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WelcometotheMarchIssue .......ofTargetShooter14 Review of the BritishShooting Show by VinceBottomley andAndyDubreuil

Sections6 11

ShootingSportNews ShootersCalendar ShootingForumReviewby AndyDubreuil SupportyourLocalGun Shop ShootingBlackPowder PistolbyChrisRisebrook FirearmsMultimediaGuide reviewbyCarlBoswell HandloadingOldFaithful the.308byLaurieHolland NewTechnologies- ReadingDigitalMediaby CarlBoswell MiniRifle-theConclusion byVinceBottomley Int.RifleTrainingCamp byJamesHuckle ProfileonMichaeland AndrewOzmond byHayleyPlatts GunoftheMonth ClubFeature

Bender FT Scope byTimFinley

27 Schmidt and

13 23 34

Barrels byVinceBottomley

41 The Trouble with

32 47 51 61 75

67 World War 1

Sniper Rifles by NigelGreenaway

Business byDonBrook

80 This Smallbore

81 91 98

1500byGwyn Roberts

92 Shooting the

110 Letters 111 AdvertisersIndex

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Association Pages100 UKBRA 102 104 105 107 108 UKBR22 F-Class QuigleyAssociation GalleryRifle UKPSA Editor(s). CarlBoswellandVinceBottomley Advertising and Office Manager AndyDubreuil.email;admin@targetshooter.co.uk Contributors VinceBottomley AndyDubreuil TimFinley LaurieHolland ChrisRisebrookCarlBoswell DonBrook ChrisFarr NigelGreenaway GwynRoberts KenHall LesHolgate HayleyPlatts JamesHuckle

Did you visit the Shooting Show? I hope so. Here was a good selection of the UK gun-trade, paying dearly to put on a show for the public who, in turn, paid to see that show. You can read our impressions elsewhere but for a moment, lets consider the relationship between the gun-trade and the punter. In fact is their a relationship? Or do we merely suffer each other? In other words, every time you buy a tub of powder or a box of bullets, do you begrudgingly part with your hard-earned, knowing that our American cousins are paying a fraction of what we do? If you are a dealer, are you heartily sick of customers walking into your shop with a print-out from the internet showing the latest Nikko Bender scope selling for about half the cost of the one in your window? Somehow, I think we have lost respect for each other. The punter feels ripped-off and the dealer struggles to make an honest living as we merrily order direct, via the world wide web. New dealers are setting up virtual shops with none of the overheads of the high street shop. We can buy cheaper from them, they cut out the overheads and so make a decent profit. Is this the future? The last time I visited a gunshop, the owner made me a cuppa and we had a natter (thanks Aaron) you dont get that off the internet! Yes, its a changing world, its a shrinking world thanks to the web but where will it end? Can we learn anything from America - where the shooting market is massive but then again, there are many times more dealers competing for a slice of the action. However, I get the feeling that the punter/dealer relationship is much better on the other side of the pond. Look at the big national shoots over there. The prize list from trade donations is massive scopes, barrels, even rifles will populate the list. Manufacturers and dealers want to be involved with their customers and in turn, the shooters will support the dealers who support them. There is a much closer tie-up a proper relationship. If you look through a publication like Gun Mart you will see advertising costing thousands of pounds from members of the trade yet, when ever do you see any of the trade at a large shooting event? Could the trade target their market in another way occasionally? Last July, the World F Class Championships took place at Bisley for the first time. Hundreds of shooters and spectators from all over the world were there for a couple of weeks. I would estimate that about 100,000 rounds went downrange and, with the restrictions on importing ammunition into the UK, I would guess that the components for most of it were bought from UK dealers. Couldnt we have managed a teeny little prize? To quote an old maxim The trade was conspicuous - by its absence! To my knowledge, only one UK company and one American company put up any prizes and Im proud to be able to say - well done Aimfield Sports and Sightron scopes you deserve the support of UK shooters but where in heavens name were the rest of you?

Webitorial - March 2010

Untilnextmonth.Vince,Carl&Andy CarlBoswell-carl@targetshooter.co.ukandVinceBottomley-vinceb@targetshooter.co.ukand AndyDubreuil-admin@targetshooter.co.uk CopyrightTrinityDigitalPublishingLtdDisclaimer

Thewebsitewww.targetshooter.co.ukispartofTargetShootermagazinewithallcontentsofbothelectronicmediacopyrighted.Noreproductionispermittedunless writtenauthorisationisprovided. Information,pricesanddataisbelievedtobecorrectatthetimeofpostingontheinternetwhichisonoraroundthe1stofeachmonth.Advertisementsthatarefirearm relatedarefromcompaniesorindividualsthatTargetShootermagazinebelievesarelicensedtoholdsuchfirearmsandacceptsnoresponsibilityifcompaniesor individualsarenotsolicensed. LettersandphotographssubmittedbymembersofthepublictoTargetShootermagazinewillbeacceptedonthebasisthatthewriterhasagreedtopublicationunless otherwisestated.TargetShootermagazinehasnocontroloverthecontentorownershipofphotographssubmitted. Theviewsexpressedinthismagazinearenotnecessarilytheviewsofthepublishersandrelatetospecificcircumstanceswithineacharticle.Thesearetheopinions andexperiencesofwritersusingspecificequipment,firearms,componentsanddataundercontrolledconditions.Informationcontainedintheonlinemagazineoronthe websiteisintendedtobeusedasaguideonlyandinspecificcircumstancescautionshouldbeused.TargetShooterMagazinedoesnotexceptanyresponsibilityfor individualsattemptingtorecreatesuchtestingusinganyinformation,dataorothermaterialsinitselectronicpages.PublishersofTargetShootermagazine.

Shooting Sport NewsSightron SIII SS 10-50x60 LR TD Riflescope - Launched 2010 All scopes in the SIII series feature a 30 mm one-piece main tube made from high quality aircraft aluminium. Tubethicknessismorethantwiceas thickasoneinchmodelstoprovide maximum rigidity. The scope featurestheultimateinallweather construction. It is waterproof, nitrogen filled and provides a lifetime of internal fog protection againstinclementweather. Designedforeaseofuseinprone and bench shooting the side focuswillfocusfrom10yardsto infinity.Ithaslargetargetknobs with 1/8 inch adjustments that are re-settable to zero. All target knobs are protected by large heavy windage and elevation caps. The scope features Sightrons unique ExacTrack windage and elevation system. It has ZACT-7 seven layer multi-coating with precision ground glass. These lenses provide superior light transmission and resolution for the ultimate performance. A European-style fast focus eyeball accompanies all SIII SS Long Range models. A quick turn of the eyeball allows the user to focus in a matter of seconds. Tweaking the eye focus is just a small adjustment. Weighing in at just 29 oz, this will be a huge assetwhenweightisacriticalfactor. AllSightronproductscarryaLifetime Warranty. This scope will be on themarketatjust960.AimField Sports,thesoleimporterofSightron products in the UK, will be launchingthisscopeattheBritish ShootingShowon27/28February -wehopetoseeyouthere!

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The ATSC are investigating the possibility of allowingcompetitorswithlongbarrelledpistols tocompetealongsidetheairpistolsintheISSF events at our Open Meeting. The competition would be the same course of fire, shot in the spiritoftheISSFevents. MostofthecurrentslotsfortheISSFcompetitions are organised for Melville Range, which will thereforerequirethatyouareinpossessionof aShooterCertificationCardfromtheNRA.The Saturday morning events however, are planned for the Lord Roberts Centre 25 metre range, which does not require the Certification Cards. Should there be sufficient interest in the event, it may be possible to amend our range bookings at the Lord Roberts Centre. Forthistohappen,weneedtogaugethelevel ofpotentialinterestfromyou,theshooters.We wouldthereforeaskyoutorespond,tomyselfat theemailaddressprovided,withyourpotential intent to enter the ISSF events at the Open Meeting.Ofcourse,wecannotholdyoutoyour intent to enter, but it might go a long way to influencing us to amend our plans for the

Meeting.Shouldyouhaveanyquestions,itmay well be quicker to get an immediate response from me by calling me on either of the phone numbers at the head of this letter. Please feel freetodosoatanytime. Ilookforwardtohearingfromyouallinthenear future with your Open Meeting entries and to seeingyouallatBisley. A White Chairman ATSC(TP) awhite576@yahoo.co.uk

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Picatinny Scope Rails from Fox & SYSSIve always favoured the Weaver scope-mounting systembutwithseveralmanufacturersmakingtheir ownversion,dimensionsandslotspacingcouldvary whichwasfrustratingasitmadescopeswapping fromrifletoriflemorecomplicatedthanitneedbe. TheUSArmyobviouslythoughthesameandthey laid down exact measurements for the Weaver rail anditbecameknownasthePicatinnyaftertheUS MilitaryresearchandmanufacturingarsenalinNew Jersey. Thanks to the Picatinny Arsenal, its now feasible to fit these rails toallyourriflesandhavejustone scope,knowingthatthescopewill swap from rifle to rifle with total precision. Acoupleofyearsago,youwould have to send to America for a Picatinny rail but now I know of

atleastthreeseparateUKcompaniesofferingtheir own.WefeaturedtheNorthWestCustomPartsrail fortheSavageactionafewissuesago,nowIhave railsfromSouthYorkshireShooting Supplies and Fox Firearms, both of which are Remington short-action fit. The last one I got from theStatescostmeover100thesewillcostyou considerably less and are available with built-in taperifyoushootlong-range.Checkoutwww.rimfiremagic.co.ukandwww.foxfireamsuk.com

A new moderator from SYSS

A few years ago, the moderator was the preserve of the field shooter and stalker. This was the only good reason for having a moderator / silencer on your FAC a requirement nottodisturbgame. Our Health & Safety nanny-state for once did shooters a favour now, consideration for the hearing of yourself and fellow shooters is rightly considered to be good reason for owning one. It wasnt long before target shooters realised that thesound-moderatordidexactlythesamejobasa muzzle-brakebutinadditiontotamingrecoilitmade alotlessnoise! Havingsaidthat,someofusdidntliketheideaof hanging a great lump of metal off the end of the barrel so Peter Jackson of Jackson Rifles www.jacksonrifles.com introduced us to the Scandinavianreflexsuppressorwhichfitted over the barrel and only increased the overall length of the rifle by two or three inches. If you are looking for more informationonmoderators,Peterswebsiteis amineofinformation. Peters moderators are welded up from high tensile steel and cannot be dismantled for cleaning and in spite of the fact that the modswillrunforthousandsofroundswithout attention,someshootersdontliketheideaof havingsomethingthatcantbestripped. Over the last few years therefore, we have had a number of moderators offered which canalsobetakenapartforcleaning.However,

themoderatormustbemadetoveryhighstandards astheholemustbeonlymarginallylargerthanthe calibreformaximumeffect.Onceyoustarttomake a strippable mod, the standard of manufacture must be very high and this of course translates in tohighcost.Inaddition,yourmuzzlewillneedtobe accuratelythreadedandproofed. Now, the advent of CNC machinery can keep costs reasonable whilst machining to a very high standardandtheSouthYorkshireShootingSupplies moderator is a product of this. Each of the removable stainless-steel baffles is an absolute work of art. It would take me a whole day just to makeone,sowhenyouconsiderthatSYSSwillsell youthismod.andfitandproofitfor225itsquite mind-blowing.Mighttryonemyself!Ifyoujustwant themod.its175dealerenquirieswelcomewww. rimfiremagic.co.uk

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Bags Wehaveafeaturecomingupinthenextissue onshootingbagsthetypeyoufillwithsandand restyourrifleon.Originally,thesebagswerethe preserve of the serious benchrest shooter but oflate, FClassersandevenplinkersareusingbags. Icameacrossaninterestingsitetheotherday

www.equifixshootingbags.co.uk and I was quiteamazedatthevarietyofbagsonoffer. Diane, who is responsible for making these bags,haskindlysentmesomesamplesandas soon as I can get them stuffed with sand well have a go. Meanwhile, have a look at Dianes website.

