We received some nice photos from the NRA showing some of the winners from the recently completed 2010 National High Power Matches and wanted to share them with you. Congratulations again to the winners but also to all of the shooters that competed in the National Matches. Also, thanks again to the volunteers that made it happen!

Shooters on the podium for the National Match Rifle Championship: (center) 1st Place -Sgt Sherri Gallagher, USA 2396-161X, (left center) 2nd Place – Carl Bernosky 2395-140X, (right center) 3rd Place - Stephen Culpepper 2382-121X. Award presenters alongside the podium, (left) Bill Gravatt – President, Sinclair International and (right) Gunny R. Lee Ermey, USMC and fellow shooter. (photo courtesy of the NRA Competitive Shooting Division)

Shooters on the podium for the National Service Rifle Championship: (center) 1st Place -Sgt Eric Swearingen, USMC 2381-103X, (left center) 2nd Place – SSG Tyrel Cooper, USA 2377-108X, (right center) 3rd Place - SFC Grant Singley, USA 2372-121X. Award presenters alongside the podium, (left) Bill Gravatt – President, Sinclair International and (right) Gunny R. Lee Ermey, USMC and fellow shooter. (photo courtesy of the NRA Competitive Shooting Division)

Center: Sgt Sherri Gallagher, USA – 2010 National High Power Champion (2396-161X). New National Record. Right: Gunny R. Lee Ermey, USMC – presenter (service rifle competitor) Left: Bill Gravatt, President, Sinclair International – presenter (long-range competitor) (photo courtesy of the NRA Competitive Shooting Division)

Protektor Dr Bag

Sometimes trying to find the best rear bag set-up for your particular shooting discipline can be a bit frustrating to say the least. Things can get more complicated when you are shooting at 600 plus yards with a twenty-two pound benchrest or F-Class rifle. Most of these rifles utilize custom laminate or fiberglass stocks that have at least a half inch wide flat rear. The goal of shooting off of a rest and rear bag combo is for the rifle to track smooth and true during and after each shot. This means that upon recoil, the rifle should push straight back into your shoulder as if it is gliding on ball bearings with no canting from side to side. The last thing that you need is to be fiddling with your rear bag when shooting starts instead of concentrating on changing conditions down range after every shot.

So where do you find a rear bag that can tame that big, heavy and hard recoiling rifle? Well, it seems that Protektor has diagnosed the symptoms and has a cure with their new top-of-the-line “ Dr “ or Doctor bags ( #BAG45 – cordura version and #BAG46 – leather version). The Dr. bags resemble the Protektor Deluxe series (#BAG40 and 41) only on steroids! This bag has an integral doughnut bottom comprised of 3 layers of stiff leather and the sidewalls have stiffer leather than most bags, which prevents “rounding” of the bag over time. It has three rows of stitching (which is 1/2 inch) between the ears to create the proper spacing for larger stocks. The 4″ tall body is coupled to extra long (5″x 2″ tall) mid ears. The longer ears aid in reducing recoil torque by grasping more of the rear portion of the stock, thus keeping it more in place. With a heavy-sand weight of fifteen plus pounds, this bag set up definitely stays solid. Well, as an F-Class and long range bench shooter, I definitely wanted to give this new bag a try, and share my thoughts. Well, I gathered up my gear and headed to the range to see how this bag worked! Here is a list of equipment used in my test:

(1) 1000yd.range with solid wood bench.
(2) Sinclair Generation II Rest with Windage (# 04-2780) outfitted with a Protektor 3” cordura front bag (BAG#28)
(3) Protektor Dr rear bag (#BAG45 – cordura version)
(4) Silicone bag spray (# 04-115)
(5) Remington 700 target rifle wearing a McMillan fiberglass benchrest stock with 3″ fore end and a 1/2″ flat rear, weighing 16.6 lbs. chambered in 6mm BR Norma.

When I first saw the construction and the layout of the Dr. Bag, I was excited to put it to the test and see what it had to offer. Maybe it would “cure” some of the ailments that a standard rear bag can have at times. I headed out to the range to designate a day dedicated to testing out the performance of my rifle shooting off of the Dr. Bag. While sitting at the bench, I aligned the front rest with the rear bag and sprayed both bags with silicone spray. I find that you can set the rifle in nice and straight leaving roughly an inch or so of butt stock hanging out the rear of the Dr. Bag when the rifle is up against the fore end stop of your front rest. The rifle should glide from shoulder to front stop and back effortlessly. In return the rifle should slide smoothly back into battery (to the front rest stop after firing. What about recoil torque or heavy bolt lift? With the rifle just touching my shoulder, five rounds went down range in a slow deliberate manner to see if point of aim changed each time the rifle was slid back into battery. There was no recoil torque dispersion as the rifle smoothly went back into position after each fired round. The speed screw on the Sinclair front rest had to be utilized twice for minor elevation changes between shots, and the windage changed once. The results were good with five shot and five hits on a steel target letting me see each impact! Ten more rounds were then fired with the same result. Minor corrections with elevation and windage, but there were no issues with recoil or sticky extraction. After two days of shooting from 100 to 1000 yards the Protektor Dr. rear bag performed flawlessly in this particular scenario. The only limiting factor during testing had to be the shooter or as we say, “The Nut Behind the Butt ”

So, in conclusion, if you are planning to build a new rifle for benchrest or F-Class and you’re thinking about a new rear bag you might want to give the Dr Bag some serious consideration. It’s big, heavy and allows your rifle to track consistantly. The price is right at under $100.00. It may just what the Doctor ordered!

