Target Shooter

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2 Target Shooter
 NOW ALMOST 3 TIMES THE SIZE FOR 2010 !
...... A massive 112,000 sq ft, dry, weatherproof, indoor arena

The UK’s Total Shooting Show

Gunmaker’s Halls just get Even more to do, more to see and more to buy!
bigger and bigger...
Handle and evaluate a truly vast selection of
shotgun and rifles.
5 huge halls packed with gun manufacturers
stands, retailers, specialist services and
accessories, including; custom rifle builders
ammunition and reloading gun retailers
shooting aids huge range of scopes and
Just some of optics field cutlery wildfowling decoying
the guns on stalking shooting grounds shotgun
show and simulators range days safaris shooting
for sale... associations and even master craftsmen
engravers, stock cutters & gunsmiths at work.

Thousands of guns & accessories at

the UK’s premier shooting show.
The British Shooting Show will provide a packed weekend of
interest for all shooting enthusiasts. The eight main halls,
including Gunmakers Halls, Airgun City, Arms Heritage,
Gamekeeping and Gun Dogs now covers over 112,000 sq ft!

PLUS A PACKED PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES...

Clay coaching line for novices & young shots Clay
competitions, including 50 bird sporting with £1500 in
trophies & prizes Browning rabbit mania Pool shoot
& ZZ birds Airgun ‘try before you buy’ Airgun
competitions for guns & trophies “Olympic” 10 m match
FOX

airgun Laser clays and laser rifle Shotgun simulators.

FREE PRIZE DRAWS AND

COMPETITITONS FOR GUNS &
ACCESSORIES WORTH OVER £6000.
Now a massive 5 times bigger
eg; Sako Quad rifle from GMK, B525 Sporter
PGW

for 2010. 18,000 sq ft of manufacturers

stands, airgun retailers, accessories, optics, clubs from Browning, 912S shotgun from Webley plus
and associations. 39 lane rifle & pistol shooting much more... from Deben, Armex & Brocock etc.
range, including Olympic 10 metre match, and ‘try
before you buy’. The UK’s premier airgun event Save £££££’s -on special show only offers...
STEYR

packed with interest for the airgun enthusiast. Sponsor;

Main Show
AIRGUN EXTRAVAGANZA - THE BIG AIRGUN EXPERIENCE
ZOLI

See the fascinating world of antique & classic arms.

Sponsored by Marsdens
Game Feeds, Gamekeepers
Hall will provide hospitality
Sat 27th & Sun 28th Feb 2010
and an insight into specialist Newark Showground, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY
products and services. Opening times - 9am to 4.30pm Both Days
Officially Supported by The; BUY TICKETS ONLINE - GET FAST Tel; +44 (0) 1472 241439 info@shownews.co.uk
TRACK ENTRY & SPECIAL PARKING
Target Shooter 3
On the day; Adults £12.00, 8 to 15yrs £5.00 Under 8’s Free. Buy online
& save: Visit the website for more information or tel 01472 241439. www.theshootingshow.co.uk
 Welcome to the Feb Issue

.......of Target Shooter
Sections
20 March 10-60 x 52 6 Shooting Sport News
Tactical Scope
12 Shooters Calendar
by Richard Wild
14 Shooting Forum Review by
Andy Dubreuil
39 HANDLOADING
‘OLD FAITHFUL’ THE 15 Gadget Gallery
.308 WINCHESTER
18 Support your Local Gun
(part 4) by Laurie Shop
Holland
27 Shooting Black Powder
Pistol by Chris Risebrook
47 More Mini Rifle - 32 Practical Shotgun - Benelli
two rifles from NWCP Nova and Supernova by
by Vince Bottomley Mike Darby
37 Website of the Month

51 Mini Rifle Stages by Tim
57 World War 1 Finley
Sniper Rifles by
65 Special Report - Titanium
Nigel Greenaway Moderators

81 Profile on Rebecca Saint

by Hayley Platts

84 Gun of the Month

68 Rimfire Benchrest
Barrel Tuners 85 Shooting the Bianchi by
by Carl Boswell Gwyn Roberts

90 Club Feature

106 Letters

107 Advertisers Index
75 This Smallbore
Business by Don Brook

4 Target Shooter
 Association Pages
93 UKBRA

95 UKBR22
Editor(s).
97 F- Class Carl Boswell and Vince Bottomley
Advertising and Office Manager
98 Quigley Association Andy Dubreuil. email; admin@targetshooter.co.uk
Contributors
100 HFT News Vince Bottomley Andy Dubreuil Tim Finley
Laurie Holland Chris Risebrook Carl Boswell
104 Gallery Rifle Don Brook Chris Farr Nigel Greenaway
Gwyn Roberts Ken Hall Les Holgate
105 UKPSA Hayley Platts Mike Darby Front over picture by Alan Keating
Webitorial - February 2010

The ‘big one’ this month has got to be the British Shooting Show which takes place at Newark on the
weekend of February 27/28th at the Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire.

The Show is in its second year and I confess, I didn’t attend the first one and I heard mixed reports
about it. However, the organisers and exhibitors were obviously happy and this year’s Show promises
to be twice the size and all under cover. Looking at the website www.theshootingshow.co.uk most of
the names in British shooting will be there plus the major shooting organisations and opportunities to
‘try before you buy’ etc.

Yes, we all have our own favourite shooting interests, so it stands to reason that there will be a lot of
stuff there that won’t interest you but, this also applies to the massive USA SHOT Show and Europe’s
IWA show in Germany.

I’m sure all of us agree that we desperately need a good shooting exhibition in the UK but we will only
get one if we build it – by supporting it! The UK shooting community is massive and really, we deserve
our own show. If enough of us go through the doors it will become a ‘must’ for the gun trade and will
grow year by year. This one is held at exactly the right time, when outdoor activities are at the minimum
and the venue is spot-on, being equally accessible from north or south.

The Target Shooter trio will be there of course and we hope to meet as many of you as possible, so
please come up and say ‘hello’ if you see us. We will be seeking out the good stuff for our March issue,
which would normally be launched on the 1st of the month – the day after the Show closes! That will be
a challenge – so please cut us some slack if we aren’t on-line one minute after midnight!

Until next month. Vince, Carl & Andy

Carl Boswell - carl@targetshooter.co.uk and Vince Bottomley - vinceb@targetshooter.co.uk and

Andy Dubreuil - admin@targetshooter.co.uk Copyright © Trinity Digital Publishing Ltd
Disclaimer
The website www.targetshooter.co.uk is part of Target Shooter magazine with all contents of both electronic media copyrighted. No reproduction is permitted unless
written authorisation is provided.
Information, prices and data is believed to be correct at the time of posting on the internet which is on or around the 1st of each month. Advertisements that are firearm
related are from companies or individuals that Target Shooter magazine believes are licensed to hold such firearms and accepts no responsibility if companies or
individuals are not so licensed.
Letters and photographs submitted by members of the public to Target Shooter magazine will be accepted on the basis that the writer has agreed to publication unless
otherwise stated. Target Shooter magazine has no control over the content or ownership of photographs submitted.
The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers and relate to specific circumstances within each article. These are the opinions
and experiences of writers using specific equipment, firearms, components and data under controlled conditions. Information contained in the online magazine or on the
website is intended to be used as a guide only and in specific circumstances caution should be used. Target Shooter Magazine does not except any responsibility for
individuals attempting to recreate such testing using any information, data or other materials in its electronic pages.Publishers of Target Shooter magazine.

Target Shooter 5
 Shooting Sport News
New from RWS!
The RWS Elite -
multi-shot PCP
Air Rifle.

This new UK made Air rifle features a

unique ambidextrous bolt which can be easily versatile rifle.
changed from right to left hand at any time. Available very soon.
A classic design chequered ambidextrous stock RRP starts at £620.00
with rosewood capping, in beech or quality Contact RUAG Ammotec UK Ltd for more
walnut information
10 shot magazine, cylinder pressure gauge
and threaded for a sound moderator – a truly enquiries@ruag.co.uk

The UK hit by the hardest winter freeze the winter competition and I am sure that many
for 30 years day events have also had to be re-scheduled
because of the weather.
OK, I know a lot of our readers from A couple of our readers who
other countries will be asking what managed to get to
all the fuss is about but we are just
not used to it over here and when
the snow falls, it always brings our
country to a standstill.
My own club has been closed
for over a week as the road to
the range has been like an ice
rink and I doubt that many other
ranges have continued to
operate, though our good
friend and contributor Alan
Keating did manage take
some great shots of shooters
at Bisley in the snow – see
our cover shot!
We had a scheduled
Boxing Day shoot but half the
day was spent with shooters with shovels
trying to clear the ice so vehicles could get their
to the range. On Monday 11th January one range sent in
of our members tried to open the club in the photographs which looked very pretty
evening only to find someone had built a six-foot but not great conditions to shoot in.
snowman in front of the gate so had to turn So how do other countries that get regular snow
round. To say the least he was not happy as it cope with winter shooting? Maybe you can send
was a 20 mile round trip! us your pictures so that we UK shooters can
There has been a knock-on effect with postal learn a thing or two for the future cold snaps.
competitions having to delay some rounds of Email your pictures to customer.services@tar-
getshooter.co.uk
6 Target Shooter
Something just out is the Firearms Multimedia Guide, dscribed as the world’s first
computer searchable Firearms, Ammo and Air Guns
reference guide! A bit like a computer based
Shooters Bible. It has the following features;
* 14 different search criteria! Find your gun in a
second!
* Presents over 41,000 models of Firearms,
Airguns and Ammo from 345 manufacturers!
* Presents models with Tech Specs –
Hi-Resolution Color Pictures - Features – Prices!
* Over 24,000 high-resolution color pictures in
resolution up to 6636 x 1492!
* Guns are presented in different finishes, stock
types and stock materials!
* Exclusive European bespoke guns with price
tags up to $1,000,000!
* See the stopping power of each gun!
* BONUS FEATURES: 500 Printable Targets,
US-EU Ammo Caliber Chart, Bespoke Gun
Making Video
* For Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows Vista
and Windows 7
We will be completing a full
review of this product for next months issue, as it has just
arrived with one of our writers. View the the guide at;
www.firearmsmultimediaguide.com/

Keeping an eye on the market

York Guns Ltd wins UK sole
distributorship for Schmidt &
Bender
After many weeks of rumbling in the trade,
Schmidt & Bender has announced that York Guns Ltd have been appointed as sole distributors for the UK.
It was not a decision taken lightly, and as said previously it was not just in the UK that Schmidt & Bender
wanted to improve its distribution system, but across the world. So it was with great delight to York Guns
when the decision was made. The Rep of Ireland will still be looked after by John O’Malley of Island Sports.

Sales Director of York Guns, David Thompson said “As Gary (Hyde - MD) said It is a great privilege to be
awarded the sole distributorship for the UK from Schmidt & Bender. We intend to work closely with Schmidt
& Bender and local stockists to ensure great customer service and to develop our already comprehensive
stock holding, ensuring our customers the best deal. We look forward to a long and prosperous working
relationship”

York Guns Ltd would like to thank all UK distributors for their hard work, ensuring that Schmidt & Bender are
one of the top brands of optics in the UK today.
2010 is a new year, it’s a new decade, ork Guns Ltd are making sure they are starting early in building for
the future. Please contact York Guns on 01904 487180 or sales@yorkguns.com for details of your local
stockists. Trade enquiries
welcome on trade@york-
guns.com

Target Shooter 7
An interesting piece of news that came simply can’t believe it.
across our desks this month is from Rajmond
Debevec, multi medal winner at every level of
competition, including the Olympic Games. His
history in shooting is prolific to say the least. I
will let him explain in his own words........
Dear Shooters, Coaches!
Please read the attachment. I call you to
comment mostly the proposals of new
equipment restrictions.
I was shocked reading those irrational ideas of
the committee members. If the ISSF accepts
something like that, we all can throw away our
jackets, trousers, boots... we’ve just bought,
worth thousands of Pounds or Euros.
I can’t find out the interest which suppose to lead
them to bring out such ideas. On a first glance it
looks like some producers with good conections
want to increase their income on this way, but I
Webley (International) Ltd (“Webley”) , from German P & P Tube, a fully adjustable
announced today the re-launch of its highly
successful Raider 10 ™ multi-shot PCP as ‘The
most inexpensive multi-shot PCP in Europe’.
“The Raider 10 ™ is Webley’s most tried and
trusted multi-shot PCP, having sold in its
thousands over the last 5 years. Rugged and
reliable, during development it was cycled over
5,000 times –without a single miss-feed!
Now, as we have amortised the R & D costs fully,
we are re-launching this fabulous gun at a new,
jaw-dropping RRP price of £299, with the aim
of making it the UK’s biggest selling multi-shot
PCP” said Mike Hurney, CEO of Webley.
”With an integral silencer incorporated in its
shrouded rifled barrel, which is manufactured
The Raider 10 ™
8 Target Shooter
My personal opinion is clear for a long time -
we don’t need any changes without reasonable
cause. Any change should serve only to
comercialisation and increasing the
professionalism of shooting sport. So called
‘experts’ from the committees have many ideas
but I really can’t see development getting for
example thinner trousers without padding on
butt and knees and other proposals.
Best regards,
Rajmond Debevec
www.targettalk.org/download.php?id=2500
http://targettalk.org/viewtopic.
php?p=120721#120721
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.
php?t=2055789773
2-stage trigger, an ultra-positive magazine
indexing system and an ambidextrous stock
this is a fully specified gun that now stands
comparison with guns costing nearly twice as
much” stated Paul Garrity, Webley’s Senior
Technical Manager, who was part of the original
Webley design team.
“We believe that consumers will be particularly
appreciative of this realignment of price in
these difficult ‘credit crunch’ times so we have
extended the concept to the Raider 2 ™ –
the two shot version of the Raider 10 ™ - by
reducing the RRP to £249” said Steve Hoare,
Webley’s Sales Manager
New stuff – lead-free bullets.
We all know the accuracy achievable with CNC
Something really exciting dropped on my machinery and one firm is now manufacturing
reloading bench just as we were about to put the CNC made bronze target bullets which
magazine to bed. should be as near to perfect as possible –
and they are, would you believe, no more
Take a look at this picture – a full range of expensive than normal match
target bullets from 224 right up to 50 cal. bullets.
made from solid bronze on CNC machinery.
All target shooters crave the perfect bullet - By next month, we will have had the opportunity
we weigh, spin, measure, trim meplats, to evaluate some of these bullets – in 6mm,
‘point’ meplats – striving for the perfect 6.5mm and 308 – watch this space!
bullet.

Olympics 2012 - the saga
continues........
According to the Daily Telegraph dated January
11the 2010, ‘British Shooting has been told it will
have to pay towards its own post-Olympic legacy
if it wants to find a permanent home for range and
electrical equipment used at the shooting venue at
Woolwich in 2012’.
As you will all know, every ‘man and his dog’
involved in shooting sports have campaigned
tirelessly for the Olympic shooting events to be held
at Bisley. This was ignored and the Royal Artillery
Barracks at Woolwich will be the temporary fixture
for the 2012 event. It seems the bill for relocating all
of the shooting fixtures used at the 2012 Olympics
could be £400,000 at least, which would have to be
borne by UK shooting – some legacy!
This is another slap in the face for a sport that
has brought medals home from a number of
international events over many years and not just
from the Olympic Games. As you may know, one of
our shooters in the Para-Olympics, Matt Skelhon,
brought home a gold medal from Beijing. One of
the 42 who did and helped take the UK into second
place behind China.
We need a legacy – if we want more shooting sports
people like Matt.

Target Shooter 9
Aimfield Sports Drag Bags I was amongst the first to try out of these fantastic
rifle bags and I’ve used mine almost every
weekend for the last three years or so. In that
time, it’s been used, abused, drenched in water
and helped me cart a whole lot of shooting
gear round many of the UK’s ranges.
Not a zipper, clasp or stitch has failed and honestly,
it’s as good as the day I got it from Aimfield.
The bags are well padded and offer great
protection for your valuable gear.
With the Mini-rifle thing that I’ve been involved with
lately, my 50 inch bag is just too big for a rifle that’s
only 30 inches long and weighing about six pounds.
Thankfully, Aimfield now do a shorter version – the
AIM 40 - perfect for rifles like the AR15. The basic
design, materials and quality is identical to the bigger
bag and it comes with those two massive side pockets
which swallow a mammoth amount of gear. When I
shoot F Class, these pockets are bulging with stuff
but with Mini-rifle, I’ve got loads of room. When
I carry the rifle rucksack-style, I can hardly tell
it’s on my back compared to a 20 lb F Class rig.
These smaller bags come in a particularly nice
shade of drab green and the design includes
a cleaning-rod sleeve which is also the latest
feature of the 50 and 60 inch bags. I know that £123
sounds expensive but please, compare it with the
opposition – believe me it’s great value and it’s
also the best looking bag around and you will never
need to buy another! See the video advert on
our website
World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Shooting Championship 2011 Announced.
Bill Collaros, the President of the WRABF has announced ‘I am happy to officially announce the
2011 World Rimfire & Air Rifle Benchrest Federation Championships have been set. They will be
held at the Palmetto Gun Club, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. More information & exact dates
(in July - August) will be forthcoming on our WRABF website: www.wrabf.com/

Any enquiries should be emailed to either president@wrabf.com or secretary@wrabf.com.

Savage Target Actions
Osprey Rifles specialise in all
things Savage and they are now
offering these ‘Pimp your Savage’
replacement bolts and bolt-handles.
The Savage Target Action has
already proved itself in the World
F Class Championships where the
Team Savage American Rifle Team
took the gold and Osprey can now
offer a tuned/timed version of the
action for a small extra cost.

See Osprey Rifles & Aimfield Sports

at the Newark Shooting Show in
February. www.ospreyrifles.com

10 Target Shooter

The Ultimate
Visual Experience
56 mm lenses:
Observation from dawn to dusk.
www.zeiss.co.uk/sportsoptics
All competences in one hand
Accurate distance in mtrs or yds
Holdover value correction in cm or ins
NEW
Bright, fast and accurate
The new Victory RF binoculars with 56 high-performance lenses
provide bright, high-contrast and sharp images at an incredibly low
weight. The integrated laser rangefinder displays the target distance
with lightening speed and accuracy. Combined with the calculation
of the correct holdover value through the Ballistic Information
System (BIS®), the RF 56 sets new standards in terms of safety and
precision.
Victory 8 /10 x 56 T* RF
Target Shooter 11
Calendar of events over the next few months
If your club or association has events you want to publicise here then email us.
01 Feb to 03 Feb British Alpine Rifles Winter
Meeting (National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
Contact(s): Jim Hawkins via NRA website
16 Feb to 17 Feb British Pistol Club Meeting
(National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
Contact(s): Mrs J Drury Via NRA website
16 Feb Civilian Service Rifle Competition
(National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
Entry forms for the event being held on Saturday
16 February are now available by clicking below.
Contact(s): Martin Farnan via NRA website
19 Feb British Airgun Championships
The championships run from 19th - 21st February.
Email: competitions@nsra.co.uk
20 Feb Target Shotgun Festival (National
Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley) - Calling all
Section One shotgun owners. The Target Shotgun
Festival has unique and challenging competition
stages that are engaged with solid slug, SG/
buckshot and birdshot ammunition. Contact(s):
Brian Thomas NRA website
21 Feb Cumberland News Rifle Club - Carlisle
LSR - Air Pistol & Air Rifle Open Shoot - details
at: www.cnrc.org.uk/open.htm
contact: Bob Nicholson: “bob@cnrc.org.uk”
24 Feb Highpower Rifle Association Match
(National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
80 round XTC. Details can be found by clicking
on the links below.
http://www.highpowerrifle.co.uk
Contact(s): Highpower Rifle Match Entries
24 Feb Cheylesmore Challenge (National
Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
A competition for centre fire gallery rifles, the
Cheylesmore Challenge from 0900 to 1500.
Contact(s): John Gardener call 01483 797777
ext 152 for more information.
27 to 28 Feb The British Shooting and
Countryman Show - Telephone 01472 241439
Email - info@shownews.co.uk
http://www.shootingshow.co.uk/
02 Mar Civilian Service Rifle Competition (National
Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
Entry forms for the event being held on Sunday 2
March are now available by clicking below.
Contact(s): Martin Farnan via NRA website
12 Target Shooter
7 Mar European Airgun Championships
The Championships run from 7th to 14th March.
Location: Meraker, NOR
08 Mar NRA Shooting Club Day (National
Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
Multi-discipline NRA Shooting Club Day. Targets
have been booked on Melville and at 100, 200,
500 and 1000 yards. All disciplines welcome.
Contact(s): Heather Webb via NRA website
15 Mar to 16 Mar Match Rifle Seminar (National
Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
A seminar on Match Rifle shooting will be held
on 15 and 16 March. Anyone who is thinking of
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): Nick Tremlett via NRA website
15 Mar Highpower Rifle Association Match
(National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley)
80 round XTC. Details can be found by clicking
on the links below.
http://www.highpowerrifle.co.uk
Contact(s): Highpower Rifle Match Entries
16 Mar HBSA Open Rook & Rabbit Rifle
Championships (National Shooting Centre
(NSC), Bisley) - Classes for Vintage, Classic,
Veteran and Rimfire rifles max weight 6.75lbs,
max ME 450 ft lb. http://www.hbsa.fsnet.co.uk
Contact(s): Allan Kirk
27 Mar to 28 Mar Gallery Rifle - Spring Action
Weekend (National Shooting Centre (NSC),
Bisley). Contact(s): Brian Thomas via NRA
website
25 Apr Somerset SBSA – Open Shoot. (Rifle)
Long Ashton Ranges. Tel. 01275 836442. Email.
julian.withey@btinternet.com
22/23 May Cumberland News Rifle Club - Carlisle
Air Guns Open Championship - 2x 60 shot
details at: www.cnrc.org.uk/open.htm
contact: David Erskine: “urkers@aol.com”
26 Sep Somerset SBSA – Open Shoot. (Rifle)
Long Ashton Ranges.
Tel. 01275 836442. Email. julian.withey@btinter-
net.com
 Welcome to GT Shooting.
The premier shooting sports shop in Surrey

Fullbore & .22LR Optics

Black Power Ammunition
Air Rifles and Pistols Reloading equipment
Used rifles and Pistols and more...

