New Custom Action from Louisiana Precision Rifles

Louisiana Precision Rifles (LPR) has a new custom action with all the features you could want in a deluxe Rem-700-clone receiver. The new Rem-700 footprint LPR action is available in stainless steel or chrome moly, in Right Hand, Left Hand, Long- or Short-action versions, suitable for .223 Rem through .338 Lapua Magnum.

LPR’s owner William Roscoe included some very nice features in this new action — it’s a far cry from another “bare bones” Rem-700 clone. The bottom of the action features a .125″ radius cut for modified detachable box magazines, and the receiver is otherwise compliant with both ADL and BDL bottom metal. Notably, the new LPR action is slightly longer than a standard Rem 700 receiver. The LPR action has a longer 1.0625 x 16 TPI tenon for better barrel support.

In the front of the action is a precision-ground, double-pinned .312″ recoil lug. On top of the action, Louisana Precision includes a custom +20 MOA scope rail, that is both double-pinned and secured with oversize 8×40 screws. Roscoe has relocated the bolt release to the side where it is raised up out of the stock line so you don’t have to make a large cut-out in your stock.

The bolt is an inpressive piece of work also. It employs a fluted, one-piece bolt body with a threaded handle to accept custom bolt handle knobs. At the rear of the bolt, the cam angles have been carefully modified for smoother extraction and better camming. The front of the bolt is fairly unique. The ejector has been repositioned, and the bolt is fitted with an ultra-reliable mini M16-style extractor. The new LPR action design also allows a 100% captive firing pin tip.

Available on Complete Rifle Builds Initially
This receiver is available right now on complete rifles built by Louisiana Precision Rifles. Individual receivers will be offered for sale at a later date. The cost of a complete custom rifle built by Wm. Roscoe of Louisiana Precision ranges from $2,950 to $3,500 depending on finish, added options and stock choices. Estimated lead time is roughly 30-45 days on receivers. For more info, visit LouisianaPrecisionRifles.com, or call William Roscoe at (318) 422-0421.

Sources for Official NRA, IBS, and NBRSA Targets

AccurateShooter.com offers dozens of FREE, printable targets for target practice, load development, and fun shooting. We also offer a few samples of the most popular NRA Bullseye targets. One or more of these printable targets should work for most training purposes. However, some readers have asked “where can we get the real targets… exactly like the ones used in NRA, IBS and NBRSA shooting matches?”

Sources for Official Shooting Competition Targets
Here are five (5) sources for official match targets: ALCO Target Company, American Target Company, National Target Company, Pistoleer.com, and U.S. Target Company. All five of these vendors carry nearly all the NRA High Power and Smallbore targets, including the new, smaller F-Class Targets. Most sources also have international 300m and 300m-reduced-to-300-yards targets.

National Target and Pistoleer.com sell IBS targets for rimfire (50 yard) benchrest, short-range centerfire Benchrest (100, 200, 300 yards), Hunter BR Rifle (100, 200, 300 yards), plus the official 600-yard and 1000-yard IBS targets. Neither National Target nor Pistoleer.com lists a separate line of NBRSA targets, but we are told that National Target supplies NBRSA matches. One other NRA-licensed target vendors is Central Target Company (Kentucky), (502) 895-3390, but it appears that Central Target doesn’t maintain a web site.

Available Official Competition Targets
Vendor	NRA High Power	F-Class	NRA Smallbore	Air Rifle/Pistol	IBS	NBRSA	Other
ALCO Target Company	Yes, All	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Archery, IDPA, IPSC, Police, Realistic, Shoot-N-C, Silhouette, Fun Targets, Pasters.
American Target Company	Yes, All	Yes	Yes, All	Yes	No	No	USBR, Sight-in, Muzzle-Loading, Police Silhouette
National Target Company	Yes, Nearly All	Yes	Yes, All	Yes	Yes	On Request	IDPA, IPSC, FBI, Police Silhouette, Sight-in, Target Backers, Pasters
Pistoleer.com	Yes, Nearly All	Yes	Yes, most and color training	Yes	Yes	No	Bianchi, FBI, IBS, IDPA, IPSC, Silhouette, Archery, Pasters
U.S. Target, Inc.	Yes	Yes	Yes, All	Yes	No	No	Bianchi, FBI, Police Silhouette, IPSC, Realistic Silhouette, Varmint