“Good Shooting,Be Safe and Keep’em in the Ten Ring!!”

Rod Green
Reloading Technician/Sales
Sinclair International

I asked members of our staff that worked at our Commercial Row store at the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships to jot down some thoughts about their experience this year. I thought it would be interesting to you to see how they view it from their perspective. They live out of a suitcase and are away from their families for awhile but they really seem to enjoy the experience and the chance to meet a few of the customers they help on the phones and internet. They are a great crew and truly love helping people get the most out of their hobby – shooting!

Bill Gravatt
President – Sinclair International

This year was my first Camp Perry experience. I enjoyed the experience more than I thought because it was a different aspect of work that I don’t normally see. It was good to finally put a face to some of the customers that I speak with quite often. I also enjoyed seeing the shooting range in action and learning about different shooting disciplines. I’d have to say my favorite thing about Camp Perry was learning about the history from Bill. I appreciate Camp Perry much more after the history lessons and exploring the grounds. Overall, it was a great experience and I would jump on the chance to return next year.
- Becca

My experience is definitely a lot different than those employees who are shooters and reloaders. However, I think all of us who have worked the store feel the same. It is nice to be able to go to Camp Perry and put our name out there and meet old customers as well as those who are just starting shooting and ordering from Sinclair. It is nice to be able to put a face with a name. Speaking for myself I always love going to Camp Perry to work the store and to hear customer stories when they come in to say “Hey!”. I have noticed a lot of people over the years come in our store for advice and help with issues they have or help getting their rifle working correctly before their next match. You get one feel of how we work when you are sitting at a desk helping customers but it is a different ball game when you are out there actually seeing it with your own eyes. It is an experience that I am glad I get to do, as well as being part of a team doing what we can do to help our customers and friends.
- Kerry

I think the part I enjoy the most about Camp Perry is meeting people that I have shot with and customers I have helped in the past Camp Perry visits. I had several customers come in and say hello and thank me for the advice from past years. This year the weather was consistent; hot and humid with rain on Wednesday. I had a fair year this year. I shot my low averages but for the weather, I was consistent and averaged 93-94%. I had a good time and am looking forward to next year.
- Ron

I really enjoy going to work in the store at Camp Perry. It gives me a chance to match faces to names with the customers that I speak to on the phone. Each year I attend I gather more and more of an appreciation for the competitive shooting sport. This year I even got a chance to observe some of you shooting out on the line and it was an amazing experience. It has really drawn me and made me want to look into getting started with competitive shooting.
- Amanda

This year was my first experience at the Camp Perry National Matches. While I did not get a chance to do any shooting, working in the Sinclair store was a great experience. It was nice to be able to make a deeper connection to our customers and have some face-to-face interactions with them. I liked the change of pace compared to the daily interactions encountered in the office. I loved hearing the stories from shooters and was even able to share a couple of my own. I am eagerly awaiting next year’s matches for a chance to return!
- Corey

Things were a little slow during NRA week due to the economy. We saw a lot of old friends in the store that were there for the last week of high power and the long range championship August 14-18. R. Lee Ermey (the “Gunny” from the History Channel’s Mail Call show) was in to buy some items along with Dennis DeMille, Michelle Gallagher, and Nancy Tompkins. I was stretching my old bones and getting “into position” for extended periods of time in the morning and evenings to be ready for the long-range matches. Sinclair participated in the Team matches. Our team consists of Bill Gravatt (Sinclair), Gary Duda from Michigan (coach and shooter), Mark Walters (a Fort Wayne police officer), Larry Remsnyder (from Michigan also) and myself, Phil Hoham (Sinclair Tech, Team captain). We competed in the open team category master division Palma Rifle. I will have a future article on this unless the results are too embarrassing. Stand by and good shooting!
- Phil

Camp Perry was again this year another great experience. I had the opportunity to set up the store and then work the opening week during the pistol phase of the event. My favorite thing about working this event is the chance to meet shooters from all corners of the US and those who come from abroad. The shooting community shares a bond that stands out from others, which is always evident at Camp Perry. As a competitive rifle shooter, and occasional pistol “plinker”, I had the chance to talk to the pistol competitors and learn from them to help expand my knowledge of the discipline. I have to give the pistol shooters a ton of credit, since the true knowledge, skill, patience, and discipline is one of the hardest to learn and most challenging of all shooting sports. Thank you to all of the great people I got the chance to meet and talk to at the Sinclair Store during pistol week. I will see you next year!
- Pete

