Stocks by Carl Bernosky

Carl Bernosky is one of America’s top marksmen, having won the NRA High Power Rifle Championship at Camp Perry eight times, most recently in 2007. What you may not know is that Carl is also a highly skilled and respected stock-maker. He produces stock blanks for Master Class Stocks, and he also sells a variety of designs in both laminated and fancy wood. Visit CarlBernosky.com to see the full selection.

While Carl specializes in target stocks such as the prone stock shown above, he also offers varmint and hunting patterns. Shown below are some of the stocks available from his inventory. Carl also has a stock duplicator and he can reproduce the shape and features of a favorite stock you may already own. Stock blanks, uninletted and unfinished, start at $200.00. Stock duplication for standard hunting style stocks starts at $150.00

Carl also does gunsmithing — from rebarreling jobs to building complete custom rifles. Shown below is a custom, 280AI tactical rifle Carl built on a trued Rem 700 action with Broughton barrel and Master Class Prone Stock.

TECH TIP: Use Shell Holder with Impact Puller

Here’s a clever tip from Theodor Pettersen, one of our readers from Norway. Theodor writes: “I am an Norwegian shooter and reloader with 40 years of experience and practice. I would like to pass on a tip on how to improve the kinetic bullet puller (also known as an ‘impact puller’). Most of them use a 3-section collet which has three jaws held together with a rubber ring. It is very time-consuming when they pull apart, and have to be put together.

The three-piece collet can be exchanged with a shell holder that fits the cartridge from which you need to remove a bullet. The shell holder fits right into my RCBS bullet puller, and is much easier to use. I think it also will fit other makes of impact pullers.”

Thanks for the tip Theodore. We’ve tried it with a MidwayUSA brand impact bullet puller and it works. We agree that the collets can be awkward to use, as the jaws can flip over when you’re installing the rubber retaining ring. Still, this editor normally prefers to use the collet, because it seems to be faster than a shellholder–so long as the rubber ring stays in place. The shellholder method is a good alternative though–it you’ve lost your collets or don’t have one that fits your brass.

Never used a kinetic bullet puller before? Here’s a video that shows you the proper technique. The best surface for the impact is something like a linoleum floor — very firm but not so hard that the plastic head cracks on impact.

CLICK HERE for Kinetic Bullet Puller ‘How-To’ Video