Bolt Knob Once you get that CNC machine running you just cant stop and heresanothergoodyfromSYSSabadger-styletacticalbolt-knob essentialforputtingthefinishingtouchtoyournewtacticalrifle.They arebeautifullymadeandcomewithan8mmthreadforjust25-or 75fitted.www.rimfiremagic.co.uk Shooting at the 2012 London Olympics

If we want this Bynow,weareallawarethatthelong-standing redundant equipment, we Olympic Charter requiring a lasting legacy for willbeexpectedtopay400,000forit! aparticularsportafterthegamesareover,has beenshamelesslybrokenbytheorganisers. One can only speculate what this equipment will be and who would buy it and where will Not only will the brand new Olympic shooting theyputit!Personally,Icanseeitbeingsoldby facility at Woolwich be demolished following auction at a knock-down price as much of the the Games at a cost of several million pounds equipment was following the Commonwealth buteventhesalvageableequipmentwillnotbe GamesinManchester.Sacrilege! handeddowntoBritishshooters. Target Shooter 9

With FL lens.

Without FL lens.

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Victory FL Diavari 4-16x50 T* the most compact long-range ri escope of its class tailored to demanding stalking at home or abroad.

The new reference class by Carl Zeiss provides demanding hunters with the perfect optical base for accurate shooting over long distances. Thanks to the unique FL concept, the Victory FL Diavari riescopes offer razor-sharp details and bright images which are free of chromatic aberrations even with high magnications. The innovative ballistic concepts ASV and RAPID-Z allow for dened and accurate aiming via holdover point or indexed holdover lines.

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Calendarofeventsoverthenextfewmonths7 MarEuropeanAirgunChampionships TheChampionshipsrunfrom7thto14thMarch. Location:Meraker,NOR 8 Mar NRAShootingClubDay(National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Multi-disciplineNRAShootingClubDay.Targets havebeenbookedonMelvilleandat100,200, 500and1000yards.Alldisciplineswelcome. Contact(s):HeatherWebbviaNRAwebsite 15 Mar to 16 Mar MatchRifleSeminar(National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) A seminar on Match Rifle shooting will be held on15and16March.Anyonewhoisthinkingof taking up the sport, or who would like to know more about it, is welcome to attend. Places are limited so early application is encouraged. Contact(s):NickTremlettviaNRAwebsite 15 Mar HighpowerRifleAssociationMatch (NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) 80roundXTC.Detailscanbefoundbyclicking onthelinksbelow. http://www.highpowerrifle.co.uk Contact(s):HighpowerRifleMatchEntries 16 Mar HBSAOpenRook&RabbitRifle Championships (National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley) - Classes for Vintage, Classic, Veteran and Rimfire rifles max weight 6.75lbs, maxME450ftlb.http://www.hbsa.fsnet.co.uk Contact(s):AllanKirk 27 Mar to 28 Mar Gallery Rifle - SpringAction Weekend(NationalShootingCentre(NSC), Bisley).Contact(s):BrianThomasviaNRA website 25 Apr Somerset SBSA Open Shoot. (Rifle) LongAshtonRanges.Tel.01275836442.Email. julian.withey@btinternet.com 22/23 May CumberlandNewsRifleClub-Carlisle AirGunsOpenChampionship-2x60shot detailsat:www.cnrc.org.uk/open.htm contact:DavidErskine:urkers@aol.com 26 Sep Somerset SBSA Open Shoot. (Rifle) LongAshtonRanges. Tel. 01275 836442. Email. julian.withey@btinternet.com

Ifyourcluborassociationhaseventsyouwanttopubliciseherethenemailus.13 Mar CivilianServiceRiflecompetition(National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley) Civilian Service Rifle competitions are held throughout the year. Upcomingdatesare16January,14Februaryand 13March.Contact Mark BradleyviaNRAwebsite 3 Apr to 05 Apr BisleyClubsEasterMeeting (NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) This year the Easter Meeting will be run by the CityRifleClubContact(s):PatDrummy 10 AprHBSANorthernStGeorgesOpenCharity Shoot(NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) AM300,PM600:classesforVintage(BP), Classic(pre-1919)andVeteran(pre-1946)rifles. Contact(s):MarkHodgins 11 Apr National200ydFree&EnfieldRifle Championship,Bisley 15 AprWorldCup,Beijing Thecompetitionrunsfrom15thto25thApril. Location:Beijing,CHN 17 Apr Ibis Rifle Club Open Meeting (National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Short Range (Queens II) in the morning. Long Range(2+10at1000and1100)intheafternoon. DownloadEntryFormfromNRAwebsite Contact(s):BillRowland 22 AprNRAShootingClubDay(National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Multi-disciplineNRAShootingClubDay.Targets have been booked on Melville and at 100, 200, 300 and 600 yards. All disciplines welcome. If youwouldliketoattendyoumustbookinatleast aweekinadvancebycontactingCharlesPerry. Contact(s):CharlesPerryNRAwebsite 24 AprClubsMiniPalmaMatch(National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) A Mini Palma Match will be held on Saturday 24 April2010forteamsofeightfromanyclub,school orcountyaffiliatedtotheNRA. Duetothehugeinterestlastyearwehavebooked the whole of Stickledown for the day so we can accept25teams.ThePurplesMatchwillbeheld onthefollowingdaywhichwillhopefullygivemany teamsagreatweekendsshooting. Ifyourclub,schoolorcountywouldbeinterested in competing in this match please contact Karen RobertsonviatheNRAwebsite 25 AprNorthofEnglandMuzzleLoading Championships,nr.Skipton,Yorks.

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Welcome to GT Shooting. The premier shooting sports shop in Surrey

Fullbore & .22LR Black Power Air Rifles and Pistols Used rifles and PistolsOur premises are located at

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Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am - 5.30pm

Forum Review on UK Long Range Shooting Forum

When you hit the internet search-engine to find a shooting forum there are quite a few to choose frombutnotsomanythatarededicatedtoonetype of shooting and this one is also run by custom rifle builder-ChrisfromUKGunworks. Iadmittoknowingnothingaboutlong-rangeshooting, so this was a good site for me to see if it would be easytofindinformationonhowtogetstartedandsee whatthesporthastooffer. Firstly, you have to register to get access to any of theinformationontheforum.Forumsdogettheodd idiotwhocomesontoasitetopromotesomethingthat hasnothingtodowiththeforumandputsupthreads all over the site that the administrator has to waste timeremoving,sotheLongRangeForumhaswisely protecteditselfbymonitoringthosethatwishtojoin. Thismaydelayaccesswhilstyourregistrationbeing processed but you will find that its worth the short wait. Once you have access, there is a Just say hello section where you can introduce yourself. Looking throughsomeofthepostsinthissectionitsobviously friendlyandeveryonewelcomesyoutotheforum. The General Chat section is open to any topic and really anything goes and members can pass on storiesandjusttalkaboutdaytodaystuffratherthan seriousshooting.Idontthinkthisdetractsfromwhat theforumisaboutbut,likeallforums,theideaisshare viewsandinformationandthentalkaboutit. Theforumdoeshavesponsorshipandhasasection about the sponsors which gives information on any special offers that might be available with that particular company. Reaching the right audience is a difficult one and when a forum has a company onboard, then members can find the latest deals withouthavingtosearchforthemviathecompanys ownwebsite. Themainsectionoftheforumisofcourserelatedto long-rangeshootingandthekindofgearthatisused and is broken down into easy to navigate sections. In the Rifle section I found a nice thread about the procedureforcleaningarifleandhowoftentodoit. Also,thereisaTechnicalsectionthatcoversstufflike

pillar-bedding,triggerassemblyandalotmorebutthe bestpartIfoundwaswithinthehand-loadingsection. Alotoftimeandefforthasbeenputintoexplanations of different loads and they have a section that is dedicated to hand-loading data. There about twenty threads on different calibres, all laid out so that you canaskquestionstoothermembersaboutthissideof long-rangeshooting. Other parts of the hand-loading section covers powder burn rates, bullet-making procedures, reloadingsafety,primersandalotmore. IntheOpticssectionthereisloadsofinformationon howtosetupyourscopeandthekindofscopebest suitedtothiskindofshooting.Again,alotoftimeis devoted to giving new shooters all the information theywillneedtogetstarted. Thesiteisagreatintroductiontolong-rangeshooting and also has information on clubs that you can join from 300 yard to 1000 yard shooting. Everything is therefromtheequipment,ballisticsstudies,reloading dataplusafriendlygroupofmemberswhowillhelp yougetstartedinthesport. The site has a lot of other sections like classifieds, targetshootingandstalking.TheonethingIwouldlike toseeisafewmorepicturesmaybeaphotogallery ofriflesandgear.Mostownersofriflesareverygladto showofftheircustomriflesandthiswouldgiveother membersanideaofwhatyoucoulddototherifleyou alreadyhaveormightliketohavebuilt. WithwebmasterChrisbeingacustomriflebuilder,he hasobviouslyputalotofthoughtintowhathewanted ontheforumsothatitwouldbeusefultobeginners and old hands.The site is easy to navigate and full oftherightkindofinformationthatyouwouldexpect to find on a forum devoted to long-range shooting. Membersinteractinthewaythatyouwouldexpectby givingnewmembersawarmwelcomeandahelpful handingettingstarted. Visitwww.uklongrange.co.uktoregisterandbeready to be hit with a forum that will keep you up into the early hours if you are looking for this kind of informationanddata.