I had a chance to meet some of the bench rest shooters that live close to Camp Perry that have been wanting to meet me and we finally managed to do that and I was able to help them with some of their needs. I also had a great conversation with a young man who works at the CMP Air Rifle range and he asked us if we would consider having some reloading classes next year during the Nationals next year. That would be interesting to do.
- Bob

As usual, Camp Perry was a fun time to see familiar faces and meet new shooters. It is always rewarding to see a new competitor and be able to help him or her find the right parts or products to keep them up and running during the matches. The online ordering with free shipping was a big hit with many customers as well. It was great to see many people even with the economy as it is. Good shooting, and I hope to see you all next year!
- Rod

Each year when I pull into the main gate at Camp Perry for the NRA Nationals I get a sense of coming home. I am sure a lot of you get that same feeling when you pull into a range where you have spent a lot of time or a favorite hunting area. I usually try to drive over to Camp Perry on weekends and mingle with customers in our commercial row location. The opportunity to talk with customers in person is rewarding as I can find out what their needs are and what we can do to provide them with better service. Attending the NRA Award Ceremonies is always enjoyable because you get a chance to share in the recognition of shooters who have put together an incredible effort to make it on the stage. Finally, during long-range I was able to shoot, serve my time in the pits, and enjoy the hot, humid weather while wrapped up in a sweatshirt and coat. For once, we only had a tiny delay during the start of one string when a low flying plane apparently got too close for the range officer’s liking. I look forward to pulling into the main gate next year and seeing old friends once again.
- Bill

Wow, is summer flying by! Shooters are calling and e-mailing us in preparation for fall hunting – it seems like we just started summer shooting programs! A lot of new shooters have been contacting us about getting into reloading. Remember, if you need any help getting started our techs are only a phone call away and they really enjoy helping others get started into a great hobby – RELOADING! Many people want to begin reloading but are hesitant because they don’t have someone local that can help them get started, that’s what we are here for. Our techs are fantastic with helping you select the equipment and get started in a very enjoyable and rewarding pastime.

I just returned from spending several enjoyable weekends at the NRA National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. We were there for NRA Pistol, NRA Smallbore, CMP week, NRA High Power, and NRA Long-Range. It was good to see many of you come by our Commercial Row location and I always enjoy seeing old friends and making new ones out on the range during the long-range matches.

I am not sure the shooting industry is really yet aware of the outstanding performance put on by two highly respected individuals during the 2010 NRA High Power Rifle Championship held at Camp Perry, Ohio from August 10-13. Sgt Sherri Gallagher US Army (AMU Shooting Team) and Carl Bernosky put on a dual performance that may never be equaled in the NRA High Power Rifle Championship. For more information on the NRA National Rifle Championships, see the article in this newsletter.

We have a decent supply of IMR’s 8208 XBR powder now in stock. This is a powder benchrest shooters have been waiting for. We also have some good specials on some of our regular items. Keep track of special product offerings and new product additions by visiting our website frequently – www.sinclairintl.com. We enjoy hearing from you and look forward to helping you with your reloading and shooting needs.

See you in September and good shooting,

Bill Gravatt
President – Sinclair International, Inc.

I am not sure the shooting industry is really yet aware of the outstanding performance put on by two highly respected individuals during the NRA High Power Rifle Championship (August 10 thru August 13) held at Camp Perry, Ohio. Sgt Sherri Gallagher US Army (AMU Shooting Team) and Carl Bernosky put on a performance that may never be equaled in the NRA High Power Championship. Sgt Gallagher shot a 2396-161X to claim the title of NRA High Power Champion and Carl came in second with a 2395-140X. Both Gallagher’s and Bernosky’s scores shattered the old National Record of 2389-138X set by G. David Tubb in August 2003.

For those of you that are not aware of the composition of the NRA High Power Championship, it consists of 3 – 20 shot matches in 200 Yard Slow Fire Standing, 3 – 20 shot matches in 200 Yard Rapid Fire Sitting, 3 – 20 shot matches in 300 Yard Rapid Fire Prone, and 3 – 20 shot matches in 600 Yard Slow Fire Prone. The course of fire is shot over 4 days and totals to 240 shots with a total possible score of 2400-240X. Sgt Gallagher dropped only 4 points over 4 days of shooting with 161 shots finding the X ring (67%). Sherri won 7 of the 12 individual matches and had an unbreakable tie in one of the others. I believe Sherri was shooting the 260 Remington.

Carl Bernosky dropped only 5 points over the 4 days with 140 X-ring shots (58%) and won 2 of the 12 individual matches. Carl has won the NRA High Power Championship 9 of the 15 years he has entered including this year if I have my figures straight. He recently won the NRA High Power Championship in 2007 and 2008 and lost by one point last year to Norman Houle. Both Sherri and Carl are incredible shooters, amazingly modest and really great all around individuals.