ALCO Target Co., Ph: (626) 358-4814, 2048 Central Ave., Duarte, CA 91010
American Target Co., Ph: (877) 733-0433, 1328 South Jason St., Denver, CO 80223
National Target Co., Ph: (800) 827-7060, 3958-D Dartmouth Ct., Frederick, MD 21703
Pistoleer.com, Ph: (618) 288-4588, 12 Schiber Court, Maryville, IL 62062
U.S. Target Inc., Ph: (800) 746-6836, 16472 Common Rd., Roseville, MI 48066

Alternate NBRSA Target Source
NBRSA 600-yard and 1000-yard targets are also available from Karl Huntstiger, wfo13 [at] aol.com, 2901 E. Cortez Street, Phoenix, AZ 85068. We are informed that Karl gets the targets from NationalTarget.com. But if an item is out of stock with National Target you can contact Karl — he’ll know where to find what you need.

Photos of Gen 4 Glocks Reveal Notable Changes

Ed’s Public Safety, a gunshop in Georgia, has published photos of the New “Gen 4″ Glock handguns. The much-ballyhooed design changes for the Gen 4 Glocks are interesting, but hardly revolutionary. As expected, the new Glocks will have interchangeable backstraps. That’s probably a good thing.

CLICK HERE for more Gen 4 Glock photos

Other noteworthy changes in the Gen 4 Glocks are a dual recoil spring, and an interchangeable magazine release that can be moved from right to left. The dual spring is a more modern design that may reduce perceived recoil somewhat. The mag release change is smart and makes the gun more user-friendly for southpaws. Glock is making new magazines for the Gen 4 Glocks that work with the interchangeable mag release. Older magazines can still be used with the new Gen 4 Glocks, but only when the mag release button is positioned on the left.

Design Change — Too Little, Too Late?
Unfortunately, with either of the two provided backstraps, Glock’s Gen 4 grip is still fat and blocky compared to many other pistols. Also the Gen 4 Glocks retain the prominent “backstrap bulge” or flare in the bottom 1/3 of the grip’s back edge. For many shooters this “Glock bulge” causes the gun to point poorly, and for this Editor, that bulge also causes the gun to twist more on recoil (since it pushes against one side of the base of the shooting hand). The first thing done by companies that modify Glock grips is to reduce the flare or bulge in the bottom of the grip. That makes the grip much more user-friendly for smaller hands. In this Editor’s opinion the bottom rear section of the Glock grip was an ergonomic mistake when it came out in 1982 and the Gen 4 redesign really does nothing to correct the flaw. The interchangeable backstraps are just a poor “band-aid fix” when a more fundamental redesign was needed.

Overall, we think that most of the Gen 4 design changes are positive, or at worst “neutral”, but this may be a case of “too little, too late”. We doubt if the redesigned Glock is sufficiently improved to grab much market share back from the Smith & Wesson M&P series and other handguns whose sales have cut into Glock’s lucrative police contracts and civilian sales. The Gen 4 Glocks offer a modest ergonomic improvement over previous models, but they still not as well-designed ergonomically as Smith’s M&P. We doubt that police agencies which have switched to M&Ps will find reason to go back to Glocks anytime soon — unless, of course, Glock radically drops its prices, which is unlikely.

New Smartreloader iSD Digital Powder Dispenser

A new digital powder dispenser just hit the market. Priced at just $205.99 (at Grafs.com), the new Smartreloader iSD Digital Powder Scale & Dispenser, is about $100.00 less expensive than RCBS’s popular ChargeMaster. Designed in Italy, the Smartreloader iSD dispenser has the ability to work with either 110 volt (American) or 220 volt (European) power supplies.

The new Smartreloader iSD has some impressive features, such as fast calibration and a selectable trickle function. We hope to get our hands on one soon so we can comparison-test it against an RCBS Chargemaster. You can learn more about this new powder dispenser at Smartreloadermfg.com. General specs are very similar to the Chargemaster: the iSD scale has a maximum capacity of 1,500 grains and has claimed accuracy of ±0.1 grains. You can store up to 50 loads in internal memory, and users can select four (4) different measurement units: grams, grains, carats, or ounces.

