Until recent times, cartridge neck annealing was a process that shooters either “Swore By” or “Swore At”. For many, annealing enables the hand-loader to revive their brass and keep it as workable as the day they bought it. Some shooters claim 50 or more firings per case with no problems! With the price of brass cartridge cases what they are today, more and more high volume shooters are looking for better mileage from their brass. On the other side of the fence, you have those folks who feel it’s a process that’s too complicated or time consuming for their taste. I guess I have always fallen into the second group, until now….

So, what exactly is case neck annealing? I’m not a scientist, by any mean, so for simplicity sake let’s say it is the process of restoring work hardened brass cases to a softer workable state specifically in the neck area. Annealing cases properly softens the neck, softens a portion of the body just ever so slightly,and makes no change to the case head and lower portion of the case. Annealing is done by quickly heating the neck to 750 to 800 degrees and quickly cooling the case before that heat has a chance to reach the case head which would render that case useless.

Now, we are ready for the meat & potatoes of this article: The Hornady Case Neck Annealing Kit #041220 ($52.95). The kit consists of three case holders, a bottle of Tempilaq heat sensitive paint, and instructions. All we need is a propane torch, a vari-speed drill or electric screwdriver, and a small bucket or coffee can with enough cold water to cover the number of cases you are working with.

Hornady Annealing Kit Part #041220 $52.95

I decided to anneal 50 pieces of Nosler Custom .308 cases with four firings on the odometer, and re-anneal after every two firings for the duration of this year’s shooting season. At the end of the year, I will compare with the 50 non-annealed sister cases, it should be interesting. I will keep you all posted on the results!

So…Let’s get started! First, you want to start with clean de-primed cases. Last thing you need is a rogue live primer subjected to the effects of a propane torch. (remember Murphy’s Law). Also, with the primers removed, when the hot annealed brass is dropped into our cold water it will circulate through the flash hole and primer pocket for better cooling. Next, if your cases are dirty, drop them in a tumbler for thirty minutes or polish with Flitz or some sort of brass polish. You want the necks to be nice and shiny, so it is easier to see them change color during annealing. Brush out the inside of the case necks and you are ready to apply the Tempilaq paint. You need to put an 1/8” mark of Tempilaq on the case body ¼” below the shoulder. After marking all cases, set them in a loading block and allow them to dry for 3 to 4 min. Next, pick the correct case holder for your brass and install into your screw driver or variable drill set at 200 rpm. If your work area has a vise, place the torch into and snug it up just enough to keep it from tipping over (again remember Mr. Murphy!). Ok, fire up your torch and adjust to produce a medium length light blue flame. With your water bucket close by, insert a case in to the holder and begin spinning. Center the spinning case neck in the middle of the flame observing the Tempilaq marking and the case neck. In roughly 6 to 8 seconds the paste will change color and the case neck will start to glow a dull maroon color. When you see that maroon color change, quickly tip your drill or screw driver over your container, and drop the annealed case into the water. Load up another case and repeat the process until you have finished all of the cases.

Sinclair Reloading Technician, and author Rod Green Demonstrates the Motions of Annealing with the Hornady Annealing Kit.

One Quick Tip: by dimming or lowering the light in your work area, it will help you to see the maroon color change during heating on the case necks much easier. The whole procedure, start to finish for 50 pieces of brass took fifteen minutes. After cooling you can towel dry and air dry. After the cases are dry you can pop your brass into your tumbler for thirty minutes to remove any heat scale from the annealing.

There you have it… Fifty annealed cartridge cases ready for reloading. Was the task at hand difficult? Not at all. Was it worth while? Yes, I feel it was. The Hornady Case Neck Annealing Kit is an inexpensive way to give new life to some old brass, and I feel the Kit is a lot of bang for the buck. So, if you have some tired brass needing a jump start, I would recommend giving the Hornady Annealing Kit a shot. I will let you know how these 50 cases made it through the season. Be safe and “keep ‘em in the 10 ring” !

Rod Green
Sales Tech, Sinclair International
NRA Life Member
VHA Life Member
NRA Cert. Metallic Cart. Instr.