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TrinityDigitalPublishingstrioofAndy,Carland Vince decided that the Newark Show was a mustandallplannedtogoalongfortheweekendbut,bestlaidplansandallthatintheend onlytwoofusmadeit.Hereswhatwethought oftheShowand,as always, we would be pleased to hear your comments.

Exclusive Special Review

I confess, I didnt attend the first Newark ShootingShow,heldin2009andIheardmixed reportsbut,whenIsawthattheShowwastobe repeatedthisyearanditwastobeevenlarger thanlastyear,weatTargetShooterdecidedto throwthefullweightofthemagazinebehindthe ventureandpayavisit.

TheorganisershavechosenwellwiththeNewark Showground - an excellent venue, equally Vinces view Ive one he merican hot how, WAn ermany accessible from north or south. The February d t A S S I i G andofcourse,likemanyofyou,Irememberthe datewasalsospot-onweareallgearingupto Bisley Anno Domini meetings with great fond- thenewseasonsoagoodopportunitytocheck ness.WealsotriedUKshowsattheNECand outnewkitandpickupafewessentials. TrenthamGardensifIremembercorrectly. For a show to be successful, the organisers must get plenty of us through the turnstiles and wewillonlydothatifwecan see and handle the stuff we cant see in our local gunshop. So, what caught myeyeatNewark? Fox Firearms promised to have the latest SEB rest on display they did and it was a cracker! I predict that Sightrons new 10-50 scope will be a huge hit with serious target shooters. Quality Japanese optics, superfine crosshair/dot reticle, no-quibble guarantee and price-tag below 1000! 14 Target Shooter

Top one of Ospreys custom rifles built on the Savage target action. Bottom their F Class stock in ice wood I want one and so will an awful lot of F Class and benchrest shooters. Seb Lambang has really done the business here and well done Foxy for getting the very first one. I hope to use it very shortly in a 600 yard BR comp. but you can see some pics in my From the Bench column and we are hoping to bring you one of Andys videos comparingthenewandtheoldrest. Myotherscoopwasthe10-50Sightronscope. Im a Sightron fan and I like the way they get involved with the sport and having Aimfield SportsasUKimporterisreallygood.Thescope onAimfieldsstandwastheveryfirstoneinthe UK and Im hoping to blag it for a first test for Target Shooter readers so dont miss the next issueoutonApril1st.

Lovatt Societys stand 100 years of sniper rifles, raising money for Help for heros Target Shooter 15

buildingriflesontheSavagetarget actionthathasbeenproperlytimed this significantly improves boltlift. Combine this with a tricked-out bolt and you have the basis of a very nice custom gun at a realistic price. Osprey were also exhibiting the most incredible laminate stock I have ever seen made from something they call ice-wood unfortunately, my pics doesntdoitjustice. Myfavouritestandwasonesetupby theLovattSocietyagroupofguys who collect sniper rifles from WW1 tothepresentday.Theymusthave had around 50 rifles on display all beautifully presented and labelled and they were also raising money for Help for heroes just about the most worthy charity around in my opinion. Well done guys. www. helpforheroes.org.uk With more and more high street gunshops closing, the Show was The innovative Peter Jackson holding McMillans folding a great opportunity for shooters to stockuponafewessentials.Itried stock based on his prototype below to say hello to Norman Clark all Other good stuff? Osprey Rifles had some interesting Savage kit on show. They are now weekend but his stall was literally three-deep every time I passed! Most stall-holders appearedtobedoing a roaring trade and I can see the Show growingyearonyear. Shotguns and airguns were in abundance but there were more firearms thanIhadanticipated and Riflecraft also hadaveryinteresting stand,asdidJackson Where else could you see a collection of punt-guns and cartridges like this. The Show had some very interesting antique stuff on display 16 Target Shooter

Wayne at North West Custom Parts making a bit of an impact at the show rifles who had a brand-new McMillan folding stock on display which was developed from a Jacksonprototype.Therewerealsosomevery interesting stands selling antique firearms and althoughImnotacollectoritsquitespecialto handle an original Colt revolver or lever-action Winchesterfromthe1870s. The major institutions like BASC, NRA, NSRA, Muzzle Loaders

Brian Fox being his usual friendly self

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The new and the old - SEB Rests

etc. were represented and Bonhams the auctioneershadsomefinegunsondisplaywith price-tagsthatwearemostusedtoseeingon upper-endautomobiles! In summation, a very good show. If you didnt go this year, make a date for next year when Imsureitwillbeevenbigger.Critisms?None really, though next year, Id like to see the organisers try and attract more club stands butclearlyspaceisatapremium.Cateringwas good with plenty of variety on offer from a sitdownmealintherestaurantoraburgeronthe hoof and prices were reasonable. There was something for everyone, no matter what your shootinginterestandmoststall-holdershadcome todosomeserioussellingandtherewereplenty ofbargainstobehad.Ididntmanagetocatchthe outdoordisplayssaveforablack-powderdemo whichwasverywellstaged. We eserve ood hooting how nd e ertainly d ag s s a w c havethemakingsofonehere.Letsgiveitour supportanditwillgrowyearonyear. 18 Target Shooter

Andys view Shooting enthusiasts from all over the country descended on Newark the last weekend in February.Theycameintheirthousandstovisit oneofthebiggestgunsshowsthisyearinthe UK. The British Shooting Show was packed solid with stands offering visitors a vast array of productstoview,pickup,tryonandbuy.Itwas almostlikeanalladinscave,therewassomuch there.TheBritishweatherwastruetoformwith heavy rains the day before, but the organisers had done a fantastic job with laying down special flooring in each of the huge tents and triedtomakethepathstoeachsectionofshow easyunderfoot.Thegroundwashorrendousin someplaceswiththickmud. The show in the past had been more known for being mostly shot gun related and country wear, but this year that all changed as the promotersinvitedcompaniesanddealersfrom the world of air rifle, small bore, full bore and blackpowder.Havingeverythingononesite,I thinkbringsshootersandenthusiaststogether, allowing them to see rifles and equipment that maybetheyhaveneverseenbefore.Iamsure

A case of shop until you drop - there was so much there to to see and buy

thattherehavebeenvisitorsthisweekendthat its one of the only rest I have seen that will maybeattractedtoadifferenttypesofshooting folduptomakeiteasiertotransport.However, bytalkingtoothersaboutwhattheyshootand thereisalotmoretoitandinthecomingdays lookingatwhatisavailable,notjustatthehigh youwillbeabletoseeVinceBottomleydoinga endmarketbutalsoforbeginners. comparisonbetweentheoldstyleandnewina Theshowgavethechanceforsomecompanies videoonourwebsite.TherestissonewthatI toshowofffortheveryfirstsightofsomenew dont think that SEB have even come up for a products. AIM Field Sports, who are the UK nameforitandBriancouldnteventellushow distributors for Sightron scopes, were able to much it will retail for. Vince will be taking the showofftheirlatestadditionthatis thenew10x50x60mmscope,which The many people trying to get in - half mile tail drew a lot of attention. The scope backs were common follows the line of side parallax scopes but without the large side wheels that some other scopes have.TargetShooterMagazinewill beprovidingafullreviewincoming months, so that you will be able to getthefullloaddown. Centrefireshootershavesomething to watch out for as Fox Firearms showedofffortheveryfirsttimethe brand new SEB rest that has been totallyredesignedandisnothinglike whatyouhaveseenbefore.Togive youalittletasteofwhyitsdifferent, Target Shooter 19

The Taurus BP Revolver Conversion newresttotherangetoseehowitperformsup againsttheoldstyleSEBrest. Keeping on the theme of Benchrest, I am currentlyhavingacustomriflebuiltwhichIwill be reviewing in the coming months, but I had a chance to catch up with Stephen Parker of ParmoorStockswhoismakingacustomstock forme.Ihadalreadydecidedonthetypeofwood thatStephenwasgoingtouse,buthecameto the show with an amazing laminate stock that hasbeenmadeoutofwhatiscalledicewood laminate. It looks amazing and I do not think the picture does it justice but it has fantastic colouringthatIhaveneverseenbefore-which almost looks like the skin of a snow leopard. Afteralittlebitofaconfab,Ichangedmymind andhavenowgonewiththeicewoodandonce therifleiscompleteyouwillbeabletoseeitin allitsglory. You know we have some great gunsmiths in this country, and there is no better the Allan Westlake and he was at the show with his converted Taurus.357 muzzle-loading revolver that he is very well known for with black powder shooters.Allan also had the Browning Buckmark Long Pistol. The Pistol is made by converting the Buckmark rifle and has a 6mm diameterbalancerodfittedtoit,whichmakesa beautifulbalancetothepistol.Iamnotapistol shooterbutIdidlovethispistolandcouldsee

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myselfgettingoneofthemifIevertookuppistol shooting. Inthetacticalriflesection,NorthWestCustom was having a bumper time at the show, had a lotofinterestintheSmith&Wesson.22lrrifle, andwastakingplentyoforders.Itisagreatlittle rifle,aswehavealreadydoneareviewonand oneofthosetypesofrifles.IwouldgoforifIhad thetimeshootit,butthereisonlysomanyhours intheday!

This show I think has been a great success from the point of view of the visitors that turn outontheveryfirstday.Fromthedealersand gunsmiths that I know where overwhelm with theamountofpeoplethatturnup.Iamsurethat airrifle,smallboreandfullbore,willbecomea verybigpartofthisyearlyshowforitsfutureand if you have missed it this year then you really needtoputthisshowinyoudiaryfornextyear, asoneofthemajoreventtovisit.