Where can you find this new powder dispenser? Supplies are very limited right now, but in the USA, Smartreloader-branded products will be carried by Cabelas.com, Grafs.com, Midsouth Shooters Supply, and Cabelas.com. The worldwide distributor of Smartreloader products is H.T. Helvetica Trading, a Swiss-based company. CLICK HERE for a list of Smartreloader vendors in other countries.

Garmin 885 with Voice Commands is $159.99 — Today Only

The Garmin Nüvi 855 GPS Navigator is Amazon’s gold box “Deal of the Day” for December 22, 2009. This is a highly-rated unit with Lane Assist, and speech recognition for commands. Today only, the price has been slashed from $189.99 to $159.99 with FREE Shipping. You can’t touch that price elsewhere for a Garmin with speech recognition. As this is the lowest price I’ve ever seen (by far), your Editor went ahead and bought one.

CLICK HERE for Best Price
Garmin nüvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition

The video below shows how the voice-activated navigation works on the Garmin 880, the predecessor to the model 885. It’s pretty cool. NOTE: To use the voice command feature, you need to have a small wireless control (included in the kit) clipped on your steering wheel.

IMR 8208 XBR in Stock at Grafs.com

Grafs.com has received a large shipment of the new IMR 8208 XBR powder. This is good news as Powder Valley recently sold out. Grafs.com has both 8-lb jugs for $149.99 (item IMR82088) as well as smaller 1-lb containers for $21.99 (item IMR82081).

If you haven’t heard about IMR 8208 XBR, this is a very promising new powder that is very accurate, meters well, and is much less temp sensitive than other powders of similar burn rate. This powder should be ideal for many applications including .223 Rem, .204 Ruger, 6 PPC, and .308 Winchester. Will 8208 XBR work in a 6BR or Dasher with heavy bullets? We’ll let you know soon — we’re planning to test it ourselves with an 8-twist 6mm BR.

Norma Plans to Resume 6PPC Brass Production

This is potentially big news for short-range Benchresters and for varminters who shoot PPC variants. Norma has resumed production of 6PPC brass — at least on a prototype basis. NOTE: We don’t have many specifics. Norma has not firmly committed to exporting production 6PPC brass to the USA, nor has Norma announced a product release date. However, we received the following email today: “After some work Norma has just started production of 6 PPC cases again. A new double-press has been installed which allows us to work-harden the case better. Internal tests are promising and we wonder if you would be interested to test a bunch.” That’s it… we’ve shared all that we know for now.

Last-Minute Bargains at Creedmoor Sports

Based in Oceanside, California, Creedmoor Sports is one of the leading suppliers of equipment for High Power, Prone, Smallbore and Air Rifle shooters. Creedmoor’s General Manager Dennis DeMille is a former National Champion High Power Shooter. Dennis and his staff have the expertise to know what competitive shooters need.

Creedmoor has some good Holiday Specials running right now, and there is still time to order gift items for Christmas if you get your order in by midnight PST on December 21st. Creedmoor’s “affordable gift picks” for this Holiday season include instructional DVDs, Shooting Gloves, Rifle Slings, and Shooters’ T-Shirts.

Jim Owens High Power DVDs — $16.00 Master Sgt. Jim Owens (USMC retired), aka “Jarhead Top”, has created a series of instructional DVDs for High Power, Position, and Service Rifle Shooters. Owens’ DVD titles include: Reading the Wind; Positions–Prone; Positions–Sitting & Offhand; Sight Alignment & Trigger Control; Service Rifle Sling; and M1 Garand Care & Cleaning. All these cost $16.00 (that’s 20% off), except the longer Reading the Wind DVD, which is $24.00 after 20% markdown.

Full-Finger Shooting Glove — $40.00 This glove is offered for both right- and left-handed shooters and meets all ISSF and NRA rules. It’s made of premium leather with rubber facings and ample padding. The rubber on the back of the glove is designed to eliminate sling slippage when locked into position. For the holidays, this glove is marked down to $40.00 from $44.95.

