Quality Eye Protection at Bargain Prices

Proper eye protection is a “must” for all shooting sports. Even when shooting rimfire guns you should wear eye protection. A wide variety of styles and shapes are available. However, any shooting glasses you choose should provide ANSI Z87+ safety standard impact protection. We see many shooters that just wear ordinary glasses with non-tempered glass lenses. That’s not wise. Ordinary glass lenses can shatter on impact.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get superior quality shooting glasses. The UVEX line of safety glasses are durable, comfortable, and inexpensive. Featuring interchangeable lenses, UVEX glasses meet ANSI Z87.1-2003, CSA Z94.3 and MIL-STD-662 standards. Uvex safety glasses are the world’s top-selling protective eyewear brand.

The popular UVEX ‘XC’ style, shown above, comes in a variety of styles, starting at $8.50 per pair (clear lenses). The most expensive you can buy are still under $12.00. Replacement lenses range from $2.50 to $8.50.

The UVEX Genesis, shown below, is our favorite model. It features extended side shields and has been rated #1 for comfort by an independent testing group. The Genesis, starting at $7.65 per pair, has an elastomer brow guard, and soft, pliable nose pads making it very comfortable to wear for extended periods. It meets the Mil V0 ballistic test for impact. Like the ‘XC’, the Genesis features interchangeable lenses (including Clear, Amber, Espresso, Gold Mirror, and SCT glare-reducing lenses), and four different frame colors (black, brown, Vapor Blue, and Patriot RWB).

You can buy UVEX glasses at gunshops or on the internet. You’ll find great prices on UVEX safety glasses (and replacement lenses) at DiscountSafetyGear.com, Cooper Safety, and Tasco-Safety.com. Tasco Safety also carries many other stylish, ANSI Z87.1-approved safety glasses, including the Edge Dakura ($9.25 for Clear, Amber, Smoke, and mirrored lenses), and the Smith & Wesson 30-06 by Olympic Optical ($7.50).

SEB Front-Rest Sand-Bags — Outstanding Product

We’ve had our SEB coaxial front rest now for many months and we are impressed with its quality and performance. One of the great features of the SEB Rest is the front sandbag. It employs double-layer construction on the sides and bottom, and has a unique microfiber material on the surfaces contacting the stock. The bottom of the bag is hard and flat, so the bag sits nice and square. We whole-heartedly endorse the SEB front bag — it is an outstanding product, affordably priced at $20.00.

We’ve tested both 3″-wide and 2 1/4″-wide SEB front bags and they work great. With guns ranging from 22 lbs. to 10.5 lbs. we’ve found that that SEB front bags perform very, very well. They hold their shape, and don’t “hump up” in the middle. The microfiber material, in our opinion, is superior to either Cordura or untreated leather. Even without stock tape on your gun, the microfiber allows the rifle to slide very easily. With stock tape, friction is super-low. You don’t need to put silicone, sailcloth lube, or powder on the front bag — it’s not necessary.

Less Vertical, Better Groups with SEB Front Bag
One of our testers was experiencing vertical when shooting a 6 PPC with a different front bag. He tried both leather and Cordura front bags, and experimented with various amounts of sand fill, but the results were unsatisfactory. The leather and Cordura bags either did not hold their shape, or, with more sand fill, they were too hard and the gun jumped. Then our tester switched to a SEB front bag. He noticed an immediate improvement in gun handling and his targets showed reduced vertical with the same load. Problem solved. That tester is now consistently shooting groups in the low- to mid-ones off a SEB rest with SEB front bag.

While the SEB front bag is optimized for use with the SEB coaxial rest, it can be adapted to other front rest tops. The standard version is made from black microfiber with brown leather, but it is also available with black leather sides. The standard vertical thickness for the 3″ or 2 1/4″ section between the ears is approximately 1″, but other dimensions are available on request. The latest SEB front bags have a filler spout on each side.