Our premises are located at

53 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2RB
www.gtshooting.co.uk

Tel: 020 8660 6843

Fax: 020 8660 6843
We are conveniently situated near the M23 & M25.Shooter
Target 13
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am - 5.30pm

You know it doesn’t matter if you’ve been target shooting
for 3 months or 30 years you will get to a point where you
will ask a question on how do I make myself better or my
riffle equally better. You will have people at your club that
have idea’s but you can extend the question to the World
Wide Web in the form of forums where thousands of
shooters are online to throw loads more ideas your way.
But like all things its deciding which is the best info to
go with and that is where forums will give you great
knowledge if you get a load of people to agree on the
same idea.
Benchrest Forums
Based in the USA Benchrest Central has been around for
some time and is one of the biggest on the internet and
has membership of nearly 16,000 enthusiastic members,
and not all are based in the States, it has members from
all over the world which means once you post a questions
you don’t have to wait long to get an answer and see a
whole conversation start on the basis of your question.
The forum has a general discussion area and then you
have Rimfire, Centrefire, and Airgun. Then you have
sections under Factory and Hybrid rifles, F-Class, 600 –
1000 yd benchrest, Gunsmiths corner and match informa-
tion centre.
So for anyone looking to get started either with a factory
rifle you will find information on the best rifles out there
to discover, but it you are looking to build a rifle then not
only will you get good ideas where to start but Benchrest
Central’s advertising is all based around the
14 Target Shooter
Forum Review on
Benchrest Central
By Andy Dubreuil
manufacturers that you will be looking to get in contact
with. The same can be said of benchrest equipment, you
can find all sorts of actual benchrest to choose from and
many are made by guys in their workshops they have in
their back yards and of course the big manufacturers like
SEB, Farley and JJ Industries. There will be an array of
other gadgets like tuners and noodles to find out about
and if you are really into it you can find out all about the
science of things.
The thing is about this site if you’re new to benchrest or
looking to get into the sport, if you ask a question and
it’s the same question that has been asked a thousand
times you will get someone that will answer you, then you
will find that very quickly becomes a full blown discussion,
which is not a bad thing as the more people that get
involved with different ideas gives you more to play with,
but you will like any kind of forum have to work out where
to start and with which idea.
The site has shooters that have been around for some
time and have vast amounts of experience and not afraid
to share their knowledge, even if you are looking for
someone local to deal with you will get pointed in the right
direction.
Benchrest shooting is one of the most technical types of
shooting around and this forum has the best knowledge
base around and if I was to mark it out of 10 then I would
mark it 10 out of 10.
Benchrest Central http://www.benchrest.com/
 Gadgets Gallery
Special Uberti Zippo Lighters.
These lighters make great gifts for collectors. They
are special models to celebrate 50 years of Uberti
Firearms and feature their first model , the 1851 Navy
Revolver .
The brushed Brass finish is a very small production run
, only 50 have been made . Each one is numbered so
buyers should phone to reserve a number . Cost for this
model including postage is £34.50.

The brushed Chrome finish is not numbered but already

nearly 30% of the first delivery have been pre sold. Cost
for this model including postage is £32.00. Contact
Merseyside Armoury on 07702 277791

Fox Scopes
Fox Scopeshave not been selected on price alone
but performance. Although all optics we carry
represent exceptional value for money, we
feel you will be even more impressed by their
performance. We're so happy with our scopes we
put our name on them!
If you have any questions on our optics or would
like to arrange a viewing please do not hesitate to
contact us; 0161 430 8278
www.foxfirearmsuk.com

Krazy Kloth
Krazy Kloth is a handy little towel that
is impregnated with a polishing agent.
Very handy to clean the powder fowling
on your cartridge necks, polish up dull
spots or use for any other cleaning/
polishing situation.
€4,15 (incl VAT)
http://www.jdk-riflegear.com/

Lee Auto Prime — £17.01 - From Tim Hannam

Fastest, most accurate priming tool made. You never touch
the primers from the box to the shell.
Automatically feeds and installs just as fast as you can place
cases in the holder. Each primer is perfectly seated
with the feel appreciated by precision reloaders. Easy to load.
Built-in primer flipper turns them right side up. Both large and
small trays. http://www.timhannam.co.uk/

Target Shooter 15
 HT649 Radio: programmable
Do you ever use enabling secure
radio's when its private channels
really wet? Entel's if needed. Prices
marine HT model for HT radios start
is suitable for use at £360. Other
in the harshest License free
conditions being models available
fully waterproof from £149.00.
to IP67 and ATEX Contact Green
compliant. It can Leopard for details
be used on the www.greenleopard.
foredeck of your co.uk
yacht or in an oil Phone: 0845 330
refinery. All are fully 4153.
TRP-3 Rimfire Benchrest Lyman Electronic Digital Trigger
Rifle Pull Gauge
Built as an introductory benchrest
competition rifle, our TRP-3 is a
proud addition to our Target Rifle
Take the guesswork out of your trigger
Project line. Featuring an .875 pull !!
straight-taper stainlesssteel barrel,
and a proprietary competition stock Simply place the gauge on the trigger and
built for us by the craftsmenat Bell pull! This instrument will accurately record
and Carlson, the TRP-3 offers a the results, as you can take multiple
competitive rifle at a reasonable readings and then take the average
cost. weight for the string at the touch of a
www.foxfirearmsuk.com button! This state of the art instrument is a
must for any shooter or gunsmith £60.49

http://www.timhannam.co.uk/

Knowing your conditions of its way to affect long-range

helps to keep your aim true. marksmanship. The ability to
quickly measure environmental
The Kestrel handheld weather conditions accurately, even as
meters offer a range of eleven they’re changing, can allow
units which report on every shooters/you? to compensate
environmental parameter a for tough situations when the
shooter could wish for. They are shot counts. So stay ahead of
easy to operate and allow you to the game: buy a Kestrel weather
factor in all relevant atmospheric meter today!
conditions that impact the
accuracy of your shot. The range starts with the Kestrel
1000 at £88.13 (incl VAT &
New for 2010, accurate weather delivery).
data can now be wirelessly
transmitted over a range of 30 feet For more information, please go to
to your ballistics calculator or PDA www.r-p-r.co.uk/kestrel
using Bluetooth.

Weather can seem to go out

16 Target Shooter
THREE TIMES THE SIZE FOR 2010

RIFLES
SCOPES & OPTICS
AMMUNITION
RELOADING
ACCESSORIES

Schultz
& Larsen

Sponsor;
Main Show

Tickets on the day;

Adults £12.00, 8 to 15yrs £5.00
Under 8’s Free.
Buy online & save:
Visit the website for more
information or tel 01472 241439.
Officially Supported by The;
Sat 27th & Sun 28th Feb 2010
Newark Showground, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY
Opening times - 9am to 4.30pm Both Days
Tel; +44 (0) 1472 241439 info@shownews.co.uk
www.theshootingshow.co.uk Target Shooter 17
 ‘Support your local gun shop’
Rhino Rifles
Rhino Rifles are based in Cheshire and started up Their latest venture, in collaboration with Fox
about five years ago by two close friends, Chris Firearms, is to design and produce their own action
Blane and Brian Glover. The guys had been repairing here in the UK and I have just seen the first
and improving accuracy on rifles for friends and production model of the GBR as it is known. Again,
their friends for some time, decided to put the it is a Remmy clone but with a few upgrades and
business on a proper footing. far better fit and finish. Importing from America is
becoming increasingly difficult and expensive and
Attaining RFD status made matters much easier I’m certain the new action will prove to be a great
and also gave them the freedom to build and sell success for Rhino.
complete rifles. Chris and Brian are both mem-
bers of my home range at Diggle and, at the time, Contact Rhino via their website at www.rhinori-
I had just built a Howa tactical rifle and the Rhino fles.co.uk
guys decided to follow suit and build themselves
a Howa-actioned rifle as a ‘showcase’ for the
new business. The rifle was quite a ‘looker’ and
attracted plenty of attention and I ended up
reviewing it for the old Target Sports magazine.
Times have moved on and Rhino have since built
lots of rifles using mainly American actions or
the New Zealand Barnard. Recently, they were
working mainly with the Pierce actions imported
from the US. This action is what we would call
a Remmy ‘clone’ and has proved very popular.

18 Target Shooter
 www.FoxFirearmsUK.com
Tel: 0161 430 8278 or 07941 958464
PUTTING SHOOTING FIRST

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE VERY BEST VALUE CUSTOM PRECISION RIFLES FOR TR, MATCH,
F-CLASS, AND BENCH-REST—WE 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 WE IMPORT IS BY FAR THE BEST VALUE IN THE UK

Sole importer/distributor for the excellent range of March Optics, individually hand built in Japan, March Scopes have been designed to track reliably and
not to alter point of aim when changing power. March utilise ED (Extra Dispersion) lenses which provide superior image resolution. One piece
construction from aluminum alloy bar stock.

ED lenses provide superior image resolution. Also, use of the separate objective lens system design further enhances image resolution. Creation of this
design requires a high level of precision manufacturing processing and adjustment skills.
Target Shooter 19
NEW 8x80x56 Tactical Zoom out soon AND 5x50x56 1/8 Moa, 60MOA elevation.
 The March 10 – 60 x 52 Tactical Scope

By Richard Wild
Introduction Above - The zero stop and the parallax ring
The use of high-end optics is addictive. The joy and on this March Tactical is easy to reach and
horror of being able to review high-end optics is that to adjust. The key thing to remember is to
you can never go back to your old scopes and look lock the zero stop when you have the range
at them the same way - ever! I have a shelf full of set. The author didn’t and spent time and
old scopes in my cupboard that served me well - ammunition looking for that lost zero.
until I started writing for precision target magazines.

The March 10 – 60 x 52 represents a lot of ca-

pability in a precision engineered package.
Suitable for close range and long range, the
addition of a 35mm Modifier Disk cuts the
light and enhances clarity at the highest
powers

20 Target Shooter
I now have a good handful of top quality rifle scopes
that are constantly used for evaluation, testing and
competition and mounted so they can be swapped
around rifles easily.
In my writing career, I have had the pleasure of
testing European, U.S. and Japanese optics and
have been generally pleased with the results.
This reflects not only the price of the piece but
also, perhaps more importantly, the technological
advances made in the past 20 years. The old
scopes in my cupboard are from a time before CAD
made uniformity easy and a time when variable
scopes were expected to describe an “S” shape
on the target as the power was increased!
As long-range precision shooters, our requirements
of a scope’s performance have matured and we
have certain demands of a product. At its most
simple, we expect a scope not to fail as a result
of the general wear and tear of range use.
The March range of riflescopes is now well known
in shooting circles and is a growing presence on the
winner’s podium. The 10 – 60 x 52 Tactical under
review is an example of a scope that suits a number
of target disciplines but is aimed at the long range
shooter, who would benefit from a high magnification
range.
March products are manufactured in the Japanese
version of Silicon Valley in Nagano Prefecture. In
line with the standard Japanese practice, parts are
sourced from specific feeder companies who produce
Set-up requires good ring alignment. Using
The BRT scope alignment tool will prevent
damage. Thankfully the rings line up on my
6.5/284 Shehane…
a small range of precision parts. These are then
assembled at the Deon Optical Design Corporation.
So what are we looking at?
The 10 – 60 x 52 Tactical has, at 60 power, the highest
zoom magnification currently available in the market
today. There are three versions of this scope, two
with MTR-1 reticle (one version is illuminated) and the
third option offers a choice of dot (1/8 or 1/16 MOA) or
simple cross hair reticles. The 10 – 60 x 52 Tactical
weighs 730g (25.7oz) and is 420mm (16.5inch) long.
One of the tricks that budget scopes use to disguise
poor lens-quality is to increase the thickness of the
bars in the cross hairs so the eye is immediately drawn
to, then pushed to, the centre of the image. Higher end
scopes do not use this optical illusion with the March’s
reticles remaining uniformly thin through the range.
The scope available for testing came with the non-
illuminated MTR-1 cross hair pattern. The MTR-1 is
an Imperial-based pattern that offers an alternative to
mildot and other multiple cross hair precision reticles
when it come to aiming off and range determination.
I have used the Nightforce NXS version of this pattern
since it came on the market and for F Class and
1000 yard Benchrest shooting and I believe it to be
the best pattern to use for holding off in the wind.
At one hundred yards, each division subtends two
inches with the scope set at 20 power, one inch at
40 power and approximately 3/4 inch at 60 power.
Start moving down range and this scale quickly
Target Shooter 21
 Unlike the rings on this Ruger. A lot of part
swapping and elbow grease was required to
de-stress this set up
shows how much you need to aim off in the prevailing Setting up the March
wind conditions. For me, having the magnification The test scope came with a scope ring alignment
running at 40 power so the divisions represent MOA, tool and lapping bar made by Stuart Elliot of
allows me to develop an accurate matrix for aiming BRT Shooters Supply, the Australian distributor
off. For example, a left dominant fishtail wind for March scopes. This really is a ‘must have’
running with two minutes of deflection can be piece of kit for any scope and is an important tool
measured during the sighting shots and an aim off when you are using expensive optical equipment.
established on the second stadia on the left of the Remember that recoil will bend any scope and
cross and used as the de facto centre point. This a poorly aligned scope tube will suffer torque
avoids the need to adjust the windage turret and and twisting that will eventually affect accuracy.
reduces overall wear and tear on a scope. Unlike other scope-ring alignment tools, the BRT
There are three obvious differences between the tool is not pointed. Rather, two flat ended cylinders
benchrest and the tactical version of this scope - are used. These offer a more exact indication of
the turrets, the illuminated reticle and a zero stop. alignment due to the precise mating of the two flat
surfaces. I was pleased to see that my Sportsmatch
The turrets are easy to access from a firing position 30mm rings need no additional work!
and come standard with 1/8 MOA click adjustment Each scope comes with a sunshade and a
for more precise point of impact tuning at long range. 35mm Modifier Disk. The Modifier Disk works to
Each revolution of the turret works out to be 10 MOA reduce the front lens from 52mm to 35mm to reduce
for a total of 60 minutes of elevation and 40 of windage. unnecessary brightness and increase focus depth,
The zero stop is a great addition for disciplines that which potentially helps with reading mirage.
require a lot of scope adjustments and means the
elevation zero should never be lost, allowing el- Internal Construction
evation come-ups to counted from zero. I set the It is worth stressing from the start that there is no
March up for a 300 metre zero and was able to plastic used in the construction of the March. The scope
accurately adjust for 400 and 500 metre ranges body, for example, is machined from a single piece of
using my existing scopes elevation settings. aluminium bar stock and all the lenses are glued in.
With the illuminated reticle version, if the light This makes for a structurally solid piece of equipment
conditions fail, the scope reticle can be lit up, so that is much stronger than possible through other
there should never be a reason to lose sight of the methods of manufacture. But the offset is, of course,
crosshairs. The challenge for colour blind shooters a considerably more costly manufacturing process.
is to see the red light and this should be tested While it looks heavy, the March is shorter and
before purchase. lighter than comparable scopes on the market.
All March scopes are purged with argon gas, which
is heavier than the nitrogen usually used in scope
22 Target Shooter
 Switching barrels is easy when you use a aluminium vice to be carefully hand fitted.
like this Redback. Changing barrels like this takes five For example, the focusing
group tube unit (eye piece
minutes and provided the author with greater opportunities
assembly) needs to be hand lapped
to test the March’s capabilities to fit the focusing tube liner body.
The heart of the scope, at least
from the shooter’s perspective,
is the lens. March scopes
use Extra-low Dispersion (ED)
lenses. March’s product notes
that ED lenses have a smaller
refractive index than a typical
optical lens in the blue to red
wavelength. This enables
superior sharpness and color
correction by reducing chromatic
aberration. These specialty lenses
are often used in microscopes,
telescopes, semiconductor
steppers, or high-end camera
lenses.
Chromatic aberration is the failure
of a lens to focus all colors to the
same point (the opposite to a
rainbow). It occurs because
lenses have a different refractive
index for different wavelengths
of light (the dispersion of the
lens). The refractive index
decreases with increasing
wavelength. Chromatic aberration
is easy to test for in a scope, if
you can see “fringes” of color
along boundaries that separate
dark and bright parts of the
manufacture and does not leak. Gas purging is used image you have found it. It
to minimise internal corrosion and prevent internal occurs in poor quality scopes because each
fogging during quick temperature or humidity changes. color in the optical spectrum cannot be focused
A lot of work has gone into the design and at a single common point on the optical axis.
manufacture of the scope’s erector tubes to lighten I pushed the March hard on this, both on a range of
and strengthen them. The erector tubes are smaller targets and distances – fullbore and benchrest and
and lighter than other brands’ erector turrets. A against a Zeiss lens test-chart in order to find out
lighter turret means less inertia and internal impact when the blue and red wavelength got confused.
during recoil which leads to less incremental For all normal long range shooting conditions and I
damage to the erector tube and components. would hazard some less than normal, sighting was
It appears that a lot of research has gone into ‘very good to excellent’ and provided all the detail
minimising the potential damage that a poorly placed needed but without any lens induced distortion.
or designed erector tube can potentially cause to This devotion to detail takes its costs in the
the March’s internal parts. This also includes heat manufacturing process and one engineer at the
treating key internal parts to reduce friction and Deon factory can only assemble two scopes
galling during use – as unseen damage can occur a day. This is no high volume assembly line!
as a result of the sudden stop at the end of the recoil
pulse. Testing and Retesting
March scopes also use a heat treated, flat-type Scope reviews generally follow a set pattern of
erector tube spring as the design engineers work behaviour. The writer places a grid at 100 odd yards
on the guiding principle that coil springs tend have and clicks around the square to prove the turrets
a memory problem, regardless of the material. work- or shoots a group with a shot at each power do
All this heat treating means that parts need see if the scope tracks a straight line or an “S” pattern.