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SupportyourlocalgunshopRoedalePrecision

Pete Lincoln is a Fully Qualified Master Riflesmith with over 23 years experience in Firearms Design, Modification and Manufacture. Originally from East Yorkshire-England,hasbeenhuntingandshootingsince hewasbigenoughtocarryagun.Interestedinallthings mechanical from a very young age. Pete was often to be found in the fitters workshop of his Fathers haulage business, helping out the mechanics and when no one waslooking,buildingvariousemechanicaldevices,most ofwhichcouldbeloadedandfired. In 1986, Pete followed the familiy tradition and joined the BritishArmy.After basic training he embarked on a technicalapprenticeshipasaREMEArmourer.Qualifying as a Class 1 Armourer in 1992. Going on to gain the recognized civilian Engineering Qualifications as a Gun Smith, gaining the German Equivalent of a HND in EngineeringandQualifyingasaMasterRiflesmith. Petecollectedawealthofexperienceinfirearmsrepair, modification and manufacture, especially with Precision Sniper Rifles, as well as becoming an accumplished marksman, with many trips to Bisley and some nice silverwear,duringhis10yearsMilitaryservice. AfterleavingtheArmyin1996.Petewentontoworkfull timeasaFieldEngineerwithaDefenceContractorforthe MOD.From1999toNovember2007heworkedfulltime intheSpaceIndustry.Soavariedtechnicalbackgroundis definatelyinplace.Sohowdidthishighflyingenginneer endupbuildingCustomPrecisionRiflesforaliving? During1994Petebeganworkingparttime(Ifyoucancall 40+hoursaweekparttime)asaGunsmithforamajor GermanSportingFirearmsRetailerasasidelinetothe defence contract employment, on a more or less hobby basis. Never satisfied with the reliability or accuracy of mass producedfirearms.Petestartedbuildinghisowncustom

riflesbasedonfactoryactions.Huntingpartners,friends andshopcustomersbegantotakenoteoftheaccuracy and reliability of his rifles and soon began to ask Can youbuildmearifletoo?Petelentahandintheshop wheneverpossible,butthemove300milessouthtothe SpaceAgencyrestrictedthefreetimeavailablefor generalgunsmithing,andprioritieshadtobeset. Due to increased demand in rifle builds, Pete decided tostartadedicatedcustomriflebusinessonaparttime basisandRoedalePrecisionRifleswaslauncedin2005. After a good start things didn't go exactly to plan. The Custom Rifle business was run as a sideline next to a highly demanding job in the Space Industry, this was managable to a point. But when firstly Pete's Wife and then his Father became ill, the increased burden meant that the rifle business coudn't be dedicated the time it realydeserved.Thatcoupledwiththeunreliabilityofthe component supply industry, mostly based in the USA meantthattimetablesgotstretchedtothelimitandPete suffered some bad press for a while and made some customersunhappy. " I was trying to run the business, work for the Space Agency,lookafter2kidsandcareformyMissus,myDad andmyMamallatthesametime,nowifallthathadbeen inonelocation,itwouldn'thavebeensobad,butIwas stretching my self across Europe, between Yorkshire, Frankfurt and the where my workshop is located in Hasbergen,thatsseveralhundredmilesinanydirection, somethinghadtogiveanditwastheRifleBusinessthat suffered.Ialmostworkedmyselftoaburnout!" Pete decided to leave the Space Agency in November 2007 and go full time in the gun trade. "Things didn't improve much after going full time in January 2008. We got messed around and ripped of by the building contractors who where supposed to build the new

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workshop,Iendedupshovelingconcreetandbricklaying insteadofmachiningbarrelsandbolts,Iwasrightchuffed aboutthatIcantellyou!!" However,neveronetoletaturnofbadluckgethimdown, Petepoweredonandsincemid2008hasbeenproducing a constant stream of high quality, one of a kind Target, Hunting andTactical Rifles for customers all around the world. "ImadeseveralmistakesintheearlystagesandIshould havegonefulltimemuchsooner.Ishouldhavealsotaken onstaffsooner,eventhemosttalentedofuscan'ddoitall onthierown,Thingshavebeencommingtogethernicely sinceandwithalittlehelpwe'veareproducingsomerealy classykit,andI'veactualybeenabletoputseveralofmy owndesignsintoproduction"saysPete. RoedalePrecisionhasevolvedformaparttimeoneman bandintoarapidlyexpandingandsucessfullbusiness. Staff include Thomas " Tom" Helmig who is a highly qualifiedR&DengineerandGoeffMarshall,anexRoyal Marine,aswellasaniceyoungladytotakecareofthe bookkeeping.Withproductionsupportcomingfromsome highly talented and reliable, localy based Engineering Companies.

RoedalePrecisionbuildriflestomeetandexceedcustomer specifications,Petehasdefinateideasonrifledesignand ergonomics,manyofwhichareincorporateintothebasic riflepackages. "We try to combine traditional Craftsmanship and Precision Engineering with Experience and Technology from the Defence and Aerospace Industries. Ive Specialised in Custom and Semi-Custom one of a kind rifles, based on accurised factory actions and custommanufacturedactions.Butweareinthemiddleof expanding to manufacture custom series rifles. These riflesaremadetomyowndesignandspecificationsand leavenothingtobedesired,butarebasicalyavailableoff theshelfwithnowaitingaboutandnodependancyonthe USStatedepartments!"

The key to Rifle Accuracy is Precision Engineering. Combining Quality Materials with Tight, Consistent Tollerances and paying Attention To Detail. In the Custom Rifle Industry there are many "Gun Plumbers" aroundthesedays,screwingariflebarrelontoanaction and that then into a stock isn't exactly rocket science, but there are few who are showing the ingenuity and commitmentPeteissofullof. "Thebiggestpaininthebacksidewehaveisun-reliable HelookssettobetheJohnMosesBrowningofthe21st component supply, I got so sick of bieng the pig in the century and Roedale looks to be on the right track for middlethatIhavespentasmallfortuneondesigningand success. manufacturing my own components and accessories, I intendtogivetheYanksarunfortheir ASelectionofPete'sworkandproductscanbeseenon money" displayattheIWA2010inNrnberg.Hall3,stand3-741 orbyvisitinghiswebshopandwebsite.www.webshop. Putting his money where is mouth is seems to be roedale.deor www.roedale.de paying off for Pete, as Roedale have fielded many own productsandtherearemanymorein thepipeline. Roedale currently manufacture the followingowndesignproducts: RCS, Roedale Chassis System, (A similaritemtotheAICS,butforTikka and Howa rifle actions, with more to follow) RMS,Roedale Magazine System (UsingtheAICSmagazinesandwith a version for remington 700, Howa 1500andTikkaT3) Delta Suppressors. (Petes own designfullboremoderator) RoedaleMuzzlebrakes(BoththeDelta Supressors and Roedale Muzzlebrakes are a design by Pete, enhanced through a scientific R&D study with the University of Applied Science in Osnabrck, Germany) RoedaleBipods(fortheSakoTRG, AI AW and Steyr SSG 08) Roedale AvengerRifleActions. Therearealsoseveralnewproducts shortly to be released at the IWA 2010inNrnberg.

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Portsmouth Gun Centre Ltd 295 London Road North End Portsmouth PO2 9HFOpening Times Mon 9.30 - 5.30 Tues Closed Wed Closed Thur 9.30 - 5.30 Fri 9.30 - 5.30 Sat 9.30 - 5.30

Tel 02392 660574 Fax 02392 644666 E-mail sales@portsmouthguncentre.com Website www.portsmouthguncentre.com

We stock a full range of Rifles, Pistols, Air Guns, Shotguns, Ammunition, Reloading Equipment and Accessories. All major brands stocked including BSA, CZ, Air Arms, Marlin, Ruger, Umarex, Uberti, Cometa, Pedersoli, Berreta, Lincoln, Webley, Pedersoli, etc.

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SCHMIDT AND BENDER FT SCOPE

by Tim FinleyField Target has been going for more then twenty years and we have had to wait this long for a scope manufacturer to design from scratch a dedicated Field Target scope. Every other FT scope used today has started out as either a full-bore or rimfire scope that has then been modified/re-specified as an FT scope. With the huge rise in popularity of FT in Europe and in fact World Wide Schmidt and Bender have taken on the challenge and have I was lucky enough to be in at the ground floor of its development. It all started in 2006 when I met the technical department of S&B at IWA in Nuremberg. They had given German FT shooters one of their 34mm tubed 5-25 PMII full-bore scopes to ascertainifitwouldrangefind.TheGermanshooters saidno,theopticalqualitywas toogoodtobeabletorangefindaccurately with it, I disagreed with their statement and asked S&B if they would be willing to send me a scope to test its rangefinding capabilities for myself. This they did and I found it did rangefind very well in all the various conditions I tested it under. From then on I was in regular contact with S&B as their FT scope took shape. I was very keen to have an influence on the first focal plane reticle development as I shoot on various magnifications depending upon prevailing weather and range conditions. A 1st focal plane reticle with windage dots gives the advantage to the shooter as

FT1 x50 Magnification at 55 yards

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I came up with the see through dot idea to allow it to be useful on both extreme ends of the scope magnification range, a low 12.5andahuge50.Thescope has a 30mm body, sidewheel parallaxforrangefinding,withor without an illuminated reticle and a 56mm front objective lens. In another departureforthefirmitwould besilverincolour.Thelighter colour reflects the suns rays anddoesnotallowthescope toheatupasmuchasablack scope. Designing a scope from scratch meant that for the first time ever some very clever features could be incorporated into the scope, such as the elevation turret. One common mistake that all FT shooters make, including myself in the past, is to dial out a full turn on the scope, it can they can use the windage dots on the horizontal be hard to spot in the heat of competition, The crosshaironthescopesfullrangeofmagnification. turret on the S&B has 32MOA in of an inch The scope S&B came up with has 12.5 to 50 clicks at 100yard, for less than one full turn of the times magnification range so the design of a FFP turret.Whichgivesitthenormalrangeofadjustment reticlewasalwaysgoingtobeabitofacompromise. but with never the chance of dialing a full turn out, a FT3 German FT 40 yards with 50 Magnification very impressive feature. The windage turret can be either atargettypewithinchclicks or as I specified on mine a low profile hunter type, this is the time fitted as standard to scopescomingintoYorkGuns thedistributor. The windage adjuster has a green and red scale showing how far you are from optical center. When I fitted to my Steyr LG110 it was only 2 clicks off optical center (a full 1/8 ofan inch or 3mm at 100yards), which says a lot for the precision engineering of both the S&B and the Steyr. The overall range of windage adjustment is +/- 16 MOA, but you should never need this range of movement as youshouldsetanyscopeup, especiallyFTandHFTscopes

