Dakota Arms Acquires New Equity Investors

Dakota Arms, LLC, an American manufacturer of custom sporting arms and components, has acquired equity financing which will provide additional capital for day-to-day operations. An investor group led by Patrick Gilligan, avid sportsman and former Chairman of the Board of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, will receive shares of Dakota Arms, LLC and two seats on the Dakota Board of Directors as a result of its investment. Gilligan, who will play an active role in the strategic direction of the company, will become the new Chairman of the Board.

New Cash Keeps Dakota in Business
Cash from the new investments will be used to expand production levels and speed up the delivery of current customer orders. “This new cash commitment validates the strength of the Dakota Arms brand in the market,” said Patrick Franklin, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Dakota.

The Dakota Business Model–Can It Work?
Dakota Arms has tried to establish itself as a high-end maker of hunting, sporting, and tactical rifles. The Dakota brands include Nesika, Miller Arms and Dan Walter Cases. Dakota has had trouble finding a place for itself in the market. It sells rifles that are substantially more expensive than Savages or Remingtons, but it has not been able to convince gun buyers that a Dakota Arms rifle is worth two to three times the cost of other brands.

Dakota hoped to follow the model of the high-end shotgun makers like Perazzi, but it is unclear whether that strategy will really work. Rifle shooters who want the highest levels of accuracy (and craftsmanship) have traditionally turned to small custom builders. Dakota has not, so far, really been able to establish its products as a viable alternative to the hand-built custom rifle. In a nutshell, shooters are telling us “For the money Dakota wants, I can have a custom built. And for less money, I can get a Cooper which offers guaranteed accuracy, and better customer service.”

Leupold Purchases Redfield Optics Brand

Leupold & Stevens, Inc. has acquired the Redfield brand of optics from Meade Instruments. Founded in 1909, Redfield was a leading U.S. producer of riflescopes, spotting scopes, and binoculars for many decades until it closed in 1998. In recent years, the Redfield brand changed hands several times, before being acquired by Meade Instruments, which sold the Redfield brand to Leupold.

Presumably, Leupold plans to develop and market a lower-cost line of riflescopes, binoculars, and spotting scopes to wear the Redfield name. We wouldn’t be surprised if some of these Redfield-branded optics are produced overseas, most likely in Asia — but we have not been able to confirm or deny that possibility.

Tom Fruechtel, President and CEO of Leupold & Stevens, declined to discuss the plans for Redfield under Leupold ownership, but did state: “For half a century, Leupold respected Redfield as a leading innovator and competitor in the sports optics industry. The opportunity… to rescue this American brand from dormancy could not be missed.”

Leupold & Stevens, Inc., a fifth-generation, American family-owned company, employs more than 650 people in its Beaverton, Oregon facility. Leupold’s product line includes rifle, handgun and spotting scopes; binoculars; rangefinders; and optical tools and accessories.

Forming Dasher Cases with Pistol Powder

Forum member Skeeter has put together a new 6mm Dasher falling block varmint rifle. The Dasher case is based on the 6mm BR Norma cartridge with the shoulder blown forward about 0.100″ and out to 40°. This gives the Dasher roughly 3.5 grains added capacity compared to the standard 6BR.

Skeeter needed to form 300 cases for an upcoming varmint holiday. Skeeter decided to fire-form his brass without bullets. This method avoids barrel wear* and saves on components. There are various ways to do this, but Skeeter chose a method using pistol/shotgun powder, some tissue to hold the powder in place, Cream of Wheat filled to within an 1/8″ of top of the neck, and a “plug” of tissue paper to hold it all in place. Shown below are cases filled with a pistol/shotgun powder charge topped with Cream of Wheat and then a tissue paper plug.

To ensure the case headspaced firmly in his Dasher chamber, Skeeter created a “false shoulder” where the new neck-shoulder junction would be after fire-forming. After chamfering his case mouths, Skeeter necked up all his cases with a 0.257″ mandrel (one caliber oversized). Then he used a bushing neck-sizing die to bring the top half of the neck back down to 0.267″ to fit his 0.269″ chamber. The photo below shows how the false shoulder is created.

After creating the false shoulder, Skeeter chambered the cases in his rifle to ensure he could close the bolt and that he had a good “crush fit” on the false shoulder, ensuring proper headspace. All went well.

The next step was determining the optimal load of pistol powder. Among a variety of powders available, Skeeter chose Hodgdon Titewad as it is relatively inexpensive and burns clean. The goal was to find just the right amount of Titewad that would blow the shoulder forward sufficiently. Skeeter wanted to minimize the amount of powder used and work at a pressure that was safe for his falling block action.