Ron Brown Service Rifle Sling — $60.00 Each sling is hand-stitched by Ron Brown in Lexington, KY. These slings are made from the highest-grade Hermann Oak leather, in saddle-tan or black. Slings are edged and creased, and holes are numbered. D-rings are oversized and parkerized. Frog hooks are made by Waterbury Buckles. All slings are treated with Neatsfoot oil guaranteeing years of use in the harshest conditions. According to Dennis, this is “the highest-quality service rifle sling money can buy”. Price is $60.00.

T-Shirts with Shooters’ Messages — $12.95 Creedmoor offers a selection of 100% cotton t-shirts printed with rifle images or clever messages that will appeal to serious shooters. In all there are over 30 gun-related designs available, including the ever-popular “Life’s Too Short to Shoot 9s” and “Got Ammo?”.

Powder Valley has IMR 8208 XBR Right Now

We just spoke to Bryan at Powder Valley. He confirmed that right now (0800 PST, Friday, Dec. 18th), Powder Valley has some IMR 8208 XBR on the shelves. All the 8-lb jugs are sold out, but Powder Valley still has roughly 100 1-lb bottles of IMR 8208 XBR. The price is $19.00 per pound, PLUS haz-mat and shipping.

Those interested in trying this promising new powder should contact Powder Valley immediately. Log on to powdervalleyinc.com or call (800) 227-4299.

If you want this powder, then act quickly. It may sell out within a few hours.

Jackie Schmidt Tests New IMR 8208 XBR Powder — Results are Very Impressive

IMR 8208 XBR is a new powder to be released by Hodgdon in January, 2010. The powder is said to be extremely accurate, and Hodgdon believes it will set new standards for stability across a wide temperature range. We spoke to Chris Hodgdon last week and he confirmed that “the 8208 XBR is packaged and ready to go. We plan to start shipping in quantity starting January 4th”.

Schmidt Tests IMR 8208 XBR with 6 PPC Railgun
Is the new powder as good as early reports have suggested? Ace Benchrest shooter Jackie Schmidt recently tested IMR 8208 XBR with his 6PPC rail gun. The results were very impressive. (Test observer 333 Smitty said: “This was the best testing session I have ever witnessed — It looks like the new 8208 is a huge success!”)

Shooting five, 5-shot groups, Jackie put together an .0976 Agg. His last two groups, both using weighed 8208 XBR loads, were in the zeros. (See target photo.) Jackie was shooting his Unlimited Rail with 65gr “Bartail” bullets, Fed 205 primers. The barrel was a 23.5″ straight-contour Kreiger with a 1:13.5″ twist. Conditions were “were really nice, just a gentle ebb and flow” with temps in the 50s and about 60% humidity.

Here is Jackie’s report, originally posted in the Benchrest Central Forum:

“I first started out with my ‘08 Vihtavuori N133, just to see if the Rail was on its game. After a few 3-shot groups to find the window, I settled in on 30.4 grains with a 65gr Barts Boattail. I then nailed a nice 5-shot ‘zero’ that you can see on the far left, second row up. Average velocity was 3470 fps.

I then switched over to the 8208 XBR. I started with a load that Tom Libby recommended, 31.3 grains. While it did not nail a ‘zero’, you can see it shot pretty well. The average velocity for the five record shots was 3430 fps.

I then decided to drop the load down into another window, a flat 30.0 grains. The average velocity was 3320, and as you can see, the group opened up. I felt like I hit the condition just right on each shot. Maybe a little cool for this light of a load.

We then decided to up the charge until it matched the velocity of the N133. This took 31.8 grains. With a slow trickle this was just about half-way up into the neck. The group was really nice, so I decided to try the load again, only weighing each charge. The results were the group you see on the far right. That is really probably about a .040″, pretty darned small. The average velocity on both groups was about 3470 fps.

I then decided to go back to the 31.3 grain charge, but weighing each charge this time. The results were another nice “zero”. The velocity was the same as before, but the total spread on this group was only 12 fps.”

IMR 8208 Also Shoots Well in Sporter Rifle
Jackie reports: “I then pulled out my Sporter, and put the 31.8 grain XBR load in. I shot a couple of 3-shot groups that were about .110, then shot a 5-shot group that was a ‘zero’ for the first four. But I missed the last condition, and opened it up to about a .180, straight to the right.”

