In our Shooters’ Forum, member David C. posted this account about David’s recent positive experience with John Pierce of Pierce Engineering. It’s nice when a good deed gets acknowledged. Dave wrote:

“I don’t know if you guys know or have heard of John Pierce, but he makes a fine action and custom rifles if you want one. Well his shop is only about 5 miles from me so I went to see him yesterday. I had bought a Stevens .243 with the idea of making a 6mmBR out of it. I had it apart and had cut 0.600″ off and put the same amount of threads on it. I just wanted [John] to ream it for me if he had the time.

Well, John took one look down the barrel with his borescope and said ‘It’s Junk’. He then went through his take-off barrels and found a nice stainless bull barrel and said ‘this will work’. He then crowned it, cut it off and threaded it with a shoulder so no Savage nut was required. He then reamed it and put it all back together and checked the head space.

If that wasn’t enough, John then loaded 15 cases for me, gave me 100 primers and showed me around his shop. Now mind you I had been there most of the morning. Let me tell you, this guy has his stuff together. Boy does he make a great action. I said, ‘Well how much do I owe you?’, and he said ‘Nothing… just go shoot it and have some fun’.

I did buy him lunch, LOL. Guess where I will be getting my next rifle? Thanks John, you sure made this old man’s day.” – Dave C.

Hornady recently announced its new line of Superformance Hunting Ammo. Loaded with GMX solid bullets and SST jacketed bullets, the new ammo is faster than conventional hunting ammunition. Hornady claims that, “across the board”, Superformance ammo is 100-200 fps faster than other factory hunting ammo with similar bullet weights.

We had a lengthy discussion yesterday with Dave Emary, Hornady’s Senior Ballistician. Dave shared some of the secrets of the new Superperformance ammo, and explained how Hornady is achieving such high velocities. The key, as we suspected, is that Hornady is using new propellants — powders that are not yet available for sale. These new propellants are BALL POWDERS custom-made to Hornady’s specs. Hornady actually commissioned multiple new spherical formulations, in various speed ranges. Then Hornady blends these ball powders to suit particular cartridges and loads. So, each type of Superformance ammo (e.g. 243 Win with 95gr SST and 300 Win Mag with 165gr GMX) represents a custom blend of the new ball propellants of various burn ranges. Hornady tailors the powder blend to achieve maximum velocity, accuracy, and low temp sensitivity for each load.

Hornady is NOT using Alliant’s Reloder 17. However, in some respects, Hornady’s new ball powders behave like Reloder 17 — by “flattening the right side of the pressure curve”. Rather than hitting a high peak pressure and then dropping off dramatically in energy, Reloder 17 sustains high pressure behind the heel of the bullet for a longer in-barrel time. Hornady’s new powders do the same thing — they deliver high energy behind the bullet for more milliseconds as the bullet travels down the bore. This is the main reason Superformance ammo delivers high velocity — the new powders are maintaining higher energy levels for a longer period of time. Additionally, being ball powders that pack tightly, the new propellants can be loaded to a high density in the case — an advantage with medium-sized cartridges such as the 6.5 Creedmoor.

High Progressivity Powders
In addition to high sustained energy, Emary noted, the new propellants exhibit very high “progressivity”. What this means, in practical terms, is that the new propellants achieve almost 100% burn by the end of the cycle. So, virtually all of the mass of the powder has changed to gas by the time the bullet exits the muzzle. As a result, Emary explained “with Superformance propellants you have less ejecta leaving the muzzle. With some other extruded powders, you’ll get unburned or partly burned sticks leaving the muzzle”. Why does that matter? Dave explains there are a couple major benefits to high progressivity. First, you get “every last ounce of energy” out of each powder kernel. Second, because less unburned ejecta is driven out the barrel, the amount of recoil is reduced, particularly for the large magnum cases.

Dave explains: “In the past, small arms performance has been limited by the powder’s ability to completely burn by the time the bullet exits the muzzle. To attempt to get higher performance, high charge weights of a slow burning powder were used to attempt to maximize muzzle velocity. Powders were not progressive enough to allow these heavy charges of slow powder to be completely burned by the time the bullet left the muzzle, especially with lighter-weight bullets. The end result was very modest increases in velocity with heavy recoil and many times unacceptable accuracy. Superformance powders solve this problem because of their ability to completely burn by bullet muzzle exit…. This results in a much higher percentage of the available powder energy being transferred to the projectile, rather than being blown out the end of the barrel as unburned powder[.]“

In practical terms, Emary stated, the high energy and high progressivity of the new propellants permit many cartridges to deliver “real-world” performance equaling that of larger cartridges loaded with conventional powders. For example, according to Dave, “the 6.5 Creedmoor is performing on a par with a Rem .260.” Dave cited the example of his own 6.5 Creedmoor hunting rifle: “It shoots as flat as a .260 and the accuracy is as good or better.”