SEB front bags are available in the USA from Paul Schmid in Ohio, (330) 684-2596, email: coyote [at] zoominternet.net . Call for current pricing. Price of standard SEB front bag in the USA is $20.00, while a SEB front bag for the big Farley Rest is $25.00.

New Rail-Mount System for Harris Bipods

Mark Deros of Alamo Four Star, LLC, has invented a new system that attaches Harris bipods to a Picatinny Rail mounted on the fore-arm of a rifle. The new locking system, called the DLOC-S, replaces the top plate of the bipod with a quick-release clamping system. The spring-loaded DLOC clamp allows the bipod to be attached to the rail easily with no screws or bolts to tighten. Just pop open the DLOC and slide it on the rail.

The makers of the DLOC system have created a video that shows the DLOC being installed on a Harris bipod with Poc-Loc. The whole operation takes less than 30 seconds and can be done without tools.

CLICK HERE to view DLOC 30-second Installation Video

The DLOC selling price has not been finalized, but Mark Deros expects it to be “under $100.00″. Product release is set for the second half of September, 2008. For more information, call (210) 432-7006.

Savage 6BR Factory Rifle Delivers Superb Accuracy

Ace 600-yard shooter Terry Brady has been testing a box-stock, factory Savage 6BR F-Class rifle for AccurateShooter.com. This gun features a 30″, 8-twist barrel (0.100″ freebore), Savage Target Action, and heavy, laminated stock with 3″-wide fore-end. We know you guys have been eagerly awaiting the accuracy results. We’ll let the targets speak for themselves. Bottom Line: the Savage 6BR shoots… like a house on fire.

Savage Shoots under 1/2″ at 200 Yards
With Terry’s handloads (Norma 203B powder, CCI 450s, Berger 105s loaded .010″ into lands), the Savage produced three-shot groups well under 1/2″ at 200 yards. That’s right, TWO hundred. Measuring off Terry’s photos, using our target measurement software, one of the 200-yard groups was a measured .350″ or 0.167 MOA.

Orange target dots are 1″ diameter. Top row are 3-shot groups, center row (with 90gr factory ammo) are 5-shot groups.

Impressive Bugholes at 100 yards
At 100 yards, Terry had one 5-shot group with the Berger 105gr Match (non-VLD) that measured 0.140″ with our target measurement software. Measuring with calipers, Terry said this group was 0.279″ outside edge to outside edge. It’s interesting that Norma 203B shot tighter in this rifle than did Varget, as you can see.

Orange target dots are 1″ diameter.

Half-MOA or better with Lapua Factory Ammo at 300 Yards
The Savage 6BR also shot exceptionally well with Lapua factory ammo of two types, one loaded with 90gr BT Scenars, the other loaded with 105gr BT Scenars. Because Terry had a limited amount of factory ammo, at 300 yards, he shot three-shot groups. The 90gr ammo shot 1.490″ or about 1/2 MOA, while the 105gr ammo shot .780″, about 1/4 MOA. For comparison sake, Terry’s handloads (Berger 105s, 30.5 RL15) put FIVE shots in 0.650″ at 300 yards.

Complete Report Will Follow
We will provide a complete feature article on this rifle in the weeks ahead. That will include load data, more accuracy testing results, and Terry’s comments about the rifle. If someone in North Carolina can help Terry with a video camera, we’ll add video to the story.

So far Brady has been very impressed with the Savage overall, but he had two minor criticisms. First, he felt the Accutrigger spring weight is a bit too heavy, and second, he noted that the 1″-wide flat on the bottom of the stock at the rear is too wide for most bags: “It didn’t track well with my bag. I had to really hold the gun. Ideally you’ll want a bag with wider ear spacing.”

Overall, Terry gives the Savage an “A” grade: “For an out-of-the-box bench gun, it is well worth the money! I would recommend it to any shooter.”

RCBS ChargeMaster on Sale: $272.46

The RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 has been our top-rated electronic powder dispenser. It is very popular with precision centerfire rifle reloaders who benefit from weighing every charge. It’s a very versatile tool that can make your reloading much more efficient.

