Noma Mayo Wins CA State Long-Range Championship

It was “Ladies First” at the California State Long-Range Championship held this weekend at the Coalinga Range in central California. Palma ace Noma Mayo topped a field of 26 shooters (24 men and 2 women) to take the CA title with an impressive 787-34X score.

The diminutive senior lady shooter had the men saying “Noma, ‘No Mas’” by the end of the 3-day event. Using the latest (#2156) Sierra 155gr Palma bullets, Noma steered her .308 Win, iron-sighted Palma rifle to victory, displaying great consistency and superior wind-reading skills. Finishing second overall was Michael Dunio (782-29X), while Noma’s husband Marty Mayo took third with a 779-16X score. Marty teamed with Noma to win the two-person Team match on Saturday, with a combined 385-7X.

Shooting his trusty 6BRX, Peter White took the F-Class title with a strong 785-36X score. Taking second was our friend and Forum member Gary Wood, who shot a 778-28X with the 6.5-284 featured recently in the Daily Bulletin. Gary Childs placed third in F-Class (769-25X), shooting a straight .284 Win with a handsome stock he crafted himself. When comparing these scores to the iron sight shooters, keep in mind the F-Classers shot a target with much smaller ‘X’ and scoring rings. We want to give special thanks to Gary Wood, whose generous donation to AccurateShooter.com made it possible for this Editor and assistant Mark LaFevers to cover the event.

There were some beautiful long-range rigs at the match, including many Gary Eliseo tubeguns. (Gary competed at the event, and shot well on Friday and Saturday, but fell victim to shifty winds on the final day.) In addition to the high-tech tubeguns, many handsome wood-stocked Palma rifles were used, including a Bastogne-walnut-stocked beauty built and shot by gunsmith Tom Luhmann of TLC Gunworks in Clovis, CA.

An interesting “California-legal” AR Platform rifle caught Mark’s eye. It sported a handsome matte camo finish, but the chambering was the most noteworthy feature. This rifle was chambered as a 6mm Dasher, an improved 6mmBR with a shorter neck and 40° shoulder. Most of the AR match rifles we’ve seen have gone to a Grendel-based case, if they step up past the .223 Remington. The 6BR parent case uses a .308-sized bolt-face, whereas the Grendel case rim is smaller. Also, with its steep shoulder angle, the Dasher can prove challenging to feed. However, the gun’s builder Marcus Naslund said they had achieved good feeding and function by opening up the gas port and adapting a custom single-stack magazine, made from aluminum billet. Despite California’s Draconian gun laws, this rifle is legal for sale in the Golden state because a “tool” (which can be a bullet tip) is required to remove the otherwise “non-detachable” magazine.

USAMU Junior Shooter Camp Serves Juniors and Their Parents

When he’s not busy running his software company in St. George, Utah, Ken Nelson enjoys competitive shooting. Ken also produces a web Blog that covers shooting (among many other topics). In his Blog, Ken featured a unique USAMU program that brings some of the nation’s top shooters together with young people for a 3-day marksmanship training camp.

Ken recently attended the USAMU training camp with his son. Ken writes: “Take 50 junior practical shooters, put them with six of the best practical shooters in the world, mix in the man who has dominated practical pistol shooting for the last 30 years, give their parents something interesting to do, and then teach them. What do you get? Something awesome called the USAMU – MGM Targets Junior Shooters Camp.”

The ranks of USAMU instructors included top guns such as Sgt. Daniel Horner, current US Multi-Gun Champion and SSG Robbie Johnson, two-time winner of the International Sniper Competition. What’s more, legendary pistolero Rob Leatham joined the teaching staff as a “visiting expert”. Ken notes: “On Saturday, Rob Leatham, [23-Time USPSA Nat'l Champion and 5-Time IPSC World Champion], came in for a day to teach the parents… and to give the kids a class on mental preparation.” Ken, who corrected some bad habits thanks to Leatham’s guidance, observed: “Rob knows his stuff and somehow gave 40 parents individual attention. He is a natural trainer and his love for the sport… shined through.”