I saw this product last year at the SHOT Show and was instantly impressed with it. Camo Form from McNett Corporation is a protective camouflage wrap that can be used to wrap firearms, bows, spotting scopes, insulated bottles, etc. Three features I really like about this product are; 1) it doesn’t stick to the surface being wrapped, it just sticks to itself so it doesn’t leave any residue, 2) it adds a barrier of protection to your rifle/shotgun in the field giving it some cushion against scrapes and bumps, and 3) the additional grip the Camo Form gives you on a field gun is fantastic.

Camo Form currently comes in 11 different camouflage patterns including several Mossy Oak favorites and several digital patterns. It is very easy to apply. You can wrap it in overlays or cut smaller pieces to fit around scope caps, bolt handles, sling studs, etc. As long as it makes contact with another piece it will stick incredibly well.

I took one of my favorite wood stocked rifles, a Remington 722 chambered in 257 Roberts with a Herter’s scope and tried the snow pattern. I covered it really thoroughly and used a roll and a half. If you were just trying to break up the geometric lines of the gun, one roll would be sufficient. See pictures before and after.

Before

After

One of the other guys on our staff, Phil H used one roll of the Woodland digital pattern on his Savage Model 12 FV chambered in .223 Remington and covered the majority of the rifle but did a good job in breaking up the lines of the rifle. The scope is a Nikon Monarch 6.5-20 x 44. See picture below.

The Camo Form protective wrap can be taken off and wound back up into a roll for use again. I know in my own particular situation, I would probably take it off after use just in case any moisture got in the wrap and was trapped against the metal or wood stock.

I went on a bear hunt a couple of years ago and took a Pre-64 Model 70 (original wood stock) that my dad handed down to me. I babied it in the brush but the Camo Form would have given me that extra layer of protection.

It does contain natural latex so if you are allergic you might want to stay away from it. Very nice product and one I am glad we are carrying.

Good Shooting,

Bill Gravatt
President – Sinclair International, Inc.

If you were asked to pick out an item under $100.00 from the Sinclair catalog as a gift for a friend or yourself, what would you choose? I asked that question to some of the staff members at Sinclair and Brownells to see what they would choose. True to form, a few of the staff turned to many of our signature tools.

Pete Brownell (President – Brownells, Inc.) 

Sinclair Cleaning rod cases – My old ones are beat up and I like my cleaning stuff to be – clean!

A new Boyt 46” AR-15 gun case – it’s a great case and I just got a couple more AR’s.

Hornady tumbler – my old one (not a Hornady) is slowing down and I am reloading a lot more these days.

A Sinclair Cartridge box – because these are pretty neat.

Matt Harris (Machinist – Sinclair Manufacturing)

A Lyman Turbo Case Tumbler I don’t have one, but I use it all the time here at work.

Sinclair Concentricity Gauge If I didn’t work here, they would both make an excellent Christmas gift for me.

Larry Caston (Sinclair Manufacturing)

I would pick the RCBS competition full length die set for the 223 Remington @ $93.85. After using this type of die set on other calibers, the seating die is one of the best for speed and to produce high quality loaded rounds.

Pat Reagin (Sinclair Manufacturing)

  For Christmas I would want one of our Benchrest Travel Cases. I have one of our old RT-25 windage rests and there is really no good way to pick it up to transport it from my van to a shooting bench. The travel case will hold my rest as well as my Protektor rear bag, bolt holster and shooting towel.

Bob Blaine (Sinclair Reloading Technician)

  After thinking about this one, I finally settled for a MTM Dry Box. I have found this to be the most useful box that I use personally. I am on crutches full-time and it is easy for me to carry by using the sling strap that comes with it so that I can run the sticks easily. I use it as my range loading gear box and it carries everything that I need to load at the range for load development. It has enough extra room left over in the top tray to carry the tools that I use for working with my guns in the fields.