Target Shooter 23
 The MTR-1 reticle at 60 power. This
communications tower is located 1460
yards away
In the real world of long-range precision shooting
we do not do this. We try to push the limits of our
equipment and ourselves and during scope testing
I try to do the same – sometimes to the chagrin
of the distributor. And Canberra in the middle of
summer is no friend to the scope tester.
The March 10 – 60 x 52 was used on a variety of rifle
platforms; a 284 Win. Improved, a 220 Weatherby
Rocket and a 6.5 Shehane, across a range of
shooting scenarios and ranges.
Once the March was set up in the rings using the
BRT scope ring alignment tool, initial zeroing
occurred at 300 metres. Shooting at 40 power was
pleasant and proved to be very similar to using
my NXS. Moving up to 60 power was more of a
challenge in the twisting mirage and flicky conditions
of an Australian summer. What it did show and
what I could learn from, was the ebb and flow of the
mirage against the 10 ring. Picking the lull after the
mirage dropped off was easy and more practice would
show that a tricky mirage could be exploited using a
combination of the high magnification and patience.
At 60 power I was able to see the bullet holes in
the black, which has not been possible at 42 power.
It is possible to shoot at 60 power but doing so
successfully at the start of an Australian January is
difficult due to the heat and strong light. Shooting
at 300 metres, the mil graduations subtend
24 Target Shooter
approximately 2.25 inches, while magnification
presents a dancing sight-picture due to the
mirage flow. Staring at the mirage patterns
over a period showed a cycle of build-up and
let-off emerging but I was not good enough
or clever enough to use it to my advantage.
But the MTR-1 reticle can be used to offset a
tricky wind. Dropping the magnification to 45
power at the next range and bracketing the ten
ring between windage stadia proved to be an
effective way of compensating for wind strength
- and resulted in a high score in tricky conditions.
Replacing the 7mm barrel with a 220 Rocket barrel
is simple enough using an aluminium barrel vice.
While the 7mm is a proven performer, I have
struggled with the Rocket and needed to do some
load testing with 50 grain bullets. Choosing 60
power, the grain in the paper was visable at 100
metres and groups formed around the point of aim.
It was soon easy to see where the accuracy node
emerged (41 grains of Varget!). The highlight of the
afternoon was the surprising appearance of a bull
ant behind the target that measured ¾ MOA and was
significantly bigger than the Rocket’s groups. With a
60 power March, ant sniping could become the next
big game in town!
Moving the March to another rifle highlighted
one of two negatives. Eye relief is hard to get
consistent with such a high power range and there
is a cross-over point of about four millimetres
that needs to be finely judged. The second negative
is focusing of the crosshairs; fine for my eyes
but some new owners have struggled to get this
right and the middle of a competition is not the
place to find out how to adjust the eyepiece.
The 6.5 Shehane appeared at the end of its
competitive life and was in need of some coaxing
to get the last of its barrel working for me. This
6.5mm barrel had proven ‘difficult’ during its
last few outings and some serious reworking
of the bedding had been a Christmas priority.
With temperatures on the range in the high thirties
Celsius, and a swinging wind from over the right
shoulder, it was always going to be a challenging
day for scope testing. But this was the moment
when all the words I’d written about the March
suddenly made sense.
Without the 35mm Modifier Disk, the 600 metre
target was a waving mess at 50 power; with the
Modifier Disk screwed in a clear sight-picture
emerged. The ED lens was more than able to
discriminate between mirage shifts and provid-
ed enough confidence to predict mirage induced
elevation changes. The small exit-pupil also means
light changes are immediately obvious and can be
factored into aim off. The bottom line was I could
see things that other shooters couldn’t and I was
in better control of the conditions than with my own
scope.
The March 10 – 60 x 52 clearly demonstrated that
the work I had done on the bedding had paid off and
was still a lot of accuracy left in the barrel.
The Last Word
March scopes are good, very good and deserve
the reputation they are currently receiving. They
are expensive for a reason but with the cost
of a custom rifle it is worth adding one to your
decision list for the next build. I approached this
review with a jaundiced view of the hype but have come
away looking for ways to not give this scope back.
As always, when shopping around for a new
telescopic sight, the best piece of advice for the
shooter is to compare a number of makes and
models in the same light conditions at the same
time. Whether this involves looking through a couple
of different scopes on the mound or going through a
gunshop’s complete collection, the time spent at this
point in making the correct decision with be worth it
in the long term.
For more information on March prices and the
current range please contact your regional distributor:
BRT Shooters Supply www.benchrest.com.au in
Australia/NZ and www.marchscopes.co.uk in the UK.
STOP PRESS – Whilst most of us are probably
trying to imagine what it’s like to shoot with
all that magnification, March have upped the
stakes yet again by announcing an 8 – 80 power
scope! Now that’s serious magnification.
Target Shooter 25
26 Target Shooter
 Shooting the Black Powder Pistol
Part 4
by Chris Risebrook
In the last article, I mentioned the complete stripping
of the pistol for periodic cleaning. Inevitably, some
powder residue will find its way into the lockwork,
and occasionally a thorough clean is called for. For
the single shot pistols, this is easy. You did first check
it was unloaded, didn’t you? It’s amazing how many
people are killed by “empty” guns. No, I don’t look
down the barrel, I drop the loading tube down the
barrel. The satisfying “clang” of the brass tube hitting
the chamber reassures me. All that is needed then
is to unscrew the lock plate and give the lockplate
a good scrub with a toothbrush, re-grease and
re-assemble. Incidentally, I find a dab of copper
grease on the nipple threads makes life easier.
Cleaning single shot pistols - The satisfying
“clang” of the brass tube hitting the chamber
reassures me its unloaded
Revolvers are more complicated and more prone
to the ingestion of debris into their lockwork. Colts
and Remingtons work slightly differently. First the
Remington; After removing the cylinder and loading
lever, remove the grips, loosen the mainspring set
screw and drive the mainspring out of its slot with
a drift. Then remove the trigger guard, the trigger
and cylinder stop screw and spring. Undo the
trigger pivot screw and drop the trigger out of the
bottom of the frame. Remove the hammer screw
and drop the hammer down in the frame until the
flush head of the cylinder hand screw is accessible
on the left hand side. Remove the screw and pull
the cylinder hand and its spring out from the bottom.
Now remove the hammer from the top of the frame.
Target Shooter 27
 it comes to re-assembly, the only tricky
part is the fitting of the mainspring.
In the Remington, a spring clamp is
useful, and in the Colt, a second pair of
hands is almost indispensable.
If you are fortunate enough to own
a Ruger Old Army, your life is much
easier. To remove the mainspring, after
removing the grips, cock the hammer
and push a steel pin through the hole so
thoughtfully provided in the base of the
hammer strut. This takes the tension
off the coil mainspring. The only trap
for the unwary is when separating the
grip frame from the cylinder frame. The
grip frame is held by two screws as in
Phew! Remember to place each item you remove
the Colt, but lurking behind the left hand screw are
in a set order and replace all screws in their
the pawl spring and plunger. Undo these screws
components as you proceed. This saves much
slowly, otherwise your last sight of the pawl spring
swearing when you re-assemble. I learned the hard
plunger will the blur as it sails past your left ear. This
way that knowledge comes from taking things apart,
pawl and plunger serves the same purpose as the
and knowledge from putting them together again!
cylinder hand and spring on the Colt and Remington
Open frame Colts (models 1851 and 1860 as well
revolvers. To save on manufacturing costs, the
as the pocket models) are a little different. Remove
Ruger uses coil springs throughout.
the backstrap (2) and butt(1) screws and pull away
If you own anything another make of revolver, it will
the backstrap together with the grips. Remove the
almost certainly work on either the Colt or Remington
mainspring screw and mainspring and the two
principle unless you happen to have a SavageNorth,
trigger guard screws. Remove the trigger return and
which was a double and single action gas seal
cylinder stop screw and spring as in the Remington.
revolver of some complexity, in which case you are
The trigger and cylinder stop, hammer and hand are
on your own. Fortunately, no-one makes copies - so
all removed by unscrewing their pivot screws. When
far.

28 Target Shooter
 Tel/Fax 01722782432
Email; ags.westlake@virgin.net/ Website; www.westlakeengineering.com

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
¼ 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.

Target Shooter 29
 Practical Shotguns Part 1 - Pump Action –
Benelli Nova and Benelli Supernova
Many articles have been done on the wide variety of
pump action and semi automatic shotguns in use by
farmers, hunters, game shooters and clay shooters
alike in the UK. The list available is long and offers
users a wide and varied choice in what action type,
cost and style of shotgun they desire.
This article, and the ones to follow, discuss what
shotguns are actually proving their worth in the UK
and Internationally in the world of practical shooting
and practical shotgun (PSG). To those readers
who don’t know what PSG is, it’s very simple. It’s
the use of Section 1 shotguns (4+ capacity) in a
competitive, dynamic sport, where a competitor
engages a variety of targets at different distances
using the whole range of shotgun ammunition
available: birdshot, buckshot and solid slug
ammunition, depending on the stage requirements.
In the UK there are a wide variety of clubs that offer
members the ability to try out and shoot PSG and
enter competitions at a club level. If the practical
shooting bug makes you want to step up and Due to the high level of competitiveness within the
compete at a national, and international level,world of practical shooting, shooters very quickly
Benelli Nova - detail of enlarged polymer loading port
30 Target Shooter
by Mike Darby
competing against the best shooters within the UK
and the world, then you would need to join the United
Kingdom Practical Shooting Association (UKPSA).
The UKPSA is the UK wing of the International
Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), which is
the world wide practical shooting body that allows
shooters to travel the world competing in varying
levels of competitions up to World Championships.
Within the UKPSA, there are national level matches
throughout the year, which when combined,
amalgamate to a national championship. The title
of being crowned the UKPSA British Champion is a
highly competed for position!
Gun types are placed into classes that compete
against each other, e.g pump shotguns compete
against pump shotguns in what’s called Standard
Manual Class. There are four classes in total
that competitors can compete in that encompass
most gun makes and designs.
identify equipment and guns that
are ideally suited for the sport. With
this in mind, it must be said that any
Section 1 shotgun can be used for
PSG and the owner will get a great
deal of pleasure in shooting it. Many
people, me included, bought their first
practical shotgun based largely on
what they thought would be good for
PSG based on pre-conceived ideas.
Sadly, however, most are proved
wrong – the SPAS 12 is a perfect
example of this misconception. These
articles are really designed for the
new PSG shooter to provide them an
idea of what guns would stand them in
good-stead for many happy years of PSG
 It is mainly polymer with only
the barrel, bolt, magazine
tube and a few internal parts
being made out of steel.
The whole of the receiver
and stock is a single
moulded unit, where the
barrel, forend and bolt,
simply push into the
receiver, the magazine
nut applied and the gun is
assembled, in a very similar
manner to an 870. The
anti-plastic crowd were still
concerned and the ex-Glock
owners crooned in their
Benelli Nova - weak hand loading is easy with its wisdom by gently reminding
loading port and free float carrier the heretics that many
shooters had a similar first
use when they are looking to purchase their first practical reaction to the G17 when it
shotgun. was released, and they are now regarded as one of
the finest and reliable pistol types in the world. They
Benelli Nova / Supernova were right.
Historically the American big three: Winchester /
Remington / Mossberg platforms have been the The first question a sceptic would ask is what
mainstay for PSG shooters who wanted a pump advantages does it have over the 870, 1200 or
gun. They are reliable and sturdy and have a proven Mossberg. Well there are a number of things the
history and looked here to stay in PSG until the early Nova has, which sets it apart. Firstly its reliability is
Noughties, when the Italian company Benelli bought almost second to none. Do they ever jam up? Yes,
out the Nova. Benelli already had an excellent but all pump guns can and do, and it’s almost always
reputation in the shotgun would with their semi- the shooters fault by short stroking the guns action.
’autos, but this was different. But when operated correctly they have proven to be
every bit as reliable as their Remington / Winchester
Initially shooters looked at it with distain as it looked rivals.
funny without the classical lines of a pump shotgun Secondly its their mainly polymer construction that
and secondly it was the Glock of the shotgun world. comes into its own. The sport of PSG tends to be
one where the guns
and their shooters
Benelli Novas large loading port allows various fast are subjected to all
loading techniques the best weather
conditions the British
Isles can offer and
synthetic furniture
on PSG guns is
desired by a lot of
shooters due to its
resistance against the
elements.
In addition the
polymer construction
means Nova’s are
lighter than their steel
counterparts which
when you add an
extended tube and
fill it with ammunition,
actually is a big
bonus.

Target Shooter 31
 Benelli Nova - grip tape on pumpaction to
ensure no slipping
Thirdly, and probably most importantly, is the fact
their loading port is vast. Why would this be an
advantage? Well PSG is shot against time so speed
matters. To help achieve a shorter time you will
need to load your shotgun as fast as you can, and
hence your score depends a lot on how fast you
can complete the course of fire and that includes
putting shells into your gun. The Nova is chambered
for 12g 3.5-inch magnum shells and the Italian
designers have been overly generous in making the
loading port on these guns about the same size as
entrance to the Dartford Tunnel. Fortunately you are
not required to pay £1.50 every time though.
Another advantage with the gun is the fact its
carrier, the piece of shaped metal that is hinged
in the loading port area and lifts the shells into
line with the bolt and chamber, is free floating. On
every other gun type that uses loading carriers,
they are hinged under spring tension and when
you load the magazine the carrier needs to be
depressed against its spring, and this hinders the
loading process. The Nova’s free floating carrier
design means it simply gets pushed up into the port
when loading starts, it stays there, and this then acts
Benelli Nova - PSG ready !
32 Target Shooter
Benelli Nova - enlarged loading port
with carrier raised into action
as a big ramp for the shells to be fed into the magazine.
To enhance the ease of loading most owners
customise the loading port areas, smoothing the
edges and honing the feed ramps into the magazine.
The trigger group and loading port area on the Nova
are again made of polymer and owners can easily
sand and polish these areas at home making
the loading port area very slick and smooth. With
all these advantages amalgamated, along with the
various loading methods being used within the sport,
this means the speed of loading the Nova puts it far
ahead in the PSG user-friendly stakes. A very good
example of seeing how fast the Nova and Supernova
guns can be to load, can be seen on YouTube
demonstrated by the 2009 British ‘Manual Action’
Champion Neil Smith. Here he demonstrates a weak
hand loading technique that allows him to shoot
an aimed shot, load four shells into the gun and
shoot another aimed shot in about three and a half
seconds. Simply go to the site and search for ‘Benelli
Nova Loading’.
The standard factory gun comes with five chokes
as to be expected, and a variety of barrel lengths
from 24 inches to 28. Most IPSC Standard Manual
shooters want the shortest guns available for ease of
manoeuvring through a course
of fire and hence most Novas’
in use within the UK PSG scene
have 24’ barrels.
Remington and Winchester
don’t offer their guns in a 24-
inch barrel configuration, which
again pushes the advantages
of the Nova over its rivals.
Many further things can be
easily done to the Nova to
customise it to the owner’s
exact specification. The
standard factory gun comes
with a ribbed barrel (the best
choice for PSG and not the
rib-less rifle sighted barrel
option) with a small red

Benelli Nova - fixed stock detail
fibre optic bead at the muzzle. Many shooters
change this for larger beads or fibre rods. I personally
favour the green Hi-Viz shotgun sights on my guns.
Additionally as slug shooting is a large part of PSG,
many shooters also have Ruger 10/22 rear
sights milled onto the ribbed barrels of their
shotguns near the receiver, allowing them to
shoot slugs accurately out to 50 meters. The
sights fold down onto the rib when not shooting
slugs and don’t hinder the rib sighting system
for birdshot.
In 2008 Benelli brought out the newest version of
the Nova and naturally named it the Supernova.
(Incidentally their third model due to be
released in 2012 is going to be called the
‘Superwooper Nova’). The differences between
the two guns are minimal internally and the
Supernova still boasts the main advantages its
older brother has, with a slightly more modernised
funky exterior. The main advantage the Supernova
does provide over the Nova is the fact it has a
detachable synthetic stock. The factory stock
on the Supernova is Benelli’s new Comfortech
stock found on most of their current product line, I am also am a supporter of pistol grip stocks,
Benelli Nova enlarged loading port
which boasts that recoil reducing
rubber inserts are built into the stock
like baffles to absorb a significant
amount of the guns recoil. I have shot
both the Nova and Supernova side by
side and didn’t notice any noticeable
reduction with the Comfortech stock,
but others swear blind the difference
is significant, so I guess it’s down to
individual experiences.
I personally favour shorter stocks on
PSG shotguns with a 13 inch length
of pull as compared to the industry
standard 14’ stock lengths. Shorter
stocks allow me to mount and
dismount the guns quicker, and when
running about a course of fire I don’t
want a long stock getting in my way, however a short
stock doesn’t suit everybody! Now the Supernova’s
stock is detachable its easy to take off and cut the
Benelli Nova custom rib rear
sight for slug shooting
stock down by an inch using a band saw and then
re-fit the internal ledge that the push on gel filled
recoil pad clips onto, allowing you to customise it to
your perfect length that suits your shooting style.
not because they look pretty, but it
helps me hold the gun better. With
my shotgun loading style, where I
keep the gun on aim in the shoulder,
whilst my left hand leaves the forend
and loads shells under the gun whilst I
am moving around the stage, the gun
starts to get quite heavy.
This style of loading with a pistol
grip allows a very strong locked wrist
position with the gun in the shoulder,
which counteracts the front weight
of the gun. Holding it in the shoulder
one handed is quite comfortable with
the pistol grip, but your wrist strength
Target Shooter 33
 Benelli Nova Mag Clamp and Hi Viz fiber
soon starts to tire with a straight stock, as the wrist is
unlocked. Again this is down to individual taste if you
like pistol grips, and if you do but were initially put off
from the Nova
because you couldn’t fit one, then now your dreams
have come true. Speedfeed offers both full and
reduced length of pull pistol grip stocks for a Benelli
M1, called the TacIV and TacIVs, which both fit the
Supernova beautifully with a minimal amount of
fitting.
We need to discuss magazine extension tubes.
These are essential bits of kit for PSG and there are
a number of manufacturers out there offering tubes
for the Nova family. By far the best in my opinion is a
relative newcomer to the shotgun accessories scene
called Nordic Components. Based in the US the
owners are keen shotgun shooters and coincidently
own a metal work business. Their products have
within the last few years become world leaders
in the practical shooting world due to their design
and build quality. They manufacture extension
tubes to whatever length you want and also
add on tubes to allow you to adjust the capacity
to your needs. Their standard mag extension
package comes with a magazine spring, main nut,
tube length required and an end cap. They also
make barrel clamps and additional accessories You can cut a pump shotgun spring down
for semi auto shotguns. Whilst not the cheapest considerably, to the point the spring can be easily
on the market, Nordic is certainly the best qualitydepressed by gently pushing your finger down on
Benelli Nova Nordic
Extension and Mag Clamp
34 Target Shooter
available. I have often
seen lesser makes
brake and snap and
come apart at the most
inconvenient times so I
wouldn’t use anything else
on my competition guns!
What length tube to you
want on your gun? Well
that really depends on
what capacity you desire.
In Standard Class in IPSC
you are only allowed to
start with nine rounds in
the gun, but can put more
in after the start, so most shooters opt for a ten or
eleven round magazine capacity. For a ten round
capacity it would be the Nordic +6 tube (using 70mm
shells) that will extend about 12mm shy of the end
of a 24” Benelli barrel and for eleven rounds you
would need to buy a +7 tube that will extend about
70mm past the end of the barrel. A lot of shooters
prefer the tube to go past the muzzle as if you
inadvertently push the gun into a wall, barricade, tree
or ground, it will protect the muzzle of the gun from
clogging and any potential damage. If you decide to
use 65mm shells in your Nova then you would be
able to fit 13 in the +7 extension, and if you wanted
to shoot Modified or Open division then magazine
extensions allowing 14 – 17 round capacity are
available should you want them. Nordic Components
products can be purchased through MidwayUK.
Having discussed magazines, we need to briefly
touch on magazine springs. In PSG where speed of
loading is critical, you want the magazine spring to
be as light as possible without affecting the operation
of the gun. Unlike semi auto shotguns that rely
heavily on their magazine spring strength to ensure
operation in their workings, pump action shotguns
do not have the same coalition.
the magazine follower. A basic rule for
the length of your magazine spring in a
pump action is cutting the spring at about
8 - 10 inches past the overall length of the
magazine tube, measured from the loading
port to the magazine end cap. Don’t overdo
it as first ! Cut a few coils at a time until you
are happy so you don’t ruin the spring and
cut it too short.
There are a number of things you can do
within the trigger group of the gun if you
so desire. You can adjust the weight and
smoothness of the trigger pull if it is too
 excessive from the factory, but remember this is
not a rifle, so an 8lb trigger pull should be fine in a
shotgun for PSG. You can alter the tension of
applying and disconnecting the safety catch and even
switch its operation over to the wrong side for those
left handed shooters amongst us. Additionally there
are a number of things you can do to the carrier to
allow the gun to be loaded whilst the bolt is unlocked
and not fully in battery, however these modifications
are things owners may want to consider after having
shot the gun for some time and deciding if they
would be beneficial to its operation and their
individual shooting styles. Remember though, any
modifications you do to a new gun may nullify the factory
warranty, and also if you get any load bearing areas
modified by a competent gunsmith then the gun may
need to be proofed prior to you selling it at a later
date.
So all that considered, how do they shoot compared
to other pump guns. Having spoken at length to
Britain’s top Manual Action shooters the view is that
whilst all pump guns have more recoil than semi
autos, out of the pump guns available the Nova family
are relatively light in recoil and the action operates
very smoothly allowing very fast shot strings. From
my calculations nine out of the top ten UKPSA pump
shooters shoot with a Nova or Supernova, and the top
five in Great Britain would never consider switching
to anything else, which in its self is a huge testament
to the gun and its suitability for the sport.
Pump action guns are actually very reasonably
priced in comparison to most semi automatics on
the market, so new shooters to PSG often start
off with pump actions. A second hand Section 1 or
Section 2 Nova will set you back around £250 - £300
which is co-incidentally what you would pay for a
similar 870 or 1200. Second hand fully tricked out
PSG ready Benellis can be found at gun dealers that
cater for PSG shooters, or can be found on the web
via Guntrader. Logging on today I saw there was a
PSG ready, as new condition, 10 shot Supernova on
offer for about £400. If you bought a Section 2 gun,
the factory 2 shot magazines can easily be changed
for a Section 1 magazine by a competent gunsmith
and will cost in the region of £60. A brand new gun
from your local friendly neighbourhood RFD will cost
in the region of £450 and you would need to spend
another £80 or so fitting an extended tube to it.
I hope this helps any potential PSG shooters looking
for a pump action shotgun that would suit them
for the sport – happy shooting and see you on the
circuit.