Working incrementally, Skeeter started at 5.0 grains of Titewad, working up in 0.5 grain increments. As you can see, the 5.0 grain charge blew the shoulder forward, but left it a hemispherical shape. At about 7.0 grains of Titewad, the edge of the shoulder and case body was shaping up. Skeeter decided that 8.5 grains of Titewad was the “sweet spot”. He tried higher charges, but the shoulder didn’t really form up any better. It will take another firing or two, with a normal match load of rifle powder and a bullet seated, to really sharpen up the shoulders. Be sure to click on the “View Larger Image” link to get a good view of the cases.

The process proved to be a success. Skeeter now has hundreds of fire-formed Dasher cases and he hasn’t had to put one bullet through his nice, new match-grade barrel. The “bulletless” Cream of Wheat method allowed him to fire-form in a tight-necked barrel without neck-turning the brass first. The only step now remaining is to turn the newly Dasher-length necks down about .0025″ to fit his 0.269″ chamber. (To have no-turn necks he would need an 0.271″ or 0.272″ chamber).

Skeeter didn’t lose a single case: “As for the fire-forming loads, I had zero split cases and no signs of pressure in 325 cases fire-formed. Nor did I have any misfires or any that disbursed COW into the action of the firearm. So the COW method really worked out great for me and saved me a lot of money in powder and bullets.” To learn more about Skeeter’s fire-forming process, read this Dasher Fire-Forming Forum Thread.

*Skeeter did have a fire-forming barrel, but it was reamed with a .269 chamber like his 10-twist Krieger “good” barrel. If he fire-formed with bullets, he would have to turn all 300 necks to .267″ BEFORE fire-forming so that loaded rounds would fit in the chamber. Judging just how far to turn is problematic. There’s no need to turn the lower part of the neck that will eventually become shoulder–but how far down the neck to turn is the issue. By fire-forming without bullets now he only has to turn about half the original neck length, and he knows exactly how far to go.

Top Guns Duel at NBRSA 600-Yard Nationals April 25-27

Many of America’s top shooters will compete this weekend at the NBRSA 600-Yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 600) held April 25 - 27, 2008 in Sacramento. This 3-day Match is hosted by the Folsom Shooting Club, at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center in Sloughhouse, California.

Among the “top guns” expected to attend are last year’s winner, Don Nielson, 2005 NBRSA 1000-yard champ Jerry Tierney, and Robert Hoppe. At the same Sloughhouse range last October, Robert shot a spectacular 0.5823″ 5-shot group with his 6mm Dasher, using Hodgdon Varget powder and 105gr A-Max™ bullets. Now certified as a NBRSA record, Hoppe’s group is the smallest 5-shot group ever recorded in registered 600-yard benchrest competition. Below is Robert’s amazing target. The 0.5823″ group is the equivalent of 0.09705″ at 100 yards. That’s right, less than 1/10th of an inch at 100. Given the accuracy of modern 600-yard BR guns, we expect other sub-inch groups to be shot at this weekend’s Sloughhouse 600 match.

NBRSA 600 Nationals Match INFO

Match fees are $65.00 per class (light gun and heavy gun). If you have further questions, or need forms mailed to you, contact match Director Ed Eckhoff via email: eckran [at] yahoo.com. Ed tells us that “good weather is predicted for all three days, and there is plenty of room for more entries, so come out and shoot with us.”

6mm Match Bullet Diameters

There’s been some controversy surrounding the “ideal” 6mm bullet diameter. This is compounded by the fact that 6mm match barrels are available with both .236″ and .237″ land diameters. It has become quite clear to us that bullet diameter is an important variable to consider when choosing the best projectile for your particular barrel. Some barrels prefer “fat” bullets while other barrels prefer “skinny” bullets.

Jason Baney measured 12 different sets of 6mm Match Bullets, including a couple different lots of the same bullet design. Interestingly, Jason did measure the “old” Berger 105 VLD, the “new” Berger 105 VLD (first lot from the new die), and the “new, improved” Berger 105 VLD from the new die, after it was polished. Ten (10) Bullets were measured per type. Each bullet was measured three times (3X) around the largest circumference, normally where a pressure ring would be located (some bullets have a pronounced pressure ring, others do not).

Download this CHART as an MS Word Document.

Columns one and two of the chart show the smallest and largest bullet diameters measured for each 10-bullet sample. The third column shows the extreme spread over each 10-bullet set. Note, these numbers are NOT averages, but represent the “low” and “high” diameters for each set. (FYI: Jason noted that while the Lapua Scenars measured very consistently the earlier 2005 “JEVDAK” lot had noticeably smaller meplats than 2007 and 2008 lots.) A Mitutoyo Micrometer was used, zero-checked for each bullet.