Phil Hoham (Sinclair Reloading Technician)

 The best present you could give a shooter for under $100.00 is the Wilson case trimmer kit @ $69.75 along with the Sinclair trimmer platform @ $23.50. The Wilson trimmers are the best rifle case bench trimmers on the market. That is why all the techs at Sinclair own and use them. The design is timeless and the function is very simple and fast with no collets and pilots to mess with. The trimmer case holders support the whole case so you get a square trimmed case mouth every time. The trimmer platform is just the icing on the cake! It makes your trimmer a “free standing” unit that you can use anywhere. I personally use mine on a TV tray so I can trim cases and watch the History channel! I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year!

Ron Dague (Sinclair Reloading Technician)

I think the Wilson/Sinclair trimmer @ $69.75 and a case holder would make an excellent gift for the reloader wanting to upgrade his trimming operation, especially for rifle cartridges.

A lot of customers really like our Sinclair Case Neck Sorting Tool with dial indicator @ $79.95. This would make a great gift for anyone that reloads a lot.

Geoff Esterline (Sinclair Marketing)

I think the Sinclair Priming Tool would make a great Christmas gift. Each one is hand assembled with careful attention paid to fit and function. I enjoy using the tool; it enables outstanding leverage, yet maintains a great “feel” when seating your primers. It features hardened pins and pushrods and is machined from stainless steel and high grade aluminum. I have traveled a lot of miles with my gear to shoot competitive benchrest and I am pretty rough on my equipment. Our priming tool is built like a tank though and has withstood the journey and the punishment. It will last a shooter’s lifetime.

Editor’s Note: The Sinclair Priming Tool is a little over the $100 threshold; Geoff just gets a little carried away when he talks about the Sinclair Priming Tool.

Pete Petros (Sinclair Call Center Supervisor)

Whether you reload or shoot factory ammunition for competition or hunting, the Sinclair Concentricity Gauge is an excellent gift idea for the shooter on your list. By measuring loaded rounds one easily will be able to easily determine bullet run-out. I use one every time I load for competition to sort and eliminate those with excessive run-out to maximize the accuracy of my long-range rounds. Also, they are great to measure the neck on fired brass to check for potential problems with your rifle chamber.
 

Dave Bennetts (Brownell’s Gunsmith Technician)

My #1 choice would be a new Boyt Varmint gun case. Most guys will spend a lot of money for their rifles, and haul them around in a beat up old case with a broken zipper.
 

My 2nd choice is a range bag. How many people haul their stuff to the range in a box?

Jason Carrico (Brownell’s Supply Chain Manager)

A Sinclair cleaning cradle for my sporter rifle or AR would be my gift choice. It is affordable and very handy. I have a universal MTM cradle right now so I never considered spending money on one but would certainly use it a lot if I received one as a gift.

Bill Gravatt (President – Sinclair International)

I would like a Wilson Stainless Steel Micrometer Bullet Seater for my 6.5/284. Using a hand style bullet seater in my Sinclair arbor press is almost second nature to me since I have done it so long. I just really like this method of bullet seating, very relaxing after a hard day of work. Wait a minute, I am privileged to work in the shooting industry – there are not any hard days at work!

I also would like a couple of boxes of Berger 30 caliber, 155.5 gr. Fullbore bullets or Sierra 30 caliber, 155 gr. Palma bullets. Both of these bullets shoot extremely well in my Palma rifle built by Dwight Scott.

After I read through the input from everyone, I started to get the feeling from some of them that they were really expecting me to get them these items for Christmas. Well guys, there is always hope. Maybe it’s not too late to take back the lava lamps.

Folks,

We have some more Remington primers coming in; some rifle (large and small) and some pistol (large and small). Check the Sinclair website at www.sinclairintl.com for availability – we will post inventory status on our website as soon as they arrive on our receiving dock. We also are expecting some Federal pistol primers as well. These should be available in inventory hopefully later this week.

Thanks,

Bill Gravatt

President – Sinclair International, Inc.

Fellow Reloaders,

We promised we would keep you updated on primers and here is the latest update!