Here are just a few of the things Sherri did in this significant accomplishment:
1. Set a new National Record with an overall score of 2396-161X
2. She won 7 of the 12 individual matches outright and dropped all 4 of her points in 3 matches that she still won
3. She tied in an unbreakable tie for one individual match
4. She lost 4 matches by a total combined X count of 7X’s (she didn’t lose any matches on points).
5. She was High Woman in every match
6. She won all three 200 Yard Slow Fire Standing matches
7. She lost all three 200 Yard Rapid Fire Sitting matches (by a total of 6X’s).
8. Her biggest margin of loss in any of the four individual matches she didn’t win was 3X’s in the Coast Guard Trophy Match when she shot a 200-15X against the winner SGT Eric Swearingen who shot a 200-18X.
9. She shot several individual National Records
10. Sherri is the 2nd woman to ever win the NRA National High Power Championship. The first woman to win the Championship was in 1998 by her mother Nancy Tompkins. You think it runs in the family?

In the Service Rifle High Power Championship, SGT Eric Swearingen USMC shot the fantastic score of 2381-103. He was only 15 points behind the overall winner and he was using a service rifle. SGT Swearingen also won the Coast Guard Trophy outright with a score of 200-18X beating out all of the match rifle shooters. Eric finished 5th overall with only 4 match rifle shooters ahead of him. This is incredible shooting with a Service Rifle in any type of conditions especially when the shooting is stretched out over a four (4) day period. Congratulations SGT Swearingen! Incidentally, Eric’s dad Don is one of the volunteers that works the firing line during the National Matches. We couldn’t have the National Matches without the volunteers – they are the ones that really make it happen!

During the NRA Award Ceremonies I was very fortunate to be asked to go up on stage with Gunny R. Lee Ermey USMC and present the awards to the Championship winners. Regardless of how they finished up, they should all be congratulated for such outstanding performances with a rifle.

NRA National High Power Championship
1st Place             SGT Sherri Gallagher – Fort Benning, GA 2396-161X
2nd Place            Carl Bernosky – Ashland, PA 2395-140X
3rd Place             Stephen Culpepper – Sharpsburg, GA 2382-121X

NRA National Service Rifle Championship
1st Place              SGT Eric Swearingen, USMC – El Cajon, CA 2381-103X
2nd Place             SSG Tyrel Cooper, USA – Fort Benning, GA 2377-108X
3rd Place              SFC Grant Singley, USA – Fort Benning, GA 2372-121X
High Overall          Tyler Rico – Tucson, AZ 2360-94X
Junior (under 21)

NRA Long-Range Championship

Immediately following the NRA High Power Championships, the NRA Long-Range Championship began. The Long-Range Championship consists of four days of long-range concluding with the Palma individual on the fourth day. The first three days are all 1000 yard, 20 shot courses of fire and the Palma is shot with 15 shots each at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. The total long-range aggregate is based on the total of 125 shots for a total possible score of 1250-125X. There are separate divisions and trophies for Any Rifle (metallic sights and any sights depending on the match), Service Rifle (metallic sights only), and Palma Rifle (metallic sights only). The Palma matches can be shot with either a .223 Remington or .308 Winchester.

NRA Long-Range Day One
Day One (Saturday, August 14) of the Long-Range Championship began with the Remington “Band of Brothers” Match, which was any sights for the Any Rifle division. The second 1000 yard match of the day was the Mustin Trophy Match which is metallic sights only. Fairly nice weather held for most of the day until the afternoon when a quick rainstorm caught the shooters on Relay 1 (third relay because of the mid-day pit change) in the Mustin Match. Fortunately it cleared up for Relay 2 (last relay of the day).

Each of these 1000 yard matches features a 10 shot shoot-off which includes the top shooter for each relay and each rifle (division). In the Remington “Band of Brothers” Match some drama unfolded when Michelle Gallagher and John Whidden tied in the overall shoot-off, both with 100-8X scores. A tie in the shoot-off forces a sudden death shoot which puts the two shooters on the line each taking a shot. The targets are then ran up and if there are identical scores the sudden death continues until one shooter fails to match the other shooter’s score. This sudden death ran until John shot a 9 on the 13 shot of sudden death providing Michelle Gallagher with the win.

After 23 total shots in the shoot-off for the Remington “Band of Brothers” Match, John had to get ready for a second shoot-off from his performance in the Mustin Match. He won this one outright with another 100-8X.

Day One Winners
Remington “Band of Brothers” Match (any sight for the Any Rifle category)
Any Rifle           Michelle Gallagher                  200-13X (230-8X shoot-off)
Palma Rifle        SGT Eric Smith USA                 199-4X (99-4X shoot-off)
Service Rifle      SPC Kevin Trickett, USA          197-7X (99-3X shoot-off)

Mustin Match (metallic sights)
Any Rifle           John Whidden               198-11X (100-8X shoot-off)
Palma Rifle        SGT Eric Smith USA        199-4X (99-4X shoot-off)
Service Rifle      LCPL Justin Moses         189-7X (99-1X shoot-off)

NRA Long-Range Day Two

Day Two seemed even more humid than Day One. Day Two consists of the Leech Cup (Any Rifle – metallic sights), Porter Cup (service rifle), and Edward D. Andrus Trophy Match. Once again John Whidden prevailed winning the Leech Cup with a score of 200-14X and a 100-7X in the shoot-off. The Roumanian Trophy Team Match followed in the afternoon.