MidwayUSA has slashed the price on the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Powder Scale and Dispenser Combo, item 772151. The selling price is now just $272.46, marked down from $309.99. That’s a $38 savings.

Is the Unit Worth Buying?
Most RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 owners have been very happy with the devices. If you click the “Reviews” Tab on MidwayUSA’s ChargeMaster Page, you can read 87 reviews. The vast majority of the reviews are five stars. However, as with all electronic products, a small number of ChargeMasters have required repair or replacement. We do think RCBS now has most of the bugs worked out, and they are generally quite reliable (provided incoming voltage is uniform and the device is leveled properly.)

The units we tested showed excellent dispensing accuracy, delivering the desired charge within + or - 0.1 grain, 48 out of 50 times with H4350. (Weights were confirmed with a high-end digital laboratory scale.) The ChargeMaster works especially well for long, extruded powders, which are favored by long-range shooters. You can also speed the dispensing process by starting out with a scoop of powder on the pan (below your desired weight), and letting the ChargeMaster “top off” the charge.

ChargeMaster VIDEO
CLICK HERE to watch an excellent short video demonstrating the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 in action. It shows how to calibrate the machine, how to weigh powder, and how to remove powder when you’re done.

Sightron 8-32×56 Scope Test, Part II

AccurateShooter.com has been testing one of the new Sightron SIII 8-32×56 target scopes. In Part One of our Sightron Test, Jason Baney reviewed the optical qualities and characteristics of the scope — what you see through the lens.

Sightron Test PART TWO — Mechanical Tracking
Now, in Part Two of our test, Jason took the scope to the range to test how well it tracks, and how repeatable the clicks are. Jason did a variety of tests, including a “box test” at 100 yards, and multi-cycle elevation tracking tests at both 100 yards and 300 yards.

In the box text, Jason zeroed his gun, a 6.5×47 Lapua, then put two shots in the lower left corner of a large sheet of paper. He then clicked up 72 clicks (18 MOA) and fired two more shots. Then he added 60 clicks (15 MOA) right, and fired two shots. Next he went back down 72 clicks (18 MOA) and fired two shots in the right corner. Finally he went back 60 clicks left (15 MOA), and fired two shots in the lower left.

Box test results were impressive. The last set of shots were virtually in the same place horizontally as the first two, just slightly over one bullet diameter below the “start” group. Jason noted: “The ‘last corner of the box’ vertical could easily be mirage, barrel heating, or my hold.” Jason noted that both the left and right vertical legs of the box, measured from group center to center, were exactly 19.8″. The top horizontal side of the box measured 16.375″ while the bottom horizontal was 16.25″. Jason notes: “The horizontal legs were within 0.125″. That difference could have easily been wind.”

Jason made 264 total clicks during the box test. His final two shots were just slightly below the first two — close enough that mirage could explain the difference. Jason concluded: “I think the Sightron showed excellent tracking. I noted that the vertical ’side leg’ measurements were exactly the same. I didn’t end up in exactly the same spot, but it was really close. The slight shift in elevation could be caused by mirage or barrel heating.”

UP/DOWN Tracking Cycle Tests
To further test the vertical tracking repeatability, Jason shot a five-round group at 100 yards. Before EVERY shot he cranked in 120 clicks (30 MOA) of vertical, then cranked back down 120 clicks (30 MOA). As you can see from the target, the Sightron tracked beautifully. Though there is some horizontal (from wind), the total vertical spread for all five shots is about 0.1″, and that’s as tight (or tighter) than Jason’s rifle can normally shoot, as we explain below. Jason notes: “The group at 100 yards shows about 0.1″ vertical…can’t ask any better than that. So, the scope’s adjustments were obviously not adding any vertical component to the group.”

Test Gun: 6.5×47 Lapua, 123 Scenar, Reloder 15
Test Conditions: 100 yards, 90° F, 50% RH, 0-3 mph wind

Test done with 1/3 MOA Rifle
Jason conducted the test with a 6.5×47 rifle. This is a very accurate gun, and Jason is a great trigger-puller, but this is no rail gun. Repeatable group size for this rifle is typically mid-threes. The Sightron exhibited tracking repeatability inside the normal group vertical spread of this rifle (when no elevation clicks are made). We can conclude then, that the actual vertical tracking shift (after five 30 MOA up/30 MOA down cycles) is negligible.

