comTarget Shooter 37

Osprey Ries

Over 10,200 guns for sale 82,000 visitors per month Over 115 dealer stock live online

38

Sect 5 Dealer Humane Dispatch, De-Acts, Target Shooter Exports Please call 0845-458 9666

A visit to Barnard Precision in New Zealand byBrianWalkerMysonPhil,apoliceofficer,tookhisfamilytoNew Zealandafewyearsagototakeupapostwiththe AucklandPoliceandthiswastobeourfirstvisitto New Zealand. Its a fair old journey which ever way you do it and we chose to break it up with a two-night stop-over in Singapore. If you try and do it withoutastop-over,itsalmosta48hourdoortodoor journey! It was a cold, miserable November morningwhenwetookofffromManchesterAirport but a complete contrast when we landed in Singapore 10 hours later hot and humid. Singaporeisnotnotedforbeingfirearmsfriendly so,ifyouweretakingaguntoNewZealand,Iwould From the outside, it looks like any other factory quite popular in the UK and there are several reasons.NotonlydoBarnardmakesuperbactions ofcoursebutwiththepoordollar/poundexchange rate, their actions are now even more attractive. Add to that some notable shooting successes like for example Russell Simmonds winning the F/TR Class in the 2008 GB F Class League and gradually,shootersareturningtotheBarnard.Fox Firearms are one of the UK importers and they usually have a few in stock so no waiting for monthsandmonthsasyoumayhavetodoifyou wanted an American action.

If you are not familiar with the Barnard actions, there is a whole range to choose from with Barnard expanding their product range significantly over the last ten years. FirstupistheModelS,whichisaRemington cloneinsizebutcorrectsalotofRemingtons faultslikeaproperclaw-extractor,adecent barrel-tenon and a small feed/ejection port - keeping the action very stiff. The Model S canalsobehadwithacut-outforamagazine ontheundersideifyouwishdesignatedthe It might be made on a CNC mill but tolerances SM. are still checked with an old-fashioned NextupisthePaction.Thisisverysimilarin micrometer. appearancetotheSbutlarger.Thisthree-lug actionistheonemostofuswouldlikelychoose whenbuildingaseriouscompetitionrifle. gain, A advise flying in the opposite direction via Los itsmassivelystiffandliketheScanbehadinleft Angeles.Eitherway,itsalongway!Weeventually orright-handconfiguration.Ifyousawlastmonths landedinAucklandat10.45pmtobemetbyPhil andhiswife;thefirsttimewehadseenthem in three years. When my shooting buddy, Vince Bottomley heardthatIwasgoingtoNewZealand,itwas he who suggested visiting the Barnard factory and Vince had already made contact with owner Charles Hoddinott and, as I had alreadyrelayedthisinformationtomyson,a visithadbeenorganisedforearlyFebruary did I mention that I would be there for three months? The Barnard action has recently become

Actions and bolts start off as simple bar-stock

Target Shooter

39

over an hour and we were able to see the manufactureofanactionthroughthevarious finishingstages. Forthetechnicallyminded,theaction-bodies are made from a chrome/moly/nickel alloy (4340) which undergoes three treatments during manufacture, finishing with a through hardnessof37/38Rc.andasurfacehardness of approximately 60Rc. (nitrided). It is then diamondgroundafternitriding. Theboltsaremadefromcasehardenedsteel (EN39B) and receive a final case-hardening treatment to 62Rc. and are then diamond ground for concentricity. The annealing and hardening is actually carried out by a specialist operator,asisthediamondgrinding. My benchrest rifle is built around a stainless-steel BAT action and I was keen to ask Charlesiftheyhadanyplanstomakeastainless action. We believe that the alloys we use are currentlythebestavailableforthepurpose. Iknowthatthebolttobodyfitisverycloseona Barnardandpre-chamberedbarrelscanbeordered throughFoxFirearmswhichappeartoheadspace correctly, so I was keen to know how tolerances couldbeheldtothishighlevel.

At last a proper lathe!

TargetShooteryoumayrecallthatLaurieHollands Eliseo tube gun was built around a Barnard P action. But the range doesnt end there and as well as catering for the big magnums, Barnard go all the way up to the 50BMG cartridge. (If you are interested in such things by the way, I happen to know that Fox Firearms currently have a 50BMG Barnard barrelled-action in stock). A few new modelsarealsointheplanning/developmentstage which I cant tell you much about at this stage but they will be introduced into the market as appropriate. The same quality standards are applied throughout the range.