Leech Cup
Winner – John Whidden                              200-14X (100-7X shoot-off)
Porter Cup (Service Rifle)
Winner – SFC Grant Singley USA                 196-7X (98-1X shoot-off)
Edward D. Andrus Memorial Trophy
Winner – David Cloft                                  198-12X (98-3X shoot-off)

NRA Long-Range Day Three

Day Three delivered beautiful skies, cooler temperatures and a little pickup in the wind conditions. By the time the team matches started some shooters were experiencing 10 to 11 MOA windage corrections of left windage for the wind coming mainly out of the west. This day’s matches consist of the Wimbleton Cup (any sights), the Farr Trophy (service rifle), and the Herb “Doc” Aiken Memorial Trophy (Palma rifle), all fired concurrently. Some new names appeared in the winner’s circle on Day Three with Richard Kussman from Forest Hill, Maryland winning the Wimbleton Cup with a score of 199-6X and a shoot-off score of 99-3X. The Herrick Trophy Team Match was held in the afternoon.

Wimbleton Cup (Any Rifle – Any Sights)
Winner – Richard Kussman                              199-6X (99-3X shoot-off)
Farr Trophy (Service Rifle)
Winner – SFC Jeremy Mangione USA                195-8X (97-3X shoot-off)
Edward D. Andrus Memorial Trophy (Palma Rifle)
Winner – SFC Norman Anderson USA                198-10X (99-4X shoot-off)

The Sierra Cup is also wrapped up on Day 3; it is an aggregate that consists of scores shot in the Edward D. Andrus Memorial Trophy Match and the Herb “Doc” Aiken Memorial Match. Maximum score is 400-40X. Both of these matches are shot with the Palma rifle.

Sierra Cup
1st Place – Trevor Massey               397-18X
2nd Place – David Cloft                   396-21X
3rd Place – Kevin Nevius                  396-18X
High Junior – Michael Storer             395-15X

NRA Long-Range Day Four (Palma individual)

Day Four is Palma Day where everyone has to shoot either an unmodified .223 Remington (5.56 NATO) or a .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO) in either a rifle with metallic sights or in any service rifle with metallic sights. As mentioned earlier the Palma Match is shot with 15 shots each at 800, 900, and 1000 yards for a total of 45 shots with a maximum 450-45X score.

Approximately 253 shooters stayed to shoot the Palma Individual. Bob Gustin cleaned the Palma course with a 450-33X just holding off Bob Steketee who shot an excellent 449-24X. Kelly Bachand finished in 3rd place with a 447-27X. Great shooting guys.

Palma Individual (450-45X possible)
1st Place – Bob Gustin              450-33X
2nd Place – Bob Steketee          449-24X
3rd Place – Kelly Bachand          447-27X

This day also wraps up the NRA Long-Range Championship and the Canadian Cup. The 2010 NRA Long-Range Champion was John Whidden with a total combined score of 1243-75X. The Canadian Cup consists of the Leech Cup, Wimbleton, and Palma Individual scores and was won by Bob Gustin with a 847-57X.

Canadian Cup (850-85X possible)
1st Place – Bob Gustin                           847-57X
2nd Place – John Whidden                     845-52X
3rd Place – Michelle Gallagher                843-50X
High Junior – Michael Storer                   835-34X

NRA National Long-Range Championship (1250-125X possible)
1st Place – John Whidden                                          1243-75X
2nd Place – SSG Brandon Green USA                           1240-60X
3rd Place – Michelle Gallagher                                    1238-70X
High Junior – Michael Storer                                       1221-45X
High Service Rifle – SFC Grant Singley USA                  1209-39X

I hope I spelled everyone’s name right and got the scores transferred correctly. I didn’t list all the champions such as High Police, High Civilian, High Service Member, etc. but if you would like to see all the results go to http://www.nrahq.org/compete/champ3.asp and click on the specific match or aggregate.

Good Shooting,

Bill Gravatt
President – Sinclair International, Inc.

By: Bryan Litz

I took a pretty good look at Bryan Litz’s new book on ballistics and found that it is written so that almost any shooter can read this and get so much from what Bryan is presenting to us. Bryan has been able to present the information so that it can be applied by anyone wanting to take the time to improve their understanding of ballistics.

Bryan earned his Aerospace Engineering degree from the Pennsylvania State University in 2002 and then worked for the US Air Force on air to air missile design, modeling and simulation for six years. In November 2008, Bryan became the Chief Ballistician for Berger Bullets. Some of Bryan’s accomplishments have been as a US National Palma Champion in 2008, he was a member of the winning 2008 US Team in the Spirit of America International Rifle Match, and a National Record Holder for the NRA iron sight midrange course, where he fired a 450-39X, among some of his accomplishments.

Bryan goes into many areas of interest, to the long range shooter, such as ballistic coefficients, gravity drop, wind deflection, spin drift, and many other issues for the long range shooter to consider in getting a bullet on target accurately. Once you have a good working understanding of the information presented by Bryan, you will have a better idea of how to calculate precise trajectories for your long range shooting needs.