FT2 55 yards 12_5 Magnification

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as near optical center as possible, i.e. with as fewer clicks on left or right as possible to get the pelletsonthehorizontalcrosshair.Youcanhavea target type windage adjustment knob fitted for an extra36ifyousowish. Initial rangefinding tests were somewhat disappointing, S&B told me the gearing system in my scope was their 1st attempt to get large gaps betweentheranges,thereasoningbehinditthatit shouldgiverangefindingdowntoayardoreven less.Ofthe12scopesinitiallybuilttheGermanFT teamhadrecentlyhadtheirschangedtoasmaller gaps as they actually found it difficult to rangefind withsomuchdistancebetweeneach5yardrange. It does sound wrong but it is true, the image was changingtooslowlytodiscernwhenitwasblurred or clear when looking at the target, unfortunately its this quality when parallaxing which makes rangefinding with a scope work. My S&B prototypescopeinitiallygavemeamassive25mm gapbetween50and55yardswiththe130mmDia wheel, too much for me to with rangefind either. I could not cope with the mega slow change in the rangefinding image. S&B told me when I picked it upatIWAIcouldsenditbacktohavethegearing alteredandgapsclosedup,thisIdid.Itnowhada 7.6mm gap between 50 and 55yards. The targets snap in and out of focus, looking at an intended targetandstartingfromashorterrangethanit,the sidewheelisturnedtoincreasetherangeonituntil the paint flecks on the target come into full clarity,

the wheel is then stopped and the range read off, simple.Icannowsupporttheforendoftheriflewith theforwardhandspalmandreachuptooperatethe scopewiththesamehandsfingertips.Thatisareal bonus for me moving from a front parallax scope, it works slightly different for kneeling as the trigger handcanreachoverthescopetoturnthesidewheel, withtheforwardhandsupportingthegunthiscanbe done in the kneeling position saving precious time onthestopwatch,withonlyoneminutepertargetin FTeverysecondcounts. The reticles available for the scope are a S&B designed 2nd focal plane with simple dots that are set to be 40mm apart at 50m called the Sport FT2 reticle and another second focal plane reticle designed by the German FT shooters. This is called the Sport FT3 and has dots, lines and numbers, it has been designed to be shot on 30 times magnification, after the shooter has range found on 50 times magnification. They wanted a reticletheycoulduseholdoverwithastheywerereally strugglingwiththedialinginoftherangeconcept. The 1st focal plane reticle I had a hand in designingiscalledtheSportFT1andhas2mmdots 40mmapartat50mandaroundthena25mmDia seethoughcircle.Iwentforaseethroughdesignso itcouldbeusedat12.5and50timesmagnification. ItisnotanewideaasmyNXS12-42scopefor1000 yardshootinghasaseethroughMildotreticle.The S&Breticledidnotneed20mmsizedcirclesasthe centraldotsare40mmapartsothesecansimplybe

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positioned in the middle of edge of the target disc for precise full or half disc windage aiming off. The only part of my design S&B changed was the gaps between the small 2mm central dots themselves. I wanted them be 40mm apart at 50 yards as the original Premier reticle designed reticle are, hundreds of FT scope users, including mearewellusedtothisratio,IhadtheMildotsinmy Burrisscopesputinat 40mm at 50yards also. But the German FT team and S&B wanted 50m or 55 yards.S&BdidaskPremierreticlestocomeupwith aFFPreticlebuttheywerenotentirelyhappywith itandwenttheir/myway.AfterusingthescopeIam morethanhappywiththereticle,itisusefulat12.5 and50timesmagnificationjustaswedesigneditto be.The reticle is available either illuminated as on myscopeornon-illuminated.Aftershootingindark woodsIcanseetheilluminationasaverybighelp, soIwentforitonmyscope.Thewholeofthereticle on the FT1 and FT2 is illuminated in a red colour withelevenbrightnesssettings,runoffaCR20323v battery.Italsoturnsitselfoffaftersixhourssoasnot toflattenthebatteryifyouleaveiton.WiththeFT3 versiononlythethincenterlinesanddotsilluminate. Theonlyminordrawbackwithhavingtheilluminated version is the space it takes up on the rear body of the scope, 27mm to be exact. I had no trouble mounting the scope with a set of Sportsmatch adjustable30mmtwopiecemounts. York Guns the distributor in the UK are now gettingregularshipmentsoftheFTmodelandgave toanexampleofbothofthe2ndfocalplanereticles totestalongsidemypre-production model.Infact IpickedupthescopesfromYorkGunsmyselfand

hadachoicefromovertwentyS&Bscopes. I fitted quick release scope rings to the two second focal plane scopes which fitted my test bed of a custom stocked Air Arms 400. I only took one sidewheel from York Guns as I wanted to see how the two scopes rangefinding marks varied too. The sidewheel has a slot cut in the hub of the wheel that locates upon a raised spigot on the smaller ribbed sidewheel on the left hand side of the scopes body. I fashioned range read off markers from plastic sheet that clamped into the rear scope rings. S&B are bringing out a dedicated read off marker combined with a spirit level. It locates in two Allen screw holes in the left rear of the scope on the same saddle as the illuminator.Isetoutmetaltargetswithameasuring tape to test the rangefinding of the three scopes. I used white and black targets with both un-shot at andshotatfaceplates,thiswastogivethescopes a real work out. The first thing I noticed was the sidewheels of the two new scopes were stiffer to operate than mine. Having said that my S&B FT scopeisalmostthreeyearsoldnowsoitwouldbe smootherthanthetwobrandnewscopes.Myzoom ringforthemagnificationwasstiffinitiallyandIfitted afishingcoastertoenablemetorotateitquicklyin the heat of competition. The word stiff is probably theincorrectwordtouse,itsthefinetolerancesand goodfitofthepartsthatmeansthereisnowobble or play in the sidewheel and the mag zoom ring. Other cheaper scopes are packed with grease to fool their owners into thinking they are better quality then their bargain price tag would suggest. NotsowiththeS&B,yougetthequalityyoupayfor.

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ItwasthefirsttimeIhadthechancetostudythetwosecond focal plane reticles at any length. I was struckbyhowfinethereticlesappearedcompared to my 1st focal plane reticle. Looking at the specification charts the FT1 reticle has 2mm thick lines ( As specified by yours truly) at 50m and 50mag, in fact at all ranges and all magnifications due to it being in the first focal plane. FT2 has millimeter wide lines at 50m and 50 mag. The German shooters FT3 reticle has 0.4 of an mm wide lines at 30 times magnification at 50m. I did tend to loose the German reticle on the white targets when the sun shone brightly on them. It needed the illumination on to be able to discern the reticle.EachdotontheFT3is16.7mmapartat50mon 30mag.Theothersecondfocalplane reticle has slightly thicker lines but it has dots at 40mm spacings at 50m and hash marks in-between. This means you can also use it for incrementsofdiscaimingoffinawind on 25times magnification too. The smaller hash marks appear 40mm apartat50monthatmagnification. As for actual rangefinding the distance between 50 and 55 yards were slightly wider on the two production scopes compared to my prototype scope, only by a mm so thats not a massive amount and the image snapped in and out perfectly. All top FT shooters mark up

theirownparallaxmarkingsaseveryoneseyesare different. That is why the big side wheel on the S&B comes blank. Wrap it in white PVC tape or masking tape andonceyouarehappywiththeparallaxingmarks makethereadofflinespermanent,butdonotrush theprocess. In all the tests I have carried out so far, from rangefinding in pitch dark woods to bright open fields, all the scopes rangefind to the same level of accuracy and repeatability.In a word the S&B FT scope is a true masterpiece of engineering, built as an FT scope from the start and to a quality never before seen in an FT scope. There is a reticle available to suit whatever style of FT you shoot, big mag all the time go for the FT2,

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and if you wind up and down the mag range the FT1 is the one for you. In a nutshell its a scope thats worth every single penny of the quite substantialpricetag. SPECIFICATION Maker SchmidtandBender Countryoforigin Germany Magnification 12.5to50variablezoom ObjectiveDia 56mm BodyTube 30mm Parallaxadjustment 7-70m Reticles OneFirst(FT1)orTwo Secondfocalplane(FT2, FT3) IlluminatedorNon illuminated Elevationadjustment 32MOAininch clicks Windageadjustment 16MOAin1/4inch clicks Finish Silver Fieldofview @100m 3.5-0.9m Eyerelief 70mm Exitpupil 4.55to1.18mm Weight 1150grams Overalllength 417mm Price Distributor

1937approxilluminated 1679approxnon-illuminated Optionalextras Thelargeraddon elevationturret23 100mmSunshade36 Targetelevationturret50 130mmsidewheel100 Spritlevel/Rangeindicator 184 YorkGuns01904487180 www.yorkguns.com/

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Shooting the Black Powder Pistol Part 5

by Chris RisebrookThis month I would like to gloat over a bit of self Thispistolis28bore(.550)with4.5inchbarrels.To indulgenceacquiredatarecentArmsFair. me, the most remarkable aspect is its method of manufacture.Itappearstohavebeenmadefroma I was surprised to see a number of over/under single billet of steel - I can see no join anywhere - percussionpistolsatquitereasonableprices.Iopted andthegunsmithfiledandmilledawayallthebitshe forconditionratherthannameandboughtthegun didnotwant.Thus,thebarrelshavebeenbored,the shown in Photo 1 at - I hope- a reasonable price. actionhollowedouttoreceivethelockwork,andthe The name on the top rib, Williams and Powell of topandbottomtangstaperedandpresumablybent Liverpool was unknown to me, but a quick search to accept the stock. Even the elaborate hammer of the internet showed that the company is still in fenceshavebeenneatlyfiledandtaperedfromthe existence. Although it no longer makes guns, it solid.Theonlyattachmentistheseparatebottomrib suppliesshotgunsmadeprimarilyinItalybutfinished whichcarriestheramrod. inLiverpoolandmarkedwithitsownname. This seems an extraordinarily complex and

WilliamsandPowell28bore

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expensivewayofmakingapistol,sincemostofthe steel billet would have ended up on the workroom floor as filings. Whilst labour was relatively cheap, this would have been highly skilled work, and presumably steel would not have been cheap. The quality is excellent, and the overall condition remarkably good for something made about 150 years ago. There is no bluing left, except on the bottomribandthetriggerguardandtherestofthe gun may well have been browned and this might havewornatadifferentrate.

