Mark Your Calendar for the VHA Varmint Jamboree

The Varmint Hunters Association Jamboree is set for later this month, July 27 – 31, in Pierre, South Dakota. This 5-day event features a 2-Day Shootout, 3-Man Team Competition, and 3-Gun Match with prizes valued at over $4900. Classes for the Shootout are: Stock, Modified, Limited Open, and Unlimited Open. CLICK HERE for complete Shootout Rules.

This is a family event with fun shoots Monday through Friday. There will be live and silent auctions, symposiums, special Ladies’ Events, regularly nightly speakers or entertainment, and a big Jamboree Banquet at the Ramkota Lounge on Friday. For more information, visit www.Varminthunter.org/jamboree.html, or call VHA members services, 1-800-528-4868.

CLICK HERE FOR VHA Shootout and Jamboree SCHEDULE of EVENTS.

Pre-registration costs $30.00, while registration during Jamboree cost $40.00. A Shootout ticket alone is $25.00, while a Banquet ticket costs $25.00. You must be a member of the V.H.A. and registered for the Jamboree in order to compete in the Shootout.

Better Viewing for Balance-Beam Scales

When he chooses to measure his loads or sort bullets by weight, Forum Member Boyd Allen likes to use his trusty RCBS 10-10 scale. He finds that it works predictably, time after time, and it doesn’t suffer from the drift and calibration issues that plague some of the less expensive electronic scales on the market.

To make it easier to see the balance point, Boyd has adapted a magnifying glass with a mirror. This makes the end of his balance beam easier to view from his normal position on the bench. Boyd explains: “This set-up uses a cheap magnifier with positioning arms that was probably designed to hold and magnify small objects while soldering them. I think that it came from Harbor Freight many years ago. The mirror lets you look at the scale as if is was at eye level, and of course the magnifier makes the image easier to see.”

Custom-Calibrated Windage & Elevation Knobs from Kenton

Here’s something that can save you lots of time and aggravation on a varminting trip. This little $90 gizmo is great for varmint hunters and any one who needs to make a quick shot in shifty wind conditions. Instead of the traditional 1/4-MOA hash marks, the Kenton windage turret features markers corresponding to the wind drift your rifle will encounter at various distances.

Custom-Calibrated Windage Knobs
Kenton Industries’ Tuned Windage Compensator (TWC) has built-in windage marks for 10 mph cross-winds at 100-1000 yards. How do they do that? Well the knobs are calibrated either for specific calibers/loads, or they can make custom knobs using your observed field data. The knobs can compensate for various wind speeds (2-20 mph) and angles (15°- 90°), by applying some simple conversion ratios. For example, this is how you’d set the knob for a 5 mph wind or a quartering wind: 5 mph crosswind at 400 yards = dial in 200 yards; 10 mph, 45° crosswind at 400 yards = dial in 300 yards. As a general rule, with a “full-value”, i.e. 90°, crosswind, the wind drift will go up or down in direct proportion to the change in distance. So, wind-caused lateral movement at 400 yards will be double that at 200, while drift at 100 yards will be half that at 100.

Two versions of Kenton’s TWC knobs are offered. The $89.95 TWC #1 features calculated ballistics for standardized factory ammo for the caliber and barrel length you specify. The $89.95 TWC #2 feature customized windage settings based on bullet BC, environmental conditions, elevation, and ballistic information you provide.

Custom Elevation Knobs
Kenton also makes an $79.95 elevation-compensating TTC knob, that can be customized to your rifle. With this elevation turret, yardages are marked in 50-yard increments, and you can literally just “dial in your distance”. However, to work effectively the TTC knob must be tailored to a particular load (velocity and bullet). Moreover, actual bullet drop will differ with changes in altitude, temperature, and shooting angle — so it’s not as simple as it sounds, and you may need multiple knobs if you shoot a variety of loads. Kenton offers it TTC #1 model calibrated for standardized factory ammo. The TTC #2 is calibrated out to the maximum effective range of your cartridge based on bullet type, muzzle velocity, altitude, and temperature. Select the type of yardage format to be used. The #2 is recommended for wildcatters or for those who want to adjust to specific conditions. Lastly, a TTC #3 elevation knob is offered that relies on the purchaser’s actual recorded drop data from the field. The TTC #3 elevation knob will be calibrated based on the click-value or MOA you provide for each 50-yard increment.