We  just received a decent sized shipment of Wolf primers in several different sizes so if you reload and need primers please get your order in. The easiest way to order primers is to utilize our website at www.sinclairintl.com or you can give us a call at 800-717-8211. Our phone lines are a bit overloaded right now because of the Christmas season so we apologize ahead of time if you have difficulty getting through.

Wolf primers provide reliable and uniform ignition for your handloads and will function consistently in the most adverse weather conditions. They are manufactured to a match quality design that will promote better groups.

The following is a list of the primers we just received. Please note that some sizes we received very limited quantities. Because of the increased volume of hazmat shipping when we get primers in, please allow a couple of extra days for processing and shipping. 

Wolf Small Pistol Primers – Limited amount
Wolf Small Pistol Magnum Primers – Limited amount
Wolf Large Pistol Primers
Wolf Small Rifle (.223 Rem variation) Primers
Wolf Small Rifle Magnum Primers
Wolf Large Rifle Primers
Good Shooting,

Bill Gravatt
President – Sinclair International

The Hawkeye Borescope is an incredible piece of gear for shooters and gunsmiths. This precision instrument allows you to closely examine the inside of your rifle, shotgun, or handgun barrel with outstanding clarity and clear magnification.

We have represented Gradient Lens for years and have always been enthusiastic about the quality of their product, workmanship, and customer service. Their sales manager (Ken) regularly attends competitions with us and never fails to enlighten crowds by inviting them to look at their barrels with one of the “Hawkeye” borescopes. He’ll be at the NRA National Matches (Camp Perry, Ohio) for a few days (Aug 8-9th) examining shooter’s competition guns and entering them each in a raffle for a free Hawkeye Borescope.  Bring your gun to the Sinclair store (Building 1023C) and see Ken. The winner will be announced during the NRA Awards Ceremony on August 14th.

The Hawkeye Borescope comes in several models but the two most popular models have been the 17” Shooter’s Edition Kit and the 17” Shooter’s Edition “Plus” Kit. The standard kit includes a 17” borescope with a focusing eyepiece, a 90º mirror for looking directly into the lands and grooves, a light source for barrel illumination, and a custom fitted hard case for storage and transportation. The “Plus” kit adds a 90º eyepiece for even more comfortable viewing. With either kit, you can look directly forward into the bore or utilize the 90º mirror adapter to look sideways into the lands and grooves. The 90º mirror can be rotated in the barrel giving the user a 360º view of any particular point in the barrel.

You can use your Hawkeye Borescope to examine fouling, the smoothness of a new bore, the quality of the chamber, the effectiveness of your cleaning routine, the amount of wear in the throat, and the amount of heat cracking down the barrel. You can also use it to examine the interior of your bolt body, the inside of your dies, and other small places you just can’t see easily or clearly.

Hawkeye Borescopes are made in Rochester, New York by precision technicians really committed to making a quality piece of gear. Don’t overlook the quality of this product compared to lesser and cheaper products on the market. The first time you look through a Hawkeye, be prepared for an amazing view of your barrel. You might be surprised how much fouling is really in there and how many scratches, pits, or other types of wear are evident.

If you have ever thought about buying a borescope now is a great time to get one. Gradient Lens is offering a $100 rebate on their “Plus” kit and a $75 rebate on the standard kit. The rebate is only good thru October 31, 2009.

Many of you may not know but we now are offering some of the Berger bullets in 500 count and 1,000 count boxes. These larger count boxes are limited to some of the more popular target bullets and are currently only available through Sinclair International.

Berger Bullets produces some of the finest bullets in the world. If you haven’t tried them before this is a great opportunity to get some fantastic bullets and save a little money.