300-Yard UP/DOWN Tracking Test
To supplement our findings at 100 yards, Jason repeated the 30 MOA up/30 MOA down cycle test with five (5) shots at 300 yards. He ended up with 5 shots with a total vertical of 1.5″ or 1/2 MOA. Again, given the limitations of the rifle and its typical vertical spread at 300 yards, this was very good. Note that three of the five shots went into about 1/2″ of vertical. Jason believes the shot low left was “driver error” or mirage. If that shot is excluded, the total vertical was 0.734″ or 0.234 MOA — which is about as tight as this gun can shoot at 300 yards. Jason concluded: “If you exclude the low left shot, which was probably me or mirage, we have a quarter-MOA vertical group. I’m not sure the gun can do better. In fact, 1/3 MOA is more typical. If scope tracking error was inducing vertical I would have expected the vertical spread to have been much larger. Here’s a situation where we can’t really overcome the gun (and shooter’s) inherent precision limits. I’ll give the Sightron a thumbs up here. If it was even two clicks off after all that cycling, the group would have shifted 1/2 MOA (about 1.5″) up or down, and that didn’t happen.”

Working the Turrets–Mechanical Feel
Jason said the turrets offer a good feel: “The effort needed to rotate the turrets is minimal, but the clicks are very smooth and positive. Overall, the feel is very good for both horizontal and vertical controls. The feel of the side-focus parallax is also good, and the side-focus did not display any lash or focus problems that we’ve observed on some other brands of optics.”

Solvent-Resistant Cleaning Jags

Brass jags perform well for their intended purpose — with one hitch. Strong copper solvents can actually leech metal from the jag itself, leaving the tell-tale blue tint on your patches. This “false positive” can be frustrating, and may lead shooters to over-clean their barrels.

There are now some good alternatives to brass jags. The best may be the Gunslick® Nylon Snap-Lock ™ jags shown at left. These never leave a “false positive” and snap on and off quickly. Larry Bartholome, past USA F-Class Team Captain says: “The best spear-type jags I have used are the GunSlick black nylon tips. I have used the model 92400 for the last couple years in my 6BR and 6.5-284s. Unlike the white plastic jags, these are strong and there’s no brass to worry about.”

92400 22 through 270 calibers: $1.49
92421 30 through 375 Calibers: $1.49

If you prefer a metal jag, MidwayUSA sells Tipton Nickel-coated jags, both individually and as a boxed set. The vast majority of user reviews have been very positive. A few guys have complained that the nickel-plated Tipton jags run oversize, but we use a .22-caliber jag in our 6mms anyway, so this hasn’t been a problem for us. The 22-caliber nickel-plated jag (item 996840) costs $4.49. The complete 12-jag set (item 812503), covering .17 to .45 calibers, costs $22.99 including a fitted box, shown below.

K&M Stainless Jags
K&M Tools offers stainless spire-point jags in .22, .243, and .308 calibers. These are well-made and won’t produce false positives. However, with stainless jags, you need to always keep the jag covered with a patch when inside the barrel. Otherwise you can rub steel against steel — not good. The downside of stainless is the potential for barrel scratching. On the other hand, according to Forum member Dans40x: “300 series stainless steel jags last a few lifetimes”.

Clear-Coating Your Brass Jags
If you’re reluctant to give up your collection of brass jags (after all they’ve worked pretty well so far), try covering the jag itself with a thin, transparent coating. Forum Member BillPA says: “I give the brass jags a coat of clear lacquer or acrylic; that works for me”. You may need to experiment to find a coating that stands up to your favorite solvent. BillPA says: “The only solvent I’ve found that eats the lacquer off is TM Solution. Butch’s, Shooter’s Choice, or Wipe-Out don’t seem to bother it. Most of the time I use rattle-can clear lacquer”. If you’re feeling creative, you could even color-code your jags by adding tints to the clear-coat.