July 4th — Celebrate the Birth of a Nation

Today, July 4th, we are celebrating a special birthday — the launching of a new nation that would become the world’s greatest exemplar of freedom and democracy. With our current concerns about the troubled economy, it is easy to lose sight of the challenges that faced our fore-fathers, and the continuing burdens we all share, as Americans, to maintain freedom at home and stand as an example to other peoples engaged in the struggle for democracy overseas.

In the Beginning — Overcoming Great Odds
In a July 4th speech, Navy Lt. Ellen Connors wrote: “Our nation declared its independence in order for our families to live free –- not just for one generation but for future generations. And what odds [the founding fathers] faced. It must have seemed impossible. Our forefathers went up against the world’s most colossal empire since ancient Rome. No colony had ever successfully left a mother country to set up a self-governing state. Not only were the historical odds set against them, they were set to fight against the world’s most powerful Navy — over 300 ships and 32,000 men.”

The Price of Freedom… The Pride of A Nation
Here is a selection from Daniel Webster’s July 4th, 1851 Oration. His words ring true a century and a half later:

“On the 4th of July, 1776, the assembled Representatives of the United States of America in Congress declared that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, FREE and INDEPENDENT States. This Declaration, made by most patriotic and resolute men, trusting in the justice of their cause and the protection of Heaven, and yet made not without deep solicitude and anxeity, has now stood for seventy-five years, and still stands. It was sealed in blood. It has met dangers, and overcome them; it has had enemies, and conquered them; it has had detractors, and abashed them all….

This anniversary animates, and gladdens, and unites all American hearts. On other days of the year we may be party men, indulging in controversies… and we may maintain our political differences… sometimes with angry feelings. But today, we are Americans all; and all nothing but Americans.

Every mans’ heart swells within him… as he remembers that seventy-five years have rolled away, and that the great inheritance of liberty is still his — his, undiminished and unimpaired, his in all its original glory; his to enjoy; his to protect; and his to transmit to future generations.”

Patriotic Computer Wallpapers
You can download a high-resolution version of the above image and other Fireworks Computer Wallpapers from Fireworks.com.

Remember Those Who Defend Our Freedoms

On this Independence Day, as we enjoy the picnics, the gatherings of friends and family, and the fireworks displays, it is important to remember that there would be no nation, no American Republic, but for the sacrifices of citizen soldiers over the past 233 years.

This nation earned its independence through a lengthy, often desperate struggle against a powerful empire. We have survived as a free country, through our willingness, as a people, to fight for those freedoms when they have been threatened.

We owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have served in the military. Today, we urge all our readers to honor the men and women of our armed services — those who serve today, and those who have served in the past. Remember there are men and women standing watch every night and every day … so that all of the rest of us may enjoy our freedoms.

Tannel Firing Pin Bushing Cures Primer Cratering

Shooters who convert factory actions to run 6BRs, 6PPCs or other high-pressure cartridges should consider having the firing pin bushed. These modern cartridges like to run at high pressures. When running stout loads, you can get cratering caused by primer flow around the firing pin hole in the bolt face. The reason is a little complicated, but basically the larger the hole, the less hydraulic pressure is required to crater the primer. A limited amount of cratering is normally not a big issue, but you can reduce the problem significantly by having a smith fit a bushing in the firing pin hole. In addition to reduced cratering, bushing the firing pin often produces more consistent ignition.

This is a highly recommended procedure that our editors have had done to their own rifles. Greg Tannel (Gre-Tan Rifles) is an expert at this procedure, and his turnaround time is fast — usually 2-3 days (shop time). Current price for a bushing job, which includes turning the firing pin to .062″, is $64.00 including return shipping. (Price subject to change.)

If you have a factory rifle, a bushed firing pin is the way to go if you are shooting the high-pressure cartridges such as 6PPC, 6BR, 6-6.5×47 and 6.5×47. This is one of the most cost-effective and beneficial upgrades you can do to your factory rifle.

HOT NEWS: Bruno’s has Federal 205M Small Rifle Primers

Dateline: July 3, 2009, 2:00 pm Pacific Time

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Bruno Shooters Supply has just received a substantial shipment of one-thousand-count boxes of Federal 205M Small Rifle Match primers. These are available for immediate delivery. Price is $49.95 per 1000 primers. There is a limit of 10,000 primers (10 boxes) per customer. The price does NOT include shipping and hazmat fee. To order these primers, call Amy Bruno at 1-800-455-0350, or (623) 587-7641, or log on to www.Brunoshooters.com.