To summarize the important highlights of Bryan’s book would be for the following areas of Gravity Drop, Having Control of Sights, Wind Deflection, Using an Accurate Ballistic Coefficient, Accounting for Atmospherics, Uphill/Downhill Shooting, Gyroscopic (spin) Drift, and Coriolis Effect.

One other item that is unique to the book is the CD software ballistics program that is included with the book. The program allows you to input information for either the G1 or G7 BC of the bullet and allow you to compute the velocity, trajectory, TOF, and drift for the bullet at the yardage that you need the information for. The book has 536 pages that include dimensional drawings and drag data for over 175 bullets.

Sample of the Ballistic Software that accompanies Litz’s book

I am primarily a 6PPC shooter and I have even learned a lot that I will be able to apply to what I will use out to 300 yards with the bench gun as well as what I shoot with IHMSA handgun silhouette shooting out to 200 yards. I have found this book to not only be an enjoyable read, but a read that is loaded full of very useful shooting information for any shooter that wants to have a better understanding of what happens to the bullet that you are putting down range.

Bob Blaine
Senior Reloading Technician

By Pete Petros-Lead Reloading Technician, Sinclair International

After hearing about great results that shooters have been having with the original .284 Winchester I decided to re-barrel and chamber my factory Savage F-Class 6.5mm X .284 after 1200 rounds of ¼ MOA accuracy had opened up a bit. I contacted Dave Kiff from Pacific Tool and Die to have a reamer made based on the Norma specifications for the .284 cartridge necked up to 7mm with a tight .313” neck. Mark Penrod of Penrod Precision in North Manchester did the art work on the rifle. I had him use my new reamer to chamber a 31” Bartlein 1-9” twist 5R barrel that tapers from 1.25” to .900”. He blue printed and bedded my action in the modified factory stock and tweaked the Rifle Basix SAV-2 Trigger. I received the new upgraded rifle two weeks before I left for the 2009 F-Class Nationals at Camp Butner, North Carolina. I had to squeeze break in time and load development in a short time period. Fortunately, I had all of my brass prepped and ready to go once I had the rifle home.

I took the Lapua brass and expanded it from 6.5mm to 7mm with a Sinclair Expander die and mandrel. Once that was complete I turned the necks down with a Sinclair NT-4000 Neck turning tool from .0145” to .0135” to allow .002” clearance from the chamber. One step I took and was glad I did was to turn all of this brass under power with the use of a Sinclair Power Center and Case Driver/Holder. This made the job much easier without losing accuracy. Using a Redding Type-S Full Length Die with a .309” bushing I assured a perfect .002” of neck tension. The bullets I chose to build my load on was the Berger 7mm 180 Grain VLD, seating them into the case with a Redding Competition micrometer seating die. This bullet has proved itself with others shooting this cartridge. This high BC bullet is hard to beat at long ranges.

The 6.5 X .284 Norma with 140 Berger VLD on left and .284 Winchester on Right with 180 Berger VLD. A .020” bullet diameter difference, but a performance and barrel life boost!

In load development I began working with Hodgdon H4831 SC powder with CCI BR2 primers. Once again this had proved to be a great powder with other shooters and I already had a good amount left over from loading for the factory rifle. After break-in and a few trips to the range I settled on a load, and a seating depth of .020” of bullet jump to go to take to the nationals. I was blown away by the load I had chosen. I found it to chronograph at 2820 FPS with an ES of 6 FPS! Additionally, it was shooting ¾” groups at 300 yds! What was best about this was that I had stumbled on this load early in development and could work on other areas before the competition.

Almost a year has passed and the rifle is shooting better than when it was new. With around 900 rounds through the same barrel I have not seen the slightest effect on the throat or rest of the barrel that would show signs of burning out. One thing that I had found after the barrel had broken in is that I noted velocity increase to 2920 FPS. However, the group size remained tight and ES over the chronograph remained very low without any noted pressure signs. At the same time I gained a full MOA from my 300 yard zero to 600 yards. Can’t complain about that!

Pete’s rifle that has been modified from its original factory form and converted into a .284 Win. tack driver!

I have found the .284 Winchester to be a more superior cartridge to the 6.5mm X .284 in my experience in 600 and 100 yard F-Class Competition. Besides the longer barrel life it has other advantages. The ability to shoot a heavier bullet with a higher BC excels in wind. I have found that this cartridge has proved to be more consistent across the chronograph, and retains its accuracy. It definitely has not been as touchy as the 6.5mm. Who would have thought that going up .020” in bullet diameter would have made such a difference. There is a slight recoil gain over the 6.5mm but nothing to flinch at.

Group shot at 500 Yards during a practice match with the .284. Note the hole on right under micrometer blade was from another rifle in .30 caliber.

