Frequently, observations - regarding precision rifle shooting/reloading - are proffered in terms of absolute value: in benchrest shooting/competition, there is but one absolute: NOTHING is ABSOLUTE . . . following a tangent, or two, we’ll come back to this . . .
 
As more information has become available (shared) regarding the technical aspects of precision, a growing number of shooters handicap their potential by becoming focused on [technical] attributes, many of which are, “lost-in-the-noise”. A surprising number of individuals, locked into the technicalities, never consider how even a minimal ‘wind’ (condition) may affect shot placement on the target - or, enlarge the group. Largely, ‘wind’ remains either misunderstood, or, at best, underestimated.

The principal misunderstanding: the penchant for comparing wind-drift (say for two bullets of the same caliber, but with differing ballistic coefficients -BC) via a relatively large [wind] velocity component (5,or,10 MPH), as opposed to a lesser velocity - say plus/minus 1MPH - a component more reflective of who, on a given day, will win/place/show. A 5MPH mistake is one from which recovery is unlikely.

At a target distance of 200 yards, assuming the mythical/hypothetical and constant 10 MPH wind, at the even more unlikely steady 90 degree vector (angle), the average benchrest quality bullet (from 68 Gr. 6mm through 120 Gr. .30 Cal), will be dragged about 4.1 inches! This is a number which, often, startles even the most experienced benchrest competitors!

Wind-drift is directly proportional to [wind] velocity, therefore, it is easy to visualize a mere 1 MPH change in velocity - while assuming a constant angle - moving bullet impact 0.41” at two hundred yards. Assuming a rifle capable of shooting a perfectly concentric, or, ZERO (0.000”) center-to-center group EVERY time, a two mile-per-hour shooting window results in a full 0.8” of left-to right (horizontal) group size . . . who can ‘dope’ that window? (Note: we won’t even open the discussion to gyroscopic laws, which, being a gyro, the bullet MUST obey. These laws, dictate varying degrees of “vertical” in association with the forces (drag & RPM) applied. Since we either shoot at ROUND (bulls-eye) targets [for score], or, for group, measure the extreme spread, the hypotenuse becomes all important!)

At 100 yards, exposed to the same mythical condition, bullet drift is a mere 1/4th of the 200 yard figure: the 200 yard game, thus, requires a much higher level of wind/condition doping skill: the target size is proportional to distance (doubled), but the cost of a ‘doping’ error is four times greater.

An amazingly high percentage of individuals, with whom I speak, expect to be able to, CONSISTENTLY, shoot sub 0.40” groups at 200yards! This level of precision requires a maximum of 0.20” (0.10 MOA) precision, combined with the ability to ‘read’ conditions (wind) to [within] +/- 1/2 MPH; or, during varying angles, the perpendicular/velocity equivalent, within plus or, minimum 0.50 MPH - who is consistently capable of doing THAT?

Back to the beginning. There is no such thing as absolute velocity - to the degree many believe, the chronographs we use will not precisely measure velocity. Bullets [from the same box/lot] do not share a common (absolute) BC, but, rather, vary: often, considerably! A Doppler RADAR test, conducted at White Sands, NM, of which I am aware, showed a BC range of up to 15% - that, by the way, for VLD type bullets - stuff to think about!

While, using a decent micrometer, we may measure case neck-wall thickness, bullet diameter, etc., to the one-ten-thousandth (0.0001) of an inch - even that producing a merely relative result : one man’s .3080 may be the next man’s .3079, or, 3081 - not particularly absolute - only close. Mother Nature works in degrees of variation. At 200 Yd., a 2MPH wind reading error results in 0.80” of wind-drift - when it come to winnning/losing, that is, “where it’s at.”

So, what’s the point? Initiates should read a little, master the fundamentals, and shoot a LOT - and IN CONDITIONS - not the wee hours of the dawning. [The late] Don Judd, upon delivering my first “real” benchrest rifle - a .222 &1/2 - advised that, “after a couple of barrels, you might begin to “catch-on”! The only absolute: some things never change . . . oh, one more cliche, “don’t sweat the small stuff” . . . RG

 
Cleaning deer of lead will take more care, DNR says

A study, spurred by venison contamination found in the spring, shows bullets from some rifles can disperse farther into the animal, requiring new guidelines.