On Sunday, the 2nd Annual USAMU Junior Camp match was held, with Army and Junior shooters competing side by side. Ken reports: “The Army cadre shot the match as well and the top junior shooter beat them.” Ken adds: “The real joy, for me, was seeing awesome kids, brought together by caring parents and the good folks at MGM Targets, and hanging with soldiers who represent all you could want in a soldier and an American.”

To learn more about the USAMU Junior Shooters Camp, read Ken Nelson’s Blog, and you can also visit the Camp’s official website, www.JuniorShooterCamp.org. The USAMU and MGM Targets deserve praise for offering such a fine program for young shooters and their parents. This type of program attracts new participants to the shooting sports and creates a positive image for competitive shooting.

Secrets of the Houston Warehouse — Read this classic article

From the late ’70s through 1983, a huge, concrete-walled warehouse in Houston was used for benchrest testing. Virgil King and Bob Fisher set up a bullet-catching backstop at the end of a 30-yard-wide, 325-yard-long fire lane that remained unobstructed even when the warehouse was in use. This allowed accuracy tests in virtually perfect “no wind” conditions. Over a six-year period, about 30 shooters were invited to test their rifles. The results were amazing, with numerous “zero groups” being shot in the facility. Many of the lessons learned in the legendary Houston Warehouse still help benchresters achieve better accuracy today.

Dave Scott wrote a superb article, the Secrets of the Houston Warehouse which appeared in a special issue of Precision Shooting Magazine. That issue has long been sold out, but, thankfully, Secrets of the Houston Warehouse is now available on the web: CLICK HERE to read Secrets of the Houston Warehouse.

Dave Scott explains why the Warehouse was so unique:

“Over a period of six years, the levels of accuracy achieved in the Houston Warehouse went beyond what many precision shooters thought possible for lightweight rifles shot from sandbags and aimed shot-to-shot by human eye. For the first time, a handful of gifted, serious experimenters — armed with the very best performing rifles (with notable exceptions) — could boldly venture into the final frontiers of rifle accuracy, a journey made possible by eliminating the baffling uncertainties of conditions arising from wind and mirage. Under these steel skies, a shooter could, without question, confirm the absolute limits of accuracy of his rifle, or isolate the source of a problem. In the flawlessly stable containment of the Houston Warehouse … a very few exceptional rifles would display the real stuff, drilling repeated groups measuring well below the unbelievably tiny .100″ barrier. The bulk of rifles, however, embarrassed their owners.”

Scott’s article also reveals some interesting technical points: “One thing that IS important is that the bullet be precisely seated against the lands. T.J. Jackson reported this fact in the May 1987 issue of Precision Shooting. In a letter to the Editor, T.J. wrote, ‘…in all our testing in that Houston warehouse… and the dozens and dozens of groups that Virgil King shot in there ‘in the zeroes’… he NEVER fired a single official screamer group when he was ‘jumping’ bullets. All his best groups were always seated into the lands, or at the very least… touching the lands. Virgil said his practice was to seat the bullets so the engraving was half as long as the width of the lands. He noticed an interesting phenomenon with rifles that could really shoot: if the bullets were seated a little short and the powder charge was a bit on the light side, the groups formed vertically. As he seated the bullets farther out and increased the powder charge, the groups finally became horizontal. If he went still farther, the groups formed big globs. He said the trick is to find the midway point between vertical and horizontal. That point should be a small hole.”

You should definitely read the complete article, as it provides many more fascinating insights, including shooting technique, barrel cleaning, neck-turning, and case prep.

Save Money with Promo Codes for Brownells, MidwayUSA

Onlineguns.net, part of the Armsvault family of websites, has compiled a list of special discounts offered to purchasers of reloading gear, ammo, and shooting accessories. Current featured promotions include:

Brownells — $10 off $100 Gift Certificate. Enter CODE D3E at checkout. Expires 11/30/09.