So if you are looking for a great long range cartridge, check out the .284 Winchester. Sometimes the original is best as in this case, it sure is my opinion! You can use either factory Winchester brass in .284 Win. or any 6.5mm X .284 brass and neck up in a simple process. I highly recommend that Lapua brass is used. I have 8 firings out of the original brass, anneal every three firings, and it still works wonders! When working up the load be cautious of on-line loads, use official loading manual data and work your way up in powder volume. Many .284 shooters such as myself have used Hodgdon 4831 SC with great results but I have also heard of good results with H4350, Vihtavouri 560, and Reloader 17. Give it a shot, you will not be disappointed!
Good Shooting!

Contacts
Pacific Tool and Gauge- 541-826-5808
Penrod Precision- Mark Penrod- 260-982-8385

By Pete Petros-Lead Reloading Technician, Sinclair International

For generations reloaders have been trying to find the ultimate long range cartridge. Many wildcat cartridges have come and gone through the years. Many reloaders invented “new” cartridges by necking up or down a parent case, or blowing out the shoulders or body. Some of the more popular and well performing ones became production loads and mainstays of competitive shooters. Cartridges such as the 6.5mm X .284 Norma, .260 Remington, 6.5mm-06 and the many 6mm’s that have been based off the .243 case are only a handful of these. As technology has increased it has introduced more efficient and high energy powders, super sleek bullets with high ballistic co-efficients, and the means to prep components and measure them for consistency.

The past two years in long range, shooting a cartridge that has been proving itself especially in the F-Class Open competition is the .284 Winchester, the parent case of the popular 6.5mm X .284 Norma. This old original is now making a comeback. Originally designed by Winchester in the early ‘60’s for the Short Action Model 88 and 100 rifles, it was meant to pack the same punch as a .280 Remington (7mm Express), but in a short action configuration. Winchester developed the shorter case with a rebated rim the same size as the .308 Winchester and gave it a larger case head close to the same size as some belted magnums. The original cartridge did prove itself as an efficient hunting round, but immediately it gained the interests of reloaders looking for new wildcats. It has been modified down to .22 caliber all the way up to .35 caliber and beyond through the years. It was found that necking down to the parent case to smaller calibers would create super high velocities with decent accuracy.

The 6.5mm X .284 Norma developed from the .284 Winchester parent case became the most popular cartridge in the .284 Family. The difference between the “Winchester” and the “Norma” .284 is that the Norma case is .005” thicker in the web area of the case head. The same dies can be used for both varieties.

With the increase and availability of more 6.5mm bullets with higher performance designs, the 6.5mm X .284 Norma became a force to be reckoned with in the long range circles. This cartridge has proved that it is flat shooting and super accurate, and has won many fans. It has become so popular that major manufacturers have chambered rifles in 6.5mm X .284 and factory loaded ammunition is also available. However as accurate as it may be this cartridge has one large disadvantage. It is a true barrel burner and if a shooter is lucky they will get between 1500-2000 rounds before re-barreling. This is where my experience with its parent cartridge began……Continued next Week!

We are right in the heart of competitive shooting season and it is a busy time for the folks at Sinclair and our customers. We moved into our home at Camp Perry, Ohio for the NRA National Matches. Beginning with pistol, we moved through smallbore and are now ready to start shooting CMP Service Rifle, NRA Match Rifle, and then finish with Long-Range. We spend over 6 weeks at Camp Perry and really enjoy the camaraderie with our customers and plus many of us get to shoot!

If you get a chance to come by and see us at Camp Perry we would love to see you. I know I spend most weekends there so I can catch up with customers and see what they need. We are on Commercial Row and are usually open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Our last day for being at Camp Perry is Saturday, August 14th.

We are still catching up from our move in June and we apologize for any problems you have had with delivery. We are working most of the bugs out of our new operating system, new warehouse, and procurement system. I know a few customers experienced some problems and we have tried to work those out as fast as possible. Our new warehouse will allow us to ship faster and have more stuff in stock so eventually it will get better. Remember, those same guys you have been talking to for years are still on the phones and can help you if you run into a problem.

After the competitive season begins to slow down, our guys will get back to writing more articles on reloading processes and product reviews for our monthly “Reloading Press”.

Have a great month, keep enjoying the summer, and we’ll get back to you in late August!

Good Shooting,

Bill Gravatt
President – Sinclair International, Inc.

What a fantastic weekend! I just got back from the Shooting Industry Masters a two day shooting event put on by FMG Publications. You know them better by their magazine titles, “Guns Magazine”, “American Handgunner”, “American Cop”, and “Shooting Industry”. Every year they put on an industry shoot with teams entered from Brownells, Sinclair, Remington, Hornady, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Colt, and DPMS, just to name a few. The two day shoot is comprised of shotgun, pistol, and rifle stages. There is an Open Division for the pro shooters and an Industry Division for the casual shooters.

This year, the event was held in Grand Island, Nebraska at the Heartland Shooting Park. What a great facility the folks in Grand Island have built for shooters. The entire city welcomed us with open arms. You don’t know how great it is to walk into your hotel (Best Western) and have the front desk staff welcome you with your firearm, hospitality package, and a smile. That warm reception was typical of the response we received throughout Grand Island.