Observations and Conclusions
Jackie writes: “So, what did I find out? First, this stuff is more dense than N133. I can barely get the 30.4 grain N133 load in the case, but there is no problem at all getting the XBR in at darned near 32.0 grains. This shows that, by weight, XBR is slower than the ‘08 N133.

The 8208 XBR also burned just as clean as N133. I could not tell the difference in the patches that came out after shooting N133 and the XBR. Also, this stuff meters VERY WELL. Much more consistant than N133. While I started weighing charges, I could count on the XBR out of my Hensler Measure to be within ± 0.1 grain. I simply cannot do this with N133.

An added note, the Rail Gun has a 23 1/2 inch barrel, the Sporter a 21 1/2. With the same load, I saw an average 70 to 80 fps slower velocity out of the shorter barrel. These two barrels are just about identical in the land and groove diameter, both .237 4-groove Kriegers[.] I guess this shows that some of the powder is still burning at 21 1/2 inches.

I showed that yes, at 52 degrees overcast and dreary, I made the stuff shoot pretty darned good. But, I do not have a clue what will happen when the weather changes. Only time will tell.

That about covers it. This new powder will shoot, and velocity is certainly not a problem. I had zero problems with any pressure signs, the handle on the Diamondback on the Rail and the Bat action on the Sporter lifted really easy on all loads, and the primers looked nice, with a generous radius still on the outside edge.”

General Comments — Can 8208 XBR Live Up to Expectations? Jackie offered these general thoughts about IMR 8208 XBR and how it stacks up versus Vihtavuori N133: “I have been shooting Benchrest since the mid ’90s, and I can’t think of a single product causing this much excitement, or generating this much hype. Just what are everyone’s expectations? Being able to arrive at a competitive tune, and have it stay there all day? Being able to shoot in the upper window without wrecking the brass? Being able to concentrate on the actual ’shooting’ rather than worrying about the rifle going ‘vertical’ at any moment? As of now, a few shooters have been able to test this new powder and found it to be capable of producing good velocity, and great groups. But, the realities of the ‘Competitive Arena’ can be very harsh. Nothing is more aggravating than trying to keep up with the pack when your rifle is locked into a .300 tune, and try as you do, nothing seems to work. We have all been there. My expectations are that the new powder will be more stable in the perameters that govern that all important ‘Agging Capability’. By that I mean that if the rifle does get a little ragged, just a little tweek one way or another will get it back. Or even better, that the rifle will stay reasonably competitive over a day’s worth of aggregates without fear of getting so ragged that your entire day is ruined by two bullet holes worth of vertical. This is a tough sell. But then, this is a tough game. I, for one, really hope that this new powder is more ‘user friendly’, so Benchrest can get back to being more about shooting, rather than chasing loads all day long. N133 is probably the most used powder in 100-200 yard Benchrest today. It is also, at the same time, the biggest source of aggravation. If it is right, nothing can beat it. But, as we all know, if it isn’t quite right, the fun can go away real quick. One of the Holy Grails of Benchrest has always been how to make N133 shoot over an entire Aggregate.”

Photos Courtesy G.A. Villarreal, used with permission.

New Brass Restoration Service Launched — Combined Ultrasonic Case Cleaning and Annealing

Darrell Jones, a talented benchrest shooter from Tennessee, has launched a new business that will provide a much-needed service for precision shooters. Darrell’s company, DJ’s Brass Restoration Service, will take your old, many-times-fired brass, and help bring them back to life. Darrell first cleans the cases inside and out using an ultrasonic bath. Then Darrell carefully anneals each case, employing temp indicators to insure the correct amount of heat is applied for the proper duration.

Combined Ultrasonic Cleaning and Case Annealing
The Basic Service starts at $20.00 per hundred cases — and that includes ultrasonic cleaning AND annealing. (Flat rate USPS shipping is extra.) Note: very large cases (such as the .338 Lapua) or damaged, dented cases may cost more. In addition to the Basic Service, Darrell offers a 4-Step Full Service starting at $25.00 per hundred cases (plus shipping). Full Service brass restoration includes:

• Uniform primer pockets
• Chamfer case mouths
• Ultrasonic cleaning and polishing
• Anneal case necks

Ultrasonic Muzzle Brake Cleaning
In addition to cleaning and annealing cartridge brass, Darrell offers Ultrasonic Cleaning for muzzle brakes. This removes carbon buildup to restore critical bullet clearance requirements. The price is $15.00 per brake (plus shipping).