Timex Altimeter, Barometer, Thermometer Watch

Temperature, Atmospheric Pressure, and Altitude — all these things can and do affect bullet ballistics. Moreover, temperature changes can alter powder performance and chamber pressures. The smart reloader takes the predicted ambient temperature into account. And when calculating your come-ups and windage click values, you need to factor in Temperature, Air Pressure, AND Altitude.

How do you keep track of these important variables when you’re shooting? The Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather Tracker®, is compact and provides a wealth of information: atmospheric pressure, altitude, density altitude, temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind chill, dew point, and heat index. We like the Kestrels and recommend them. But at $279.00, a Kestrel 4000 is too expensive for many shooters.

Timex now offers a solution. For about $56.00-$80.00 street price, the Timex Expedition® Adventure Tech™ watch (item T41501EA) displays Altitude, Barometric Pressure, and Temperature (ABT). The thermometer function records temps from 14° F to 140° F. The Altimeter reads from -2,296 feet to +29,520 feet with 10-foot resolution. The Barometer tracks current and sea level pressure, and provides a graph of pressure changes over time.

Encased in a stainless housing with a resin band, the Timex watch is water resistant to 50 meters, and offers many other nice features, including dual time zones, countdown timer, alarm, and backlit nightlight (very handy).

There are other quality watches, such as the Suunto Core, that provide Altitude, Atmospheric Pressure, and Temperature read-outs. But, at under $70 street price, the Timex costs one-fourth the price of the Suunto. Amazon.com is currently offering the Timex Temp/Altitude/Barometer watch for $55.97 - $79.95 (depending on source). It is offered with a silver band as well as the black shown above.

Useful Tool or Just Another Gadget?
Is this watch really useful or just another piece of male jewelry? Well just last week a friend was developing loads for his PPC. While chronographing his loads he wanted to input the ambient temperature, and current air pressure in his log. We just had to guess on those numbers. It felt like 90°+, but it may have been in the mid-eighties. With the Timex we’d have had reliable data (Note: it’s best to take the watch off your arm when gauging air temp). For this editor, the Timex ABT watch is a useful tool. I bought one and will be using it during load development and when shooting competitively.

Here’s an owner’s review: “I have been through a Nike ABT, a Swiss Army ABT, and a High Gear ABT watch this year alone. None of them, which cost quite a bit more, have been as accurate and durable as this Timex. It has a better fit, was easy to use and read and just plain ‘on the money’ as far as forecasting weather and altitude. Also, I have not had to take it off my arm for 10-15 mins to get a decent temperature rating. It has always been within 1-3 degrees of actual temp. And I live in the Carribean in a tropical climate… so, for it to be this accurate is a statement in itself.”

And here’s an interesting comment from one purchaser: “I bought this watch to set the jetting on my racing go kart. I needed to know field elevation, and temperature. Plus changes in barometric pressure as the day went on. Most teams use a weather station and computer that cost over $700 for this purpose. My watch and accompanying chart (for the motor) has given me the same results.” If this watch works for racers, it can work for our “internal combustion” precision bullet-launching machines as well.

Whitley Shoots New 20 Practical AR

AccurateShooter.com has teamed with Robert Whitley and Carl Bernosky to develop a new AR15-based, 20-caliber rifle optimized for varminting. The chambering is a 20-223 with a PT&G (Kiff) reamer, aka the “20 Practical”, a name coined by Warren Brookman*. The cartridge uses standard .223 Remington brass. Case forming is simple — just neck down the brass (Robert did this in two steps, with .233″ and .225″ bushings). You do NOT have to move the shoulder back as with the 20 Tactical. You can even use your existing .223 Rem Redding dies by swapping out some internal components.