1000 count boxes

.20 Caliber

#18-20703 35 gr. Match Varmint

#18-20704 40 gr. Match Varmint BT

.22 Caliber

#18-22708 52 gr. Match Target

#18-22709 52 gr. Match Varmint

#18-22718 70 gr. Match Target VLD

#18-22720 73 gr. Match Target BT

#18-22722 80 gr. Match Target VLD

6 mm Caliber

#18-24711 68 gr. Match Target

#18-24725 90 gr. Match Target BT

500 count boxes

6 mm Caliber

#18-24729 105 gr. Match Target VLD

#18-24731 108 gr. Match Target BT

6.5 mm Caliber

#18-26701 140 gr. Match Target VLD

.30 Caliber

#18-30721 115 gr. Match Target FB

#18-30716 155.5 gr. Match BT Fullbore

#18-30715 210 gr. Match Target VLD

I thought it might be interesting for our readers to see what the favorite products are of some of staff. I know I found it enlightening and I hope it doesn’t bore you too much. I felt confident I might been able to predict the favorite of some of the staff from having shot with them for years, but some of the others I was pleasantly surprised by what they had to say.

Here were the background guidelines of the survey. I called them in one at a time over the course of an hour or so and asked them to keep the topic of our conversation confidential until I had talked to everyone. I asked them to give me the first item that popped into their head when I asked them about their favorite Sinclair product and non-Sinclair product. I know I made a few of them nervous when I called them to my office to have a talk, sorry about that guys! The intention was to get an immediate response. Of course, several of them wanted to list two in each group, but I finally got most of them corralled into one choice. It was interesting to see many of them mention the same item.

Pat (Manufacturing)

I was particularly interested in Pat’s choice of Sinclair tools as he sees most of the tools as they pass through our manufacturing area, either on a machine or during assembly. His clear favorite was the Sinclair Priming Tool. Pat said, “I use it more than any other reloading tool I own.”

Four of our staff chose the Sinclair Priming Tool as their favorite tool

Pat’s favorite non-Sinclair tool was the Redding Type “S” Full Length Sizing Die for his PPC and his 223 Remington. “I use it a lot,” remarked Pat, “and really like the way it works.”

Matt (Manufacturing)

Matt’s favorite Sinclair tool was the same as Pat’s. I know they didn’t collaborate on their answers but also clearly enjoys using the Sinclair Priming Tool. They are both very proud of the quality and functionality this tool represents.

Matt wouldn’t budge on his favorite non-Sinclair tool even when I pointed out it technically was a hybrid tool (a combination of both Sinclair and L.E. Wilson). He really likes the Sinclair/Wilson Ultimate Case Trimmer. Matt mentioned, “Our original Ultimate Trimmer is what I grew up using and I wouldn’t even consider something else!”

I started thinking about Matt’s choice after he left and wondered if my wife would notice if I added another Sinclair/Wilson Case Trimmer to my reloading room, even though I have three previous generation Sinclair/Wilson Case Trimmers in there already

Bob (Sales Technical Support)

Bob, who has been with us forever, (we call him Mr. Ackley among other things) really likes our Sinclair Seating Depth Tool. Bob’s commented, “It is easy to use, extremely accurate, and doesn’t flex.”

Bob thought about the non-Sinclair tool for a whole two seconds and stated, “I have to say the Dewey coated cleaning rods have always been a favorite of mine, they perform well and are extremely comfortable to use.” I agree with Bob, the Dewey Cleaning Rods are a great, reliable product.

Larry (Manufacturing)

Larry was also a quick responder and listed the Sinclair Generation II Windage Shooting Rest as his #1 Sinclair product. Larry said, “I have used many styles and types of rests in competitive bench rest shooting and this is the best rest anywhere near my budget – hands down!”

Generation II B/R Windage Complete Rest

Note: Larry and Pat assemble each Sinclair rest personally and make sure the rests leave our facility in perfect condition.

Larry threw in his vote for Butch’s Bore Shine. “I really like it as a solvent and a one-step formula for the type of shooting I do,” said Larry. “This is a very efficient cleaner,” added Larry.

Note: Larry will be at the Benchrest Super Shoot at Kelbly’s in Ohio next week.

Ron (Sales Technical Support)

Ron loves the Sinclair Priming Tool. “I really like the way it works and is built, and I have four of them.”

Note: The Sinclair Priming Tool has been one of our signature tools over the year and I still regularly use previous generation models that are over 20 years old.