22-6.5×47 vs. 22-250 Std. and Improved

In our Shooters’ Forum, there has been an interesting discussion of the 6.5×47 Lapua case necked down to .22 caliber. Forum members discuss the pros and cons of a “22×47 Lapua” wildcat versus the classic 22-250 or a 22-250 AI.

Forum member SkeetLee asked: “I am considering a 22×47L or a 22-250 AI. I like the Lapua brass and I have heard some good accuracy reports from the 47 Lapua case whether it be a 6mm or 6.5mm or even 22 cal. I don’t know too much about the 22-250 AI except that it’s pretty popular and it’s fast…. I don’t see much offered for reloading dies for the 22×47L. I know I can use a bushing die to neck size but what about full length sizing and seating dies? Does it make better sense to just go with the 22-250 AI?”

Respected Savage Gunsmith Fred Moreo, posting as “Medicineman”, offered this interesting advice: “Why not get the best of both worlds? I built a 22×47 Improved for my coyote gun. It is easy as just running the 22-250 AI reamer in .050″ short, and trimming the same amount off the dies. It is actually a little more efficient than the 22-250 AI. My best load for coyotes is a 65gr Sierra GameKing pushed by 39.4 grains of H4350 for 3750 fps. The Lapua brass will take more pressure than any 22-250 brass available, and last four times as long. The 65 Sierra GKs hit like a sledge-hammer, and were originally designed for shooting red kangaroos — they’re pretty tough from what I hear.”

Forum member Vic C. from Oklahoma has experience with the 22-250 AI, and has recently built a 22×47 Lapua. Comparing the 22-250 AI with the 22×47L, Vic tells us: “Accuracy should be very good from either caliber in custom barrels.” Vic continues: “I have two 22-250 AI barrels and a new 22X47 Lapua barrel that I’ve just started load testing. The 22X47 Lapua case capacity is slightly more than a standard 22-250 Rem and less than the 22-250 AI (fireformed). The advantage of the 22X47 L, of course, is the availability of Lapua brass. I have Remington, Winchester and Federal brass for the 22-250 AIs and prefer Remington which I’ve found to be quite good, but not up to Lapua standards of course. Recently I’ve been shooting some reformed Norma 6XC brass in the 22-250 AI and find it to be of excellent quality. Dies for the 22-250 AI are much easier to come by than for the 22X47 Lapua. For a coyote rifle, if you’re not saving the hides, I think either caliber would be a great choice. For a PD rifle I would go with the 22-250 AI because of much less work prepping the hundreds of cases needed.”

High-Tech Game Cams Aid Hunters

A remote game camera lets you monitor the presence of deer and other game on your favorite hunting grounds. The camera is like a silent sentry, activating only when game animals trigger the heat-in-motion sensor. Here’s a shot recorded by Forum Member Preacher’s camera:

Cuddeback No-Flash Deer Cam on Sale
The Cuddeback cameras are very sophisticated. The premium Cuddeback units trigger in 0.75 seconds. Cuddeback’s No-Flash IR unit works ’round-the-clock, using invisible infrared illumination at night so the game is not spooked. In daytime you record full-color 3.0 megapixel photos, and you can even set the unit to shoot short videos. The good news is that Cabelas.com has the Cuddeback® No-Flash Infrared Scouting Camera on sale right now for $299.88, marked down from $449.00. The cheapest price we’ve found elsewhere on the web is $319.99 at Amazon.com for the Cuddeback NoFlash Deercam.

Bushnell Releases New IR Trophy Cam
For 2009, Bushnell has introduced an impressive new Trophy Cam. Priced at about $199.00 for the basic model, the new Bushnell IR Trophy Cam offers most of the features of the more expensive Cuddeback IR No-Flash model, but at a much more affordable price. With impressive battery life of up to 6 months, video capability, and an IR flash range up to 45 feet, the new Bushnell has already become very popular with hunters. Independent tests show the Trophy Cam triggers in 1.21 seconds, with a recovery time of 7-11 seconds (depending on picture resolution). The compact (6″x4″) Bushnell is easy to program (no remote required) and the Trophy Cam offers a choice of 3 mp or 5 mp photos. With the deluxe “viewer” version ($249.00 at Digital Photo) you can preview your photos via the camera’s built-in color viewscreen (a feature not offered on the Cuddeback).