By DOUG SMITHdsmith@startribune.com, Star Tribune



Some lead bullets fired from high-powered rifles scatter lead fragments much farther into deer than hunters might assume, according to a Department of Natural Resources study released Tuesday.

That means the state's venison processors and 500,000 deer hunters must trim much farther from wound channels to avoid lead contamination.

Lead was found up to 18 inches from wound channels in a study on sheep conducted by the DNR in July, said Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program leader. The sheep, euthanized first, are anatomically similar to white-tailed deer.

"Some high-velocity lead bullets break apart almost instantly, throwing small pieces of metal all over the place,'' Cornicelli said.

Routine trimming likely will not remove all fragments, and the agency can't make a recommendation about how far out from the wound to trim. The fragments generally are too small to see, feel or detect while chewing.

The study also found rinsing a carcass tended to reduce lead near the wound channel by about 20 percent, but also spread lead.

Cutting 2 inches around the wound channel removes only about 30 percent of the lead fragments, Cornicelli said.

Ballistic-tip bullets, made to rapidly expand on impact, fragmented the most. They averaged 141 fragments per carcass, with an average maximum distance of 11 inches from the wound channel.

Soft-point bullets and bonded lead-core bullets with exposed lead cores had an average of 86 and 82 fragments, respectively, also with a maximum distance of 11 inches.

Shotgun slugs and muzzleloader bullets fragmented far less than lead bullets fired by high-powered rifles. Still, shotgun slugs left an average of 28 fragments at an average maximum distance of 5 inches from the wound. About 25 percent of the state's firearm harvest falls to shotgun slugs.

Bullets with no exposed lead (with copper cases completely surrounding lead cores) or all-copper bullets would "significantly reduce or eliminate lead exposure.

At first I thought this was a article put out by tree huggers to get somthing going against the hunting public... I am not so sure now ??? Are we at risk here ?  your thoughts ???

I found it interesting doing some work for a gentleman named Perry Nettle in Arkansas. I printed, sleeved and trued up a 700 action and we got to talking about shooting and it led to his involment with Carlos Hathcock. Perry was nice enough to send me some pictures of Carlos at the shooting school he attended. Perry won the top award of his class at the shooting school. 

 Here is a some information on Carlos for those who are not familiar with him. Taken from  Wikipedia.

Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Norman Hathcock II (May 20, 1942 – February 23, 1999) was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills and more than 300 probable kills during the Vietnam War.[verification needed] Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. His fame as a sniper and his dedication to long distance shooting led him to become a major developer of the United States Marine Corps Sniper training program. He has, in recent years, also had the honor of having a rifle named after him, a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather.

 I would like all of you to come up with a name for a Medal. We are in need of one for all the politicians. The latest being when Hillary landed in Bosnia and was "under a hail of bullets and had to run and duck " Some call it embellishment, some call it adlibbing.... I think it’s an outright lie. If your are ever under fire you won't forget it and you won't have to lie about it. This is but one example of politicians telling you what they want you want to hear... and its not just one sided. They all do it. Until someone comes up with a different name.... I am going to name it the "Pinocchio" medal.  Fitting to say the least. The other thing I want to rant about is the cost of getting elected..... What a joke.  Forty million a month to get your message out and its only going to get worse. As I have looked at the constitution as it is printed. It appears to me that the original intent was get the average American citizen to be able to run and contribute and then move on. I don't know about you but that is out of the league of most people I know.  Now it’s a way of life and if you are elected your first job is to get re-elected. 

I could go on and on.... this is a shooting forum and I don't want it to become political. But at some point the American people have got to stand up and say enough is enough..... Probably will never happen in my lifetime. Any and all viewpoints are welcome here.... so, what say you ? 

Stan 

This was a post started by Randy on 12/11/2004

OK, Stan "made me do it"! A while back, Stan asked if I'd submit a ditty on bullet making - since the pic posting is now "legal", we decided to use the  more effective "picture is worth a few words" version . . .  after receiving and unpacking, this is the first step in making BR quality bullets. This spool of .250" diameter lead wire will be cut into aproximately 130 pieces, each about thirty-inch long. R.G.

Now, here's a really neat machine built by my Uncle and BIG MIKE

Here's a close up of the business end of the core cutter

a clever design, which, using recorded micrometer settings, allows us to get very repeatable length when changing through the length/weight cycle! R.G.