Alltoleranceshavebeentightenedoverthe Hand-finishing a component after CNC last few years to the point where bolts are interchangeable and pre-fit chambered milling barrels can be produced by a competent barrel-maker with confidence that they will headspace correctly. We believe that this contributes to the potential accuracy of the firearm. Maybeitsjustmethatlikesshinyactionsif notstainless,whataboutachromefinish?The standard Barnard finish is of course a deep blue/black finish and but yes, they have done theodd nickel andTeflon finish butas production increases, it becomes more difficult to do one-offs. Maybe if a batch were ordered, an alternativefinishcouldberequestedbutotherwise, asHenryFordfamouslysaidYoucanhaveany colouryoulike,aslongasitsblack. Incidentally,thefinalfinishingisdoneoffpremises byaspecialistmetalfinisher. Iftheycandoabetterjobthanwecan,wehaveno problemsusingexternalcontractors. All major machining work is however done

On the appointed morning of the visit, we left Phils home on the north shore city of Auckland and travelled across the wonderful harbour bridge with its spectacular viewsofthemarinaandcitywithitsimposingSky Tower the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Thirty minutes later we were parking outsideBarnardPrecisionsfactoryinHonanPlace, Avondale. We were warmly welcomed by Charles who had laid on a full tour of the factory which lasted

40

Target Shooter

in-house on two CNC lathes and two CNC milling-machines with a spark-eroder cutting the bolt raceways. There are also a couple of other lathers and millers for specialist one-off workandthelike. Following the factory tour, I had a lengthy chat with Barnards Head Manager and hewaskeentoshowustheir07 aluminium stocks which are also CNC machined from billet aluminium. These offer a similar concept to the American tube-guns but because the Barnard actions are so stiff the actual tube sleeving the action isntnecessary. We had a look at a finished 07 rifle a tactical-style rifle fitted with a True-Flite barrel chambered for the 308 Win. cartridge. I wasalreadyfamiliarwiththe07rifleasVincehas builtasimilarexampleandIunderstandthereisa write-upelsewhereinTargetShooter.TheTrue-Flite barrels are also made in New Zealand of course anditwouldhavebeengoodtovisittheirfactoryas

A finished P action with Barnards own trigger wellmaybenexttime. My thanks to all at Barnard Precision for a very interesting visit. If you would like to know more, pleasevisittheirwebsiteatwww.barnardprecision. nzand,ifyouwouldliketohavealookattherange ofBarnardactionspleasecontactFoxFirearmsat www.foxfirearmsuk.com

www.FoxFirearmsUK.comWE STOCK HUNTING RIFLES BY COOPER, KIMBER AND PFEIFER AND COMPETITIONWINNING RIFLES FROM KELBLY AND KEPPELER, AND ARE TRADE AGENTS FOR THE SUPERB BARNARD ACTIONS, AND RECORD-BREAKING TRUE-FLITE AND BARTLEIN BARRELSVISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE VERY BEST VALUE CUSTOM PRECISION RIFLES FOR TR, MATCH, F-CLASS, AND BENCH-REST

Tel: 0161 430 8278 or 07941 958464 PUTTING SHOOTING FIRST

WE ALSO STOCK PROFESSIONAL BORESCOPES (from 533) AND A RANGE OF HIGH-POWER SCOPES FOR COMPETITION AT AMAZING PRICES (eg 8-32X50 WITH 30mm TUBES FROM 100) ALONG WITH STUNNING BINOCULARS AND SPOTTING SCOPES

SEB LAMBANG BENCH RESTS AND ACCESSORIES ARE THE BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE. WE STOCK HIS FULL RANGE AT LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES, ALONG WITH THE BUDGET CALDWELL RANGEEXPORT TO EUROPE, NO PROBLEM! SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL SPECIFICATIONS AND CURRENT STOCKLIST EVERYTHING WE IMPORT IS BY FAR THE BEST VALUE IN THE UK Target Shooter 41

We are now building custom rifles based on these top quality US made rifle actions. We are sole UK distributors for these actions and are happy to supply the Trade.