“Okay Ron,” I asked, “what is your favorite non-Sinclair product.” Ron thought about it and then thought some more about it. I could tell he was struggling with his call when he wanted to list two. “Nope,” I declared, “it wouldn’t fair to the others.” He finally decided and chose Krieger barrels in general as his favorite. “I have had such great success with them and never had difficulty getting one to shoot well,” remarked Ron, “and when I have a question over the phone for the guys at Krieger, they are a great bunch to talk to and are very straight forward.”

Note: Ron shoots a lot of stuff but his current focus is NRA High Power.

Phil (Sales Technical Support)

“Sinclair Primer Pocket Uniformers are my favorite,” comented Phil, “they just work!” I agree with Phil; they are great for uniforming as well as routine cleaning of the primer pocket.

Phil had an interesting choice for his favorite non-Sinclair product, the Mitutoyo Digital Caliper. “They work well all of the time and I use them on bullet seating measurements, with our bump gauges, checking case length, and a whole lot more.” I think this was a pretty interesting observation, as many of us forget the everyday tool that almost becomes a fixture on our workbench.

Phil does some 3-Gun and Practical Pistol shooting and regularly shoots in Long-Range matches including the NRA Nationals.

Steve (Sales Technical Support)

I swear these guys have my office bugged because Steve was the fourth person to identify the Sinclair Priming Tool as his favorite tool. Steve said, “Best feel of any tool out there! I like it because the case locks into place and it is easy to tune the priming position to your personal preference.”

Steve’s choice for a non-Sinclair tool was the Harrell Classic Measure. “Super high quality, great feel and throws better for me than any other measure. The guys I regularly shoot with love it.”

The Harrell Classic Powder Measure is Steve’s favorite as well as many of our customers

Note: Steve shoots in a lot of 100 and 200 yard benchrest competitions and has a high regard for quality tools.

Rod (Sales Technical Support)

Rod is a real practical guy and a great shooter. Warning, don’t bet against him with his 6mm BR. He didn’t choose a high tech tool but declared the Sinclair Cleaning Rod Cases as his top pick. “I have two of them with the brackets to protect my two rods. How else would I carry my rods to the range if I didn’t have them?” That’s Mr. Practical!

Now, I have to pick on Rod because he had the same hybrid choice that Matt chose, the Sinclair/Wilson Case Trimmer. Don’t you guys understand the rules – pick a non-Sinclair related product! Rod laughed and said, “I love the way it works and other trimmers just don’t compare.”

Okay, no one else gets two choices from here on out. I am going to cave in for Rod this one time because he was torn between the trimmer and a MTM Jag Box. The MTM box is a great product even though it is very simple and inexpensive, but what a great way to keep your brushes and jags organized.

Pete (Sales Technical Support)

Pete has been enjoying some F-Class shooting and it was easy to see what had influenced his opinion. He chose the new Sinclair Bi-Pod as his top choice. “It is a great, stable and wide shooting platform,” said Pete, “and it is fantastic to shoot off and handles recoil amazingly well.”

Note: Pete is scheduled to shoot at the U.S. F-Class Nationals this year at Camp Butner, NC. I shot at the 1st US F-Class Nationals there and the crew at North State Shooting Club and Camp Butner run a great match.

Here is another vote for the Redding Type “S” Full Length Bushing Sizing Die. “It is so easy to setup and my cases come out perfect,” said Pete. “What else do you need,” he added.

The Redding Type S Full Length Die is used by almost everyone on our staff

Chris (Warehouse/Retail area)

Chris didn’t even have to think about his favorite Sinclair product. He immediately declared the Sinclair AR-15 Cleaning Link as his definite favorite. Chris said, “As soon as I used it the first time I realized that my AR wasn’t going to flop around and I wasn’t going to bust my knuckles up while cleaning my rifle.”

Butch’s Bore Shine ranks right up there on Chris’s list of non-Sinclair favorites. In Chris’s words, “It’s a heck of a cleaner and it does exactly what it is supposed to.” This was a second vote for Butch’s Bore Shine.

Cory (Procurement)

I can’t believe these guys; this is product reinforcement. Cory’s two choices were exactly the same as Pete’s (see above). His favorite Sinclair product was the Sinclair Bi-pod. “It’s the most stable bi-pod available”, remarked Cory.