CLICK HERE to Watch 20 PRACTICAL AR VIDEO

While Carl is still working on special (top-secret) “furniture” to help the 20 Practical AR ride the bags, Robert was able to test the first complete 20 Practical AR upper built with a Bartlein barrel. Without any special load development, the gun has proved very accurate, putting 5 rapid-fire shots in a dime-sized group at 100 yards. Robert was using H335 with 40gr bullets. This load runs 3750 fps and Robert thinks more velocity may be possible with H335. We will also test other load recipes for both both 40gr and 32gr bullets. H322 should also be a good choice for both bullet weights. Quickload predicts H322 will send the 32-grainers past 4000 fps, and Warren Brookman says: “For both 32gr and 40gr bullets, Vihtavuori N133 is just about the perfect powder for the 20 Practical. It burns clean, delivers great accuracy and good velocity.”

Robert reports: “I loaded up some new brass today (Winchester brass, factory primed). I only used H335 and the Berger 40 gr BTHP bullets at about .010″ off the lands (2.228″ OAL). The thing is very accurate. First group shot off the bench after sight-in is shown in the video. Keep in mind this was done with no load work-up and I shot fast to ensure the video was not too long. The load was with 26.0 grains of H335 and the Berger 40-grainers going right around 3750 fps.”

If you shoot a .223 Rem currently it’s easy to load for the 20 Practical. You will need a Redding Type ‘S’ neck-bushing full-length sizing die, and Robert recommends a Redding Comp Seater. Then you’ll need some extra bits of kit:

1. Powder funnel that fits .20-Cal case mouths
2. Two neck bushings: .233″ and .225″
3. 20-Caliber cleaning rod with brushes, jag, patches, etc.
4. Decapping rod assembly for 20 Cal (a 204 Ruger one works perfectly — about $15)

*The 20 Practical chambering, a modern 20-223 Wildcat, was popularized by Warren Brookman, whose 20 Practical bolt gun was featured as our 61st Gun of the Week. In that 20 Practical Article, Warren explains the thinking behind the cartridge and shows how to adapt .223 Rem Redding dies.

Tripod Gizmos make Spotting Easier, More Precise

While shooting at the Pala Varmint Silhouette Match recently, we had a chance to test drive John Adams’ Pentax PF-80ED Spotting Scope. It’s a great scope, fitted with outstanding lenses. We tried both the 20-60 power zoom and the superb Pentax XW-10 wide angle/extended eye relief lens, which provides a fixed 52X image. The XW-10 is the most user-friendly spotting scope eyepiece I’ve ever tried–ultra-bright, with nearly an inch of eye relief.

One thing that made the Pentax such a pleasure to use was the mounting set-up. John has his PF-80ED set on a sturdy Manfrotto tripod with a special geared tripod head, the Manfrotto model 410. The geared head allows you to make very fine, precise movements in vertical or horizontal planes. You don’t have to unscrew a clamp, fiddle around to re-position the scope, and then struggle to lock it in place again without altering the position. This unique, compact head offers precise gear movement in three directions: pan (horizontal movement left to right), elevation, and angular rotation around TDC (horizon tilt).

The Manfrotto 410 geared head was superb. While spotting at 600 yards, I could easily move up or down a few inches on the target with just a quick twist of a knob. If I wanted to move down the line to a sighter plate, it was just as easy to pan a few feet horizontally, without disturbing my vertical setting at all. I don’t know how Manfrotto does it (the gearing system is patented), but very little effort is required to turn the knobs in any direction, and there is plenty of travel.

If you want to make large adjustments, as when moving your view from a 1000-yard target bay back to the 100-yard line, you can disengage the gear drives and manually move the entire head. The Manfrotto 410 incorporates a unique feature that allows you to instantly disengage the gears and rough position the camera by hand, then instantly reengage them for precise final alignment. The model 410 head supports up to 5 kg (11 pounds), and is also suitable for 35mm SLR and medium format cameras. The head incorporates a quick release camera plate system.