Dave has authored a detailed report that shows how 30-06 Superformance ammo can match the velocities of Hornady’s “light magnum” 30-06 ammo loaded with conventional powders. The Superformance 30-06 achieved similar velocities, with equivalent peak pressures, while using 6 grains less powder. This is illlustrated in the graph below.

Dave’s report states: “[The chart] shows a comparison of Chamber Pressure vs. Time for Custom, Superformance and Light Magnum ammunition in 30-06 loaded with a 150 gr SST bullet. As can be seen from the graph, all loads produced approximately the same pressure but have widely different charge weights and velocity performance. There is considerably more area under the curve for both Superformance and Light Magnum. This is where the increase in performance comes from. One detail to note is that the Superformance chamber pressure has dropped to at or below that of the Custom ammunition by the time the bullet exits the muzzle. This shows the highly progressive burning characteristics of the powder and its ability to completely burn. As noted above, the charge weights which go along with the different loads and the performance achieved with them are quite different. Custom is loaded with 58.5 grs of powder, Superformance 61.0 grs and Light Magnum 67.0 grs. Superformance ammunition produces significantly higher velocities than Custom with only a small amount more powder and the same velocity as Light Magnum with significantly less powder.”

Superformance Ammo for Match Shooters May Be Next
Right now Hornady is marketing its Superformance line as hunting ammunition only. However, Hornady recognizes that the new propellant technology could benefit match shooters as well. Dave told us that Hornady has begun development of a 6.5 Creedmoor Superformance round using the 140gr A-Max bullet.

Choate Machine & Tool, www.riflestock.com, has introduced a new, affordable tactical stock for Remington BDL actions. The new stock, Choate model #25-01-01, sports an 80/20 blend of polypropylene and fiberglass, wrapped around a full-length aluminum bedding block. The stock comes with an adjustable spacer system allowing for .75″ of adjustment in length of pull, a rail integrated into the bottom of the fore-end to mount a bipod, and four swivel studs for customized carry options. Choate’s new tactical stock fits Remington short action receivers with action screw spacing of 6.500″ center to center.

This stock has some very nice features. We like the fact that the toe (underside) of the buttstock is relatively straight, and long enough to work well in a rear sandbag. The built-in rail on the fore-arm’s underside allows you to move your bipod fore and aft, plus you can easily mount other accessories. The spacer system is a nice feature in an “economy” stock, which retails for just $219.99 at MidwayUSA.com.

Choate-Stocked F-TR Rifle Wins World & Euro Championships
We know that some folks scoff at the Choate product line, assuming that a lower price means that Choate stocks can’t perform as well as all-fiberglass stocks that may cost two or even three times as much. Well, to those “sticker-price snobs”, consider this. Britain’s Russell Simmonds won the 2009 F-TR World Championship (at Bisley, England) shooting a .308 with a Choate stock. Russell then went on to win the British League Championship (the second time in a row) AND the European Championship. Russell’s gun features a Barnard action, True-flite barrel, Choate “Ultimate Sniper” stock and 8.5-25×50 Leupold scope.

We know that factory ammo for popular handgun calibers is still hard to find. This has lead to ammunition hording by handgun owners and painful price hikes from some ammo vendors. We saw one dealer charging nearly $40.00 for a 50-rd box of .380 ACP, more than double what the same ammo sold for 18 months ago. However, if you search around you’ll find that prices are starting to drop and we’re seeing supplies that haven’t been available in months.

Decent Pricing on 9mm and 40sw Can Be Found
Thankfully, some major dealers are holding the line on ammo prices and not taking advantage of the current supply shortages. Ammoman.com has Winchester 9mm ammo with 147gr BEB (Brass Enclosed Base) bullets at a good price: $159 for 500 rounds. This is new, US-made ammo ideal for use at indoor ranges as the enclosed base bullet design reduces lead pollution. With BEB bullets, guns run cleaner too as there is no vaporized lead left in the barrel.

For 40sw shooters, both Grafs.com and MidwayUSA.com have the PRVI Partisan 40sw 180gr TMJ ammo in stock right now. Graf’s sells the 40sw Prvi ammo for $20.99 per 50rd box, while MidwayUSA has the same product (40sw, 180gr TMJ) for $21.49 per 50rd box. Those are decent prices for factory ammo these days.