And here's a closer look at the just cut cores . . .

 A little Q & A ensued.

Stan Ware:  Randy, a post or two back you said the cores were cut into 30inch lengths first and straightened. Why do you cut to 30inch lenghts ? What is the reason for this ? Why don't you cut into 1 inch pieces from roll ?.... Dumb question... but I don't know.

Randy: Stan, the wire is cut into 30" lengths (sticks) and then straightened, following which it is fed into the core cutter and cut into the individual individual "cores" - I probably used the wrong terminology. If you look at the previous core cutter pic, you'll see a stick of lead wire sticking up -it's toward the right hand end of the contraption. The cut cores are also "ejected" by gravity - the white "tickler" brushes the cores as the slide moves forward and dislodges the core from the cutter bushing. R.G.

GregP:  Randy,
How do you strighten the 30" sticks? Roll them between metal or hardwood plates? Tks --greg

Randy:  Greg, BIG MIKE may "kill" ME for letting out the secret . . . WE "roll" the wire between an aluminum plate, which is equipped with handles, and the "plate" which you can see in the pic of cutting the wire. The straightening is REALLY a DRAG! :(  Eventually, we will have the new cutter hooked up to a "feeder/straightener" and the wire will be cut into core slugs right off the roll! Well, that's the DREAM! R.G

Jim Saubier:  how much of a nub do you use at the end of the 30" section.  i imagine that every section you will lose a little from the feed end.  your cutter looks real slick, we are using the manual deal and it isn't quick by any means.

 Randy:  Jim, Since I cut all of the sticks using diagonal-cutting pliers, the ends are, indeed, waste. However, Only about 1/8th inch on the beginning end - the  final core may be too  short. I have attached a pic of my old reliable CH cutter (it was part of the "deal" when I scored my first set of dies  - a GREAT set of Rorschach .22 Cal.); I still use this cutter for 22 and 6mm cores . . . and occasionally, an odd lot of thirties. AS with the cutter my Uncle and I dreamed up and built, the CH cuts very square ends which are free of bulges and/or flaring - this makes squirting much more user friendly! 

Using the CH, BIG MIKE can only cut about 50% of what he cruises at using the new cutter! But since I put it close to the tube, he's much happier! ;) R.G.

Some Comments

K. Skjerdal:  With the cost of the lead and the jackets, and then all the hard work to form the lead into cores and point things up, (your press forearm must be getting HUGH by now and we will have to start calling you Popeye), plus the cost of maintaining the shop, the equipment, buying new point up dies and new bases, cleaning and lube supplies, drying towels, and on and on, at $240/1000, your bullets are the best bargin in BR!

Wait, what the hell I'm I tell this to you for, you are going to start charging us more...

Randy: Keith, thank you for your kind words. THis is true of even my friendly competitors bullets: hand swaged BR quality bullets are a REAL deal - I can't remember the last time I saw any of the Name Brand bullets at the TOP of an equipment list! R.G.

Jim Saubier:  thanks Randy.  We use the same spools of Star lead on a rack suspended from the ceiling.  we have a bench set up that is 6' long with the cutter on the end of the table.  We pull off sections from the spool, straightening, wiping crud from the wire and then cutting.  We used to do it in sections but always had a nub at the end.  Our cutter is a very simple cutter from Niemi, but is certainly not as efficient or fast as it could be. It is neat to see how others are doing things.  i've only seen 2 other set-ups for bullet besides our own.  Seems that everybody develops their own way of doing certain tasks.  If I had to make the number of bullets that you do, i'd sure want to automate any of the process' that i could.  I don't see the demand for .30 caliber bullets slowing any time soon. 

 In a Associated press release dated 12-29-07

Remington Arms Co. Inc. will acquire Marlin Firearms Co. in a deal that brings together two firearm companies founded in the 19th Century. Remington, acquired by Cerberus Capital Management in April, will add Marlin's long gun, including shoulder arm designs and lever action rifles. Marlin's lever action .22 repeater, now in the Model 39 , became the favorite of many exhibition shooters like Anne Oakley. Terms of the agreement for the privately held Marlin Firearms were not disclosed. A spokesman  for Madison N.C. based Remington would not comment on where the company plans additional acquisitions.  