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admin@targetshooter.co.uk Target Shooter 35
Target Shooter Magazine is a publication of Trinity Digital Publishing Ltd
36 Target Shooter
Shooting Website of the Month
We wrote about Lilja barrels last month. Dan’s
website is a wealth of information about his
products, but there is a little bit more to it than
that. As a commercial website this one has a
few other things to offer, including the help for
shooters in choosing the correct barrel for you.
The site has a number of sections that provides
news and information. (Included in this is a winners
section with yours truly in there somewhere, so I
might be a bit biased. But hey……. they are good
barrels and used by centerfire and rimfire shooters
throughout the world).
Obviously there are sections on the product, but also
after sales advice on how to care for your barrels,
whatever the configuration or caliber. This in itself
is worth the read and valuable information.
There are a number of freebies, including software
downloads for barrel weight and contour
configurations, amongst others.
The article section is aimed at centerfire shooters
with Precision Shooting works on actions, bolts, etc.
Others include extensive
works on barrel making (obviously), bullets and
ballistics and long range shooting to name a
few. Over all there are more than 40 articles
of interest and well worth a look. All of this is
developed for you the shooter to enable a wider
understanding of the sport you are involved in.
Obviously Dan’s is a commercial website and we
offer it this month because it is not just about selling
the product. The menus are easy to use and
the only real negative is the page setup could
be sectioned with columns to get more on it, so
you don’t have to scroll down all the time. Apart
from that a really good read with access to some
excellent information. Well worth a visit!
Target Shooter 37
 Bench Rest® Powder Measure £108.34
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Stand (sold separately) £21.67

Case Neck Graphiter £12.69

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A real carbide cutter makes the difference in this Outside Neck Turner. Pilots in 29 differ-
ent caliber offerings, including .50 BMG! In terms of improved accuracy, no single reload-
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low bullet release. If the brass is thicker on one side of the case than the other, the thin side
releases the bullet first and causes a slight bullet-to-bore misalignment that can seriously
impair accuracy. The Forster Hand Outside Neck Turner features precision ground pilots,
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Email: sales@timhannam.com www.timhannam.com
38 Target Shooter
HANDLOADING ‘OLD FAITHFUL’
THE .308 WINCHESTER (part 4)

By Laurie Holland
I’ve spent the last two parts looking at cases and
studies say 80%) ammunition grouping ability
their preparation, and rather late in the day, I’ll ask
comes from bullet design and quality, everything
why spend extra money on good brass, then time else – powder, primer, and each and every aspect
making it even better? – better accuracy in the of case-quality – only accounting for 20%.
form of smaller groups, surely. Well ....... yes, but
However, it’s important not to overlook the
not always in the simplistic way that is measured in
remarkable improvements in accuracy and
the size of test groups shot at 100yd. Most (some
increased competitiveness of recent years.
Competitors
The long-range .308W shooter’s objective is to produce ammunition
have to identify
with good ballistics characteristics that will group within the
and exploit every
smallest target ring – the 10.5” V-Bull in this 1,000yd TR target
p o t e n t i a l
improvement
on offer, no matter
how small a
percentage it
contributes to the
overall picture. So
what is ‘accuracy’
or ‘acceptable
accuracy’? If you
pardon the pun,
this is a ‘moving
target’, not only
with definitions
becoming ever
tighter, also
with regard to
i n d i v i d u a l
s h o o t e r
expectations,
the kind of
firearm used, the
discipline and
target sizes.
The distances

Target Shooter 39

The sub 0.5-MOA group on the right
(41.5gn) was achieved despite a 102 fps
extreme velocity spread
Many shooters assume test loads that give
short-range vertical stringing like these
100yd groups are the result of large MV
variations, but they are more likely caused
by the load not suiting the rifle’s action and
barrel harmonics
involved are a major consideration. A rule of
thumb is that adequate accuracy produces groups
that fit into the smallest ring on the target at the
longest range that will be competed over, so
40 Target Shooter
Target / Fullbore Rifle would have a 1-MOA norm,
F-Class halving that to 0.5-MOA based on their
respective ‘V’ or ‘X’ rings. These standards might
not seem challenging, but tiny 100yd groups are
rarely replicated in MOA terms at the longest
ranges even in the absence of wind effects,
needing exceptional equipment and ammunition
to obtain sub quarter-MOA, even sub half-MOA
groups at 1,000yd.
Ballistics
Moreover, ‘external ballistics’ have little measurable
effect upon short-range groups with combinations
that have large MV extreme spreads (ES)
often producing impressive results at 100-200yd.
Conversely, one of the first things the handloader
discovers after buying a chronograph, is that contrary
to intuition, the load that gives five bullets near
identical velocities often produces disappointing
groups. However, shoot ammunition that produces
good short-range groups with large ES values at
long ranges and we get vertical stringing. Also,
there are big differences in bullet shapes on offer
from the manufacturers, hence an equally large range
of ballistic capabilities as described numerically
in the ballistic coefficient (BC). This is also
range-critical: you can shoot almost any shape
of bullet with any old BC at short range and get
good scores providing the load-combination
groups well, but a ballistically inefficient design will
impose serious disadvantages at long range.
It is these matters – internal ballistics that
determines the range of velocities produced by
the firearm; external ballistics that determines
how the bullet behaves after it leaves the muzzle –
that provides the links between the previous parts
of this saga and this month’s and next’s where I
look at bullets. A lot of what we’ve done in case
selection and preparation produces little if any
group-size reduction at short range, but hopefully
reduces the size of the MV extreme spread (ES),
and informed bullet selection also becomes
more important as ranges increase. There is a
third ‘ballistics’ factor that is range-critical – MV.
If you shoot at 100/200yd, you want the smallest
grouping load you can find, and if that runs 300
fps down on what the cartridge is capable of
producing with that bullet weight, that’s usually
no great problem. Use that low-performance load
at long range and it’ll be far more wind affected
than an efficient (high-BC + MV) combination, and
may not perform at all at extreme ranges due to
stability problems, or becoming subsonic.
The attractive 300yd woodland Pickering range in North
Yorkshire. This distance doesn’t put a premium on high
MVs and BCs and loads with large ES values will often
still perform well

Oops! WCC cases, I caught the top of one when slotting

I unintentionally provided proof of 100yd group
insensitivity to large velocity spreads with a
recent trial load. Looking to see how the military
cases (MEN and WCC80) that I looked at in Part 2
would perform, I loaded 25 of each with the 175gn
Sierra MatchKing over modest loads of Viht N140
and N540 in five 5-round batches with charges
rising in 0.5gn steps. While seating bullets in the
it into the press shellholder, and spilt what I
thought were a few powder kernels, but carried
on and made a note of that load. On the range,
four rounds averaged 2,646 fps with an ES of 26
fps – not bad considering case weight and neck
thickness variations. However, one produced
2,559 fps – 87 fps out of the pattern, 102 below
that with the highest MV – so I’d lost 1.4gn of

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

Target Shooter 41
Above - Sierra has long produced a large and excellent range of 0.308” MatchKings. These
models cover 155 to 190gn and have similar nose shapes – but note the big differences in
the boat-tail lengths and angles. This has a big effect on their suitability for long ranges

powder when I’d tipped the case. OOPS!

Counter-intuitively, this batch produced the
smallest 100yd group out of the five at 0.4”, but
look at Table 1 which shows what my G7 ballistics
program says this velocity spread does at longer
ranges. The 26 fps spread for the four cartridges
loaded with the full powder charge produces a
near MOA vertical dispersion on the target at
1,000yd with this mild load, but the low-charge
cartridge sees a 3.6-MOA drop compared to the
others. At 600yd, the effects are much mitigated
with the 26 fps four-cartridge ES producing around
2.7” or 0.43-MOA dispersion, and the underloaded
example drops just over 1½-MOA which could still
produce a low ‘Bull’ on the NRA TR target centre
depending on the size of the inherent group for the
ammunition.

This is what the Lapua Palma .308 small primer

and flash-hole case mentioned in last month’s
TargetShooter issue’s news section is about. US
Left - 140gn 6.5mm Berger VLD on the left
(i7 0.918); 208gn 0.308” Hornady A-Max on
the right (i7 0.967). The bullet designer has a
hard job getting the larger calibre’s bullets to
match those on 6.5s and 7s due to the fatter
profile. The A-Max has the highest BC of any
factory thirty calibre match design
42 Target Shooter

Palma Team officials say out-of-the-box cases
and four brands of SR Magnum primers taken
at random from a gunshop’s stock gave SDs
(standard deviations) of 4-5 fps and ES values of
12-18 fps in 15-shot strings with the ‘standard’ US
Palma 155gn Sierra MK / Hodgdon VarGet load.
(I’ll try some of these cases as soon as they’re
available in the UK– if anybody from Nammo
Lapua reads this and would like to contribute
a box for review, please contact the editor.)
Table 2 lists two sets of calculated drops for a load
that produces the usual Target / Fullbore Rifle
or Palma MV of 3,000 fps with the new 155.5gn
Berger long-range bullet to compare likely vertical
strike variations between an ES of 16 fps (±8 fps)
in line with those quoted above compared to one
of 24 fps (±12 fps) typical of what is seen with
large primer cases. It should be noted that with
SDs of only 4 or 5 fps, two-thirds of shots will have
MVs within that spread and 95% within 8 or 10 fps
assuming this is a ‘normal statistical distribution’
so most shots will fall within a single-figure MV
range. The results shown in the tables for the
extreme examples should be taken as indicative
not gospel, as there are other factors at play that
can affect results. Barrel ‘compensation’ (how it
Cheap FMJ bullets are best restricted
to old military rifles. This Mosin-Nagant
M1891/30 appreciates MatchKings and
Scenars however
responds to higher or lower velocity rounds) may
aggravate or reduce the external ballistics effect;
one has to take the rifle-ammunition combination’s
inherent grouping ability into account, and consider
how that might interact with the trajectory
induced effects. That is, if the highest velocity shot
in a string coincides with the rifle putting the shot
at the top of the group, they combine to give a very
high strike. However, if the rifle drops that shot to
the bottom of the group, it could cancel out the
effect of the higher-velocity trajectory.
We can see three things from these tables. The
high MV+BC combination in Table 2 (3,000 fps
/ 0.237 G7 BC) is less affected by MV ES size
than the low velocity (2,646 fps / 0.243 G7 BC)
combination shown in Table 1, the latter having a
10½” – virtually a full MOA – spread at 1,000yd
compared to a 5.62” / 0.65-MOA spread for the
former. The two examples don’t have identical MV
ES values (24 v 26 fps), but 2 fps won’t account
for this large difference. (In practice, the difference
would be even greater as the low-velocity
example sees bullets become subsonic at around
950 yards.) Secondly, the adverse effects of MV
ES grow dramatically with range, hardly affecting
the TR and even F-Class shooter at 300 yd, having
Target Shooter 43
 Above - FMJs. Left to right: NATO 7.62mm FMJBT; Lapua 185gn D46 rebated boat-tail
model; conventional HPBT Sierra MatchKing (for reference); Lapua 170gn B476 Lock-Base
FMJBT sniper / match bullet
little effect at 600yd, but showing up noticeably year plus history of target shooting in the USA from
beyond there, even the relatively small 16 fps .30-40 cal Krag military rifles to today’s .308 Win
ES potentially producing half-MOA stringing at via the .30-06 and various magnums. However,
1,000yd. The final point is of course the need to with designs going back decades and designed
reduce the size of the ES, especially for long-range for short-range disciplines, it appears some are
shooting, providing it can be done alongside optimised for easy ‘tuning’ in handloads to be used
obtaining high MVs and small group sizes. in a wide variety of rifle types, chamber, throat, and
other barrel characteristics, not ballistic efficiency.
This can be seen in Bryan’s calculations of the bullets’
Bullets ‘form factors’ represented as i7 which compares
Let’s move onto looking at bullets. One of the pluses their efficiency against a ‘standard bullet’
of choosing the .308W (and any other ‘thirty’) is the with a value of 1.00. Lower values are better as
huge choice and generally good availability of match they produce less drag, so we’re looking for values
designs. We have them from six manufacturers on or below 1.00. (For more information, see the
with another couple occasionally seen. Of the October and November issues of TargetShooter
half-dozen, a couple (Speer and Nosler) have limited for an assessment of 0.308” 155gn bullets’
offerings (155 and 168gn models) concentrating characteristics and performance by Bryan Litz.) So,
on producing sporting bullets, but Berger, Hornady, it appears that we have two groups in the calibre
Lapua, and Sierra produce comprehensive ranges. that can be simplistically classified as short or
While Sierra long offered the greatest choice long-range designs. There are even a few bullets
with nine bullets pretty equally spaced between that don’t remain stable beyond 900yd at .308W
150 and 220gn, Berger now leads the pack with MVs. These subjects will be covered in depth in
thirteen ignoring lighter (under 155gn) flat-base Part 5.
types designed for short-range Hunter Benchrest
shooting in little cartridges like the .30BR. Looking Of the 34 match designs that Bryan Litz tested, 11
at Bryan Litz’s book Applied Ballistics for Long- achieve the ≤1.00 target and the new Sierra 155gn
Range Shooting, 34 models are listed and analysed Palma MK (#2156) is so close at 1.02 that we can
of which only three are not found in the UK. Actually, reasonably include it. A third of .30s meeting this
there are a few others around that are not covered, standard compares to every 6.5mm match bullet
but Bryan has included nearly all high-BC models. bar one, likewise six out of seven 7mm models. Not
The choice compares favourably with 6.5mm which only do the smaller calibre bullets have a higher
offers fifteen match types and 7mm with seven, percentage below this watershed, but they also
specially imported Cauterucio bullets aside. The improve on it to a greater degree, the best 6.5mm
reason for so many thirties is the calibre’s 100- value only 0.878, and most 7mm designs on or

44 Target Shooter

185gn Lapua D46 on the left with its stepped or
rebated boat-tail rear end alongside the 190gn
Sierra MatchKing, this pair having similar BCs
below 0.950. In the .30s, most of our efficient
dozen run in the 0.98s or 0.99s, the lowest being
Hornady’s 208gn A-Max which Bryan calculates at
0.967.
FMJs
Of course, hollow-point match bullets, all of those
available here being boat-tail designs by the
way, are not the only type handloading shooters
might choose. There are many FMJ examples
around with their solid tips and open bases from
companies like Israeli Military Industries, Sellier &
Bellot and PPU (Prvi-Partizan). Shooters taking
up handloading through the scarcity of factory
7.62mm ammunition, or looking for economy,
might choose these or similar bullets as they are
much cheaper than American or Finnish match-
grade products. I have one word for those thinking
along these lines – don’t! Apart from purely plinking
ammunition, the only valid use I can think of
is in some historic service rifles, but many
of these old soldiers can also see accuracy
transformed by using good match products.
There are however FMJs and FMJs in that Lapua
makes two versions in addition to its HPBT Scenar
range, although not often seen nowadays. The first
is the ‘lock-base’ with the jacket folded around the
base and only a small open ‘pimple’ showing the lead
core; the other is the stepped or ‘rebated’ boat-tail
design, again with a fairly small open section.
There are four 0.308” models, two in each form: the
B466 150gn and B476 170gn lock-base models
with claimed G1 BCs of 0.488 and 0.525; D46
rebated boat-tail models in 185 and 200gn weights,
the latter designed for subsonic ammunition. The
185gn model is claimed to have a very high G1
BC of 0.547. All are loaded in Lapua military sniper
ammunition. The only models Bryan Litz examines
are the two D46s giving the 185gn model an i7
value of 1.081 for an average G7 BC of 0.258,
considerably higher and lower respectively than
Berger’s two 185s, but on a par with the 190gn
Sierra MK. It should be noted that the B476’s and
D46’s BCs are well above those of the equivalent
Scenar designs in 167 and 185gn weights, but the
150gn B466 is well down on the 155gn Scenar.
Table 1
175gn 0.308” Sierra MatchKing – 300, 600 and 1,000
Yard Drops (in Inches)
MV (fps) 300 Yd 600Yd 1,000Yd
1. 2,635 20.88” (-0.25) 114.04 (-1.16) 440.09 (-4.21)
2 2,646 20.63” (0) 112.88 (0) 435.88 (0)
3 2,661 20.29” (+0.34) 111.32 (+1.56) 429.53 (+6.35)
4 2,559 22.73” (-2.10) 122.59 (-9.78) 473.51 (-37.63)
MVs:
1. Lowest MV in the main string.
2. MV nearest to the arithmetical average for the main
string.
3. Highest MV in the main string.
4. Low charge round.
Table 2
600, 900 and 1,000 Yard Drops (in Inches) for MVs around
3,000 fps
(0.308” 155.5gn Berger Match BT FULLBORE bullet)
MV (fps) 600 Yd 900Yd 1,000Yd
Small ES (16 fps)
2,992 83.28 (-0.51) 242.32 (-1.62) 325.37(-2.18)
3,000 82.71 (0) 240.7 (0) 323.19 (0)
3,008 82.06 (+0.65) 238.9 (+2) 320.75 (+2.44)
Spread 1.16” / .18-MOA 4.42” / .47-MOA 5.62” / .53-MOA
Larger ES (24 fps)
2,988 83.57 (-0.86) 243.14 (-2.44) 326.48 (-3.29)
3,000 82.71 (0) 240.70 (0) 323.19 (0)
3,012 81.78 (+0.93) 238.10 (+2.6) 319.67 (+3.52)
Spread 1.79” / .28-MOA 5.04” / 0.53-MOA 6.81” / .65-MOA
Drops for Tables 1 and 2 are calculated from a
50yd zero to 350, 650, and 1,050yd with MVs
adjusted to give the required values at 50yd.
Figures in brackets show the calculated impact on the
target compared to the mid velocity round, + values
for higher and – for lower strikes on the paper.
Target Shooter 45
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46 Target Shooter
 More Mini – Rifle: The new Smith & Wesson
M&P 15-22 and Spike’s ST22 M4 Carbine from
North West Custom Parts - by Vince Bottomley

Continuing our Mini-rifle series, below we have a range of AR uppers and lowers, plus a whole range
review by Vince Bottomley and later in the of goodies. Look at the pic of Wayne with his own
magazine Tim Finley takes us through shooting an personal Spike’s – fitted with just about every
actual competition. conceivable extra, as they say in the motor trade!

The new Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 and Spike’s I came away with the Smithy and Spike’s basic
ST22 M4 Carbine. model, the Tactical ST-22. Even this rifle is already
sold so I need to handle with care! Although I use
North West Custom Parts in Manchester are probably the term ‘basic’, this is a whole different animal
one of the biggest UK Mini-rifle specialists and no to the aforementioned Smithy and the ‘chalk ‘n’
series would be complete without a visit to Wayne’s cheese’ simile could be trotted out. The Spike’s is
world of the mini-rifle. Check out Wayne’s website at a true rifle, not a plastic replica. Like the Bradley
www.nwcustomparts.com before you go any further. we tested last month, the Spike’s is built on a
high quality metal fullbore ‘lower’ and this means
I dropped in on Wayne on a very cold January day that we are looking at little change from £1000.
with around 200mm of snow on the ground outside.
Inside however, the welcome was warm and it got Although I would never claim to be well-up on
even warmer as I watched Wayne take the UK’s very AR15 clones, the Spike’s does look very nicely fin-
first Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 out of its box. M &
P by the way stands for Military & Police. Visually,
these rifles look superb and S&W have incorporated
all the whistles ‘n’ bells you would normally spend
hundreds of pounds on – like a Picatinny scope rail, a
front handguard bristling with more Pic rails, a Mag-
pull type adjustable butt-stock, look-alike magazine
etc. and all for a similar price to the GSG range.

I predict that the ‘Smithy’ will sell like the proverbial

hot cakes and indeed the first two were already sold
but fortunately, more are on the way. If you want one
– get in touch with North West Custom parts ASAP.

Until then, you’ll have to be content with my review

and a You tube video which you can see on Wayne’s
website.