Ask any Palma shooter and he’ll tell you that Barnard makes one of the smoothest, most reliable actions available. And now there is a new modular metal stock system that adapts the Barnard SM action for use in target and tactical rifles.

The new Barnard 07 Target-Tactical Stock (TTS) from MTGuns features an anodized aluminum chassis with a floating tubular handguard. The TTS is designed for the Barnard small repeater action, and the chassis is configured to use reliable H.S. Precision detachable box magazines. One H.S. Precision .308-sized magazine comes with each stock, allowing the rifle to be chambered for any round with a .308-spec case head and a maximum overall length of 2.800″. That means you can mag-feed and shoot a 6XC, .243 Win, 6.5×47, 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, .308 Win, or 7mm-08.

Fully Adjustable Cheekpiece and 4-Way Buttplate
One of the most impressive features of the Barnard 07 TTS stock is the ease with which it can be configured for different shooters or different shooting positions. The stock comes with an adjustable cheekpiece secured with a large, ergonomic rotary knob. The Barnard TTS stock also includes a 4-way adjustable butt plate at no extra cost. This allows the shooter to easily modify length of pull (LOP), pad height, offset, and cant (buttpad L/R tilt). Also included with the stock is an elevated Picatinny-spec scope rail, and the Barnard SM action is drilled and tapped for a Remington-type rear sight base.

While there are many metal chassis systems offered for Remington-footprint receivers, the TTS system gives you the advantage of a Barnard action. Like its ‘P’-model big brother, the SM action boasts a very fast lock time, easily removable striker assembly — no spring compression issues — with a 1/16″ firing pin in a three-lug bolt. Overall bolt/receiver tolerances are machined to very exacting standards. The SM action can use Remington-style triggers.

The TTS stock is strong and stiff, yet light in weight. Using a TTS stock, you can build a rifle that is comfortable to carry in the field. A complete rifle fitted with a 26″ medium Palma contour barrel (and included Picatinny scope rail) weighs just 12 pounds. The Barnard Target-Tactical stock comes standard with sling swivel studs, one on the handguard and the other near the bottom of the adjustable buttplate.

For more information on the Barnard 07 Target-Tactical Stock, visit MTGuns.com, or call MTGuns (in California) at (805) 720-7720. The Barnard 07 Target-tactical stock, complete with floating handguard, 4-way buttplate, H.S. Prec. magazine, and scope rail, retails for $1250.00.

The web-based JBM Ballistics Program is one of the most sophisticated and accurate ballistics calculators available — and it’s free. The latest version of the JBM Trajectory Calculator includes field-test-derived actual G7 BCs, as well as bullet drag data from Lapua’s Doppler radar testing. Whenever we have web access, the JBM program is our “go-to” resource for dependable ballistics calculations. In our experience, with most bullets, if you input all the correct variables for the JBM program, it should get you within 1/2 moa (2 clicks), at 600 yards.

The creator of the JBM program advised us that some of the URLs for the calculations pages have changed. You may want to update your bookmarks with the following web addresses:

JBM Calculations Entry Page: www.jbmballistics.com/calculations/calculations.shtml.

JBM Advanced Trajectory Calculator: www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.0.cgi.

JBM Simple Trajectory Calculator: www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj_simp-5.0.cgi.

JBM Trajectory Cards (Come-up Table) Generator: www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmcard-5.0.cgi.

David “Dirt” King, the owner of Midsouth Shooters Supply, is profiled in American Rifleman’s December 2009 issue. King has a fascinating personal background. Dirt King was raised near Reelfoot Lake and the Mississippi River in the northwest corner of Tennessee, and spent several years as a singer and keyboard player in nationally-known touring and recording bands. In his early teens he started off in rock bands, and later performed with big name country stars like Hank Williams Jr., and Carl Perkins. CLICK HERE to read article.

After his early career as a musician, King became a professional hunting and fishing guide in Tennessee. His guiding experience gave him insight into the outdoor industry and the gear that worked best for real hunters and anglers. Armed with that knowledge, King purchased Midsouth Shooters Supply in 1995 (the company was founded in 1969). King has built Midsouth into one of the nation’s most successful outdoor enterprises (and one that has supported 6mmBR.com from the very beginning). His company now boasts over 30 employees, who sell, pack, and ship millions of dollars of merchandise every month. Somehow, Dirt King also finds time to produce and co-host the popular Hunting University TV show.