Source for Super-Sized NRA Range Flags

One of our Forum members wanted to know where he could obtain the giant range flags and wind flags used at major NRA High Power and Long Range matches. Here are two sources:

The Starr Family
Jim and Polly Starr sell NRA-approved giant wind and range flags. The flags are yellow and red, and measure 12 feet long, 48″ high, and 18″ at the tip. NRA-approved, the flags cost just $25.00 and all proceeds go to a Jr. High Power program. Long-range shooter Shawn McKenna reports: “Starr flags have been tested at the Baily, CO, BCGC Range year-round in snow, freezing cold, and summer temps to boot. They are great.” Polly notes that a few all-red flags are available, but normally these are a special order item. Contact:

Jim or Polly Starr
(303) 466-2525
912 East 9th Ave
Broomfield, CO 80020

Creedmoor Sports (Shipping Soon)
Creedmoor Sports offers two types of giant nylon flags, a Range Flag and a Wind Flag. The all-red Range Flag (item NRA-RANGFLAG, $64.95) is 18 feet long, 5 feet+9 3/8″ high, and 3 feet wide at the tip. The red and yellow Wind Flag (item NRA-WINDFLAG, $49.95) is 12 feet long, 48″ high, and 18″ at the tip. Both flags meet NRA regulations. These are new products offered by Creedmoor, and should start shipping in May, 2008.

H-S Precision Stocks on Sale — $259.99

Now through April 30, 2008, MidwayUSA has H-S Precision stocks on sale for $259.99. These stocks regularly sell for $307.99 at MidwayUSA, and are priced at $350.00-$370.00 on the H-S Precision website. These H-S Precision stocks feature Kevlar- or carbon fiber-reinforced shells, plus a CNC-milled aluminum bedding block. The integral aluminum block provides a solid attachment for the action. Many shooters report that the H-S stock, even without conventional bedding, delivers better accuracy than a typical factory Remington stock. Most smiths, however, believe that the H-S aluminum bedding block works even better when skim-bedded.

Six different H&S stocks are available for $259.99: the sporter-style model PSS003 (short) or PSS010 (long) for Rem 700s, tactical-style model PST012 (short) or PST087 (long) for Rem 700 actions with varmint contour barrels, the PSC100 benchrest style with 3″-wide fore-end for Rem 700 short actions, and the sporter-style PSS021 for post-64 Winchester Model 70 actions. In addition, the PSC027 Silhouette Thumbhole stock for Rem 700 short actions is offered for $269.99. All H&S sale stocks come in black only, glossy black for the PSC100 and matte black for everything else.

M. Weaver of Chandler, OK, who purchased the model PST087 stock (tactical long action), gave this review: “Great stock. Easy to change out. The aluminum full length bedding block takes away the need for any gunsmithing and allows the action to be torqued to proper specifications[.]“

GA Precision Offers New ‘Templar’ Harrison-Built Action

George Gardner of GA Precision has started building custom rifles with a new action designed and crafted by Glen Harrison of Phoenix Machine LLC, in Montana. Harrison, the founder of Nesika Bay, is highly regarded as an action designer and machinist. His new actions are built with state-of-the-art methods, including EDM machining. GA Precision will not be selling the actions separately to customers, but will offer them in rifle upgrades and complete rifle builds.

Gardner notes: “The new GAP ‘Templar’ Short and Long actions will be replacing our GA 7000 action. The specs are generally the same as the former action however the new ‘Templar’ actions feature various upgrades and design improvements”:

● The tang is thicker but radiused so it still fits a Model 700 style stock.
● There is 20% more engagement for camming and unlocking.
● The bolt raceway is EDM-machined rather than broached.
● The recoil lug is double-pinned.
● The bolt stop has been changed to the GAP/Nesika Style.

Later in the year, George says, GA Precision plans to offer a 100% one-piece bolt with the new Templar actions. How do the new Harrison-built actions perform? Glen Seekins of SeekinsPrecision.com reports: “I just built a rifle with one of Glen’s actions (virtually the same as the GA Precision Templar) and they are very, very nice.”

GA Precision offers both custom rifle building services as well as complete rifles. GA Precision has already shipped a few “Crusader” tactical rifles, shown below, built with the new Templar action, with a durable CeraKote finish. The complete rifle costs $3525.00 including Badger rings, scope base, and detachable mag system, but without optics.