Lucky Gunner — $20 off any $200 ammo purchase. Enter CODE LuckyGlockTalker at checkout. Expires 11/15/09.

MidwayUSA — $10 off orders of $100 or more. Enter CODE 100119 at checkout. Expires 11/15/09.

MidwayUSA — $25 off orders of $250 or more. Enter CODE 250119 at checkout. Expires 11/15/09.

NEW Product: Borden ‘Tubegun Special’ Action

This gear review is by respected prone shooter German Salazar. German recently received the first production version (Serial No. 0001) of the NEW Borden Action espressly designed for Tubeguns. German reports this is “really a great piece of equipment” and it’s affordable at $800 for the single-shot version or $850.00 for the repeater.

NEW Action for the Tubegun Revolution by German Salazar
If you’re a High Power shooter then you know that the Tubegun Revolution is in full swing both in across-the-course and prone matches. For many reasons, including accuracy, availability, cost, delivery time, ergonomics, familiar feel (for AR15 shooters) and more, the Tubeguns are becoming the norm in High Power. I recently built a 30-06 Tubegun for prone matches and have been extremely satisfied with the results, but I had a desire for a better action for it, now that desire is a reality.

While most Tubegun stocks are made to take Remington 700 actions or clone, it has become difficult to get bare Remington actions and bargain priced 700s are non-existent these days. Buying a complete rifle to strip, then blueprinting the action leaves you with about the cost of a custom action invested in the Remington — not the most economically sensible outcome.

Seeing the need for a custom action to fit the Tubeguns at a moderate price, Jim Borden of Borden Rifles is now making a Tubegun Special (TGS) action –- actually six variants of it. The TGS action is made to fit the Tubegun stocks without alteration and has been designed in cooperation with Gary Eliseo (Competition Shooting Stuff) to ensure compatibility and functionality.

Special Features Optimized for Tubegun Installations
The TGS is a full round action, without the scallops of the Borden Alpine/Timberline series and without the flattened rear bridge of the Remington 700. This full round surface presents a much larger surface area for epoxy if you intend to glue-in the action, and simply a better fit if you intend to bolt the action into the tube. Additionally, the TGS has no scope mounting holes or bolt stop since these are not required in a Tubegun stock and their elimination reduces machining costs, helping to keep the retail price competitive with a blueprinted Remington.

Beyond the action profile, there are a few choices in the TGS. You can order it right-handed or left-handed, long action or short action, single-shot or repeater. The single-shot models have a coned bolt as shown in the photos, which helps feeding from the action trough, whereas the repeaters have a flat-faced bolt like a Remington to ensure reliable feeding from a magazine.

The TGS has the familiar Remington-type plunger ejector and a claw extractor similar to the Sako. I have put over 4,000 rounds through my 6BR Borden Alpine with 100% reliability from the extractor. It’s a solid, reliable design. The bolt is nicely fluted in a spiral pattern and the fit and finish of every bit of the action and bolt are first class. It’s almost a shame to epoxy it into the tube, but that’s what it’s meant for!

Borden Accuracy is now a distributor for the CG triggers (X-tremeshooting.com) and can time the action to the trigger before delivery. Other triggers are available from Borden as well and the action takes any Remington-type trigger. Finally, Gary and Jim have standardized locations for the serial number and manufacturer information and the CSS stocks have small windows in the main sleeve to allow those to be seen at all times.

If you’re planning to build a Tubegun, you should take a close look at the Borden Tubegun Special action, it’s a very practical and cost-effective approach with the single-shot actions priced at $800 and the repeaters at $850 as of this writing.

Creedmoor Cup Results from Phoenix

The 2009 Western Creedmoor Cup Matches were held October 21-25 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility outside Phoenix, AZ. The Creedmoor Cup Matches, which immediately follow the CMP Western Games, attract many of the nation’s best High Power rifle shooters. This was the third year the Western Creedmoor Cup was conducted at Ben Avery. The previous venue was Camp Pendleton in California.