The ‘Smithy’ is of course relatively new but Wayne

has long imported the excellent Spike’s Tactical

Target Shooter 47
ished and, if I were serious about my Mini-rifle, I
might well be thinking about one. Being all metal
however means that we do have a weight issue –
the Smithy is 75% plastic – or high strength polymer -
weighs in around 5.5 lbs which will be about
three pounds lighter than the Spike’s - depending
on spec. Both rifles have a 16 inch barrel and with
the stock ‘collapsed’ the Smithy has an overall
length of 30 inches. The Spikes was fitted with
a flash-hider which adds a couple of inches.
The Spike’s also comes with a Picatinny rail, so I
was able to use my Burris 4 power with QD Leupold
mounts for test purposes on both rifles.
The first thing I’ve noticed with all the rimfires I’ve
tried is the tedium of loading magazines. This is
one great ‘plus’ with my GSG – I can load it about
five times faster than say a Black Dog simply
because of the follower spring which can be easily
pulled back to permit loading. If you are stuck with
loading say the Ruger 10 round rotary mags. it would
pay you to have a good number ready prepared.
Fortunately, Smith & Wesson have addressed this
one and the mag. is a breeze to load. Both mags.
will hold about 25 rounds.
Both rifles operate like any AR clone, with the
charging handle located at the rear of the rear of
the action. For me, this is slightly less user-friendly
than the forward mounted one on my GSG but as
48 Target Shooter
always, familiarity will come with prolonged use.
I’m using the CCI Mini Mag ammo. as most rifles
seem to like it and my first test is to rip off a magazine
of 20 rounds as quickly as possible – around five
seconds. The Spike’s functioned flawlessly, as did
the Smith & Wesson and both mags. have a ‘hold-
open’ follower which is a useful safety feature. The
now familiar AR15 mag. release appears on both
these rifles and when operated with the right-hand
trigger-finger, the mags drop cleanly. Test number
two is a repeat of the first test but using subsonic
ammunition – again, both rifles functioned flawlessly.
Now let’s try a bit of benchresting at 25 yards. Using
my GSG as a yardstick, I’m expecting groups
of around half an inch. The GSG and the Bradly
AR15 would shoot tiny three-shot clover-leafs
when benchrested. The Spikes is first up and
after mounting the 4 power Burris and zeroing, I
fired a three-round group with the fore-end of the
rifle rested on a sandbag and the butt in my shoulder.
The first three rounds went into one tiny hole! I
was amazed – and proceeded to try my luck and
go for a five-shot group. The last two shots didn’t
go in group but the overall size was still only half
an inch – and this with CCI Mini-Mag ammo.!
I switched the Burris to the Smith & Wesson’s plastic
Picatinny rail and fired a few shots to zero. The,
resting the fore-end on the sand-bag and the butt
in my shoulder I fired three shots. Again I was very
impressed – a tiny group. I just can’t believe how
well these guns will shoot. The triggers are far from
‘competition’ standard and a four-power scope is
hardly the ideal target scope but both rifles delivered
the sort of performance I never thought possible.
The Ruger 10/22 is everybody’s favourite rimfire
auto-loader – until the rest of ‘em arrived and then
suddenly the Ruger was a bit un-cool. Anxious
to stay in the hunt as it were, Ruger have now
‘cloaked’ the 10/22 with an AR15 style bodywork
and called it the SR-22. It now looks a bit more cool
but still has the 10 round Ruger rotary mag.
After-market high-capacity options are readily
available of course but it would have been nice if
Ruger could have given us an authentic-looking
AR15 mag. as all the other manufacturers do.
Finally, my first Mini-rifle comp. is fast approaching.
I’ve done little practice and I have no idea what I am
letting myself in for but after reading Tim’s article I
know it’s not going to be easy but it will be fun. More
next month.
Target Shooter 49
50 Target Shooter
 Mini Rifle

By Tim Finley
Following the handgun ban it has taken a while but at Thurnscoe. You
there is a type of competition which embraces the need to know what
speed and precision of pistol shooting and uses you are doing with
targets based upon the old pistol ones. It is calledthe courses of fire
Mini Rifle and as the name suggests uses small for safety etc so
rifles as opposed to pistols. It is geared to .22 LRRoss is the perfect
rimfire semi auto rifles as many targets have to be man to help Diggle
shot twice before moving on to the next and the on it’s way, I will
whole competition shot on multiple targets and is help out as one of
timed. the Marshals whom
Ruger 10/22 rifles with higher capacity magazines accompany each
have dominated the sport for years until the recent shooter during
GSG or German Sport Guns series of rifles have been the course of fire.
available in the UK and now home grown actions, Safety is all with
notably the Rimfire Magic one are taking off in a Mini Rifle and
big way. the Marshall with
For those who have no idea of what a typical Mini the shot timer
Rifle course entails I shall now fully describe one walks behind the
we shot at our own club of Thurnscoe last year. competitor through
Mini Rifle Target
It was designed by Ross Borough who is also the whole course
designing the first Mini Rifle event to be put on atof fire. We have
my other rifle club of Diggle. It was Paul Harper, a briefing first by the Range Officer who is in
Diggle’s competition secretary who wanted to put control of all the range. The designated Marshall is
on Mini rifle there as he had shot it many times needed as a separate entity as the RO is in overall
control and must have an overview
of the whole range. Something he
cannot do if he is going through
the course of fire with the shooter.
I always wear safety glasses when
acting as Marshall as you do
tend to get the odd ejected case
coming your way. The Marshal
ensures the shooter is applying the
safety after every section of the
stage before moving off to the next
and also keeping their rifle pointed
towards the ground when moving
or swapping sides on a weak
shoulder barricade. On the subject
Shooter Ready of Marshals the commands you
will hear as a shooter after he has
Target Shooter 51
 magazine removed from the gun
The dreaded steels and any live rounds ejected from
the chamber, the Marshall then
inspects the rifle to check there
are no rounds left in the barrel
and it is safe. Then the rifle can
be carried muzzle down back
to the start of the stage where
the shooter should have left
their gun bag and put back into
the bag. Safety is all with Mini
made sure you know the course of fire for the stage
Rifle and with a good RO/Marshall combination
you are about to shoot are. “ Shooter Ready?”.
and shooters who are not brain dead all should
The normal starting configuration for the rifle is
run smoothly, it always has at all the Mini Rifle
safety on, loaded magazine in the rifle but action
un-cocked. If it’s a standing
start the rifle is pointed 45
degrees downwards. You
can have kneeling or prone
starts, also ones where the
magazine is out of the gun
and the gun starts laying
on the floor. Once you have
said you are ready the
Marshall then operates the
timer (You cannot see when
he starts it as the Marshall
is stood behind you) and this
then beeps a second or two
later to start the stage off.
Expect to hear “Safety”, One steel left
meaning he is reminding
you to apply the safety, or
“Muzzle Down”, again to
shoots I have ever seen or indeed shot in.
remind you to keep the muzzle down. At the end of
The course I am about to describe is one we actually
the stage he will say” Make safe and show clear!”
shot, we are lucky at Thurnscoe to have an
At which point the rifles safety catch is applied, the
enclosed butt to allow the use of knock down
steels. We often use
The RO is ALWAYS right behind the these on Mini Rifle comps
shooter as it adds a really tricky
element to the whole thing.
We have two banks of six
so we can start and end
a stage with knocking
down the steels. The
interesting bit is if you
miss any steels your
shot count and therefore
were you planned a
magazine change can
be totally compromised. I
have seen Jeff one of the
Para lads who shoots at
our club storm the stage to
have the dreaded dry mag

52 Target Shooter
click with one just steel left to
knock down, oh how we did Stage 2 - 1st high apature baricade
not laugh as he quickly had to
do a magazine change to blast
down the last steel and stop the
timer. First a brief rundown on
the cardboard targets we use,
these are 60% size 2/3 IPSC
cardboard targets. They are
coffin shaped, overall 160mm
wide by 260mm tall. The
highest scoring section A is
50mm by 135mm is offset to
the top of the target. The other
two sections are set outside
this middle section are called C
and D. The picture of the target
meaning the “A” five-point zone
Your scribe taking down the steels was at the bottom of the target
rather than at the top in the
“normal” position. Your aim point
has to be altered accordingly.
After those four shots the safety
is applied and it’s a movement
of five yards down range to a
carpet tile marking the second
section firing point, this time
it’s from the kneeling position
and the lower target is in its
side, again you have to be
aware the “A” zone is but on it’s
side it’s a very thin target. After
two shots on each it’s safety on
again and forward another five
yards to a barricade with a hole
in it. This is at mid height so an
will give you an idea what we are aiming to hit. unorthodox crouching position it required, one
Scoring section A earns five points, C four points target is the right way up and the other is upside
and D two points. We use a
dedicated scoring sheet to Changing magazines
quickly tot up a shooters score
before patching the targets for
the next competitor.
Now the course, stage one had
three firing points. Each had
three target holders set into the
butts. On each target holder
were stapled two targets. The
first firing point at the start was at
20 yards from the butt, when the
timer beeped the rifle is cocked
and two shots were taken at
each target from the standing
position. The two targets
were positioned upside down,

Target Shooter 53
 yards, but finish with a shotgun.
Run Forest Run
This was an over and under
Russian job unloaded on a
table in front of two six inch
square steel plates. Once the
usual Mini Rifle bit was done
the rifle had to be cleared and
made safe before sprinting over
to the table with the shotgun
on it. Earmuffs and safety
glasses must be put on before
the shotgun can be loaded
and the plates shot at, bearing
in mind a missed plate added
five seconds onto the time.
Yes, Ross is an evil genius.
As mentioned before the start
down, shoot then clear and
make safe the weapon. Times Stage 2 final barricade low apature
on this 1st stage varied from my
lightning fast 18.86 seconds to
74.86 seconds. Jeff did it seven
seconds slower then me but
scored higher on the targets on
the stage by twenty points. You
have to have both speed and
accuracy to win overall. I was
less than five points behind
Jeff going into the second and
final stage once the speed had
been factored in. Those with
high capacity magazines were
at an advantage on stage one
as it only had 12 shots. The
normal ten shot magazines
would need a mag change.
The second stage had one of Ross’s famous was rifle on the ground and six steels standing at
twists. It would start with the usual six steels at 25 25 yards, with those down it was a high hole in a
barricade and two targets, both
Your scribe on a weak shoulder shot the right way up at 20 yards.
Then a barricade at 15 yards
from the butts with two targets
shot on the left hand side and
two on the right, meaning
weak shoulder shots. The feet
MUST remain within the width
of the barricade at all times, the
Marshall will be shouting “Feet!”
if you are not doing it right. Two
of the targets are also on an
angle and the wrong way up
just to pile on the pressure.
Another five yards further on
and a low barricade at 10 yards,
with a side on and normal target,

54 Target Shooter
 Thurnscoe, this year we are going
to buy turning target mechanism’s
to spice thing up even more. With
Diggle coming on stream and the
guys at Worcester Norton leading
he way there has never been a
better time to get into Mini Rifle.
The shoot on Feb the 7th at Diggle
will be Vince’s first foray into the
world of Mini Rifle as well as that we
expect a few lads from NWCP with
AR’s to turn up too, but they’ll have
to wait until all the club members
have shot, only kidding. There are
other clubs out there doing Mini Rifle
so check out your local clubs to see
if you can find one near you.

Keep those feet in

it was before this section were most

shooters with a high capacity magazine
did a mag change. After two
shots on each the rifle is made
safe and showed clear, placed on
the deck before the sprint to the
shotgun table, to shouts of “Run
Forest Run” from the spectators. Safety
gear on, load and knock over the two
steel plates, only then the timer stops.
I did it in the fastest time of 81.10 My lucky single hole double tap
seconds, twenty seconds ahead of
Jeff and only six points behind him on
the target score, giving me the stage
and overall win once the speed factors See the video that supports this
had kicked in. This shows that if you
are slow and go for all “A”s you have article on the Target Shooter website.
a very good chance of not winning,
speed is the key as well as accuracy.
Tim Uses the GSG rifle, available from
Mini Rifle has taken off at our club of York Guns - Click here
Target Shooter 55
56 Target Shooter
 World War One British Sniper Rifles
By Nigel Greenaway
Following my recent articles on the WW2 British
No.4(T) sniper rifle I have been asked to write about
Instructing on loophole construction –
Bisley
the origins of modern British sniping and the
equipment used during World War One. It is
an interesting story, one that initially showed
the British to be ill prepared but, like many
British endeavours, soon showed us in our
best light – meeting adversity with ingenuity,
British pluck and dedicated training schools.
The Germans were definitely ahead of the
game at the start of the war with 20,000
telescopic sights in service by the end
of 1914 – many being used by ex-Forest
Guards and Jagers (Hunters), who used
their skills and very good equipment to
exact a terrible toll from the unsuspecting
British in their newly dug trenches. Trench warfare
had arrived with a vengeance and it didn’t take too
long for some ex-Big Game Hunters
in the British lines to realise that the
plague of head wounds our troops were
suffering was not down to bad luck!
How the British overcame this situation
and ultimately attained mastery of the
German snipers is the purpose of this
article. I will concentrate on the five
main combinations of rifles and sights
developed which made up 90% of the
9,788 sniper rifles passed into service
during the war. On the way I will
examine some of the tactics, training
and personalities which together made
the British the acknowledged experts of
20th Century sniping.
Many of the lessons learned by our
forebears are still taught in
sniping schools around the
world today.
During early 1915 the British
found themselves confronting
German battalions with an
official sniping establishment
of 24 Scharfschutzen (6 per
company) armed with Gew’98
rifles and overhead mounted
telescopic sights from a variety
of world renowned German
Optical manufacturers. To
Black Watch Snipers counter the German sniping
with PPCo scoped threat the British had … well,
SMLE’s the British had virtually nothing
and certainly no official
Target Shooter 57
 Four main sniper
scopes – Top to
bottom: PPCo,
Aldis/Purdey,
Aldis/Holland &
Holland,
Winchester A5

service rifle with a telescopic sight. You only These crude devices consist of two lenses, the larger
have to read 1915 copies of The Field to see the one of which is fixed near the foresight whilst the
pleading letters being written from officers in the smaller one is fixed on the backsight or in a fashion
trenches to fellow sporting enthusiasts at home. The like the old A J Parker or Parker Hale target sights.
letters ask for sporting rifles to be sent to the front, They were relatively cheap and required no special
particularly those with telescopic sights. There are skills to set them up and they worked quite well,
also letters from enterprising officers who had privately although they were quite fragile with a magnification
purchased optical sights known as Galilean sights. of about 2 power and a very narrow fields of view
(about 5-7 feet at 100 yards). Whilst outside the
scope of this article
these Galilean sights
nonetheless played an
important role in the
early days of British
sniping. Three main
makes were purchased
by the War Office and
13,945 Lattey, Barnett
and Martin sights were
officially purchased
plus thousands were
purchased privately.
These sights helped
hold the line alongside
numerous sporting
rifles plus some early
conversions of SMLE’s
by the trade who fitted
numerous different
types of scopes.

The picture shows a

sniper of the King’s
The safe sideof a sniper plate with Own Regiment with his
Gew’98 sniper Periscopic Prism Co.
scoped SMLE on the

58 Target Shooter
 Lethal combination – the dangerous
end of an overhead mounted Goerz
4x scope on Gew’98
Salonika front in June 1916 - an image that has been
reproduced in many books – but it was Martin Pegler
who realised when writing his new book, Sniping in
the Great War, that two of rifles resting on the trench
wall have Galilean sights attached - one looks like a
Martin sight and the other is probably a Lattey.
In July 1915 the first big War Office contract (1,120
sights) was placed with the Periscopic Prism Co.Ltd
(PPCo) for what was to become the most numerous
sight used during the war (4,830 in total). In
September and October of 1915 Holland & Holland
and Purdey were contracted to fit Aldis scopes, each
with their own design of fitting and these became
Overhead view SMLE & side mounted PPCo. scope
the next most numerous type with over 1,700. At
the same time Whitehead Bros. started to fit
Winchester A5 scopes and this combination became
the third most numerous with 907 made. Other
scopes were used such as the Evans (about 120)
and the Watts (about 160 fitted in three different
ways!) and there was one company, J. Bartle & Co.
who were contacted to fit 2000 Aldis scopes using the
Bartle mount. Unfortunately nobody knows what this
mount looks like – but more about this mysterious
mounting system later! One unfortunate design fault
of all the SMLE sniper rifles was the fitting of the
scopes with side mounts, off-set to the left. Officialdom
decreed that this must be so – in order that the
Target Shooter 59

An ANZAC with PPCo. SMLE
rifles could still be reloaded with 5 round chargers!
This made them far harder to use, particularly when
a fast snap shot was required and it also meant
that you had to cut a bigger hole in a loophole plate
(making it easier for a German sniper to put a bullet
through that hole). Only later in the war were some
experimental overhead mounts developed. The
Canadians, less constricted by officialdom, soon
started to fit Winchester A5, PPCo and Aldis scopes
on overhead mounts to their Ross Rifles and maybe
also to some SMLE rifles. They used their own
armourers to do this with some success, judging
by the tallies that some of the Canadian snipers
achieved. Cpl. Francis (Peggy) Pegahmagabow
MM and 2 Bars was the highest scoring sniper of
WW1 with 378 confirmed kills. He was an Ojibwa
Indian from Perry Sound Island Ontario Canada.
You can tell by the contract dates that the first rifles
converted would be freshly produced SMLE No.1
MkIII rifles dated 1915 and manufactured at Enfield
(which coincides with the Enfield inspectors’ marks
you see on some PPCo mounts and Winchester
A5 mounts). As the war progressed and steps were
introduced to speed up manufacturing, 1916 dated
SMLE No.1 MkIII and MkIII* rifles were used for
conversion. In July 1921 stocks of sniper rifles held
at Weedon showed a preponderance of MkIII* rifles
60 Target Shooter
(877 rifles with various scopes fitted) compared to only
70 MkIII scoped rifles. On 20.08.21 the Small Arms
Committee recommended that all telescopes and
fittings for the SMLE were to be disposed of (which is
why it is almost impossible to find a matching scope
and rifle today). It was also recommended that
the Pattern 1914 rifle with Model 1918 telescopic
sight become the standard sniping rifle and the
Pattern 1914 with fine adjustment sight - P14(F) be
issued as the sniper weapon for the Territorial Force.
The P14(F) was extensively used at the Sniping
schools during the war and was generally rated as
being more accurate than a scoped SMLE ! A few
experimental P14’s, fitted with overhead mounts
and Aldis scopes, were used in the war as early as
September 1917 (one was captured by the
Germans) but it is unlikely that many P14’s fitted
with the Model 1918 scope ever fired a shot in anger
during WW1 as the type was only approved for
service in April 1918 with the specifications approved
on 31st December 1918.
The first of the British Scouting, Observation and
Sniping (SOS) Schools were set up at Army level
in December 1915 (2nd Army) and 1st Army SOS
school, under the famous H. Hesketh-Prichard, was
established in the summer of 1916. Prior to this
there had been unofficial schools at Corps level.
A number of other schools were established later,
including a Canadian school. Standards were high
and snipers were expected to achieve head shots
50% of the time at 400 yards. Each of the schools
had slightly different syllabus and it was Major
F.M. Crum who succeeded in writing a common
syllabus plus he wrote the first official pamphlet SS
195 Scouting and Patrolling (Dec 1917). This was
after he got in to trouble for privately publishing a
book called Scouts and Sniping in Trench Warfare.
He even produced a film on sniping training and
established a course at Aldershot to educate senior
officers about the benefits of sniping. He was a
pioneer of his time but has never received the same
level of recognition as Hesketh-Prichard.
Before starting to describe the different scopes and
mounting systems used by the British in World War
One, it would be remiss of me not to give some more
detail about the Grandfather of British Sniping – H.V.
Hesketh Prichard (the H. stands for Hesketh). He
had already established himself as an author and
explorer/hunter of some note before the war started.
My thanks to his great-grandson, Charlie Jacoby -
producer of the Field Sports Channel, for supplying
a previously unpublished photo. Hesketh Prichard’s
writing skills meant he was given the role of officer
in charge of war correspondents. Whilst escorting
these correspondents around the trenches he soon
realised how dominant the Germans had become
 in France. Obviously he never intended
his letters to be published - “If it is any
satisfaction, I shot a German between the
eyes at 5 o’clock today. My job is to kill
Germans; I can do it best by teaching, by
training and I shall teach and train” this was
written in response to the news that his
best friend had been killed. Another letter
describes “I can get a head shot at 600 yards
with the rifle mother gave me, pretty often if
there is no strong wind”. I bet we all wish we
had Mums like that but you soon realise that
he was not an armchair theorist. Instead
he was putting his theories in to deadly
practise. 6th October 1915 he writes to his
wife “I do not think I wrote you the story of
the killing of the sniper on Sunday”. He then
relates how he achieved a 420 yard head
shot. The next day he writes “I am called in
a kindly way – The Professional Assassin”.

Periscopic Prism Co. scope sight.