Marlin was founded in 1870 by John M. Marlin, who worked at the Colt Weapons plant during the Civil War before opening his own shop to manufacture revolvers and derringers. "We knew it was time to find the right partner for Marlin to ensue our brands maintain their leadership positions and move into the next century" said Fran Kenna 111, chairman of North Haven -based company. Under the agreement, Robert  Behn will remain president of Marlin. Remington was found in 1816. The deal will provide both companies to access to the areas that now are beyond their reach in the $4.1 billion industry, said Chris Donlack, senior vice president at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade group. Remington will be able to tap into Marlin's niche of lever-actions rifles and Marlin will be a part of a much larger company with a full line of shotguns, ammunition and rifles, Dolnack said.  

This in my opinion has some good things. Better to have Marlin swallowed up Remington than moving the whole operation   over seas or a foreign base company acquiring it. Hopefully  it will produce some jobs here which is a benifit to all. It seems in todays world all the big companys are postureing themselves to go overseas or contract out cheaper labor. What does this all mean to you ? ....... YOUR THOUGHTS............. 

   Anyone that knows me can attest to the fact that I'm a voracious reader. It doesn't matter if it's a magazine, a book or the Internet, I'm almost always reading something. The love of reading is something that I inherited from my Mother and I'm thankful to her for instilling in me the wonderful gift of the written word.

  I can highly recommend the excellent book My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas. In his own words, Justice Thomas takes you through his life.....a life that began as a dirt poor son of a divorced Mother, sent to live with his Grandparents,  and ends with his appointment and ultimate confirmation to the highest Court in the land...the United States Supreme Court.

   His transformation from an angry liberal in his days at Holy Cross and Yale Law School who believed that: "The Man was keeping us down",  to a conservative leader who advocates personal responsibility and eschews quota-based systems that ultimately hurt those they are meant to help, is a remarkable tale.

     Good reading.    

 First off a big thank you to all for the birthday posts. How old am I ??...... I will give you  a time line. The year I was born Henry Ford patented  a method of constructing plastic auto body's, Battle of Midway ends and the Japanese loose, Kellogg's Raisin Bran is introduced, St.Louis wins the World Series, President of the U.S. is Franklin Roosevelt, Miss America was Jo-Carroll Dennison (Tyler TX).

Some prices in affect were..... new house $3775.00, New car $920.00, Gasoline 15 cents a gallon..... 15 cents a gallon?  I don't remember that, but I bought alot of 17 cents a gallon gas for my 46 Ford coupe that was painted 55 Dodge Regal Burgandy. No door handles, No hood,with chrome radiator hoses and engine. It also had  Burgandy  wheels with whitesidewalls which was a big thing back then.  It took every dime I made to keep me in tires and gas because the Mustang rebuilt engine 100 horse flat head with a Strongberg Carb was a goer. 

I had just turned 13 when my first center fire  rifle was a Winchester Model 43 218 Bee. I still have it today. I remember like it was yesterday. When it came by UPS I was home and signed for it. I knew what it was but dared not to open it. I quick ran down to the shop where Dad was working and asked if I could open it. He said yes, I ran home again (8 blocks) I remember cause I counted them both ways. The 43 Sold for $66.00 back then and the Deluxe model sold for $72.00. The only difference was the deluxe model was checkered. After opening up and drooling for hours and seeing how things worked I could only think of how I was going to get rich shooting it. After all  Jack rabbits were selling for 75 cents each and the bounty on Fox was $4.00. There were some sightings of fox around. Why I could make money and have fun. Shells were $5.75 for 50 rounds and my new Ideal 310 Tong tool would work just fine. 13 grains of 4198 would send it out around 2800 FPS and that was around factory ballistics. 