but the Damascus barrels still have their beautiful brown finish. The barrels of this pistol are four inchesandtheboreis24(.577whichwasthemilitary sizeoftheday).Bournewouldhavebought-inthese barrels, together with many other parts of the gun from the piece-workers in Birmingham, whereas theonlyboughtinpartsontheWilliamsandPowell areprobablythehammers.Bothgunshavecaptive ramrods which swivel to reach both barrels, and bothhaveadevicetopreventtherodsfromrunning forwardunderrecoil.TheWilliamsandPowellhasa concealedspringwhichfitsroundacannelureonthe Theengravingisexcellentandthewalnutstockhas endoftherod,andtheBournehasaneccentricrod been chequered 26 lines to the inch, which looks whichscrewsintoitshousing;allverysophisticated pretty, but gives little grip, although it has worn andveryexpensivetomanufacture. downovertheyears.Thebarrelsaresocleanthatit hasprobablyseenlittleuse,andsinceitisofgood Both pistols can be carried relatively safely on quality,ithasbeencaredfor. half-cock but in practice they would probably have been carried loaded but uncapped. Both have Its method of construction is in direct contrast to grip traps to hold the caps.The chequering on the thepistolshowninPhoto2whichisasidebyside Bourne is 14 lines per inch which gives a much doublemadebyJosephBourneofBirmingham.This bettergrip.Bothgunshavesomewhatsmallgripsby isatopqualityproductbyaknownmakerandmust todaysstandards,butpeoplehadsmallerhands150 havebeenveryexpensivebuttheDamascussteel yearsago.Bothgunsaresmoothboredsocoulduse barrelshavebeenscrewedtothestandingbreech, either ball or shot, or one of each. Either would which in turn is bolted to the action. Both top and havebeenanexcellentlifeinsurancepolicyinthat bottom ribs are separate, so the whole pistol has theywouldhelpyoutostayalive.Bycontrast,alife beenmadeupratherthancutfromsolid. insurance policy today is a piece of paper which paysoutmoneyafteryouaredead.IthinkIprefer The end result is the same but by two quite theformer. separateroutes.TheBourneretainstracesofbluing,

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Email; ags.westlake@virgin.net/ Website; www.westlakeengineering.com

Tel/Fax 01722782432

The Taurus ML Revolver is converted from a Taurus .357 Magnum Long Barrelled Revolver. The cylinder is removed and a Yoke extension fitted, this contains the spring loaded plunger that frees the action when the yoke is closed. As this extension cannot be removed, it prevents the re-fitting of the original cylinder. The Barrel is shortened to approximately 5 inches and the wristbrace is removed. A new cylinder is made which has pockets for shotgun primers at the rear with a small flash hole through into the chamber at the front. The chamber is made to accept .357 lead wadcutter bullets. The conversion of your pistol costs 330.00. Extra Cylinders are 180.00 each. If you do not have a pistol I can order a new pistol from the Importers.

www.FoxFirearmsUK.comTel: 0161 430 8278 or 07941 958464 PUTTING SHOOTING FIRSTVISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE VERY BEST VALUE CUSTOM PRECISION RIFLES FOR TR, MATCH, F-CLASS, AND BENCH-RESTWE ARE NOW SELLING A FULL RANGE OF HARRELL PRODUCTS WE STOCK HUNTING RIFLES BY COOPER, KIMBER AND PFEIFER AND COMPETITION-WINNING RIFLES FROM KELBLY AND KEPPELER, AND ARE TRADE AGENTS FOR THE SUPERB BARNARD ACTIONS, AND RECORD-BREAKING TRUE-FLITE AND BARTLEIN BARRELS

WE ALSO STOCK PROFESSIONAL BORESCOPES (from 533) AND A RANGE OF HIGH-POWER SCOPES FOR COMPETITION AT AMAZING PRICES (eg 8-32X50 WITH 30mm TUBES FROM 100) ALONG WITH STUNNING BINOCULARS AND SPOTTING SCOPES

SEB LAMBANG BENCH RESTS AND ACCESSORIES ARE THE BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE. WE STOCK HIS FULL RANGE AT LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES, ALONG WITH THE BUDGET CALDWELL RANGE- BERGER BULLETS TO YOUR DOOR- EXPORT TO EUROPE, NO PROBLEM! SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL SPECIFICATIONS AND CURRENT STOCKLIST EVERYTHING 36 Target Shooter WE IMPORT IS BY FAR THE BEST VALUE IN THE UK

The Firearms Multimedia Guide

WhenIfirststartedtargetshootingmoreyears ago than I care to remember - I used to revel in those American paper-back books like The Shooters Bible, Guns, etc. They came out each year and carried the most up-to-date database of all things related to shooting - some of which wereallowedintheUKandothersnot.Obviously after the pistol ban, the idea of looking at pistols onlyemphasisedtheslapinthefacewehadall experienced. Reading about the latest developmentinrevolversandthelikejustdidnot havethesameappeal. Howeveraftermanyyearsinterestwasre-kindled- curious to see what was happening in the big wide world and to support the odd trip to the continent where pistol shooting could continue, albeitthatIhadtogivethembackattheendofthe day.WithcertaincreativedevelopmentsintheUK my interest in all things shooting began to re-surface and again I enjoy a leisurely look through the vast number of pistol developments overthelast10years. During that time digital mania has arrived, somethingwerelyonwiththismagazineinfactand informationonanythingandeverythingisnowatthe beckandcallofanyone-instantly.Nomorewriting lettersandmonthsofwaitingforinformation,wenow haveaccess24/7.(Ihatethisexpressionbytheway andIapologiseforusingit).However,theshooting industry has been slow to develop a shooterorientated database that is interactive and interesting to use. At last we now have one on offer from the USA. Like most find and seek

databases, the Firearms Mutilmedia Guide offers a number of features that makes using it quite simple. ThisDVDbasedproductisasearchabledatabase coveringhandguns,rifles,shotguns,black-powder, air guns and the various ammunitions that are associated with these firearms. From my use of theproductoverthelastfewweeksIvefoundthe databasetobeprettywelluptodateandincludes all the current firearm developments bar the absolutelatestones-thoughadmittedlysomeofmy knowledgewouldbeabitsketchyinareasrelated toshotgunorthemorespecialistrifles. The interface is simple to use and there are various search features which allow the user to select a product by name, manufacturer, calibre, etc. It then searches to find the specific and relatedproducts.Infacttherearefourteendifferent search criteria as it says on the tin. Fourteen waysoffindingwhatyouwant!Thepicturesonthe database are very high-quality and allow the firearmstobeviewedinfinedetail.This,plusthe speed and ease of access are characteristics of justhowthistypeofdigitalmediaissobeneficial. Ifyouarethatwayinclined,youcangiveyourself apatonthebackfortheamountoftreesyouare savingbyusingthistypeofpaperlessresource! Whenthesearchiscomplete,thedatasheetforthe selected firearm carries all the basic information like stock configuration, weight, length, etc. On mostproductsthereisalsoafeaturedinformation section that describes it in far more detail. You willnoticetheFeaturesbuttonatthebaseofthe

by Carl Boswell

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screen, if this feature is available for the firearm youareviewing.Personally,Iwouldliketoseethe barrel twist-rate included as for me, this is quite important. Ammunition is also covered on the searchable database or through an ammunition index that comparesEuropeanandUSammunitionasachart. I found this particularly useful as another way of findingammunition-withouthavingtoknowwhat Iwassearchingforinthefirstplacejustwanting toview, click andsee.This index is linked tothe main database, so everything is one click of the buttonaway. Obviously you can save favourites and print out selected information. Again, a useful feature as youcouldtakethisinformationtoyourlocalRFD andshowhimwhatyouwouldlike.Anotherfacet ofthisguideisthesharefeature.Thisiswhereyou canshareinformationwithanotherpersonviathe internet with e-mails or blog. Useful if you have queries or require further information from someoneelse. ThereareafewbonusfeaturesontheDVDlike printable targets of which there a lots to select. Mostofthesearefuntargetsbutonesetincludesa numberofpracticeandtesttargetswhicharevery

useful.Again this saves time searching for these on the internet, although there are some good sources for these.The other bonus is a video of bespokeshotgunmanufactureviaVerneyCarron. I watched this with interest as like learning somethingnewbutitisreallyrelatedtothosethat havethebugforthissport. Thedatabasehasthesamestandardfeaturesyou will find on most other successful databases and anyonewithabasicknowledgeofusingcomputers willfindtheprocesssimpletofollow,asitisaimed at sportsman and not the computer nerd. The Firearms Multimedia Guide delivers what it promises - it has a vast array of firearms in one place, much more than any book could offer unlessitwasseveralvolumesthickandtakingup aboutayardofshelfspace. TheDVDshouldstartautomatically-ifitdoesnot on your computer, then you may have to browse to start the system. The guide offers a fault free environmentthatiseasytouseanditisuptodate but new firearms come out all the time so how it willbeupdatedisanyonesguessatthisstage.I amguessingthatyouwillhavetobuyanewDVD, asyouwouldanewbook.Anideawouldbefor theownertobeofferedtheoptionofupdatesata

A simple to use databse that has most firesrms on it - specialised actions would also be nice

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modestfeethatcanbedownloaded. At the moment, there is no information on the peripheral equipment that is available like a section on optics for example. This would enhance the database greatly and make it a bit more exciting to include a whole package of informationrelatedtospecificshootingsportslike Mini-rifle,F-Class,etc.Purelyonthecommercial side, advertising could be used to supplement thesefeatureswhichwouldhelptheusertoknow wheretogoandgetwhattheyareafter.Likewise, information about specific shooting sports could be included. All these are complex and timeconsuming but the capacity and potential of the DVDmayallowforthisinfuture. Nonetheless Impressum Media have a winner here,asitisaverygoodguide,providingclearwell defined details of a vast array of firearms and ammunition. At $30 - or around 20 its not goingtobreakthebankandisfarcheaperthana paperbackversion.Shametheydidnothavethis out before Christmas as it would have been an excellent stocking filler for any shooter. Contact ImpressumMediaviatheirwebsiteat:www.firearmsmultimediaguide.com.

A very good and inexpensive product

Target Shooter Magazine can offer your company the kind of advertising that a hard copy magazine cannot offer. Our readers can, with a click of the mouse, connect straight to your website.

An advert with a hard copy magazines can only say so much about your product. With cost and limited space, most have to keep it direct. But with a online magazine the advert takes on a whole new way of advertising, as it can be the front door to your website and all those other products you have waiting for customers to view.