It was around this time that the first of the
official sniping rifles, produced in quantity,
started to be used at the front – a SMLE
fitted with a side mounted Periscopic Prism
H.V. Hesketh-Prichard DSO MC
Company Ltd (PPCo) telescopic sight. It
was the most numerous of the British sniper
scopes with 4,830 made. It was a 2x
Magnification scope, just over 12 inches
in the art of sniping. Hesketh then decided to do long with a single male dovetail ring mount
something about it and badgered officialdom to on the scope that slides into a single female dovetail
allow him to set up a training school. In the meantime bracket that is screwed and soldered on to the side
he used his connections to arrange for telescopic of the SMLE receiver. Two springs are used to help
sights and sporting rifles to be sent to the front. maintain a tight fit, one on the side of the male
There were two books that
were published after the
war – his own Sniping in
France has many sniping
exploits that are described in
the third person - a sniper
officer shot a….............. The
second and very rare book,
published after his death, PPCo with
called Hesketh Prichard - dovetail base
A Memoir by Eric Parker
(another noted author on
English game shooting) is
very different. The last seven
chapters of this book are
largely taken from Hesketh
Prichard’s letters written
home to his wife and these
are written in the first person.
It is fascinating to compare
what Hesketh wrote in his
private letters compared to
what he wrote in Sniping

Target Shooter 61
dovetail and the other with a thumb latch at the
end of the spring which lies in the bottom of the
EFD
female dovetail mount base. There is a positive The Enfield Specialists.
click when the scope is slid home as the thumb latch RFD 357 Sussex.
clicks home over the rear of the male dovetail. The
scope has a range drum calibrated to the trajectory EFD is run by two ex RSAF Apprentices,
of the .303 MkVII round, from 100-600 yards in one Geoffrey Organ and Jim Franklin.
hundred yard increments. Elevation zeroing is easy
– to quote from pamphlet SS195 –Scouting and
Patrolling, shoot at a known range and adjust drum
We specialise exclusively in Enfield rifles from
till the shots are hitting at the correct elevation. (i)
the Lee-Metford and Long Lee to the later 7.62
Clamp the range drum by tightening the clamping
screw. (ii)Slacken the central screw and small set variations.
screw, care being taken that the drum does not
move. (iii) Turn the scale only till the correct range
figure is opposite the reading line. (iv) Tighten the set We are situated near Mayfield in East Sussex.
screw and main central screw. Windage adjustment Visitors by appointment during week days
is catered for by two capstan screws on the sides of only.
the scope beneath the elevation drum. To adjust for
windage one screw is slackened off and the slack
is then taken up by tightening the opposite screw. All our rifles conform to the original build
If the shooting is to the right then tighten the right standard or to an official modification at some
hand screw after first having loosened the left hand time in their service history.
screw. One complete turn is about 8 inches at 100
yards. The scope’s origins are somewhat obscure We remanufacture hard-to-find parts to the
but it bears a remarkable resemblance to a pre-war original specification.
German commercial scope – as shown in the Pamphlet SS195’s zeroing
picture of, what look like, three PPCo scopes. The instructions forrifles
PPCo.
bottom two show the two types of PPCo with different
We can offer to restore thatScope
have become
shaped rear ocular lens housings, the bottom one a “bit tired”, including re-barreling (depending
with its male dovetail ring mount still fitted – both on model).
clearly marked with Periscopic Prism Co. Ltd London.
The top scope has no manufacturer markings other ► Volley sight parts for SMLE and P14.
than Purdey’s name on the rings and the objective
lens housing is different. The same Purdey mounting ► Screws to fit Parker Hale sights to most
system was more commonly used on the later Aldis Enfields.
scopes. All three scopes are marked with the rifle
number and are graduated up to 600 yards. ► New made fore-ends for SMLE Marks I, III
and V.
It is a well made scope and but it was prone to
developing excessive play in the dovetail slot and ► SMLE top wood.
the capstan screws invited “fiddling” which then
wrecked the zero! It was also awkward to shoot ► L39/L42 top wood.
because it was mounted so far over to the left – as
you can see from the overhead view of the PPCo
► SMLE Mark V back sights and front bands.
fitted to an SMLE. Non official wooden cheek pieces
or shell dressings were fixed to the side of the butt
to alleviate this problem. However, if this positioning Please ask for our latest stock list, which
of the scope was somewhat inconvenient, it was can be sent in .pdf format.
damned dangerous when used in conjunction with a
metal loop-hole plate. The British had to cut bigger
L shaped holes in their sniper plates which made it We support the Trade Fairs at Bisley,
easier for the highly accurate Gew’ 98 sniper rifles to where we have a comprehensive stand.
put bullets through these larger loop holes. If you find
that hard to believe then consider the demise of 2nd
Lt. Lutener, the 6/King’s Shropshire Light Infantry’s Enquiries, phone: Jim Franklin:
sniping officer was who was killed whilst sniping on 07802-414711
6th April 1916. The Regimental History recorded that:

62 Target Shooter
Email: enfield.lock@virgin.net
www.efdrifles.com
This young officer had organized and trained the …on finding that one of his best snipers was unable
battalion snipers to a very high standard of efficiency to account for a German sniper, who had bagged

Crum’s Brigade
Sniping School at Acq, France 1916

Target Shooter 63
 PPCo. type scopes – top one has no manufacturer
markings
three men, took his place, and was shot through
the head as he opened the shutter in the shield.
The Germans did not have to cut L shaped loop-holes
in their sniper plates, courtesy of over head mounted
scopes – as you can see in the pictures.
You can see the shutter on the outside of the plate -
this can be moved by the sniper from the inside, as
64 Target Shooter
Lt Lutener found out to his cost!
My thanks to fellow sniping enthusiast – Dr Roger
Payne for letting me photograph some of his
collection of scopes and rifles. Next month I will go
in to detail about the Aldis scopes and the different
mounting methods.
 Special Report
Lawrence Precision Article cartilage in surgery and is now almost always used in place
World class titanium sound moderators using cutting of stainless steel . It is also used as a pipe and tank lining
edge technology and materials.Titanium is ranked ninth in the processing of foods due to its stability at low /high
in abundance among the elements temperatures . It is also used in heat
in the crust of the earth but is never exchangers and in desalination
found in the pure state. It occurs as plants because of its ability to
an oxide in the minerals ilmenite, withstand salt-water and mineral
FeTiO3; rutile, TiO2; and sphene, corrosion. In metallurgy, titanium
CaO • TiO2 • SiO2. The world alloys are employed as deoxidizers
production of titanium compound and denitrogenizers to remove
exceeds 1 million tonnes annually, of oxygen and nitrogen from molten
which only a small proportion is used metals.
in the production of pure titanium Titanium has proven very
metal - about 100,000 tonnes, mainly successful in sound moderator
in Russia, the USA and Japan. applications, the us military sniper
Most of this gets bought up for core and most special forces
use in the aerospace industry around the world have been quietly
and for special military projects. using titanium built sound
moderators for several years, due
Titanium has a density of just to their light weight and durability
4.505 kg per cubic metre, but combines this metallic properties, and coupled with its vibration cancelling
“lightness” with a strength, especially in titanium alloys, properties this makes it unbeatable as a sound moderator
considerably higher than aluminium alloys and at least material.
comparable to and often exceeding the very best structural Titanium , although difficult to machine and not cheap to
steels . Conductivity of heat is high , and titanium retains source , is the now widely accepted to be the very best
its’ properties in a range of approximately -270oC to material available for rifle sound moderators due to
+1500oC. Titanium melts at about 1660° C . its proven performance high strength /light weight and
durability in extreme and critical applications such as jet
Chemically, titanium is distinguished by its excellent engines , and is know to outperform / outlast all other
reactivity qualities , which is only surpassed by metals materials including steel , aluminium and all grades of
such as magnesium, calcium and sodium. That titanium stainless steel , and is not brittle as is carbon fibre.
can be employed under circumstances where most other This is why it is so widely used on aircraft applications
structural materials would be subject to severe corrosion where reliability is a matter of life and death! Imagine a
is due to the properties of its oxide, TiO - it is highly jumbo jet engine travelling to hong kong on an 18 hour
resistant and forms a self-healing coating which is flight and then after 2 hours being turned around and
normally only about 0.01 mm thick. If the coating is damaged flown back . This will happen for many years before a
and the environment contains oxygen in some form, the titanium part in the back of the jet engine becomes
titanium and oxygen react and rebuilds the oxide layer defunct . This will explain why on a rifle muzzle , titanium is
very quickly , though it is near invisible to the naked eye . known to be impervious to fire cutting from muzzle blast ,
something steel , stainless steel and aluminium all suffer
Because of its strength and light weight, titanium is used from!
in metallic alloys and as a substitute for aluminium where It is likely to be many years before the aerospace industry
weight is an issue but greater strength required . Titanium develops anything to out perform titanium , if that is at all
is used in aircraft for fire walls, outer skin, landing-gear possible and so it looks like this incredible material is
components, hydraulic tubing, engine supports, compressor here to stay. For more information please visit our website
blades, discs, and numerous component’s in the rear www.lawrenceprecision.co.uk or call us on the
of jet engines where heat , strength , durability and following number: 07973129841
weight are important.
Titanium is also widely
used in modern missiles
and space capsules; the
Mercury, Gemini, and
Apollo capsules were
made largely of titanium.
The relative inertness of
titanium makes it ideal as a
replacement for bone and

Target Shooter 65
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Target Shooter 67
 Barrel Tuners for Rimfire Benchrest

By Carl Boswell
Barrel tuners, or stabilisers as they are known in
Above - Cicognani tuner on an Anschutz 2013
Europe, have been around for about 13 years.
Below - the LimbSaver mid barrel tuner
A product of much research and development
within the rimfire benchrest community, their
initial conception is attributed to Bill Calfee,
who introduced his idea of tuners in 1994.
Bill is a well known and respected USA based
gunsmith, who has developed a number of
initiatives and designs for this great sport. The
purpose behind a barrel tuner is to control
the oscillation - or movement - of the barrel,
as a shot exits the muzzle of the barrel.
A barrel tuner is essentially a large weight
placed near or at the end of the barrel. It is
used to change the vibration node at specific
points in the barrel - including the all important
muzzle - as the bullet exits the barrel. A tuner
can be adjusted to move the weight forward or
backward depending on what is needed with
the ammunition being used. It is considered
that each specific make and batch of rimfire
ammunition will work differently within your of pressure created, the weight of the bullet,
rifle, based on the primer ignition, the amount the muzzle velocity and energy, etc.
Now I don’t want to go into the physics of the
idea here, it is too complex and I have limited
space to write and, there are those better
able to explain it than I could. There are
differing opinions on why tuners work and
how barrels vibrate but the positive effect
and benefit of a barrel tuner is mostly agreed.
An excellent analysis of the physics and
research involved can be found on two websites.
First Varmint Al’s, who has generously
allowed me to use some of his research. This
is an excellent site and really goes into the
details, although you do have to be something
DIY mid barrel tuner of an engineer to understand some of it. http://
www.varmintal.com/atune.htm The second

68 Target Shooter
 designed to be attached to and move along
the length of the barrel. These have proven
successful but not as much as the muzzle
mounted tuner. Others, like the Limbsaver is a
cheaper alternative and is relatively new on the
scene. Although this could be used for rimfire
benchrest it may lack the mass needed to
seriously affect some of the heavier barrels
used. Another one just out on the market
last year is the Pappas mid barrel tuner,
from the inventor of the ‘Noodle’ tuner.

Above - Anschutz magnetic mid barrel tuner There are a number of manufacturers of ‘off
Below - Anschutz Terminator Bloop Tube the shelf’ barrel tuners, mostly in the USA,
with one exception - Italy. Although I say ‘off
the shelf’ in reality some are usually made
specifically for your rifle so there may be a waiting
time in some cases! Some of the many websites
are below, but these are aimed at people
purchasing standard designs:
Killough Shooting Sports - http://killough-
shootingsports.com/
Varide Cicognani Italy - http://www.varide-
cicognani.com/
Mountain Specialities USA - http://www.
is a copy of an article by Bill Calfee, the original
benchrestspecialties.com/Mountain.htm
designer of barrel tuners. This article relates
to centerfire benchrest shooters now being
All these manufacturers/ retailers have a long
introduced to barrel tuners but the explanation
history in rimfire benchrest, with some alternative
of the theories and relevance to rimfire
designs, but most are similar. At the end of the
benchrest is clear. www.precisionshooting.
day they will do the same job, so it is down to
com/psm_2005_03_issue.html
choice of function and style in terms of which one
you go for. If you want to have a custom-made
Designs…
tuner for your rifle, this is going to cost. They
The data makes sound reading, but so what?
are made by a few gunsmiths but off the shelf
How does this translate into a design for a
designs like those mentioned above are the
barrel tuner and how do you get one? There
common-place designs in use at the moment.
are a number of do-it-yourself tuner options
As barrels can be very different in diameter,
around, and some cheaper versions. The DIY
some adaptation may be needed, especially
designs can be made up quite easily but tend
for those that are tapered! This issue can be
to be of the type that fix to the barrel and not
discussed with the vendor or a friendly gunsmith.
the muzzle, as seen in the picture DIY. This
The price for a good barrel tuner from one of
is similar to the idea developed by Anschutz
the manufacturers above will run to about £100
some time ago, with their tuner that was

Pappas Mid Barrel tuner - new on the scene last year

Target Shooter 69
 the Harrel Tuner - allowing the bullet to
.22 Rimfire Precision Barrels - these stabilise in the first few inches,
come in a variety of configurations as this works in the same way as
and some are even ‘drop in’ the one I have from Cicognani.
Although mine is fixed! By far the Harrel
tuner seems to be the most versatile,
as it can be adapted and added
to, making it future proof in some
respects.
Unfortunately, not all weight classes
within rimfire benchrest can use barrel
tuners; they are specifically limited
to the Light Varmint 10.5 pound and
Above - Benchrest Specialities tuner - made to order Heavy Varmint Unlimited classes only.
onwards. The Cicognani tuner I bought a few However, there are designs that are
years ago cost £110 with sleeve to fit a tapered being considered as legal for the sporter class in
barrel. It is listed on their website for a current the USA. Again, these are designed and made
price of €149.50 or about £135. The Dan by Bill Calfee. They are very new ideas and it
Killough website is packed with a multitude of may be a long time before they are accepted
equipment and accessories. Dan stocks the for the sporter class, especially in Europe.
Harrel type tuner, similar to the Cicognani one, What all this information comes down to is
for $150. This also has a number of add-ons belief in whether tuners work or not. Behind this
for consideration. Brain Fox of Fox firearms is research is a lot of testing, data and 13 years of
now bringing these in, as he carries most of rimfire benchrest shooters getting high scores
the range Dan Killough supplies - www.foxfire- with the aid of a barrel tuner. I personally vouch
armsuk.com/ Brian charges about £99 for the for them as they have certainly made a positive
tuner, which is a very good price considering impact on my shooting over the years. Other
he brings these in directly from Dan in the rimfire benchrest shooters who have used them
US. One interesting fact is that Brian is also will also vouch for their use in serious competition.
developing a bloop tube to screw into the end of

The standard Cicognani tuner from Italy

70 Target Shooter

Anschutz bloop tube barrel extention for
shorter barrel
Using a Barrel Tuner.
It is best to set up your tuner on a calm and
tranquil day, ensuring your rifle is clean and
properly prepared so that the barrelled-action
is stable. We don’t want external factors, like
the wind, etc, to jeopardise your setting up so if
in doubt, go indoors! Working with your specific
tuner will depend on which one you get but
instructions are usually included. In essence,
they are all similar and the following may be of use:
Ensure the tuner is set at the zero position. If you
are lucky, you may find the best setting or ‘sweet
spot’ in the first 12 positions. Fire ten to twenty
rounds to ensure a layer of lube is in the barrel
and the barrel is stable. Then start shooting
five-shot groups at the zero setting, then at
setting one, then at setting two, etc. At this point
you should start to notice a change in group
sizes. If you don’t achieve good groups in the
first ten settings, keep going until you get the
best group for the ammunition you are testing.
This will need to be done each time you change
ammunition, but the same brand or ‘lot’ should
give the same, or very similar, outcome. If not,
only minor adjustments are usually needed.
Keep notes of what you are doing - the tuner
setting, ammunition brand and lot number for
future tuner testing. This process may take
some time so give yourself a good afternoon at
the range. When I set mine up I was lucky and
managed to find the ‘sweet spot’ within 50 rounds!
To maintain the tuner, clean it every second
or third time you shoot, or if you prefer, clean
every shoot. A lot of fouling tends to build up
over the interior walls. This fouling can easy
be removed by taking off the tuner but please
make a note of the setting or lock-off your
setting if you can, then clean with the solvent you
normally use. I say take off the tuner as you could
potentially damage the barrel crown if you clean
with brushes while it’s still on the rifle. I tend
to clean just with oil or solvent soaked patches
anyway, but the residue from the fouling could
still get into your muzzle if you leave the tuner
on the barrel.
The Future.
There is no doubt that barrel tuners have made
huge impressions on the rimfire benchrest
community, reflected in the scores shooters
achieve. Developments are always being made
and one of these is reasonably current. Bill
Calfee has done many experiments in 2008 and
The versatile Harrel Tuner
Target Shooter 71
 Pappas Noodle tuner - attaches to the harrel tuner. Half bloop
tube/ half muzzle break?
2009, looking at adding more weight/ mass to Central every so often. http://benchrest.com/
current tuners using rings/ washers added to the This website is awash with information that
very end of the tuner. These can be bolted onto keeps you well informed. Some of the posts
the tuner as required, in one ounce (28 grams) last year by Varmint Al are really an interesting
or half ounce (14 grams) increments. The read..........
tuner can then be adjusted in the normal way. Hopefully I have introduced a few more of
you to this very important rimfire accessory,
Our last pictures are possibly the way of things especially if you are hoping for that elusive
to come, with a complete system to change 250/ 25x score. I did say that rimfire
and adapt at the drop of a hat. (Hopefully I will benchrest was expensive but hopefully a barrel
have a system like this to review in the near tuner won’t make that much of a dent in the
future). Looking through the small amount of yearly ‘pocket money’ - he says…………!
pictures in this article, you may see the way Other website links below;
things have developed. Ideas breed new ideas http://www.limbsaver.com
and so forth, as weights, ‘bloop tubes’ and http://jga.anschuetz-sport.com
muzzle breaks have been used by many to Good shooting until next time.
alter the characteristics of how a rifle
shoots.
Mid-barrel tuners have also resurfaced
as a potential accessory and I hope
to write a review about these later
this year – have a look at the Killough
Shooting Sports website for this
and the weights noted above (the
link is noted earlier in this article).
Another development is the Pappas
Noodle tuner which I looked at a
few months ago. If you want to keep
abreast of the development of barrel
tuners I would look at Benchrest

Two photo’s above - Harrel tuner, weight system and standard bloop tube. With the
Pappas Noodle this ‘System’ may even be future proof???

72 Target Shooter
☆ 2007 Pan American Games
3x20 Gold Medalist
☆ 2007 WC Milan 3x20 Silver Medalist
☆ 2008 Olympian 3x20 Fifth Place
☆ 5-Time NRA Camp Perry
3x20 Junior National Champion
☆ Multiple Women’s NRA Camp Perry
National Champion
If you want to shoot like
a champion, choose Lilja!
www.riflebarrels.com
Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels, Inc
PO Box 372 • Plains, MT 59859
Tel: 406-826-3084 • Fax: 406-826-3083

Jamie Beyerle

Target Shooter 73
 Portsmouth Gun Centre Ltd
295 London Road
North End
Portsmouth
PO2 9HF
Opening Times Tel 02392 660574
Mon 9.30 - 5.30 Fax 02392 644666
Tues Closed
Wed Closed E-mail sales@portsmouthguncentre.com
Thur 9.30 - 5.30 Website www.portsmouthguncentre.com
Fri 9.30 - 5.30
Sat 9.30 - 5.30
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.

74 Target Shooter
 This Smallbore Business

Following on from last month, where I discussed
the basic geometry of a position that works,
I mentioned that the only area that is not locked
into place, and therefor capable of variation, is
the butt in the shoulder.
Most of you would be aware that shooters
use the basic geometry with a high degree
if skill, but because of the facts that the left
elbow (rh shooter) being on the surface of
By Don Brook
the firing point and forward hand into the sling
and handstop are locked in place, so , much
depends on placing the butt in the shoulder very
accurately, and most of all consistently.
As we go through the prone position assembly,
then learning how to use it, the reader will notice
that these points also contribute highly to
consistent accuracy on the target. It is a matter
of attention to detail even to the very finest

“As explained in the text, the left arm is at rest,

supported by the bones not muscles. (See text in “A”)
The butt is outside of the position.