CMP Western Games and Creedmoor Cup Complete Results

Match rifle shooter SPC Sherri Gallagher (USAMU) was the Creedmoor Cup Aggregate Match overall winner (as well as high woman shooter). Sherri posted a combined Agg score of 797-33X. Neil Jensen followed with an aggregate score of 791-30X. TSgt Daniel Rodriguez ANG scored the highest Creedmoor Cup Service Rifle Agg with a 782-26X, with junior Tyler Rico taking second with a score of 781-33X. Rico was also the top junior shooter, winning a Bushmaster AR-15 upper donated by Remington Arms. The top senior was Brandon Dale with a score of 751-20X.

Match Rifle Winner SPC Sherri Gallagher. Photo Courtesy Jonathan Ocab.

In team competition, USMC Team Base Hawaii won the service rifle event with an aggregate score of 1899-42X. Team Predator, consisting of Phil Hayes, Neil Jensen, Royal Hubert and Matthew Hubert, won the match rifle team event, posting 1895-40X. Finishing second in match rifle with an 1878-52X, was the popular Deadeyes team: Dennis DeMille (Mgr. of Creedmoor Sports), Ronald Zerr, Steve Davis, and GySgt. R. Lee Ermey (USMC Retired). “Gunny” Ermy is the host of the new Lock ‘N Load TV series on the History Channel.

The Creedmoor Cup matches were proceeded by the 6th Annual Western CMP Games, which ran for four days. The CMP Games featured shooting clinics, Garand matches, Rimfire Sporter matches and many other events. This year, there were a record 476 entries in six different CMP Games events. CLICK HERE for compete Western CMP Games match report.

Story based on report by Steve Cooper, CMP Writer. Photos courtesy CMP. Ermey photo by Gary Anderson, DCM.

Reloading Tip: Inspect Ammo Components with Magnifier

What is the most-used piece of equipment on this Editor’s reloading bench? No it’s not my Rock-Chucker press, or even my calipers. The one item in near-constant use is a small, folding magnifying glass. Mine folds into a square case and offers 4X viewing with an 8X bifocal insert. With this handy tool I can inspect case mouths for burrs, check flash-holes, and look for flaws on bullet jackets and bullet tips. I also use the magnifier to see rifling marks on bullets seated into the rifling, or check my bolt for galling. The number of uses is nearly endless.

When loading match ammo, here are some of the things you should check with a magnifier:

Flash Holes (make sure they are round and not obstructed)

Case Necks and Bushings (check necks for scratching; inspect bushings for embedded grit or brass shavings)

Case Mouth (check inside and out for small burrs or cuts — either can damage your bullet jackets)

Bullet Meplats (check meplats CAREFULLY — look for damaged tips and significant meplat size variations)

Plastic Ballistic Tips (check for crooked or broken tips; look at jacket edge where it meets the plastic — this can be very ragged with burrs or gaps so it doesn’t fit flush with the plastic tip)

Folding magnifiers are so handy yet inexpensive that you should own a couple spares (including one in the range box). I bought my magnifier in a book-store, but you can also find them on the web at Edmund Scientifics and WidgetSupply.com starting at just $1.97.

Holiday Promotional Rebates on Zeiss Optics

Carl Zeiss Sports Optics has launched a 2009 Holiday Promotion, offering rebates on select binoculars, riflescopes, and rangefinders. Customers who purchase select ZEISS optics from authorized dealers between November 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 can save up to $250.

Rebates will be offered on the following ZEISS optics products: All Victory FL Binoculars ($250 rebate); Conquest 10×40 Binoculars ($200 rebate); Conquest 8×30 Binoculars ($100 rebate); all Victory Compact Binoculars ($75 rebate); Victory 8×26 T* PRF Laser Rangefinder ($50 rebate); and all Victory Riflescopes ($100 rebate).