Full page adverts , Half page adverts, Quarter page adverts and more.Contact us today to see what we can do for you and make your products work to their full potential, in a way that is the future of magazines and advertising. With over readers 10,000 a month, in the UK and around the world, it makes sense. Target Shooter 39

Target Shooter Magazine email us at admin@targetshooter.co.uk

Target Shooter Magazine is a publication of Trinity Digital Publishing Ltd

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Thetroublewithbarrels

byVinceBottomleyDidyouhavealookatthatLiljavideoonourhome page.WeranitlastmonthaswellandwhenIlooked atit,itremindedmeofjusthowbadfactorybarrels can be. I have seen a few similar horror stories withmyborescopebutatthisstage,Iwillnotname and shame the worst factory barrel makers. If you comparethetwovideos,itsprettyeasytoseethe accuracyadvantageofhavingamatch-gradebarrel fittedbyagoodsmith.Thevideoalsoremindedme thatperhapsweshouldlookmorecloselyatbarrels ingeneralandcustombarrelsinparticular. WhenIfirststartedshooting-withapistol-wenever seemedtohaveaproblemwithbarrels.Thosecast leadbulletswerekindtobarrelsprovidedyoucould getalltheleadoutafterwards!Ifanyleadwasleftin thebarrel,itquicklyattractedmorelead. EvenwhenIstartedtoshootrifle,nooneeverwore abarrelout.WhenIboughtmyfirstnewrifle,a308 SteyrSSG,thehammer-forgedbarrelwasapress-fit intothereceiver,ratherthanthreadedandscrewed. WhathappenswhenIneedanewbarrel?Iasked naivelyasIhandedovermyhard-earned. You wont. was the dealers snappy reply. And if youdo,Steyrwillreplaceitfreeofcharge.Another happypunter!HewasrightthoughIdidntwearit outbutIstillwonderifSteyrdidreplaceanythose press-fitbarrelsFOC! TargetRifleshooters(capitalT,capitalR)shootthe 308Wincartridgeexclusively(OK,afewshootthe 223)andtheirbarrelsappeartolastforeversome claiming10,000roundsandstillgoingstrong!Mind you, their bull is two MOA across, three minutes at800yardsso,shootingofftheelbowswithiron sights,wouldyoureallynotice? I recently got hold of a Target Rifle shooters old barrel a nice stainless-steel 308 Krieger. Our shooterhadmeticulouslyloggedeveryrounddown that barrel 4382. The barrel was still shooting exceptionally well I had witnessed it but it was takinglongerandlongertoremovethecopperafter a2&20roundshootliketwohourslonger!Ithad togo. We can have an actual look inside this barrel as I have sectioned the thick end to a few inches forwardofthechamber.Theboreisinremarkable condition considering the 4000 plus round-count. The only problem is a very small burnt ring immediately forward of the chamber-mouth. Ive seen this before in high mileage 308s. You can clearly see the leade and throat, looking almost as good as new with just the slightest amount of blackening but no fire-cracking. The leade still measuresaboutonetenthofaninch,whichistypical ofanew308barrel-remarkable.Iveactuallyseen 308 barrels where the leade has measured nearer

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Left - The 416R stainless-steel favoured by barrel-makers is not a true stainless I found this piece of barrel under my lathe and, as you can see, its rusting nicely. Dont put your rifle away without cleaning it!now opt for the 6.5-284 (1000 1200 rounds) or maybe the straight 284 (16002000rounds). So when a barrel goes (My barrels gone! - a familiar bar-room cry following a poor F Class shoot.) What has happened? Where has it gone exactly? A bore-scope is a great investment for any serious competition shooter. Why even start a major competition shoot if your barrel is about to go? Whats the point in spending 1000 to take a aninch-wheretheriflinghascompletelyburntaway rifleabroadtoshootinaninternationalmatchifyour inotherwords,noriflingforthefirstinchofbarrel! barrelisabouttogo?Moreimportantly,canwetell whenabarrelisabouttogo?Yeswecanwitha Thatblackroughringatthemouthofthechamber borescope. is what was doing the damage stripping a little copperoffeachandeverybulletbutnotenoughto I would love to have one of those borescope seriouslyaffectofftheelbowsaccuracy. Meticulous cleaning had allowed the A nicely burnt bore with copper inlay (Photo courtesy owner to extend barrel-life until of Gradient Lens Corporation) de-coppering became too tedious. A 7mmWSM will look worse than this afterabout100rounds!Ifwecouldset thebarrelbacki.e.movetheshoulder forward and run in the reamer another 2 or 3 millimetres we could probably get another 4000 rounds out of it but unfortunately,becauseoftheundercut just forward of the thread, its not possible. SincetheFClassLeaguewasformed four years ago, we have learned a lot aboutbarrel-lifeoratleastsomeofthe effershave-andasteeplearning-curve itwas!Benchrestersalreadyknewthat a7mmWSMcouldburnabarreloutina scant 500 rounds and even our little 6PPC is only good for about 1200 rounds.Ifitwasntforbarrel-life,surely everyFClassOpenshooterwoulduse the 7mmWSM! Why not theres little totouchitforlong-rangeaccuracy.The morediscerningeffershoweverwho hope to make their barrel last at least a whole season and preferably two -

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A highly magnified copperfilled groove. If you let copper build up to this extent it will take many hours of hard work to get it out (Photo courtesy of Gradient Lens Corporation)

attachments which would allow me to take a photograph of what I can see. But I havent so Im reproducing a few pictures kindly supplied by the GradientLensCorporationmakersofthefamous Hawkeyeborescope.

rounds, you would see a lengthening of the leade where the throat has burnt way, which is why you needtokeeppushingthebulletforwardtotouchthe rifling.Butmainly,youwouldseealotmoreburning ofthesteelcausingblackeningandfire-cracking. Thefire-crackingmakesthesteellooklikeadried-up Ifyouweretolookata7mmWSMbarrelafter500 riverbedorcrocodileskin.Thecracksthenbecome

Shooters are spoiled by our excellent barrel-makers. Here we have two 6mm or 243 barrels. Bartlein (lower right) now offer a choice bore/groove diameter. This one is tight with a 0.236 bore 0.237 is more usual.

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Some shooters believe that using moly-coated bullets will improve barrel-life. Yes, the moly will reduce friction and this surely will reduce wear on the barrel-itmightbutitwont prevent the steel burning and firecracking remember, barrelsdontwearout theyburnout! The damage is usually confinedtothefirst25% oftheboreandtherest of the barrel can look as good as new. If you catch it early enough and you have a heavy profile barrel with a couple of inches of barrel-length to spare, you can often prolong its life with a top & tail chop off the tenon and re-chamber and re-crownandyoucould get another season out of your barrel. Unfortunately, the cost of the work is exactly the sameonyouroldbarrelasanewone,sounlessyou doyourowngunsmithing,itsnotreallyworthit. Obviously,themoreoverborecartridgesareharder on barrels. Overbore? Burning a large quantity of powder then shoving the resulting flame through a very small hole as with the 6.5 and 7mmWSM is what causes the problem. Yes, the 22-250 is also grossly overbore as is the 243 Win. but, they do burn a lot less powder than the WSMs and in the main, they dont form the basis of a serious competitiongun,sotheresultsarenotsonoticeable.A competition shooter is constantly monitoring his performanceagainstthatofothercompetitors. Barrel wear is undoubtedly responsible for the migration of F Class Open shooters to the F/TR Class which is restricted to the 308Win. cartridge. Having said that, the five-inch V bull is even more challengingfortheF/TRguysandwemaywellstart to see 308 barrels being changed more frequently thantheaverageTRshootercurrentlydoes. Whataboutrunning-inanewbarrelandcleaningthe barrel after shooting? Can either of these have an effect on barrel life? We know that when a barrel

For the first few inches, the previously smooth lands and grooves, which once gave a mirror -finish to the bore are now rough and will mercilessly strip copper from every bullet which passes down the barrel. The heat of combustion will cause the copper to vaporise and it will be spread down the whole length of the barrel. Copper begets more copperand,asthebuild-upofcopperincreases,the barrel characteristics begin to change. Accuracy deteriorates,cleaningbecomesmoredifficult.Even though you think you have all the copper out because your patches arent coming out blue anymoredontbefooled,onlytheborescopewill tellthefullstoryanditdoesnthaveahappyending! AgoodapplicationofJBpastecanhelpbutwillonly provideashortstayofexecution!

Left - Heres what your brandnew barrel looks like just forward of the chamber. Bottom half of the pic is the leade, then we see the throat cut into the rifling land. Those cross marks need to be removed by careful running-in. (Photo courtesy of Gradient Lens Corporation)

filled with copper - it can look quite attractive,ifits notyourbarrel!

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goes, we mean the accuracy goes and usually, thats how we will judge when a barrel has gone. However, if the barrel is not properly cleaned, accuracywillcertainlysufferandwemaymistakenly thinkthatthebarrelhasgone.Noonelikescleaning barrelsandthereforefewspendasmuchtimeonit astheyshould.Please,donotneglectyourcleaning. Inbenchrest,afouledbarrelwillbegintoshowaloss ofaccuracyfromaround25to35shots.Fewwillgo muchlongerthanthatwithoutexhibitinganoticeable deteriorationinaccuracy.Inbenchresthowever,we arelookingatamuchgreaterstandardofaccuracy than in many shooting disciplines, so even the slightestreductioninaccuracywillbeobvious.

you are serious about your shooting, a borescope will pay for itself in a couple of years.

Atleastfortyroundsareneededtosmoothoutthe serrationsandwhenweshootthefirstfewrounds, theroughthroatwillshavecopperoffthebulletwhich isthendistributeddownthebore.Itisvitalthatthis copperisremovedaftereachofthefirstfewbullets are fired, otherwise, the build-up will be such that removalbecomesverydifficultandwithouttheuse of a borescope, the average shooter would probably give up. If it is not removed, more copper will buildup.Yournewbarrelwillneverdeliveritsbest. A day spent running-in and cleaning is a day well spent!Typically, I will spend about two hours firing thefirstfiveroundsandthoroughlycleaninganddeI often hear a shooter say I never get any copper copperingaftereachshot. out of my barrel. No you dont but maybe you shouldtryharder!Icanguaranteeitsinthere-you So, what are you going to choose for your next F just need the right copper-solvent and cleaning Classorbenchrestcartridge?Itsafactofshooting techniquetogetitout! that the most effective cartridges are generally the worst when it comes to barrel-life but everyone We also mentioned running-in - another process wantsthemosteffectivecartridgedontyou?So, thatnoneofusparticularlyenjoy.But,likecleaning, keep shooting those fabulous overbore WSMs its best to do it properly. Modern match-grade enjoytheirsuperbaccuracywhilstitlastsbutbuya barrelsneedlittleornobreak-in.Whatweadoingis borescopesoon!www.gradientlens.com smoothingoutthethroatthatpartofthelandwhich has been cut by the reamer. The rotating reamer leaves circumferential marks on the land and this caneasilybeseenwithaborescope(seepic).