Target Shooter 75
Also again in the text, place the right thumb in a consistent position, based on the location point in
the shoulder, on the butt plate of the rifle. This point needs to be consistently placed, as the
repetition of the butt placement in the shoulder is extremely important.

sense as the skills platform develops. platform and the sling, it becomes crucial that
the reader understands that placing the butt
Have you ever wondered why 90 percent of the has a sequence that dictates quite a few other
matches are won by 10 percent of the shooters? parameters. I have found that the attention to
Why the same few keep dominating, irrespective the following details also allows the mind to open
of the competition level? Do you think they have and explore the feelings (Kineasthetic feedback)
better eyesight, physical attributes, or far more of how the position is finally locked into place in
accurate equipment than you do? a consistency that needs to be developed. I
have never seen a shooter that is born to the
Nope, for the most part this is not so..... game.
Sure, a lot have more than a share of natural
Mostly it is because they are really finniky about talent resulting in a very high speed chase to
attention to every detail! perfection, but this becomes a total mind set as
the skills develop, irrespective of natural talent.
With that thought fore most in your mind, as
a psychological platform, now comes the time Top small bore scores are a high degree of
to start thinking, because small bore is a mind attention to details.
sport. As we develop this series, you will come
to understand that shooting is a sport where a lot If we go to the photographs with this article,
of energy is expended to stay perfectly still...... have a long look at the starting position of the
rifle, with the butt hook sitting out to the right
Keep this in mind, because this is the focal point of the position, with the left arm vertical and
for what I am about to write about, learning to the sling drooping loose. ( see photo A) The
hold the rifle very still. vertical arm simply allows the arm to rest, with
bones holding the rifle up, not muscles. Bones
OK, having established the position support do not get tired, muscles sometimes do, even
platform, based on the forward position in the case of a highly seasoned competitor. It

76 Target Shooter
With a looping motion the butt is placed in the shoulder. The thumb nail is used to locate the butt in
it’s position in the shoulder. This placement must be consistent and is a part of attention to detail
explained in the text. This aspect is crucial to the repetition of the position, and then the cheek
comes down onto the cheek piece of the rifle, actually locking the butt position into place.
Note the tension of the sling which is obvious, and the position of the buckle away from the bones
of the wrist. The whole of this operation is done with the right elbow risen from the shooting mat.
The whole right arm is elevated, so the next sequence can commence.
is a big advantage to be aware when fatigue approached. Like I said, attention to detail.....
sets in, and rest before the score is spoiled!
If you have doubts, stop immediately, things are Photograph C illustrates how the butt is
not going out the window because you need to rotated into the shoulder, with the position of the
rest, are they? butt hook under the arm pit. This is a looping
motion, and is extremely critical that a consistent
The second phase is illustrated in photograph pattern in the assembly is performed. Note that
B, where the forward arm is dropped forward the right elbow is well above the shoulder, with
AFTER the sling upper arm position is checked. emphasis on the positioning of the thumb into
( I make sure of this EVERY shot) checking the its correct place. You can do this after a time
feeling of the sling pressure as the forward arm of training the repetition of the process, but it is
position is assumed. Take note of the placement crucial that this system is worked on.
of the right thumb on the butt plate, as the butt is
to be rotated into the shoulder. (Also in photo B) Photograph D illustrates now, how the right
Find a place on your butt plate that corresponds hand is located on the pistol grip, with the
where you want to place the butt into the shoulder, right elbow still off the level of the firing point.
as the thumb is used as the butt reference It is also crucial that a consistent position of
point, placing it in exactly the same place each the trigger hand is maintained, and this is
time the position of the butt in the shoulder is governed by the finger on it’s place on the

Target Shooter 77
 Now, the right hand is placed on the pistol grip of the rifle, still with the elbow off the mat. The
trigger hand position is located, in my case, (and recommended) parallel to the barrel. This does
allow correct trigger operation directly in line with the bore, and will be discussed later in this series.
Once the trigger hand is located, it is obvious that the right elbow can only go into the correct place
on the mat, or very close to it. It will only take minor adjustments to bring about the correct
position, and once more becomes a part of detail attention. For those interested, the rifle is a 1950
model Finnish Lion, with my own alloy stock, the design of which was the first alloy seen in
World small bore competition. (1983)
trigger. (More on this later as we examine the see that only then is the right elbow lowered into
aspects of trigger release in a later article.) it’s place to support the forward position platform.
The right thumb is the key point of the positioning My thinking on this aspect is quite simple, in that
as well, and if you do not have a thumb hole if the butt is now placed into the shoulder, and the
stock, such as a Anschutz model 1411 or similar, trigger hand is located on the grip, the right elbow
it is highly desirable that a position is found that can only fall into the same place, or very close to it.
can be retained consistently. Trigger finger If you need to make final slight adjustments to the
address on the trigger itself relative to correct position to allow the rifle to “point” at the target
operation of the trigger will also be the subject this will only be minor position adjustments,
of a later article, but for now, it is important that or alteration of pressures within the forward
the reader understands that the trigger hand positioning.
is now placed on the grip with the right arm, I should also bring to your attention that I have
and elbow still well off the firing point surface. not discussed a position used by many shooters
At this point, you should also check that the where the rifle is maintained in place in the position
forward position pressures are where, and over the course of fire for the duration of the
how, you want them to be, and only then, after match, that is not dropping the rifle each shot,
all these details, is the face set onto the cheek and assembling the position again for the next
piece of the rifle, assisting in locking the position shot. Many will argue this is a better method,
of the butt into its correct placement. You will but the position is subject to fatigue, and has a
need to reposition this aspect as the final major fault as the shoot progresses. I will discuss
position is realised, particularly if you have this in the next article next month, and leave
a stock that does not fit, as so many do.... you with this psychological gem to consider...
OK, now with the final photograph (E) you will “Things will not affect you, unless you let them”

78 Target Shooter
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Target Shooter 79
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80 Target Shooter
ELEY Shooting Rifle advert.indd 1 18/1/10 09:22:56
 PROFILE ON REBECCA SAINT

By Hayley Platts
I contacted Rebecca having read of her very road with a rifle. I have said it many times before,
recent success as Junior Squad Captain in South but it is so important to get the right advice
Africa and was, as usual looking forward to and coaching from the very beginning as those
hearing her own story of how she became involved techniques and habits form the basis of your
in shooting, and what motivates her to continue to shooting for years to come, and it takes some
strive and train to better herself in the sport. doing to iron out those bad technical issues when
they are well and truly ingrained! Luckily Rebecca
Rebecca was 13 years old back in 2002 and had got off to a sound start and in her first competitive
joined the local scout shooting club which many event in 2002, the National Scout Championships
shooters will have heard of, Minerva. Rebecca she won the 6 yard air rifle event. This early
recalls that the three coaches at Minerva, namely success fired the competitive thirst in Rebecca
Geoff Lacey, Norman Beckett and Eric Clifton all and she became more interested, joining a
helped steer Rebecca on to the right technical dedicated and shooting club - Fareham Rifle and
Pistol Club which
Rebecca training before 2008 Junior international
has over the years
produced some
illustrious shooting
names nationally
and internationally.
Another benefit of
her 6 yard title was
the fact she was
invited to join the
Scout National
Squad.

Rebecca transferred
the skills she had
been taught at 6
yards to 10 metres
and served an
apprenticeship as
it were, until
she emerged in

Target Shooter 81

Rebecca shooting prone in South Africa
competition at the longer distance in 2003. By the
end of 2003 Rebecca had become a member of
the Great Britain Junior Squad - GBJS. As all top
shooters have to multi task on their disciplines
it was inevitable that in 2006 Rebecca started
training and competing in .22 prone and 3P rifle
events.
In 2007 Rebecca tried out for the prestigious
England Academy and secured her place there,
and has been successful in retaining her spot on
the squad for the past two and a half years. Aside
from the highlights of travelling to represent the
Great Britain Junior Squad in places such as
Germany, Holland, the Czech Republic and South
Africa, it was a great honour for Rebecca to be
chosen to captain the team, along with Alex Covey
in Germany, South Africa and at the junior
international match held at Bisley in 2009.
The whole of 2009 Rebecca cites as her best year
of shooting to date. In the junior international at
Bisley she won the prone gold medal with a new
personal best and during the South Africa trip
she won thirteen medals overall, eight of which
Rebecca shooting .22 standing in 2009 3p final in
Junior International
82 Target Shooter
were gold with a combination
of wins in prone and air rifle
events. The South Africa trip
of which she Captained, as
mentioned previously, turned
out to be incredibly successful
for our Junior team with the
overall team haul totalling fifty
five medals!
2010 will be an interesting one
for Rebecca as she will for the
first time pit herself against
senior shooters in competition.
Not that she is fazed however,
she relishes the challenge and
Rebecca is hoping for another
successful year and also,
very importantly, enjoy her
shooting as much as she did
in 2009. This new year sees Rebecca in her
second year at Southampton Solent University
where she is reading for a BA Hons degree in Tourism
Management, and this is the direction in which
Rebecca hopes she can secure a career at the end
of her time at University.
Rebecca is very appreciative of her parents role
in her shooting career so far, and says “I would
never have been able to get where I am today
without the emotional and financial support of
my parents, particularly my Dad who had been
my chauffeur over the last eight years”. A part
time job at Staples also helps to fund Rebecca
with the many and considerable costs involved
with her shooting, particularly when you are
competing and travelling regularly within the UK
and overseas.
The recent big freeze over here continues to wreak
it’s havoc on Rebecca’s training, “it is particularly
hard to train air rifle at the moment as half a tree
that had been brought down by the recent heavy
snow has fallen through the roof of our range”.
I’m sure however that with Rebecca’s
determination and dedication she will
be finding a way to work on her air
rifle training especially with the British
Airgun Championships at Bisley looming
up on the shooting calendar at the end of
February.
It is evident Rebecca loves her sport, and
whilst working hard, taking it seriously,
and being successful, she doesn’t lose
sight of enjoying her chosen pastime, and
therefore it is unsurprisingly her advice to
those newcomers to shooting is “enjoy it
and have fun”.
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Target Shooter 83
Target Shooter Magazine is a publication of Trinity Digital Publishing Ltd
 Gun of the Month

This is the first ‘pure’ short-range centrefire benchgun Above - The camera doesn’t do justice to Neil’s
we have featured in Gun of the Month. A 6PPC Shrek themed paint job by hydrographics
benchrest rifle like this one is a very specific animal
served its owner well at the 2007 World Benchrest
and it’s built to do just one thing – put every shot
Championships in Austria as part of the UK Team.
down the same hole as the previous one!
The stainless-steel Borden action – with the famous
Yes, seriously and when it ceases Neil’s gun started life as a Heavy Varmint rifle with Bausch &
Lomb scope, double Kelbly rings and a heavy barrel but went
to be a ‘one-holer’ it’s junk! It will not
on a diet to ‘make weight’ for the 2007 Worlds in Austria.
be competitive and there’s not much
else you can use it for – with a useful
range of not much more than 300
yards. That’s not to say that the 6PPC
cartridge won’t hack it beyond 300
yards – it will but when the barrel twist
is 1 in 14, a 68 grain flat-base bullet is
the heaviest it will handle – anything
heavier/longer will be
un- stable.

I wouldn’t class the 6PPC as a ‘barrel-burner’ but,

Borden ‘bumps’ - is an off-shoot of the now defunct
such is the required level of accuracy in benchrest,
Nesika company who made some great actions. At
after 1200 rounds it’s definitely ‘peaked’. Of course, a
only two pounds, the Borden is as light as any – and
new barrel will restore accuracy and a new paint job
it needs to be, for a Light Varmint rifle must weigh
will make it feel like a new rifle and, as you can see
no more than 10.5lbs. The scope is of course the
from the paint, owner Neil Hutton is a devoted Shrek
36BR Leupold, the lightest in its class at just under
fan. Our Borden has a competition pedigree and
one pound but sadly, no longer made. The Kelbly
‘featherweight’ rings and Davidson
Neil gets ready to slot in another bases complete the job.
tiny group. The normal configuration for a
benchrest rifle is right-bolt, left
port but Neil is a left-hooker so
the Borden is left-bolt, right port.
It’s essential that you can see the
ejection port with a single-shot
benchgun – especially those
without an ejector-pin in the
boltface – a case hang-up can
really ruin your group!

84 Target Shooter

Carrying on from last months Bianchi feature, here
are the remaining “official” courses of fire which are
shot, when the “Mover” or “Plates” are not available
to use. The Moving Target match is always replaced
by the Los Alamitos which only requires 42 rounds
to be fired for a maximum of 420 points and 42 X’s.
Remember that when including this match it will
reduce the highest possible score down from 1920 to
By Gwyn Roberts
1860 points. For this match, 3 respective cardboard
targets are placed 2½feet from centre to centre and
6 feet to the top edge. Stages 1-5 of this match are
shot from the standing unsupported position whilst
Stage 6 is shot using the barricade for support.
The course of fire for the Los Alamitos match is:
Target Shooter 85
Stage 1 - 7 meters 2 shots in 3 sec on the centre
target, then 2 shots on right target in 3 sec and finally
2 shots in 3 sec on the left target
Stage 2 - 7 meters 2 shots on each target in 5 sec
Stage 3 - 7 meters 2 shots on each target in 6 sec
Strong hand/shoulder
Stage 4 - 7 meters 2 shots on each target in 10 sec
weak hand/shoulder
Stage 5 - 10 meters 2 shots on each target Strong
hand/shoulder, reload (at least 2 loose rounds for
GRCF) then a further 2 shots on each target Weak
hand/shoulder freestyle in 18 sec
Stage 6 - 25 meters 2 shots on each target in 10 sec
from the right side of the barricade, and then repeat
again from the left side of the barricade.
When Falling/Paper Plates cannot be shot the
alternative match used is the Rapid Fire Match
and this time 5 respective cardboard targets
are placed 3ft centre to centre and 6ft to the top
edge. The whole match consists of 33 shots for a
maximum of 330 points with 33 X’s and is all shot
from the Standing unsupported position at 25m.
The course of fire for the Rapid Fire match is:
Stage 1 - 25 meters
10 seconds 1 shot on each of targets 1, 3 & 5
10 seconds 1 shot on each target
10 seconds 1 shot on each target
86 Target Shooter
Stage 2 - 25 meters
8 seconds 1 shot on each target
8 seconds 1 shot on each target
Stage 3 - 25 meters
5 seconds 1 shot on each target
5 seconds 1 shot on each target
As you can see both of these matches do have some
quick shooting in them so spending a lot of time
perfecting your target acquisition skills and follow up
shots will make a big difference on how well you will
perform on the day. Finding and then mastering the
fine balance needed between speed and accuracy is
also pivotal to a good performance, whilst achieving a
good score by getting everything just right on the day
is what makes it such a rewarding match to compete in!
If you wanted to put a match on with an even higher
round count, or even just make things a little more
“interesting” on the day you could always make up
your own individual match, and here’s two examples
of something I came up with based on some rarely
used Bianchi pistol matches that I use to help
improve my shooting skills!
Ambidextrous Match - 6 x respective Bianchi steel/
paper plates needing a total of 48 rounds for a
maximum score of 480 points and 48 X’s. Unless
specifically stated Freestyle, the rest of the match is
shot from the Standing unsupported position.
The course of fire for the Ambidextrous Match is:
10m
6 shots in 6 sec Freestyle
6 shots in 6 sec Strong Hand Only for LBR/LBP’s 25m
(GRSB/CF Strong shoulder) 6 exposures of 4 sec, 1 shot per exposure on the
6 shots in 6 sec Weak Hand Only for LBR/LBP’s Left hand target
(GRSB/CF Weak shoulder hold) 6 exposures of 3 sec, 1 shot per exposure on the
Right hand target
15m
6 shots in 7 sec Freestyle 15m
6 shots in 7 sec Strong Hand Only for LBR/LBP’s 3 exposures of 4 sec, 1 shot on each target
(GRSB/CF Strong shoulder) 3 exposures of 3 sec, 1 shot on each target
6 shots in 7 sec Weak Hand Only for LBR/LBP’s
(GRSB/CF Weak shoulder hold) 10m
3 exposures of 3 sec, 1 shot on each target
20m 3 exposures of 2 sec, 1 shot on the Left hand target
6 shots in 8 sec Freestyle 3 exposures of 2 sec, 1 shot on the Right hand target
6 shots in 8 sec Weak Hand Only for LBR/LBP’s
(GRSB/CF Weak shoulder hold) You don’t need to be Einstein to figure out that

The Dueling Match - 2 x respective cardboard Bianchi Gallery Rifle hasn’t evolved into what it is today
targets needing 48 rounds to complete for a all by itself given the circumstances that it had to
maximum of 480 points and 48 X’s. The whole match evolve from! It’s taken a lot of hard work and effort by
is shot from the Standing unsupported position. various individuals, clubs, associations and groups
of friends to get us to where we are now, and we
The course of fire for the Dueling Match is: must all work hard together in order for our sport to
continue to grow and develop into the future. It’s a lot
50m easier said than done but for this to happen we need
3 exposures of 5 sec, 1 shot to be fired at each target to work on 3 main areas and these are:
3 exposures of 4 sec, 1 shot to be fired at each target

Target Shooter 87

Mattersey RPC ranges
1. Develop and increase the number of clubs &
ranges where people can take part in GR shooting,
and help give support and guidance to those wishing
to host GR competitions.
2. Get more individuals and groups qualified and
involved as Range Officers or helping out in other
key roles at GR events, whether it’s at their own
club, Bisley or alongside other clubs in their region.
3. Provide coaching for individuals, groups and clubs
to increase individual shooting performance.
Starting with the first point, there is no doubt that
there are a number of clubs dotted around the
country that have the facilities to become GR
“Regional Centers” in the future, yet having these
facilities available and having the club run by an “old
boy” committee can be frustrating to say the least.
I just can’t understand people who make it their
mission in life to prevent any change whatsoever in
a shooting club, because it would mean making it
more enjoyable or challenging for people to take part
in. They are the type of people who view someone
wanting to try shooting another discipline other than
theirs, as the anti Christ or something and will do
everything in their power to stop any type of
“modern” shooting taking place on “their” range!
Unfortunately many of these people don’t even
want their own discipline to be dragged into the new
millennium either as they are quite content with
doing what they have done in their own little
“bubble” for the last 60 years or more. Other clubs are
“dominated” by an individual or two who do
everything in their power to make holding a
committee meeting (never mind regular ones) nigh
on impossible in case someone comes up with a
good idea or would like to change something for
the benefit of everyone else in the club. Then you
get the scaremongers who tell you to shut up about
88 Target Shooter
“sensitive” issues (to
them) otherwise you’ll
be voted out of the
club for bringing it into
disrepute. And the list
goes on! Don’t get me
wrong, I know a lot of
“seasoned” club and
committee members
who are always open
minded, and have a
wealth of knowledge
who they are willing to
pass on to the rest of us
but it’s not these people
that are the problem, is
it?
Personally, I think it’s
disgraceful how some individuals and committees
get away with what they are doing but like I’ve said
before, there are always a couple ways to deal with
this problem should you feel the need to do so. The
first is to obviously try to educate them so that they
understand that target sports are for everyone,
regardless of gender, age and mobility, and that
many positive things can be gained by allowing new
ideas or individual disciplines to be introduced. If this
approach fails then the second option is to simply just
get all of the other members together and vote the
idiots out of the club, and then run it fairly for everyone
else who is left! After all, you are all paying your
membership fees to enjoy your sport, not someone
else’s idea of it. This has happened at a number of
clubs now and the transformation in the facilities
and the service to its members, and visitors alike
has proved very positive for everyone concerned.
From the competition side of things, if you haven’t
got 11 dedicated outdoor ranges at your disposal
to shoot on like Mattersey RPC has, it isn’t the end
of the world as those who used to shoot the Winter
Masters Bianchi at the Nottingham Indoor Shooting
Center will certainly remember. All NISC had to
work with were two small quite poorly lit 25yd
indoor ranges on which they shot 2 of the matches
in the morning and the remaining 2 in the afternoon,
using the (very) reduced sized Bianchi targets for
the 35 & 50yd practices. Despite the lack of range
space, they still managed to produce some fantastic
matches and the entry list was always full to capacity.
You really can provide a great competition, regardless
of range size with a little bit of thought and effort
and providing your range equipment works, you
have toilet facilities and somewhere dry (and warm
if needed) for people to sit down in, you’ll have
the basics covered to put on an enjoyable match.
In order to help identify new clubs who may want to
introduce Gallery Rifle into their existing disciplines,

Some ranges look
different to others.......
it’s a normal club day or a major competition at
Bisley the ranges must be run safely by qualified and
competent R.O’s. Everyone has a part to play on
........whilst some are more familiar
or simply improve the day from the range crew and kitchen staff, to
on what they are all the runners and stats officers and a competition will
ready providing the only be a success if everyone does their job well.
NRA/Gallery Rifle I’m sure there are more individuals and small groups
& Pistol committee of friends out there who would like to help out on
have appointed the ranges and put something back into the sport.
Ashley Dagger Some of them do feel a bit uneasy about jumping
as the Regional in at the deep end as it were, as they have no
coordinator for GR. prior practical experience but this really isn’t a problem
Ash will be able to as even the best R.O’s and range crew have to
provide you with start somewhere. Whether you have just one or
a wealth of two individuals, or a whole club full of people who
knowledge, help would like to receive some training towards being a
and advice on GR Range Officer then Neil Francis the GR Range
everything from Officer Coordinator has the experience and
range and club expertise needed to help you out and Neil can be
development, to contacted by e-mail at honsec@fdpc.co.uk
hosting your own The third point covers learning how to shoot
Club, Regional or better in the GR disciplines and whether you are an
even National X class shooter or a novice starting off in D class
“Open” competition we can all learn something from each other. Many
so if you would people seem to skip over the basics when learning
like him to help put how to shoot but it’s these things that really are the
you and your club most important things to learn, and do properly. If
on the “map” as any individuals or groups would like a bit of help
it were, his e-mail with anything from setting up your rifles, to shooting
address is ash@ the Shorts events or individual Bianchi matches
fdpc.org.uk then get in touch and I will see if I or someone else
The second point in your area can help you out. I’ve been tasked
that is just as with coordinating the Training & Coaching side
important to our of things in GR so if you have any questions or
sport (and some- just want a bit of advice over the phone I can be
times even more contacted through gwyn@blackdiamondcustom.eu
so) than providing Next month I’ll take a look at shooting the 1500
a venue to shoot Match along with how to score it, for those of you
at, is simply having who have never tried it before.
enough help on
the range. Whether
Target Shooter 89
Rude Fat Dog
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Okehampton SBC