Surgeon XL action in .338 Lapua Magnum Please feel free to contact us to discuss your proposed custom rifle

A very cost effective way to enter the sport .SPS Varmint barrelled action installed in a choice of aftermarket stocks from AICS, Hogue, Bell & Carlson etc Supplied with polished bolt rails, adjusted factory trigger and refaced and crowned barrel. May be upgraded to include detachable magazine system, tactical bolt knob etc We recently received our first Marlin rifles for many months following the relocation of the factory in the US and the appointment of Edgar Brothers as Marlin UK distributors. We have a small number of .44 blued 20 rifles left but have sold out of the stainless steel ones. However, we are reliably informed that a bigger shipment is due soon which should also include .357 Marlins so please contact us if you would like to go on our waiting list. Our competition ready tuned Marlins are very popular and we have a large stock of Wild West Guns Trigger Happy kits on the shelf at 85

As sole UK distributor for Barska riflescopes and red dot sights we recently received another shipment of these great value for money rifle optics. This time we have increased the range we carry to include three new Barska products.

NEW! 4 x 28 IR red or green mil dot style reticle and picatinny rails, fits Weaver base 65

NEW! Benchmark Competition Scopes First focal plane true mil dot reticle side focus parallax adjustment, 1/8MOA, 30mm tube, 5 sunshade included. Exceptional image quality at an affordable price! 4 16 x 50 250 5 20 x 50 260 8 26 x 50 285

NEW! 2 x 30 Tactical red dot sight, removable 2x adapter, fits Weaver base 70 Everill Gate Farm Broomhill, Wombwell Barnsley S73 0YQ Tel: 01226 756332 Fax: 01226 751321 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.rimfiremagic.co.uk

42 Our retail shop isTargetThursday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm to allow us time in the workshop. open Shooter

Ammunition Selection, Testing and Preparation Part 1

By Carl BoswellFinding the right ammunition for your rifle is a long and often tedious process. In the present climate of ever increasing prices for all factory ammunition, or reloading components, this can also be very costly. Everyone around the globe associated with shooting and obviously rimfire benchrest, has noticed these alarming price increases and this is affecting the sport in a number of ways. Some of these affects are good, as we see air rifle benchrest developing, but other consequences are The Stoney Point Rim thickness gauge is fewer people taking up rimfire relatively cheap and easy to use - you will benchrest. The knowledge of this need a dial caliper to use this. being due to base metals soarbuytopbrands,butwillchooseanintermediatebrand, ing in price on the stock market does not help your average or championship costing less, but possibly dropping better shooter. The costs get passed onto them opportunities for accuracy in the process. Both nevertheless.Thereforeitisimportanttochoosethe cost and accuracy are deciding factors and it is bestammunitionyoucanaffordforyourrifle,while something we are all weighing up every time we at the same time achieving best value for money shoot. For some, including myself, I tend to know from it while practising and in preparation for an whatammunitionsuitsmyrifleandIwillbatchtest important match. This is why some shooters will not foramatchorseason.Mostofmypractisingwillbe donewithanumberofbrandsthatareclosertothe

There are a variety of rim thickness gauges available like this one by Neil Jones in the USA

Target Shooter

43

cheaperendofthepricerange,asIcannotaffordto use EleyTenex my current favourite - to test out pet theories while practising that will help me shoot bettermoresthepity!!Foramatch,ammunitionI selectisverycarefullyscrutinisedusingsome,ifnot all, of the processes discussed in this short series ofarticlesaboutrimfireammunition.Thisisnothing specialtomeasmost,ifnotall,matchshooterswill go through similar processes. Eventually you will have been through a process thathasenabledyoutoselecttheammunitionthat best suits your rifle in every way, achieving this by getting the best groups/ score. This has probably involved a process of batch testing at a manufacturers in the UK or abroad. (Something I hope to do a detailed article on in the future) or bybuyingdifferentbatches/samplesofavarietyof ammunition and then testing these at your home range. Obviously Eley offer a batch testing service, as do otherslikeLapuaandRWS,butyouwillhavetogoto Germanytodothis.Bothprocessesaresufficientto getyoustartedtowardstheobjectiveofhavingrifle andammunitiontuned,soperfectaccuracycanbe assured.