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Target Shooter

HANDLOADING OLD FAITHFUL THE .308 WINCHESTER (part 5)

By Laurie HollandAbove - Target Rifle (Fullbore Rifle in the USA and some other countries) uses 30-32 barrels to give a 155gn bullet 2,950-3,050 fps MV, and normally employs a 1-13 rifling twist rate. Illmakeastartonevaluating0.308matchbullet performance this month, but first, lets put nontarget shooting to one side, starting with deerstalkers.Mostdeeraretakenwiththe.308at 200ydorlessandFigures1ato1cshowrelatively little external ballistics performance difference between three very different 180gn Sierra bullet designs at this range the blunt RNSP # 2170, SPT Pro-Hunter #2150, and long-range SBT GameKing #2160. Only Figure 1c (wind deflection) sees significantdifferenceswiththe round-nose bullet suffering 2.6 more drift than the GameKing at 200yd, but at 100yd only moving an extra

Left - Handloaders can produce ammunition with more ballistically efficient bullets to reduce wind-drift at long ranges in unrestricted matches. Left to right: the original Sierra 155gn Palma MK; 185gn Berger Match BT Long-Range; 200gn Sierra MK; 208gn Hornady A-Max. The Berger works in the common 1-13 barrel twist rate used in TR/FR, the other two heavy bullets need faster twists. Target Shooter 47

600 yards is long-range shooting for many people as this is a commonly found maximum range in rifle range complexes as here at Strensall near York. This range starts to reward ballistically efficient .308W loads especially in F/TR.

Below- 155s, left to right: the old SMK (No.2155); 0.4. Note too, how little difference there Lapua Scenar; 155gn Berger VLD. The Scenar is a is between the boat-tail GameKing and flat-base Pro-Hunter even at 200yd. So, very efficient long-range design most field shooters dont need high BCs, rathergoodaccuracyatanacceptableMV alliedtosuitablebulletconstructionforthe application.Police use is such that external ballistics performance, hence bullet BC, is rarely an issue either. Although British armed responseteamspracticeon600ydtargets, anFBIstudyofAmericanlawenforcement rifle engagements produced an average range that shots were taken over of only 57 metres. Shots above 200yd are exceptional and the usual loading employedbypolicedepartmentsisfactory match ammunition that gives the 168gn Sierra MatchKing (SMK) 2,600 fps, an accurate,butaswellsee,notparticularly ballistically efficient combination. Then we have military sniping with tales of one-shot1,000ydpluskills,butinreality such shots are rare in combat using the military 7.62mm version of the cartridge. Open-landscapetheatressuchaspartsof

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Left - Tangent v secant ogive shapes. 190gn Sierra MK (tangent) on the left; 210gn Sierra MK (secant) on the right. Not everybody will use secant form bullets as they can prove difficult to get them to shoot wellhollow-point BT match (HPBTM)bulletin7.62mm, their M118LR round employing the 175gn SMK at 2,580 fps. I can say from personal experience in F-Class that there are likely to be problems at 1,000yd with this bullet at this velocity, in cool, dense air anyway. Others use FMJs, our 155gn FMJBTRadwayGreenbullet Afghanistan can allow long shots, but nearly all typical and loaded in ammunition that produced are taken with .300 Winchester or .338 Lapua 2,750fpsMVformefroma24barreltacticalriMagnumrifles.Almostuniquely,USforcesusea Below - Some of the 0.308 Sierra MatchKing family. Left to right: 155gn new Palma (No.2156), 168gn, 175gn, 180gn, 190gn, and 200gn. All are tangent ogive and use a 7-calibre radius or one close to that figure except for the 155gn which has been lengthened to 9-calibres.

Long-range F/TR shooter at Bisley. .308 Win has marginal ballistics at 1,000yd and needs excellent accuracy, small ES values and a high MV-BC combination at this range

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Above - The same collection of bullets boat-tail rear ends. Note the short steeply angled forms on the 168gn (second from left) and 180gn (third from right) compared to the others especially the 190 and 200gn models on the right.fle.Lapuaemploys150and170gnB-seriesFM- easyanswerwithachoiceofnearly40boat-tailed JBTlock-basebulletsandthe185gnD46rebated match bullets varying by make, shape, weight, boat-tailFMJatnominalMVsof2,790,2,820,and even jacket type and thickness. Why dont we 2,490 fps respectively, only the hot 170gn load simplychoosethebest,letssaywiththehighest shownassupersonicat1,000yd. BC? Its not that simple as we have to decide Disciplines on the metrics that define bullet performance What are we looking for in a bullet?There is no and they are determined by discipline, rifle Below - 168s. Left to right: Sierra MK, Speer Gold Match, Nosler Custom Competition, Hornady Match, Lapua Scenar. Only the Scenar has a suitable boat-tail form for longer range shooting, but this is a relatively low BC short-range model. All of these bullets will perform superbly up to 600yd in a good load and rifle

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F/TR competitors shoot at 1,000yd at Bisley. This distance requires careful bullet choice and high MVs the subject for next months installment

characteristics and range. There is tangent versussecant-formogiveshapes,manyshooters disliking VLD designs with the latter because of their fussiness over cartridge length and the perceived need to seat them into the rifling for good accuracy. Many competitors take part in restricteddisciplinesthatmandateabulletweight oflessthan156gnTarget/FullboreRifleand Palma; F/TR in some countries (not the UK or USA).Thiscanseecompetitorsadopttwoloads dependingonwhetherthematchisshotunder restrictedrulesornot.

nearly a foot less at 79.8 (7.6-MOA). However, it is wind changes and the misreading of such bytheshooterthatputsabulletoutofthetarget centre,andwedontgetmany10mph90gusts. Lets say we have a wind coming from 4 oclock and the shooter misreads its strength by the equivalent of 2mph. The Berger moves 13.8 compared to the Lapuas 15.9, two inches less, stilloutoftheTR/FR1-MOAV-Bull,butwithless chanceofleakingintothefour-ring.Comparedto the original Sierra Palma which is still the most widely used bullet in British TR, and loaded in the NRAs RUAG manufactured ammunition, the Letslookatapopularbulletforunrestrictedloads heavy Berger drifts 4.7 less, nearly half-MOA in inTR/FRrifles,theBerger185gnBTLong-Range, thisscenario. one of the companys new long-nosed jumptoleranttangentogivemodels.Ithasanaverage Thehigherretainedvelocityisvaluabletoo,asin G7BCvalueof0.287,slightlyhigherthanits185 anidealworldthebulletisntjustbarelysupersonic VLDstablemateandthatcomparesto0.229-0.237 atthetarget,butspendsaslittletimeaspossible for the best of the 155s, 0.214 for the original in the transonic speed zone that starts around SierraPalmaMK(#2155).However,beingheavier 1.3Mach(1,460fps)andcreatesanincreasingly itwillhavealowerMV,letssay2,750fpswhich turbulentairflowaroundtheprojectileasitsspeed produces the same ME value of 3,100 ft/lbs as drops from there to the sound barrier (1,122 fps a 155 at 3,000 fps. (Ive obtained 2,810 fps with under standard conditions). The Berger drops this bullet in my 30 barrel F/TR rifle alongside below1,470fpsat920yd,the155Scenarat870yd excellent accuracy, so 2,750 fps is readily and the original Palma MK at 800yd. Finally, the achievable.) Using Bryan Litzs experimentally Bergerstabilisesinthe1-13riflingtwistrateused derived BCs and Berger Bullets G7 ballistics by most TR and Fullbore competitors, although program, a 155gn Scenar at 3,000 fps retains 1-12 may be marginally better. However, not 1,300 fps at 1,000yd and moves 91.7 (8.7- everybody will want to go down this road as it MOA) in a 10 mph crosswind; the 185 at 2,750 requires familiarisation with two sets of fpssteamsalongatahealthy1,373fpsanddrifts ammunition behaviours, many shooters

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1a

Figures 1a 1c Sierra 180gn 0.308 deer bullet performance from .308 Win at 2,600 fps. Round-Nose: Solid grey line; SPT (Pointed Soft-Point Flat-Base Pro-Hunter): broken yellow line; SBT (Boat-Tailed Soft Point GameKing): broken black line.understandably preferring to sacrifice the extra performance in order to hone their skills and experience with 155gn bulleted ammunition as usedinmajorcompetitions. Short-Range Rangeisakeyfactor,aseveryoneofourdesigns can be happily used at 600yd even in shorter barrelledrifleswithlowerMVs,andtherearemany .308Wusersforwhomthisdistanceislong-range shooting, if nothing else because 200-600yd facilities are accessible to most British rifle club members,butthereareonlyfour1,000ydranges nationally that provide competitive shooting opportunities to civilians. So, how important is external ballistics performance to the TR and F/ TRclubshooterat300-600yd?Toanswerthat,I tookourtwofactory/militaryloadswith168and 175gnSierraMKs,atypicalTR/FRloadof155gn Lapua Scenar at 3,000 fps and the alternative unrestrictedrecipeofthe185gnBergerat2,750 fpsandranthemthroughtheSierraInfinityVIPC ballistics suite to see what theyd do at 300 and 600yd, also for reasons Ill come to at 1,000yd. Note that Infinity uses G1 reference standard BCs, and as with the previous 155 v 185 G7 results, I input wind conditions as a 2mph incorrect wind call from the 4 oclock direction. TheresultsareshowninTable1andwecansee thatthetwohighervelocityTR/FRexamplesonly produce a marginal wind drift reduction over the mediumvelocity168/175gnSMKloadsat300yd, just a couple of tenths of an inch. This supports mylongheldviewthatwithinreasononeshould forgetaboutexternalballisticsatthisrangeandgo forareallytight-groupingloadpluslotsofshooting to improve experience and skills. A load that consistently puts ballistically inefficient bulletsinto0.2-MOAgroupswilloutshootonewith fantastic theoretical wind-bucking ability that groups into half-MOA, unless the range is on thetopofastorm-lashedseafrontorsomeother extreme environment. What about 600yd? We start to see a bit of difference here according to Infinity,butitsstillamaximumdifferenceof0.3MOA, a couple of inches. Thats still the same differenceasseeninthegroupingabilityofagood .308Wloadandanoutstandingone,butonecan argue that its worth looking for a combination that gives outstanding accuracy and ballistics performance. It will start to make a difference to F/TR scores with its half-MOA V and 1-MOA five-ring.However,IsuspectthatifBryanLitzwere tomodelscoresforthesebulletsatthisrangeas he did for 155gn Fullbore bullets (TargetShooter November2009issue),thedifferencesaveraged over20hypotheticalmatcheswouldbemodest. ReaderswhoknowofmyenthusiasmforusingG7 BCsareprobablywonderingwhyIusedInfinity. Ivedonesopartlybecausedifferencesbetween G1 v G7 results are modest at shorter ranges, because the G1 form is what most people are familiarwith,butalsotomakeanotherpoint,which well now see by looking at the 1,000yd results. They correctly show the modest velocity 168gn SMKloadassubsonicatthisrangeandsuffering considerablymorewinddriftthantheothers,but the M118LR copy almost meets our 1,200 fps retainedvelocitytarget,andtheTR/FRloadsare