Manners Ultra-Light Hunting Stock

Many readers have asked where they can find a high-quality, extremely light-weight hunting stock suitable for a “walk-around” varminter. One impressive option is Tom Manners’ Carbon Fiber MCS-UL (UltraLight). Weighing just 1.55 pounds, the Manners’ UltraLight is built to Benchrest standards. Despite its minimal weight, the stock is strong and very rigid–because it is basically a seamless shell. The only cuts in the shell are for the action pillars and bolt handle. Both the 1.75″-wide fore-arm and pistol grip area have a molded-in textured surface for better grip.

The MCS-UL is priced at $495 (before options), and is currently available only with a Rem 700 inlet. This will fit Rem 700 actions or clones such as the Lawton 7000 and Stiller Predator. Available finishes include clear-coat or polyurethane paint in black, gray, or olive. If you want to “show off” that handsome carbon shell, go with the clear-coat. For more details, contact Manners Composite Stocks, (816) 210-8108.

Washington State Provides Funding for Gun Ranges

Through its Shooting Range Program, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) offers supplemental funding to shooting facilities. Approximately $50,000 in competitive grants are expected to be awarded this year (2008), with individual awards ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. Shooting clubs and range operators have until June 30, 2008 to apply for federally-funded grants that can be used to construct, maintain, or expand public shooting-range facilities in Washington state.

The Shooting Range Program, established in 2002, supports development of not-for-profit shooting ranges with proceeds from the federal excise tax on archery equipment and firearms. Designed to help shooting ranges pay for construction or other building expenses, the program is managed on a reimbursement basis. Successful applicants are required to pay for construction and materials and are then reimbursed for up to 75% of the cost. The remaining 25% requires local matching money.

Applicants must complete a detailed application, including information on public range use, an environmental review, program narrative, user fees and charges. Information and applications for the grants are available through the WDFW website, or by contacting the Hunter Education program at (360) 902-8111,or huntered@dfw.wa.gov.

How to Check Your Scope’s True Click Values

Let’s say you’ve purchased a new scope, and the spec-sheet indicates it is calibrated for quarter-MOA clicks. One MOA is 1.047″ inches at 100 yards, so you figure that’s how far your point of impact (POI) will move with four clicks. Well, unfortunately, you may be wrong. You can’t necessarily rely on what the manufacturer says. Production tolerances being what they are, you should test your scope to determine how much movement it actually delivers with each click of the turret. It may move a quarter-MOA, or maybe a quarter-inch, or maybe something else entirely. (Likewise scopes advertised as having 1/8-MOA clicks may deliver more or less than 1 actual MOA for 8 clicks.)

Reader Lindy explains how to check your clicks: “First, make sure the rifle is not loaded. Take a 40″ or longer carpenter’s ruler, and put a very visible mark (such as the center of an orange Shoot’N'C dot), at 37.7 inches. (On mine, I placed two dots side by side every 5 inches, so I could quickly count the dots.) Mount the ruler vertically (zero at top) exactly 100 yards away, carefully measured.

Place the rifle in a good hold on sandbags or other rest. With your hundred-yard zero on the rifle, using max magnification, carefully aim your center crosshairs at the top of the ruler (zero end-point). Have an assistant crank on 36 (indicated) MOA (i.e. 144 clicks), being careful not to move the rifle. (You really do need a helper, it’s very difficult to keep the rifle motionless if you crank the knobs yourself.) With each click, the reticle will move a bit down toward the bottom of the ruler. Note where the center crosshairs rest when your helper is done clicking. If the scope is accurately calibrated, it should be right at that 37.7 inch mark. If not, record where 144 clicks puts you on the ruler, to figure out what your actual click value is. (Repeat this several times as necessary, to get a “rock-solid”, repeatable value.) You now know, for that scope, how much each click actually moves the reticle at 100 yards–and, of course, that will scale proportionally at longer distances. This optical method is better than shooting, because you don’t have the uncertainly associated with determining a group center.

Using this method, I discovered that my Leupold 6.5-20X50 M1 has click values that are calibrated in what I called ‘Shooter’s MOA’, rather than true MOA. That is to say, 4 clicks moved POI 1.000″, rather than 1.047″ (true MOA). That’s about a 5% error.

I’ve tested bunches of scopes, and lots have click values which are significantly off what the manufacturer has advertised. You can’t rely on printed specifications–each scope is different. Until you check your particular scope, you can’t be sure how much it really moves with each click.

I’ve found the true click value varies not only by manufacturer, but by model and individual unit. My Leupold 3.5-10 M3LR was dead on. So was my U.S.O. SN-3 with an H25 reticle, but other SN-3s have been off, and so is my Leupold 6.5-20X50M1. So, check ‘em all, is my policy.”