arereadytoshootandtakeontheworld.Orareyou? Isthereanythingelseyoucando?Somepeoplewill tellyouthatammunitionmanufacturershavetested yourammunitionunderverystrictconditions,which theyhave,sothereisnopointinwastingyourtimein doinganytestingyourself.However,manufacturers will not test each specific round, but small groups going through the manufacturing process. Here I think we can take a real hint from our centerfire colleagues. Each round of ammunition is carefully, sometimes lovingly, prepared for a shoot, whether this is for practise or for a match. The heads are weighed,thecaseprepared,fireformedandchecked, and powder measured to absolute accuracy, etc. This leaves them with a prepared round of ammunition that will act and do the same as every other one that is prepared under the same conditions. Aswerimfireshootersdonot,andcannot,havethe sameopportunitiesformakingourownammunition we can at least ensure that we do check what we havesowehaveconfidencethatthe25roundswe have to shoot in a match will go where we expect themto.Thismayseemalittlefussy,butifafewmillimetres in accuracy are going to cost you a match due to one round of ammunition becoming a flyer Withyourammunitionselectedorbatchtestedyou thenanychecking

Diagram showing rim thickness and below the head available headspace

44

Target Shooter

Rim thickness 0.040

or testing regime is worth it to win that important match.

Rim Thickness Testing Thefirstpieceofequipmentwelookattohelptest our ammunition is the rim thickness gauge. It is a productthathasbeenaroundforanumberofyears and for some a waste of time, for others a helpful guide to ensuring what they have is what they need to win. It depends on whatyourpointofviewis!?Thereare anumberoftypes(SeePics1and2), andalladvertisebytellingyoutheyare themostaccurate,easiesttooperate, etc.ThegaugeIuseisoneIboughta numberofyearsagowhichwasfroma UScompanycalledStoneyPoint.The gaugeworkswell,usingadialcalliper as the source to find out the size of each rim you are testing. However, they all do the same job and at the end of the day. Each .22 round has to be inspected, so it can get pretty Rim thickness control laborious after a while! Now why not measured inspect the rim thickness of a .22 round? Well this all has to do with the headspace on the bolt of your rifle. Anschutz rifles will come in with a headspace or around 0.043. Custombuiltrifleswillhaveanything from 0.043 to 0.045. Maybe more or maybe less depending on the gunsmith! This will also change over timeasyouractionandboltwear,so

it is worthwhile checking the size of yourriflesheadspaceasitbecomes older. Most good quality ammunition will have a rim thickness of about 0.040,sowillfitintotheheadspaceof yourrifle.(SeePics3and4). Brookwood did an excellent article a number of years ago about head space and rim thickness in Brookwood No 58 and No 59 and these are well worth a read. As he statedthereisalotofconjectureabout thenatureoftherelationshipbetween rim thickness and head space. One thing remains the same with whatever ammunition you are shooting, the ammunition rim must remain consistent. The relationship between the two comes down to ignition and how the bullet leaves the case as it ignites. If there is a headspace of 0.043andtherimthicknessis0.040 then on ignition the case will move backmomentarilyintothebolt0.003. If the headspace is 0.044 then on ignition the case will move back momentarily into the bolt 0.004 and so on. Does this mean anything?A lot believe where there is a measure of cartridge movement into the bolt face accuracyisthereforeaffected.Therearenumberof theories,evenonesaboutbuildingarifleaction/bolt around a specific ammunition type/ brand and the tolerances it comes off the manufacturing line

Target Shooter

45

with. This would mean smaller headspaces of possibly 0.041. Would this work? Well people keep trying, but for most of us it is about having consistency with what actions are available. (On a safety note excessive headspace will contribute to stretched cases, case separation and gas leakage. While insufficient headspace can prevent the full closure of the bolt, bullet compression into the case, leading to higher pressures on ignition).This is a simple explanation and the relation of rim thickness, head space and bullet seating merits a deeper discussion; probably from someone more knowledgeable than I am! Through batch testing ammunition you will find what is suitable for your rifle by default. The point I want to make is that checking rim thickness consistency over your chosen batch will be time consuming, but the merits of this is to discard the few you will find in a reliable brand that are not consistent with the rest. That elusive 250 may count onit?! I attempted a simple rim thickness test without any other inspection processes with a cheaper range of ammunition. The range of the rim thickness out of 1000 rounds was between 0.0397 to 0.041. (I would comment that this process is important in cheaper brands of ammunition, as rim thickness can be quite different not just from one batch to another, but from rounds within the same box giving as much as 0.009 difference. Just over half ofmysamplemeasuredinat0.040,whichiswhat I wanted, a consistent or standard measurement in line with more expensive ammunition I have used before.Nowthistestcannotreallybeheldonitsown asthebeallandendallofthetestingdiscussion.I thinkthatothertestingprocedurescouldandmaybe shouldbebroughtintothis.Theobjectiveofthetest is to show what can and often does happen if rim thickness is not tested for consistency taking into accounttherangeofrimthicknessesIwasworking with;potentialinconsistency,asrimfirebenchrestis entirelyaboutconsistency.(SeePics5and6).You can take this test for what it is; a consistent batch of rim thicknesses against a control that was not measuredatall.Thestringsonthecontroltargets dobegquestionsaboutgrowinggroupsizeandwhy this is happening! If you have the sort of flyers I amgettinginthesetargetsdiagrams,rimthickness testingyourammunitionmaybeworthlookingatas a starting point?! In my own and other tests I have seen it is apparent that having consistent rim thicknesses does play a major role in achieving accuracy. Good shooting until next time, when I will continue looking at other products that may help selecting that all important match ready batch.