I arrived on Thursday having drove over during the morning with Pete Brownell, the president of Brownells, Inc., our parent company. Pete and I joined up with several other Brownell guys at the Hornady Manufacturing facility (maker of premium bullets, ammunition, and reloading tools). We were greeted by Steve and Jason Hornady who gave us a personal tour of their facility. Each time I visit Hornady, I am impressed by their growth but also by their continued commitment to quality and customer service. Even though I have toured it several times it continues to fascinate me to watch the bullet go from lead billets and flat copper sheet to the finished product. Hornady has also been making quite a bit of their own brass in the past decade and that is an enjoyable process to watch as well.

After touring Hornady, we all returned to the hotel and got cleaned up for the welcoming dinner co-sponsored by the Grand Island Economic Development group, the Grand Island Sports Council and Hornady. This warm reception reinforced our earlier impression that guns are definitely welcomed in Nebraska.

The next day we got up early and headed to the range. Our team consisted of Frank Brownell, the CEO and second generation of Brownells; Matt Buckingham, the Chief Operations Officer; our captain Monty Crain, the head of Brownells technical group; and myself. The other folks from Brownells also split into four-man teams. The day was extremely hot and humid and our team was scheduled to shoot a 100 round sporting clays course. Fortunately we didn’t start until 10:30 am which gave the temperature some time to really get nice and pleasant (read this with sarcasm!). We all did fairly well with the sporting clays range except for one very tough station that had two crossing shots that we eventually figured out had the lead of about a Suburban. The throwers were mounted up on tall poles way off the ground and threw straight across in front of you at a pretty fair distance. It was really difficult to force yourself to put that much lead on a bird. I was actually pretty happy with my own performance in shotgun not having shot it much. Oh Bill, don’t worry there is still pistol tomorrow.

The best part of the day other than shooting was getting to meet a lot of friends from the industry and also make some new ones. The high point for me was meeting the guys from Team HAVA. HAVA stands for Honored American Veterans Afield. We kept bumping into these guys on the shotgun stages and then naturally kept seeing them over the two day event. What a fun bunch of guys. They were tickled to be there and having a blast shooting up the course. Obviously, these guys could really shoot. These gentlemen were a great representative of our United States military and we were glad they were able to join us for a couple of days of fun shooting. It amazes me how someone can classify an overpaid athlete or actor as a hero. I’m telling you, these guys are true American heroes and it was an honor and privilege to shoot beside them.

That night we had the Academy of Excellence Awards presented by the FMG team. A couple of awards that were particularly noteworthy; 1) Brownells won the Accessory of the Year for their AR15 Builder program, this is the online program that allows you to configure your AR with different accessories and see what it looks like before you order it. 2) Brownells also won Distributor of the Year, which was quite an accomplishment. Brownells works hard to take care of their dealers and the industry definitely agreed. 3) Hornady won Ammunition of the Year for their Superperformance Ammo. 4) The hands down sentimental award was for Industry Citizen of the Year, which went to our friend Hewitt Grant, the CEO/President from Ellett Brothers. He is a fine representative of the shooting industry, a classic gentleman and very worthy of this honor. Along with the awards, we had a very enjoyable dinner and a few adult beverages.

Day 2 started out with completely different weather – cool and breezy. Our team moved over to the rifle range and shot two different courses of fire that were timed events. Clangers at 100 yards and then short range plates with a S&W M&P 1522. Our team did pretty well with the rifles – good hits but not blazingly fast. Then we moved to the short gun ranges – pistol. This year was all about the wheel guns. We shot double actions in .38 Special at plates in a timed event (three stations and two run-throughs) and then did the same with double actions in .22 LR on a slightly different course. The best part was watching the pro shooters eat up the plates. It amazes me how fast they can move on the targets. I did better on the pistol than last year but still have a long way to go before I could be considered a pistol shooter. Then we started to shoot some of the side matches. Those are just for fun and not part of the team competition. Some of our guys shot the 3-Gun Side match and did fairly well. Frank Brownell and I headed over to the long-range match which was being shot for group. Frank and I both chose to shoot 6.5 Creedmoors. The groups were being measured with acoustical measuring devices which I hadn’t used before. You got one sighter and 5 shots for group. It was a little breezy and we really didn’t have much wind reference (no flags). Frank shot a 2.85” and I shot a 2.92” group, I hate to lose! Nice shooting Frank!

That night we had another dinner and more adult beverages and passed out the awards. First place in the Industry Division was Smith & Wesson Team III. First place in the Open (pro) Division was Team Hornady. Then a raffle was held to sponsor the First Shots Program ($32,000 raised) and some firearms were auctioned to help sponsor the USA Shooting Team (some of their members were present).

In all, it was a very enjoyable event and a good way to meet your industry peers in a non-business setting. Thanks go to the FMG team for outdoing themselves, it was a well ran event. Also, thanks to Hornady for doing all they did to make the even successful. I know they shut down a lot of presses and had a lot of their own staff working out on the range both days. Thanks guys for your support out there.

Good Shooting,

Bill G