Cory added to Pete’s comments about the Redding Type “S” Full Length Die, “It is a great product and works extremely well.” This product had three votes for it.

Geoff (Marketing)

The new Sinclair Model 4000 Neck Turning Tool is Geoff’s favorite Sinclair tool. “This tool is so easy to adjust, it is incredibly comfortable in your hand, and extremely well made” commented Geoff. He added, “Pair this up with the Sinclair Carbide Turning mandrels and you have one fantastic tool.”

One of our newest tools, the NT-4000 is an extremely accurate neck turning tool that is easy to setup and comfortable to use

Geoff chose the Centra Rear Sights as his favorite product. This puzzled me because Geoff has shot a little with open sights but not regularly so I had to ask why. Geoff replied, “I am just so impressed with the mechanical capabilities of this sight, the craftsmanship, and how well all the small parts fit and function together.”

Bill Gravatt (President and Head Janitor)

The guys could have probably predicted this but my favorite Sinclair tool is our Sinclair Case Mouth Deburring Tool Holder. I install a Wilson Case Mouth Tool in it, chuck it up in our Sinclair Power Center or a cordless drill and chamfer the inside of 100 cases. Then I flip the tool around in the holder and debur the outside of the batch. I can really go through a lot of cases in a short time. I enjoy my time at the reloading bench but would rather be out shooting.

My favorite non-Sinclair tool is the Wilson Stainless Steel Bullet Seater. These are so well made, easy to adjust, and above all accurate. I have used Wilson Bullet Seaters so much in my own reloading and at trade shows that I could almost use them in my sleep. I would hate to have to give these up.

Conclusion

Hey folks, not a rocket science article but just some insight into how some of the folks feel about some of our products. We have thousands of other great products that weren’t mentioned, which is why it was so hard for these guys to choose just one. This was a lot of fun to find out how the staff really felt and I hope the information was interesting.

Good Shooting,

Bill Gravatt

This month our spotlight falls on Kestrel Weather Meters made by Nielsen-Kellerman. Today’s electronic wind meters are an extremely useful tool for the active shooter whether you are hunting, competing, varmint hunting, or just tuning up your rifle. The Kestrel Weather Meters can tell you much more than simply wind speed. They offer an entire range of weather meters that satisfy almost any outdoorsman’s needs for weather, wind, temperature, and shooting conditions. As you get ready for a season of shooting, a Kestrel Weather Meter should be part of your standard gear bag.

Kestrel Weather Meters

The basic Kestrel unit (Model 1000) measures  basic wind speed, air temperature, gusts, and calculates the average wind speed. If you need more features from a hand held unit, five (5) other Kestrel models calculate water temperature, snow temperature, wind chill, altitude, density altitude, pressure trends, barometric pressure, wet bulb temperature, heat stress index, relative humidity, wind direction, digital compass heading, crosswind calculations, dewpoint, and more. There is definitely a model for every shooter depending on their needs. We have a great chart in our catalog that shows the features for all six (6) models including the top model, the Model 4500. All Kestrel weather meters include a lanyard, batteries and easy to use instructions. Each Kestrel Weather Meter has a ¼”-20 hole in it’s base for standard tripod mounting, or you can get one of the Kestrel Portable Tripods. These meters are definitely not toys; they are relied on by professionals in many outdoor fields.

The quality of the Kestrel Weather Meters is outstanding. To begin with, they are rugged, waterproof and they float. They are designed and built right here in the U.S.A. But the thing I really like about the Nielsen-Kellerman products is that they come with a full five (5) Year warranty. That is incredible for an electronic product! No extra charge for extended warranties like we are used to seeing. These folks back up their product because they know their weather meters hold up well in the tough conditions we put them through. My Kestrel gets bounced around in my shooting box and has never failed to work.

If you need help selecting a weather meter, give our staff a call and we’ll help walk you through the features. It is great to see a product this well made and a company that is so successful in determining what their customers need. And, one that backs up their products!