46

Target Shooter

Target Shooter

47

OutdoorAirriflesportsStarterEquipmentPart4

Stanley ShawThe next big question is what distance must onesetthezero?Thisispracticallyyourchoice. Youcanzeroyourairrifleatwhateverdistance you like, however there are some norms that shootersfollow.Thedecisionissometimesalso basedonthetypeofsportthatwillbepracticed and how the shooter intends to target all the otherpossiblerangesbeforeorbeyondhiszero point.Someshootersdecidetozeroattheapex pointofthepellettrajectoryotherssimplyzeroat afixed.Ingeneralmostsetintheregionof30to 35 meters. The subject is vast and certainly cannot be explained in all the details in a short article. I suggest that you download a copy of the BFTA setting Up an Air Rifle and Telescopic Sight for Field Target. (http://www.viriato.net/ airgunning/bfta_setup_manual.pdf ) This is an excellent manual for all target shooters irrespective of the sport they practice. It goes deep in the subject on scope set up in particular for Field Target, however one can Above you can see the Point Of Aim (POA) from a learn a lot about scope setting and pellet mil dot reticle centered to the red marker. The pellets trajectory from this manual. It is worth to Point Of Impact (POI) are off the POA. With Zeroing download,printandstudy. we will adjust the scope so that those pellets will fall in the center of our POA at a fixed distance. In this article we will approach the scope setting inadifferentway,thequickanddirtymethodon I the previous articles we had a look at starter air rifles and scopes for our shooting sport apracticalexampleofatargetshooterwhohasa hobby. Once we got the equipment together we sub12ftlbairriflecapableofconsistentshotsofnot thenstartedtounderstandtheperformanceofour morethe10ft/sec.TheshooterisusingJSBExacts equipment and break in our new air rifle, now its 0.177caliberof8.4grainweight.Theairrifleaverage muzzlevelocityis780ft/sec.Thisshooterwantsto time to set our scope. Toperformascopesetupyoumustkeepinmind mountandseta6-24x44mil-dotscope.Thescope [email protected] that If you own a PCP air rifle always set up inches (5.4cm) from center of the bore to the scope within the number of consistent shots center of scope tube. This shooter would like to experiment with FT, HFT and Bench rest. availabletoyouwithintheheartoffill. You must use the same pellet during Since his air rifle class is 25m for Bench Rest, zeroing as the pellet weight, shape, skirt size will the shooter wants to zero the air rifle at this distance. The shooter would like then to effectyourPOIandhenceyourzero. understand the mil-dot to trajectory in relation to x10 magnification for HFT and at X24 for FT.The What do we mean by zeroing a rifle? Thezeroingisasetpointofaim(POA)ataknown shooter intends to use hold over method to engage distance. This will be the striking point of impact targets at distances between 10 and 50 meters. Thiscanbedoneandonerequiresafewthings. (POI)ofyourpelletassumingthattherearenoexAccessibilitytoa50mrange. ternalinfluences.Theseinfluencesarewind,change Ameasuringtape. inmuzzlevelocity,pelletweightandriflehold. Atargetstandwithabackstop.

48

Target Shooter

you have a single piece you will belockingthecompletemount). Note if you are using two single mounts make sure that when you put the front mount against the rear mount there are no steps between the seatingplainsofthescope,ifthis is so 99% you do not have the clamping screws in the same orientation you have rotated the mountby180degrees.Correct this at once. Center your turrets. First rotate the turrets clockwise until it stops do not force any clicksasyoumightdamagethe mechanism. Once the end is reached rotate the turret counters clockwise and count Above are typical si