Restoring Your Brass Can Save Time and Money
Your match-quality brass represents a significant investment of money and prep/sorting time. With 100 pieces of new premium brass costing as much as $100.00, we think Darrell’s service is a great deal for shooters who want to extend the life of their brass. We expect his cleaning/annealing service will soon be in high demand. (In addition, on a custom-order basis, for an additional fee, Darrell can trim cases to a specified OAL.) Also, if you have spent many hours turning necks or forming wildcat cartridges, DJ’s Brass Restoration can save you the hassle of trimming, sorting, turning and prepping new cases. You have a lot of time invested in those turned necks and fire-formed cases… you don’t want to toss the brass after a few firings.

For more information, visit DJsBrass.com, or call Darrell at (901) 826-1503. As a special benefit for AccurateShooter.com members, Darrell is now offering free return shipping on any order over 500 pieces (limited time offer). IMPORTANT: Contact Darrell for shipping instructions BEFORE sending any brass for processing. ALL BRASS MUST BE DE-PRIMED before you send it.

MOBALL Deployable Ballistics Computer from Bryan Litz

There are a variety of ballistics programs that can be used with handheld PDAs, and even Apple iPhones. But Bryan Litz, author of the new Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting book, has come up with something bigger and better. Employing the powerful Texas Instruments (TI) Voyage 200 graphing calculator, Bryan has created a Mobile Ballistics Solution (MOBALL) that is more sophisticated (and accurate) than typical PDA-based programs.

MOBALL includes TI graphing calculator and ballistics software. Kestrel windmeter NOT included.

Bryan tells us: “The Mobile Ballistics Computer (MOBALL) was created for one purpose: to provide shooters with the most accurate and complete ballistic firing solution possible for application in the field.” MOBALL runs on a TI graphing calculator — a sturdy, stand-alone, non-network device. That means you don’t need long-term cell phone contracts, expensive data plans, or weekly OS “updates” and patches. The TI also delivers long run-time on ordinary AAA batteries. That’s a big advantage over most laptop computers, which run out of “juice” after only 4-5 hours in the field.

According to Bryan, what sets MOBALL apart from other “deployable” ballistics calculators is that: “MOBALL provides a complete ballistic solution, with the ability to account for every major and minor variable affecting a bullets trajectory. In addition to the standard variables like atmospherics, uphill/downhill angles and wind, MOBALL also has the ability to account for more subtle ballistic effects like spin drift, Coriolis effect, and multiple winds in up to 3 zones.”

Importantly, Bryan’s MOBALL device can employ Ballistic Coefficients (BCs) referenced to the G7 standard. Compared to the older G1 BC model, the G7 BC standard better matches the characterics of the long, boat-tail bullets actually used by long-range shooters. Trajectories calculated using the G7 BC are more accurate for long-range bullets because the G7 BC doesn’t vary with velocity like the conventional G1 BC.

The difference between G1 and G7 BCs is explained online in the Berger Blog article A Better Ballistic Coefficient. The subject is also discussed in detail in Chapter 2 of Bryan’s Applied Ballistics book.

At $290.00, MOBALL isn’t the least expensive option for a mobile ballistics device, but that price includes the TI Voyage 200 graphing calculator, worth $180.00 by itself. Bryan adds: “As already mentioned, the feature set is extensive, and the software is much more sophisticated than most ballistics programs designed for PDAs. The solution is VERY accurate (CLICK to download MOBALL Accuracy Report). Also, the TI Voyage 200 is an impressive device itself, capable of solving advanced engineering and math problems. If you’re a high school/college student, engineer, etc, the TI Voyage 200 can be used for many school and work tasks unrelated to ballistics.”

Save $20 on MOBALL and Ballistics Book Combo
As a special Holiday Offer valid through December 31, 2009, you can save money when purchasing MOBALL and Bryan’s Applied Ballistics book together. The book and MOBALL unit are being offered as a Holiday Combo Set for $309.95. That’s a $20 savings over the $329.95 cost of purchasing both book and MOBALL unit separately.