“This is our holiday gift to hunters, birders and outdoor enthusiasts who want to own the finest optics but may be hesistant to make such a purchase in this challenging economy,” said Erik Schumacher, president of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. “Hopefully the savings we are offering on a wide selection of award-winning ZEISS optics will make it possible for many to upgrade their optics.”

All rebate submissions must be completed within 30 days of the purchase. Rebates will be issued via a Carl Zeiss prepaid VISA card. You’ll find promotion details and a list of authorized ZEISS dealers at www.Zeiss.com/sports.

FREE Shipping on Cabela’s Orders Over $150.00

If you plan to purchase ammo, reloading supplies, or outdoor gear, you can save money for the next four (4) days at Cabela’s. Now through November 10th, Cabela’s is offering FREE Shipping (to USA addresses) on orders of $150.00 or greater. To get this offer, click the link below and enter Promo Code 9HOLIDAY when filling out your order.

The Fine Print
This Free Shipping promo is not valid with any other offer, and cannot be used on prior purchases. The offer expires November 10, 2009 11:59 pm (EDT). NOTE: Additional shipping charges for large or heavy items may still apply.

Benchrest Tip: Optimize Your Rifle Position on the Rests

Here’s some benchrest advice that can help you reduce vertical and shoot tighter groups… without spending another penny. Next time you go to the range, experiment with the position of your rifle on the front rest, and try a couple different positions for the rear bag. You may find that the rifle handles much better after you’ve made a small change in the placement of your gun on the bags. Recoil can be tamed a bit, and tracking can improve significantly, if you optimize the front rest and rear bag positioning.

Balance Your Gun BEFORE You Spend Hours Tuning Loads
In the pursuit of ultimate accuracy, shooters may spend countless hours on brass prep, bullet selection, and load tuning. Yet the same shooters may pay little attention to how their gun is set-up on the bags. When you have acquired a new rifle, you should do some basic experimentation to find the optimal position for the forearm on the front rest, and the best position for the rear bag. Small changes can make a big difference.

Joel Kendrick, past IBS 600-yard Shooter of the Year, has observed that by adjusting forearm position on the front rest, he can tune out vertical. He has one carbon-fiber-reinforced stock that is extremely rigid. When it was placed with the front rest right under the very tip of the forearm, the gun tended to hop, creating vertical. By sliding the whole gun forward (with more forearm overhang ahead of the front sandbag), he was able to get the whole rig to settle down. That resulted in less vertical dispersion, and the gun tracked much better.

Likewise, the placement of the rear bag is very important. Many shooters, by default, will simply place the rear bag the same distance from the front rest with all their guns. In fact, different stocks and different calibers will NOT behave the same. By moving the rear bag forward and aft, you can adjust the rifle’s overall balance and this can improve the tracking significantly. One of our shooters had a Savage 6BR F-Class rifle. By default he had his rear bag set almost all the way at the end of the buttstock. When he slid the rear bag a couple inches forward the gun tracked much better. He immediately noticed that the gun returned to point of aim better (crosshairs would stay on target from shot to shot), AND the gun torqued (twisted) less. The difference was quite noticeable.

The important point to remember here is that each rig is different. One gun may perform best with the front rest right at the tip of the forearm (Position ‘D’ in photo), while another gun will work best with the rest positioned much further back. This Editor’s own 6BR sits in a laminated stock that is pretty flexy in the front. It shoots best with the front rest’s sandbag located a good 6″ back from the forearm tip (position ‘A’).

A small change in the position of the forearm on the front rest, or in the placement of the rear bag, can make a big difference in how your gun performs. You should experiment with the forearm placement, trying different positions on the front rest. Likewise, you can move the rear bag back and forth a few inches. Once you establish the optimal positions of front rest and rear bag, you should find that your gun tracks better and returns to battery more reliably. You may then discover that the gun shoots smaller groups, with less vertical dispersion. And all these benefits are possible without purchasing any expensive new gear.