CLICK HERE to Read Bushnell Trophy Cam Review.

National Junior Air Gun Championship at Camp Perry

The 2009 National Junior Air Gun Championship, held at the CMP’s high-tech Camp Perry indoor Marksmanship Training Center, has been a huge success. The 3-day event has drawn nearly 290 competitors from 27 states to Camp Perry, Ohio. Shooters have traveled from as far as Hawaii and Alaska to shoot against other top juniors in the country. Winners will be honored at an awards banquet, scheduled for July 3 at 7:00 p.m.

Shooters may enter either the Sporter or Precision class based on the type of rifle and equipment they use, and are then grouped into categories according to age: Sub-Junior (Age 14 and under); Junior (age 18-20); and Intermediate Junior (Age 15-17). There is no age minimum to compete at NJAGC, and this year there are competitors as young as 12 years old. The rules for this year’s championship break with years past. For the 2009 competition, there are no entry requirements; every junior shooter is welcome to compete.

The National Junior Air Gun Championship (NJAGC) isn’t just about competing for this year’s title — it’s also about learning to improve and advance in the shooting sports. A training summit is held each year in conjunction with the NJAGC to help competitors, coaches, and parents learn how to train properly, as well as to introduce young shooters to future opportunities.

Report from NRABlog.com. Photos courtesy ODCMP.com.

More RCBS ChargeMaster Tips

If you own an RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 electronic powder scale/dispenser, or are thinking about purchasing one, here are a few tips that can cut your loading times and eliminate some petty annoyances.

Mute That Annoying Beep
Some ChargeMaster users complain about the loud beep at the end of each cycle. There’s a simple way to silence the beep — and you don’t have to cut any wires or permanently disable the speaker. To mute the beep, simply hold down the Zero button until “beep off” displays. Repeat to restore the beep function.

Activating the Auto-Dispense Mode
You can set the ChargeMaster to automatically dispense your pre-programmed charge as soon as you put the pan back on the scale. Simply press and hold the “Enter” button. The code “Auto” should then appear on the display. At this point, push “Disp” to dispense the first charge. When you replace the pan, the unit will automatically dispense the same charge. For some people this is an added convenience. You can always go back to the default manual dispense method by changing the dispense mode using the “Enter” button again.

Use a McDonald’s Straw to Reduce Over-Throws
Jaco Brink provided another useful tip to avoid “over-throws” (excess charge weight): “The RCBS employee advised me to take a McDonnell’s straw (because it is thicker than a normal straw), cut off about a half inch piece and put it into the tube where the powder exits. This caused the last part of an extruded powder to cluster less, and reduced the amount of overthrows dramatically.”

Instructional Video
The video below shows how to set up and calibrate a Chargemaster 1500. Be sure to level the unit carefully, both left to right and front to back. Starting at the 1:44 mark in the video you can see the unit dispense a 50-grain charge in 30 seconds. The slow, final trickle stage takes about half of the total time.

How to Shorten Dispensing Times
The last tip is for advanced users only. You can alter the programming settings to speed up powder dispensing dramatically. One user reported that, by re-programming his machine, his cut his dispensing time for a 30-grain load from 22 to 13 seconds “with no overthrows”. WARNING: once you change the parameters, there is no “restore” command to set everything back to the defaults. So proceed carefully. The speed enhancement procedure is described on the pages linked below:

Basic ChargeMaster Speed Enhancement | Advanced ChargeMaster Programming Tips

Hornady V-Max Promo from Graf & Sons

Here’s a good deal from Graf & Sons, www.grafs.com. Right now, if you purchase a 250-count box of Hornady 22-caliber, 55gr V-Max bullets, you’ll receive a FREE Hornady DVD ($9.99 value) or a FREE Hornady Reloading print magazine ($6.99 value).

The Hornady 55gr V-Maxs (item HRN22716) are priced at $37.99 for 250 bullets, delivered. That works out to $15.20 per hundred — a pretty good price for premium bullets that are know for excellent accuracy and impressive performance on varmints. To receive your free item, enter “Free DVD” or “Free Magazine” in the special notes section when placing your internet order.