So what does this superior technology cost? The Manfrotto model 410 costs about $210.00 at large camera outlets, but you can sometimes find one for about $180.00 on sale. Is it worth it? If you’re on a very tight budget–spend your money on a barrel first. But, if you have an $800+ scope that’s used quite often, the geared head is worth the investment. Others seem to agree — three other Pala shooters added geared heads to their tripods after trying John Adams’ rig. The gearing makes it much, much easier to move the scope in very small increments while spotting at extreme ranges. But what about resale? These geared heads are also extremely popular with commercial photographers, so they hold their value well.

The Manfrotto 410 was previously sold as a “Bogen-Manfrotto 3275/410″ and you may still find older versions listed that way. Manfrotto also makes two other geared heads, the model 400 ($680.00, 22 lb. rating) and 405 ($385.00, 16 lb. rating), but these are much more expensive, and designed for very heavy cameras.

Pipe and Post Level
To get the best results from any tripod when using a spotting scope (or chronograph), you need to make sure the base for your scope is set level to the horizon. Deluxe heads, such as the Manfrotto geared heads, have built-in bubble levels, which make it easy to level the scope. If you don’t have a level on your tripod, but it has a telescoping center shaft, you can use a simple, inexpensive Pipe and Post Level. These attach with an elastic band around the vertical shaft and provide bubble levels in both horizontal and vertical planes. You can purchase these levels for under $5.00 at hardware stores and home supply outlets.

Good, Inexpensive Tripod
If you want for a good, solid tripod that will hold a heavy 80+ mm spotting scope at a bargain price, look for a used Davidson Star-D on eBay, or one of the optics forums.

The Davidson Star-D tripod is a solid, all-metal rig that is sturdy enough to be used for movie cameras. Star-Ds feature convenient rotary cam (collet) leg height adjustments and all-metal tilt and pan controls that lock solidly. The center post is clamped with a big locking ring that adjusts for tension. The rugged, machined-aluminum Star-D tripods are no longer in production but you can find good “previously-owned” models for sale on eBay. This tripod is ideal for use with a chronograph or spotting scope (for viewing in sitting or standing positions). You’ll see a variety of Star-Ds on eBay. What you want are the newer Star-Ds with all-silver heads and cam-locked legs. You can often pick them up for under $25.00. Look for the latest versions, as shown in the picture.

Lights, Action, Camera — Thanks to Adorama

The short videos we have produced for this site have been very popular, and readers have requested more (and better) video offerings. Thanks to Adorama, a large camera and optics retailer, we will be getting a new Canon FS10 video camera. With the new Canon we will be able to shoot higher resolution videos, with better colors, and much improved audio quality.

The Canon FS10 is part of Canon’s new line-up of Flash-memory video cameras. There are no tapes to fuss with, and you don’t have to worry about internal hard drives or DVD systems. The new Canons record to Flash memory cards so there are no moving parts. This has numerous benefits. Flash-based cameras are less sensitive to shock and vibration and the camera can start recording almost instantly. Importantly, with Flash memory, batteries last much longer since there are no electric motors to run. And the FS10 can record up to 5 hours of video on an 8 Gig SDHC memory card.

After looking at a wide variety of camcorders, we chose the Canon FS10 because it has a number of important features. First, of course, is the Flash memory. Second it has a “microphone in” jack. Using an external microphone will help us reduce background noise when filming interviews or shooting sessions at the range. Third, the camera offers internal image stabilization, and a built-in movie light. Both those features will produce better quality in low light situations. Adorama.com sells the Canon FS10 (item CAFS10) for $419.95, with FREE shipping.

The model FS10 records in standard definition both 4:3 and 16:9 (wide) aspect ratios. We considered Canon’s new High Definition camcorders but these cost twice as much and the AVCHD video files they produce are not yet compatible with most video editing software. Also true High Definition video files are “overkill” for the web — they need to be highly compressed for web use. However, if you’re looking to playback your videos on a High Definition television then Canon’s HD option makes sense. We recommend the Canon VIXIA HF10 for those who want High Definition output. It’s available for $819.95 at Adorama.com.

Adorama has provided a Canon FS10 to AccurateShooter.com in return for promotional considerations.