When Dad came home that night I gulped down my supper and kept pestering him until we went out to the shop and removed the cosmoline and got it ready for tomorrow because it was Saturday and I was going hunting. Well, first thing dad took it out of the stock while I washed the bolt. He polished and honed the sears until it was a nice crisp trigger and I could just see the Jacks piling up. Well, my plans got changed big time. He then decided that he would make it a Deluxe model and checker it..... Checker it ?!!! But dad I don't need it checkered.....I want to go hunting tomorrow. Well, it wasn't until the next winter that I was able to go  hunting with it. I can still see my dad sitting by the south bedroom window in the house where the light was the best with his magnifiers on checkering. When I did get to go hunting the following winter it was all sighted in and would print in a half inch hole all day long at 100 yards and supported a new J-4 Weaver scope. I shot many Jacks that winter.... somehow I never became as rich as I thought I would but did manage to keep components ahead anyway. I saw one fox that winter and shot him at about 175 yards running. You talk about proud. I carried him all the way home...about 4 miles from  where we  lived which was  about 2 blocks from the Des Moines river and every Sat. I would strike out and walk anywhere from 1 to 5 miles. 

That year Wayne Newton was born along with Muhammad Ali, Tammy Wynette. Johnny Cash was up and coming  and some time later I would go to see him for the first time in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Casablanca was a big hit. How old am I ?? ...........well Jack Benny said it best... I am 39

 Looks like from here that the Hunting season and Christmas have now run into each other. Just 17 more days and Christmas will be here. Seems like only yesterday I was complaining how hot it was and heading for the NBRSA Nationals. From the looks of all the nice photos we are getting that most not only shoot competitively but also enjoy some pheasant and deer hunting mixed with some fishing and  yote hunting. I must say the photos are great and keep em coming. If your like me and wait until the last day to get presents for everyone...... time is growing short.

Son Ryan did a Great job on the new software for the site and it went without any large hitches. We had a few problems but that was anticipated we tried to keep ahead of it. I say we.... well Ryan did most of the heavy lifting and he kept me busy doing the things that any village  idiot could do to make sure I didn't make things worse than they were. Along those same lines we are looking for suggestions and things that you think you would like added. We do this every year , but most of the time no one says anything. Now is your chance. I have not seen much activity in the "For Sale" area. We are looking for answers and suggestions on this also. I for one am lax here..... I have a ton of stuff (Junk) that could be sold but just don't get time to put it up. I do know that what I did put up went right away. Lets hear you thoughts on this.

Another thing that comes to mind is the Political season. We are facing another Federal election.  Those that live in Iowa are already experiencing it. If one should run across one of the many politicians be sure to ask about the second amendment, private ownership and your right to self protection. In the world of politically correctness most of them talk a great job but few ever back up or produce. Those of us that shoot competitively and those who hunt for sport and trap are "under the gun" so to speak.With all the shootings going on I am positive the next President is going to take a long hard look at things and if they are pro gun it sure can help. If they are Anti gun... well, look out. Your going to see some things you won't like. Just don't ever forget that Politicians are not as Honest as "All Star Wrestling" at least you know what to expect from the wrestling world.

 In closing Ryan and myself wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas and Great new year. For its YOU and only you that make this site what it is. May everyone have a new s/s barrel  under the tree along with a new aftermarket action. I put that tid bit in so if any wives read this they will know what to get you... surely it can't hurt. 

SGR 

 Seems like no matter where you turn the"doo Gooders" are making some law that makes them feel good. I see California or hereafter called "The fruit & Nut bowl of the U.S" seems to think that if the makers of semi auto handguns use a "micro Stamp" imprinted on the casing  when fired that all of their problems will go away . Well, I have news for them. It's not going to anytime soon. In fact, I would believe it won't do anything but make some trial lawyer richer faster. What don't these so called politicians get it ? Its a proven fact that most citizens who carry guns are responsible.

Next the lead ban in the Nut Bowl requires  that by July 1, 2008 big game and coyote hunters within the range of the endangered Nut bowl Condor use non lead bullets. Of course the nut bowl experts think that it will increase sales because of the rush to get the upgraded bullets for specific calibers..... Hmm... Randy, I need some non lead boolets. Can you supply ? I personally think it will drive people away from the sport instead of enhance it. Why don't we jump like the shot gunners and go to steel only to find out that it ruins quality barrels and does not work well. Then and only then did we come up with Bismuth, and heavy lead etc. Seems to me we should have found a substitute that worked well and patterned well first. If I done one I did five thousand choke jobs or installed new tubes. I hope that in the rifle lead problem that we at least find a workable substitute before we jump. One thing for sure if we leave it up to the Pinhead politicians that we are doomed. 