You can read more about David “Dirt” King in Jim Wilson’s article profiling Midsouth’s owner. And in case you’re curious about the “Dirt” nickname, King told Wilson that, “That’s just a name that I got when I was a kid, and I’ve never been able to get loose from it.”

Remington Arms Co. plans to start selling handguns, perhaps as early as the first quarter of 2010. In his Shooting Wire website, Jim Shepherd has confirmed that Remington is planning to build and market handguns, including a 1911 type semi-auto pistol. Remington recently named Tom Taylor as its new Senior VP for Handgun Marketing and Products. Taylor, formerly Vice-President of Marketing for Smith & Wesson, was hired for his handgun industry expertise.

Remington May Acquire Handgun Maker
Shepherd reports that Remington is seeking to acquire an existing handgun manufacturer, although it appears that Remington’s first new pistols will be developed and produced in-house. Shepherd writes: “it has been no secret in the industry that Remington has been ’shopping’ for a handgun company. Several names have been mentioned, but it appears the first product will be ‘organic’ coming from inside Remington, rather than via acquisition. A 1911 is in first-production testing, and may be ready for introduction at SHOT Show in January”. Shepherd cautions, however, that Remington may move back the launch of its 1911 pistol to ensure all the bugs are worked out, and that the product is 100% reliable.

Will Remington Revive Older Designs?
Though Remington is now best known for its long-guns, it does have a rich heritage of pistol-making, going all the way back to the early 1800s. In the Civil War, Remington & Son percussion revolvers were often used by Union calvarymen, many of whom preferred the Remingtons over the standard issue Model 1860 Colt revolver. Remington also produced popular semi-auto pistols in the first half of the twentieth century. Shepherd speculates that “the small, reliable Model 51 might be a candidate for a revival”. A thin, sleek design by John Pederson, the Model 51 (shown below) was offered in .32 ACP and .380 ACP calibers. With some updates — such as improved sights and a shorter, more compact slide and barrel — a modernized m51 design could prove a popular carry piece. No doubt Remington hopes to emulate the commercial success Ruger has achieved with its recently introduced LCP™ compact .380 ACP.

History Lesson — How Remington Arms started
Legend has it that a young Eliphalet Remington II believed he could build a better gun than he could buy, and he set out to craft such a gun on his father’s forge located at Ilion Gulch, New York. In the autumn of 1816, Eliphalet entered a shooting match with his new flintlock rifle, and while he only finished second, his handmade rifle was a success. Orders for new Remington-made rifles and barrels began to accumulate from the many other contestants, and before Eliphalet left the shooting field, he was in the gun business.

Remington Model 51 photo courtesy Mob Guns Inc..

We know a lot of you guys have old, grungy computer keyboards that should be tossed. Maybe your current keyboard has some broken keys or “blank” keys with worn-out printing. Or perhaps you have an unreliable mouse with a mind of its own. Well, it’s time to chuck that old broken equipment. For today only, Dell is selling a brand new WIRELESS keyboard and mouse, complete with USB adapter, for just $28.00 total with FREE Shipping. That’s $31.99 off the regular price. This bundle (Dell Part# 468-6001) provides a clutter-free desktop.

This Wireless Keyboard and Mouse deal is good for today only, 11/21/09.

CLICK HERE for future Dell Daily Deals — a new bargain every morning.

UPDATE: This has now been switched to a “Weekend Deal”. Same stuff, but the price is now $29.99. Still a good deal. CLICK HERE for weekend deal.

Thanksgiving is coming up soon. After partaking in the traditional Turkey Day feast, we know many of our readers will find time during the holiday to head to the range. A Thanksgiving Day shoot is a fun excursion, and a great way for young and old family members to share time together. For all you T-Day marksmen, we offer a special turkey target. This was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”).

We’ve packaged the turkey target along with five (5) other varmint/animal-themed targets for your shooting pleasure. These are all offered in .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format for easy printing.

CLICK HERE to download all six targets as a .Zip archive.

Program Works to Expand Hunting Opportunities for Families
Speaking of turkeys and families going shooting together, we’d like to give a plug for the “Families Afield” program. A joint effort of the Nat’l Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the “Families Afield” program works to expand the opportunities for young hunters with adult mentors. The goal of the program is to increase the number of young people getting involved in hunting. For every 100 adult hunters today, only 69 youth hunters are coming up to take their place. “Families Afield” works to reverse that trend. Several states that were restrictive to youth hunting have signed into law “Families Afield” legislation. These new laws make it possible for young hunters and their families to enjoy hunting traditions together. CLICK HERE to learn more.