Rifle photo courtesy Johnson’s Precision Gunsmithing (Bakersfield, CA), jpgrifles[at]yahoo.com.

Inexpensive Noise Filter Helps Reduce Scale Drift Problems

Electronic scales, even expensive lab-grade units, can be influenced by a wide variety of electronic “emissions”. We’ve seen Chargemasters being affected by cordless telephones and older CRT computer monitors. When stray emissions interfere with digital scales, you can get erractic readings, or the scales can drift with time. The smart thing to do, of course, is to physically isolate your digital scale from the sources of interference — keep them away from computer equipment and wireless base units. If you still have problems with drift or unstable read-outs, thankfully there are some inexpensive accessories that can restore your scale’s reliability. Reader Scott G. found a ferrous (magnetic) filter that attaches to the cord of his digital scale. This inexpensive filter cured his scale’s tendency to drift.

Scott explains: “I had an issue with a drifting zero on my PACT, which made it unusable. It was happening at my house, but not at other locations, such as my office. The fix for my issue was a ferrous noise filter on the scale’s power supply cord. It is basically a hinged barrel-shaped plastic tube that contains two magnets. Near the scale end of the cord, lay the cord into the slot, wrap it back through, then close the filter around the cord. Before installing the ferrous filters, my scale would drift off as much as 2.9 grains, which was being caused by some type of electronic ‘noise’ in the environment. The PACT is absolutely stable now.”

Finding and Installing Magnetic Noise Filters
Scott tells us: “You’ll see a lot of these type filters on the cords for computer acessories. You may have to experiment to find one that works for you. Some have different magnets that have different filtering abilities. My filter cost about $3.00. I purchased it at Randolph and Rice Industrial Electronics in Nashville, TN, item #SF.065.” You should also be able to find these kind of filters at Fry’s, Radio Shack, or other electronics supply stores.

While some magnetic filters require the power cord to run straight through, other designs allow you to loop the cord once around the filter (see photos). Looping the cord actually enhances the performance of the filter. You can also get improved filtration of electronic interference by putting a magnetic ‘noise’ filter on BOTH ends of your scale’s power cord.

Pumpkins Fly This Weekend at ‘Punkin Chunkin’ Festival

The 24th Annual “World Championship of Punkin Chunkin” will be held Friday November 6th through Sunday, November 8th, in Sussex County, Delaware. This hugely popular event draws 40,000-50,000 spectators each year. They gather to watch 100 or more amazing air cannons, catapults, trebuchets, giant slingshots, and other fantastic devices launch pumpkins into the air. In conjunction with the Punkin Chunkin Championship, there will be cooking contests, and live rockabilly music all three days.

On Saturday, the “Miss Punkin Chunkin” Pageant will be held around noon, with a large fireworks display at dusk. Proceeds from the annual event go to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, various other charities, and scholarships. Daily admission is $9.00 per adult and $2.00 parking per vehicle. Children under 10 are admitted free of charge. There are reasonably-priced hotels nearby and camping is permitted at the Championship site east of Bridgeville, Delaware. Directions are available online, or plug these coordinates into your GPS: Latitude = 38.7101657968, Longitude = -75.5315404535.

Want more Punkin Chunkin footage? Believe it or not, there’s a full-length feature movie about the event: Flying Pumpkins: The Legend of Punkin Chunkin. To view movie clips, CLICK HERE.

You can find complete event info, including directions, on Punkinchunkin.com. To view many of the amazing machines, visit the event’s Online Photo Galleries.

One of the greatest “big guns” in Punkin-Chunkin history is the aptly-named “Second Amendment”. This 14-ton monster boasts a 100-foot-long barrel that can toss an appropriate projectile (e.g. a pumpkin or frozen turkey), over 5,000 feet (nearly one mile!). Muzzle velocity is an impressive 500 miles per hour (about 733 fps). The big cannon, shown below, holds the official world Punkin distance record, and is a 4-time overall winner (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006).