Your thoughts are welcome

Stan 

 This year has been bad for hunter safety in Minnesota. So far we are looking at 4 shootings and one fatality. Not a good year for hunting to say the least. In looking at the reports of when and why there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary. Most were driving deer or posting when it happened and apparently got excited when seeing the large buck, which most of the time is the norm. Accidents are preventable in most cases and should be on your mind 100% of the time. Saying that is easy, but doing it is something else.

When  I first started in the gunsmithing business it was on my mind alot. Liability insurance is not cheap and having 3 employees to watch I decided to make some rules and stick with them. One of them was  NO live rounds in a gun in the shop for testing. Go outside to test fire no exceptions. Well, everything went well untill  hunting season with all the repair and Warranty work we were working six and seven days a week..... well it turned out I was the one who broke the rule. I had just repaired a A-5 Browning and was testing the function. A easy way to do it is load it and work the barrel by hand.... well the customer was waiting patiently and in a hurry I grabbed live ammo and loaded it and for a brief second it entered my mind to go outside. I said to myself the gun has a safety sear and a interlock  in it and what could possibly go wrong with it. Never happen. Well, as I was working it the second round went off and blew a nice 12 guage hole in the roof... yes, it was a slug. I looked up after I could hear and thru the hole in the roof was a beam of light shinning on me and it said, Stan you dummie, I let you by this time !!! After, I put in a new safety sear which is designed to catch the trigger sear in case it malfunctions. It had broken. Never ever does that happen....... but it did.  I reflect on that happening  a lot and think of how bad it could have been. Especially for someone who should know better. So, I got the scaffolding out and was up on the roof repairing it when Suz came home from work... I tried to fix it before she got home but didn't make it. So, my tail went between my legs again...... first she was mad and later just felt sorry for me. Eating crow is hard especially if its cold.

The  Next time was when a customer bought in  a Winchester M-94 in a old canvas gun case. Laid the gun on the counter in the case and started taking it out of the case and the front sight got stuck in a  hole in the case.... as he was reaching in by hand to grab a hold of it by the lever I noticed the gun was pointed at me... I grabbed it and swung it out of my aim and said wait a minute here. Is the gun loaded ? He answered yes, thats why I came here I have a stuck case in the chamber.  I proceeded to give him a good tongue lashing and after I cooled off I went outside to remove the case. With a quick jerk it came loose and yes it was a live round. I know he felt bad, but this is how things happen. Just one second later and the outcome could have been different.

The  Point of this blog is to remind you that you can never be too safe. Being safe is YOUR Job and don't for a second drop your guard. Minnesota has a good hunter safety program and youngsters coming up must complete the course in order to get a license which is good.  So, when going hunting, bench shooting or just plinking make sure its on you mind. 

Have a great hunting season

Wow!  What a drop for Smith and Wesson Holding Company.

 They attributed it to a warm fall, but I would have to believe there is more at work here than that. Looking at the one year graph it isn't like they were stuggling as far as price, so it's hard to believe that the investors we're fed up with lack of gains and bailed.

   Thanks to Stan and Ryan for allowing me to 'blog' a bit. Basically, a 'blog' is a form of editorializing...so here we go. Might as well make my first one a dandy, right?

   For the past several years, I've felt that it was time for the Hunter Benchrest Class to make some changes to encourage new shooters into what is, quite honestly, a class whose popularity is waning somewhat...at least on a National level. With a few exceptions, Hunter Class shooting has dwindled to a few participants in the East which has traditionally been one of the strongholds of Hunter shooting. In the middle of the country, interest remains strong and growing thanks to the implementation of the Two Gun Score format by the IBS. In the West, we've seen a dropoff in competitors at the traditionally NBRSA sanctioned ranges.

   The reasons for this are many and varied. From the increasing age of the competitors making it hard to deal with the 6 power scope limitations, to shooters just moving on to other forms of BR competition, to the almost complete disappearance of the TCL results from the pages of Precision Shooting Magazine. But the fact remains, in my view, that we as competitors need to address this situation by the means available to us via the IBS and the NBRSA to both save and strengthen 6 Power BR shooting.

    I feel the most positive step we could make would be to drop the case capacity rule requiring IBS and NBRSA legal Hunter rifles to hold the water capacity of a 30-30. This has been defined as 45.0 or 45.5 gr. of water depending on which rule book we are reading.

   By allowing the use of smaller cases, we would remove the daunting task of case forming, the making or purchasing of custom dies, and the whole element of reamers that may or may not fit the case or chamber. Are all of these things insurmountable obstacles? Certainly not...as many have been very successful at this for many years.

    But for the aspiring Hunter newcomer that is looking to put one of these together, the mind numbing mix of components and case forming is akin to summiting Mt. Everest. Many just take a pass at this point, leaving the class poorer for their non participation.

   To me, the salvation of Hunter Benchrest could very well be the 30BR. It offers well established reamer designs that are proven winners, great Lapua brass, simple neck up-turn-and-shoot case prep, incredible accuracy and long barrel life. Plus, most of the shooters interested in Hunter probably already have plenty of experience with the 30BR, making the transition pretty easy.

   The IBS could combine Hunter and Varmint Hunter and have simply one class, called either Varmint Hunter or Hunter. The NBRSA shooters wouldn't have to change a thing on their rigs if they didn't want to. The bigger 'traditional' cases work great for those that use the 135-150 gr. bullets, so they would be at no disadvantage. None of what we've come to consider the true defining parameters of 6 Power BR shooting would change: the 2.25" stock and the 6 Power scope.

   Looking foward to your feedback on this.

    Good shootin'.   -Al

Stan and Ryan have graciously granted me "Blogger" status; having their trust is an honor. Thank you, Stan and Ryan.

During my senior year of High School, way back in 1967, in the Peoples Republic of Carifornia (cation), we were advised: "by the year 2000 (who'd EVER live that long?), the world will experience a return to "Ice-age" status; there will massive starvation and "shrinkage" of the oceans, as polar ice forms . . ." Well, so much for "scientists" taking a billionth of a nanno second snap-shot of geologic time and extrapolating a result . . . but I'm not going to "go political", I just had to vent . . . and I wonder, what has really changed in the last 40 years; I'd guess sunspots and politics.

What I really want to do is see if I can "import" a pic, or, if, when I go on my hunting rant, viewers, in order to view the pics, must be sent to the photo gallery - here goes . . . ok, I didn't get it figured out . . . and now, I've got to get to work. I may return later. RG

 Shoot thru's..... I hate them, but first let’s see both sides of the story. First of all going to a shoot is an event for me. The closest shoot I go to is a 4 hour drive. I normally leave on Friday so I can get to the range and set up my gear and get my bench assignment and set flags. I like to shoot a few rounds to make sure everything is ok and nothing has shook loose or out of place. Of course it’s also nice to get caught up with all the old socks on the latest news and remember whens. I am relaxed because I don't have a cell phone and I am going to have a great weekend even if I don't shoot like I want to. So, it makes no difference to me if I get to leave the range 30 minutes earlier than normal or an hour later. I came here to enjoy it and I am going to. The biggest problem I have with it is the fact that when shooting the HBR class with the 6X scope at 200 yards, even with 10 minutes the sighter  is so full of holes  its hard to see  where the last round went. With a warm up I can play with the sighter and if I want to I can use all 5 bulls for a sighter to check the different wind conditions if I so desire. The 30 minutes or so saved does not mean much to me at this point. I do understand the number of shooters and benches plays a part in this also, but getting home ASAP does not enter my mind because I am focused on shooting and not how quick I can get home.

Now for the other side of the story...... I can also understand that the match director, target crew may have different ideas. Most work for the weekend with little or no pay and maybe would like to get home to family and finish the weekend with them. I also understand that when I leave, their work is not done until the place is cleaned up and backers etc. are put away and probably some computer work to finish. So, they probably have a couple of hours of work or more to complete before they can go home. 

What can we do to satisfy both of us?  Well, normally many of the shooters that have come any distance are there Friday and the ones that are close sometimes come later in the afternoon on Friday or early Saturday morning. At the last shoot I was at I was there by 7:00 A.M. and a good majority was there by 7:30. By 8:00 just about everyone that was going to come was there. How about starting at 8:30 instead of 9:00 and gain the time supposedly lost by having a warm up? I don't think it would put a strain on anyone. This would be one way of doing it and I am sure I am going to get some comments on this blog and that’s good. We need a good discussion on it. So, feel free to reply and voice your opinion. Maybe someone else has a good idea. Remember one thing. “A good idea doesn't care who has it”

 As one looks back at the changes that have happened in the bench rest world and in other areas one has to come up with the the idea that some were good and some were not so good. One only has to look at the automobile business and see some of the biggest changes and not all were good....... for example just lift the hood of any new  car and look at it for awhile. It takes some time just to figure out where the dipstick is. Detroit decided that by adding junk it would fix anything. We actually ended up with more rather than less junk. I was always taught that if you can eliminate a part and get whatever you were designing to do all it was intended to do that it was a accomplishment and the change was for the better. Example look at a Model 12 trigger guard... it has many moving parts. The Remington 31 has 9 and each one does two operations.

Changes come in different forms also. In a lot of times change is made so the manufacturer can make more money. I can remember back in 1964 when we had a lot of big changes. Winchester told us that the claw was no longer needed and redesigned the model 70. When they got all done with that and other changes I would imagine they cut there machine time in half.  The public bought it, well some of the public bought it. The pre-64's are still worth more. Now, with the introduction of the computer and CNC we can do the claw and the rest of the features in less time and better. So, now we have come complete circle.

One change that I think will be good and further the Bench rest world would be the introduction of fixed scopes and adjustable mounts. I believe that it will eliminate a lot of headaches. As I said above if you eliminate some parts and still get the job done its a good change and is a improvement. The scope has always been one of the the weak links. In looking at some ads for different scopes I see that they claim the socpe will do anything from telling you what  time it is to how to prepare and give you a recipe for the animal your shooting.  The more goodies the more there is to go wrong. I will also admit that some of it is okay  but where does it end ? You just about have to take a learning course in order to comprehend what you see when your looking threw the scope. Lets face it if  were looking to squeeze some more accuracy and depenability  out of todays bench rifle, I believe this is a good way to do just that.  Accuracy is a marriage of many things and I believe this is one of them. 

 Not everyone likes change. Seems like the older one gets the harder it becomes. The first words are usually, Why, What fore, nothing wrong with the way it is. I know for one when the internet was in its infancy and son Ryan was still in college I could not see why he needed a computer to do his work.... after all for 100's of years people graduated without one. Ryan is smarter than most and showed me just how I could better my business and keep all my parts and ordering on computer. Well, at first I was a bit reluctant but with an open mind I said OK. We started with a small Mac that he could use in school and also use in my shop to do the bookwork. The secretary hated it... in fact she quit because of it. We are still good friends and she is currently doing the bookwork for the school..... I have talked to her about it and we laugh together of the times we had figuring things out. I talk to a lot of people my age....not sure if I am a old duffer, old coot, or old fart as I could not reach Randy Robinette to find out the correct category that I am in because he is the official on this matter.  What I find is most people my age don't want anything  to do with computers and are not willing to learn. Like it or not they are here to stay.  Another good example of change is the cell phone..... Which so far I have avoided mainly because I am around a phone all day and some days it gets in the way of doing my work. I would love to talk on the phone all day but I get paid on what goes out the door not what comes in but you have to talk to the customer. I use to route it to the Secretary but everyone wanted to talk to Stan and training her was more work than talking to the customer. Don't mistake me here; I think cell phones can be a good thing. For instance in a emergency they can save lives and a lot of business use them regularly and could not function without them...... on the other hand I see people yakking while driving and text messaging and just wonder how much is actually needed. One thing I have to acknowledge that the cell phone like the computer is here to stay and if you think "MA Bell" is going to be burring lines underground forever..... You are badly mistaken. 

Anyway, some change can be good  and I hope you will look at our new site in this way. We will be making some changes and adding things which will be much easier for us and hopefully will benefit you.  If there is something you want changed drop me an email and let’s talk about it. On the old site, I would post once a year usually around the first of the year and ask what people wanted...... very few times did I get a response. I can remember that Reed would respond on occasion and was very helpful and we do appreciate. I do hope you will bear with us as we switch over and give us the benefit of the doubt as some things may not work properly. I did appreciate the messages we would get when the chat on the old board was down or there was a problem.  Our policy of using your full name will still apply to chat and so far the guests have been policing the chat line very well.Thanks to all especially Francis Becigneul and Dick Grosbier who  are on almost every night and make sure everyone logs in correctly. This makes my work a lot easier. 

In closing, we hope you like it and be sure to lets know your feelings.