Club Feature
Okehampton situated in the heart of rural Devon
and lying on the edge of The Dartmoor National
Park hosts probably one of the best shooting
facilities in the Devon and Cornwall area, if not the
South West of England.
Okehampton SBC has been in existence since
before 1913 only being interrupted in 1939 by
the outbreak of World War 2, reforming again
in 1946 and shooting at various venues one of
them being the White Hart Hotel until 1977(not
in the bar which even in those enlightened days
was frowned upon), during this period .22 pistol
was introduced which probably encouraged the
move to the present purpose built range.
In 1978 a grant from the Sports Council and help from
the Job Creation Workforce was instrumental in the
initial construction, however when both ran out it was
down to the members to put the finishing touches!
The building of the club as it is now was no mean feat
in itself bearing in mind where the club is situated,
right in the middle of the town, surrounded on three
sides by existing buildings and houses and on the
other by a river which can become almost a raging
torrent, so access to the club could have been a
problem, not to our members it wasn’t! A bridge was
constructed and a very large crane brought in to

90 Target Shooter
put it in place, some photographs of very youthful
looking members can be seen in albums that have
been kept for posterity.
The range now consists of 2 x 5 point ranges
enabling 20yrd pistol and 25yrd prone rifle to be shot
simultaneously, facilities also exist for 10mtr air rifle
and air pistol. A separate 10mtr range complete with
target changers was built in 1992 .This is an excellent
well lit area and a tremendous asset to the club which
even by itself tempts members to try other disciplines
Along with many others clubs the governments
pistol ban had a adverse affect on our shooting
and membership numbers, so in a attempt to
hang on to as many shooters as possible light
weight sport rifle was introduced, this along with
the improved capabilities of modern air weapons
allowed shooters to take part in many of the
competitions previously shot with .22 pistols.
The club is also dedicated to helping disabled people
partake in our sport, this has proved very successful
especially with the partially sighted and blind. A
grant helped the club install acoustic equipment
which helped considerably, so much that over the
years that partially sighted members have
represented Devon County, England and Great
Britain in fact Carole Brown is the current reigning
British Champion for the visually impaired. Winning
this on several occasions.Well done Carole!!
The club is also proud to have among its members
“Gorgs Geikie” (evidently she hates being called
Gorgina) who is presently preparing for the 2012
Olympics by entering every competition possible
both home and abroad, gaining experience in her
chosen disciplines of sport and 10mtr air pistol.
With the increasing interest in UKBR22 in many
clubs around the country we intend not to be left
behind and are actively encouraging members to
consider this as another string to their bow. One
member has already shot in the World
Championships,
in Milan 2008 and is looking forward to renewing
acquaintances with fellow competitors during
the European Championships in 2010.
As with most clubs there is a backbone of stalwarts
who ensure the day to day running and ours is no
exception. Our stalwarts are Yvonne and Bernard
Rendell a husband and wife duo who spend more
time than one would think was available to any
normal mortals ensuring the smooth running of the
club on a day to day basis as well as shooting in
many competitions around the county and Bisley. It
does not end there for Yvonne, she is also county
co-ordinator spending whatever time there is left
arranging leagues and scoring, although she is ably
assisted with the latter by her daughter
Dianne.
Many shooters around the southwest of
England will already be aware of the
numerous open shoots run at Okehampton,
some 5 a year at present. These are very
well patronised with shooters coming
from far and wide, some say even strange
parts like Cheddar in Somerset!! Whilst
they are there the competitors are suitably
fed and watered with the assistance of
club members from the ample kitchen, on
a par with many a home.
Okehampton SBC,as I can personally
confirm is a very friendly motivated club
welcoming new comers and keen to
encourage people to take up and enjoy
our sport, so next time you are in the area
look us up and see what the “Best of the
West” has to offer.
Target Shooter 91
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92 Target Shooter
 VINCE’S REGULAR COLUMN WHEREBY
ACCURACY NUTS CAN KEEP UP TO
DATE WITH THE ACTIVITIES OF THE UKBRA
Competitions
As our front cover depicts, the weather has played
havoc with outdoor shooting and Diggle was no
exception thanks to its 1000 foot elevation in the
Pennines. Something of a thaw took place mid January
and range access was again possible for round three
of the UKBRA 600 yard winter series but the range was
shrouded in a thick mist so unfortunately the shoot had
to be abandoned. The next 600 yard shoot is Scheduled
for March 7th and we hope to reschedule the cancelled
shoot the following month so watch this space.
New stuff
Most competition shooters will have heard of March
scopes. These scopes were created from scratch
to address some of the problems which can occur
Target Shooter 93
even with the very best scopes. Their design was
prompted by short-range benchrest shooters
who were ‘freezing’ their scopes to prevent point
of aim ‘drift’. Freezing involves locking-up the
scope’s internal moving parts but of course, this
means that adjustments to windage or elevation
can’t be made, so not practical for most disciplines.
The March is constructed in a unique way to overcome
these problems and many of the world’s top benchrest
shooters are now using them. Of course, when something
good comes along, other shooters want it and before
long March created a high-power variable scope to
satisfy the demands of F Class and tactical shooters.
The problem of scope failure is extremely difficult to
verify and using a March will remove any nagging
doubt that your scope could be faulty and responsible
for your abysmal performance! Gary Costello used a
March 10-60 zoom when he won the Individual F Class
World Championship in July 2009 and he has now
been appointed the sole UK agent for March scopes.
Their latest offering is a 8-80 power zoom – wow!
Price-wise, the scopes are on a par with other top-end
optics like Schmidt & Bender and Nightforce but they
are much lighter - useful if you shoot in a class which
has a weight limit. Gary’s website is about to launch at
www.marchscopes.co.uk and the first batch of scopes
are on their way. I have a fixed 40 power on order for
100/200 yard benchrest and elsewhere in this issue
you can read a report of the 10-60 March which Gary
used to win the Worlds.
Snap-caps
A few issues ago, we featured the Harbour Arms
snap-caps. Eric Kennard specialises in making
high-quality snap-caps in unusual and wildcat calibres
and he has now made one specially for the benchrest
shooter in 6PPC with a 262 neck. Have a look at
94 Target Shooter
Eric’s website www.harbourarms.com He is happy
to ship anywhere in the world. Not only will a snap-cap
save you dropping the hammer on an empty chamber
but perhaps more usefully, they allow you to practise
dry-firing – essential for super-accuracy disciplines
like benchrest and F Class.
Savage
Osprey Rifles, who specialise in all things Savage
are now offering these scope rails for Savage actions.
The rails are beautifully CNC machined from
aluminium and two versions are available –
the Picatinny or the Davidson. The Davidson rail weighs
just 2 ounces and if you use Kelbly ultra-light rings,
the whole set-up would weigh only 4 ounces – useful
if you are building a rifle to a strict weight-limit. Rails
can be ordered with a 20 MOA taper for long-range
work and of course rails to fit other popular actions are
available. www.ospreyrifles.com or see Opsrey Rifles
at the Newark Shooting Show in February.
Fox Firearms
Brian Fox recently gave me these scope rings he is
importing. They are available in Picatinny or Davidson
(as per pic) and in one-inch or 30mm. They also do an
offset ring which some benchrest shooters like. Not all
benches are well designed or maybe your seat is too
low – if so, these rings will help if you are struggling
to get close to your scope. www.foxfirearmsuk.com
Events
Our 100/1000 yard benchrest season doesn’t
commence until the beginning of April but the British
Benchrest Club at Bisley shoot all year round and they
have a 100 yard shoot on Sunday 14th February. The
next UKBRA 600 yard shoot will be held on Sunday
7th March at Diggle Ranges.
 In association with
For the next few months we will focus on some of our
UK shooters who are working their way up in to the
Uk team.
Gary Kingaby has been shooting for about
three years and started by getting a Brocock
Magnum 8 shot CO2 rifle, which he found to
be a very good air rifle, but had its limitations.
He then joined Buxted Rifle and Pistol Club near
Uckfield. After about a month he purchased an
s400 Air Arms, and was asked if he wanted to
try HFT at competition level. In his words, ‘It
was great fun and I met lots of great people and
made lots of new friends. I started to learn more
about airguns, how to set up scopes, how to
zero the gun. How to shoot various ranges etc’.
Gary set up air rifle BR - gary won the silver medal in last
years world postal hampionships
Gary’s first time out he managed to knockdown
twenty of the targets which thought was quite
respectable. His best score so far is 59 out of 60,
but one day he hope to complete a perfect score.
After about a year Gary learnt about rimfire and
air rifle benchrest shooting and started shooting
this, finding it very different from HFT. After
talking to other shooters he has learnt it is more
about confidence in you technique and have a
positive attitude.
In 2008 Gary went to Milan for the World rimfire and
Air Rifle Benchrest Championship. ‘This was a great
eye-opener as to how much practice and work that
you need for this sport and has encouraged me to
learn as much I can and developed my shooting’.
In 2009 Gary shot at the UK Nationals in Portishead.
Target Shooter 95
 I came home with a silver in the unlimited and a
Above and below - Gary in the field on a HFT shoot
team award’. With a borrowed a gun Gary shot
‘It was great to other guys who do benchrest, it was rimfire ; for the first time while he was there and got
a well organised event and I learnt a lot more about his first 250 at 25 metres; ‘this made me want to do
wind flags and how to use them. Also shooting head that and now am hooked on rimfire as well. Since
to head in a match makes all the difference and then I have gone out and bought myself an Anschutz
you learn a lot from this the pressure is immense. 1813 the heavier barrel am looking at getting a new
stock made for it am
hoping to get a Weaver
T36 so I would say I am
hooked on rimfire as well
now’. Gary also received
a silver medal in the air
rifle world postal, which
is a big event in the year
where a lot of countries
come together and shoot.
At present Gary is
experimenting with
different ammo, doing
very well in the latest
postal benchrest season.
‘I won two gold’s and a
silver which I am very
happy about’.

96 Target Shooter
 The Long View
News from the GB
F-Class Association

Naturally, there is something of a shooting lull
over the winter period – except for those hardy
souls on the front cover - but don’t forget, you can
still discuss all matters shooting and F Class in
particular (or just have a good old moan!) via
the GB F Class forum. Lee Tomlinson of Border
Barrels has set up an excellent site and so far it has
been under-used, so please take a look and if you
have any questions or comments on any aspect
of F Class shooting why not raise it on the forum?
See www.longrangeshooting/forumup.co.uk
We look back on 2009 as a very successful year
for the GB F Class Association and its members.
Gary Costello won the Individual World Open and
the GB Team won Gold in the Teams Championship.
Our F/TR shooters won the Team Silver and Russell
Simmonds was the World Individual F/TR
Championship. To round off a great year, Russell The new Captains will be elected by members of the
also won the F/TR Europeans and the GB League. GBFCA and the appointments are then ratified by
For the record, Adam Brough won the Open the NRA so, at this stage I cannot reveal our choice
This is a view from the 1000 yd firing point at my
home range of Diggle taken in early January
Europeans and Grant Taylor won the GB Open
League. But, that’s all history for as one Championship
ends, the build-up to the next one begins. The
next Worlds will be held at the Raton range in
New Mexico USA in 2013 and you can bet the
American’s will be hell bent on avenging their defeat.
Building the GB Teams to take on the Americans
and the rest of the World will fall to the new Team
Captains and the outgoing Captain, Des Parr,
now hands over to a new Captain. Following
Des will be some task as Des did an amazing job
- it couldn’t have gone any better could it? And
similarly with F/TR Captain Stuart Anselm, even
though GB didn’t win the F/TR Gold, Stuart’s Team
put in an amazing performance and it could have
gone either way right up to the final yardage.
but next month we will
hopefully have a word
with them and see what
their initial thoughts are
for the task facing them
in America in four years
time.

Although we are very

much in the depths of
winter, the GB F Class
League starts in a little
over two months at
Diggle so let’s hope that
snow has gone! Keep up
with the activities of The
GBFCA via our website
at www.f-class.org.uk

Target Shooter 97
 A regular column whereby Ken Hall keeps us up to date
with black powder cartridge rifle shooting in the UK.

NEWCOMERS GUIDE TO CASE CLEANING. stored ready for re-use. The only drawback being
that the case, although clean and suitable for use,
Black powder shooting can be very hard on brass will tarnish and discolour unless regularly polished.
cases and without proper care their useful life can This is a relatively simple task, requiring the use of a
be shortened. This month we’re going to look at just piece of equipment known as a tumbler, or polisher,
along with some polishing media. Most
shooters who reload their own ammunition
will already own some sort of polishing kit,
most probably a vibrating or rotary type
with a container in which a media such as
crushed walnut shells or corn cobs is used to
polish the cases after cleaning. This brings
me to a system that I have used for the past
few years, I don’t know who to credit as the
originator of this system but I must thank the
members of the Single Shot Black Powder
Centrefire Rifle Club of Great Britain for
passing it on and providing the media used.
My tumbler is of the vibratory type, made in the
United States but available in the UK through
The magic ingredients Midway and other suppliers, importantly, the
bowl is completely watertight, some variations
have a removeable section to aid in sifting
one way to return your expensive cases to top
condition after a gruelling day at the range. Rinsing the media
Your fired cases come under attack from the
instant the primer is struck, various complex
salt compounds are deposited which will attack
the brass, the first priority after a shooting
session is to arrest this action. One of the
best products for this happens to be available
almost everywhere and at a very reasonable
cost; soapy water, hot or cold, liberally
applied as soon as possible after firing will
stop the corrosive effects of powder residue
and salts. If the cases are first de-capped
the primer pocket and the case interior
can be cleaned with the aid of a brush or
scraper, the whole thing rinsed, dried and

98 Target Shooter

Cases after rinsing but before tumbling
Cases after tumbling
Detail of cleaned primer pocket
the cases after polishing, these would not be
suitable for this method. After shooting, I do
not treat the cases in any way at the range,
but as soon as possible after returning home
the cases are de-capped and placed in a wire
basket which fits inside a plastic container
(formerly containing emulsion paint), hot
water with a dash of washing-up liquid is
added and the basket agitated until the water
turns black, then the murky water is replaced
with clean cold water and the cases agitated
again. After drying, I store these cases until
I have enough to clean and polish. As .45-
70 cases are quite large I normally would
only want 40 to 50 cases to polish at one
time. Then I am ready to start, first I take the
tumbler and add the media consisting of small
pieces of ceramic material slightly larger than
a grain of rice and shaped like angle cut
cylinders, to this I add about 800ml of clean
water, just enough to cover the media. Next,
a dash of washing-up liquid, a teaspoon
of Cream of Tartar and a squirt of lemon
juice, both available from the home cooking
section of most supermarkets. The pre-rinsed
cases are then added, the lid attached and
the tumbler plugged into the electric supply.
Experimentation has shown that 30 mins to
one hour is all that is needed, indeed, longer
than this tends to reverse the action as the
solution will be saturated and only results
in duller cases. All that remains is for the
cases to be removed from the tumbler, rinsed
and dried. I use a wire basket designed for
deep frying food to hold the cases, a good
shake and the basket can be placed on a
radiator to dry the cases, or a few minutes
in a warm oven, to speed up the process.
The media is emptied into a sieve and rinsed
with clean water ready for use again, over
and over, it will last virtually forever. One of
the main advantages of this system is that
it cleans and polishes in one go. A bonus is
the thoroughness of the cleaning, even the
primer pocket gets cleaned enough so that no
further action is required before re-capping.
The one drawback to this system is its’
unsuitability for bottleneck cases, due to
the media having a tendency to wedge itself
into the case neck with obvious results,
fortunately most blackpowder calibres used
in Quigley type shooting are of the ‘straight
wall’ type and so this is not a problem. The
same system works equally well with my
.38-55, .40-65 and even .45 Colt cases
used with either black or nitro powder.
Questions and comments please to
khall6548@aol.com
Target Shooter 99
Hunter Field Target News
HFT RANGEFINDING UKAHFT Part 3
.22 AIR RIFLE
The ability to accurately judge, or indeed guess the
range to a target separated the good shots from the
average shots in the early days of FT. Today the art
of rangefinding by eye has been somewhat lost in
FT due to the large magnification (Up to 50 times)
scopes being able to rangefind to in some cases
within a yard. Purely visual by eye rangefinding
via the MKI eyeball is still very important in HFT
and that’s why I like shooting the sport, it gets you
thinking about what you are doing, instead of relying
upon technology. The curved trajectory of a legal
limit airgun pellet means you have to be well within
5 yards of the actual range with your guessemitate,
to be sure of hitting a 40mm disc and it needs even
better ranging accuracy when shooting HFT targets
which have 25 or 15mm diameter kill zones. For
those who do not have the ability to use the MKI
eyeball to any level of accuracy the scope can be
used in HFT as an aim to rangefinding. We know in
HFT parallax adjustable scopes are banned, which
effectively limits magnification down to ten times
maximum. There are still two methods the HFT
shooter can use for rangefinding one uses the
100 Target Shooter
image as viewed through the scope and the other
utilizes the reticle to bracket the hit zone or the target
itself to obtain its range. First let’s look at the image
method, this only really works for the two extremes
ranges of 8-15 and 40 to 45 yards. It hinges upon the
shooter setting their scopes parallax to a distance
were the short and long targets image becomes
unclear. If you use a fixed power ten mag scope set it
to a 23 yard parallax, when looking at a target set at
45yards it’s image when viewed through the scope
will look blurred and not pin sharp. The 40 yard
target will be clear when viewed so you know its 40
and not 45 yards if it “look” long. Targets at a shorter
13 yards it will look blurred as well. So you can guess
the range just by the fact it’s image is not clear,
conversely if by using your eye you think it may be
13 or 15 yards if the target is clear its 15 and if its
blurred its 13 yards. All good HFT shooters use this
method as an additional aid, the other factor is the
top shots never rely upon just one method of range-
finding, that’s the trick to being successful at HFT.
The second method uses the reticle in the scope.
If you know the size of the target you can use it’s
relative size as it appears to fixed points in the
reticle to give you an idea of the range. This is where
Mil-Dot scopes can come onto their own. Mildot
reticle’d scopes can be used to bracket rangefind on
the kill zones of FT/HFT targets themselves. Discs
are normally 40,25 or 15mm in diameter, although
some evil hosting clubs make special 32 or 18mm
sized disc’s to confuse the shooter.
For example with a 40mm disc the size it appears at
certain ranges with a true Mildot scope are.
YARDS MILDOTS
8 5.5
9 4.9
10 4.5
12 3.7
15 2.9
17 2.6
20 2.2
25 1.8
30 1.5
35 1.3
40 1.1
45 1.0
It makes the difference between 40 and 45 yards
 should expect to see, make note however
Mil Dots @ 15 yards
we are only talking half a Mildots difference,
that’s why you need the solid peg to hold on to
in HFT. It does get easier to use the dots the
shorter the range, for example 25 yards is 1.8
Mildots and 30 yards is 1.5. This 40mm disc
chart only works if you have a true Mildot
scope and there are charts for 25mm and
even 15mm. I check all the Mildot scopes
I use to see if they are in fact true before I
deem to use them for HFT. Beware that just
because the manufacturer of the scope says it
has a Mildot reticle does not mean to say it is,
it may have dots on the reticle and looks like
a Mildot. It’s the spacing between each dot
that makes it useful, or indeed not useful as a
rangefinding tool. There is a readily available
chart on the Internet to enable a Mildot reticle
to be checked at 15 yards. The page you print
has to be at the correct scale, which you can
check via a 150mm long line on the bottom of
the test sheet. When viewed at 15 yards the
dots in your scope should line up with the dots
on the chart. Some variable mag scopes with
reticles in the second focal plane have the
Mildot true at ten times magnification only. In
fact ten times is universally the magnification
used for the true Mildot reticle. You can also
check your scopes reticle using a 40mm
After you print this out, measure this line to make sure the scale of the print is correct disc and the chart supplied here. There are
150 mm
other reticles, which have been made to aid
rangefinding, one is the Hawke SR6, SR
quite easy to spot as the dot appears either just standing for Specialized Reticle. I have used
inside the disc or right on the edge of the disc. Look the reticle for both hunting and HFT so I know it
at the diagram for a further indication of what you works, I even spent hours when I first got scope

40yd to 45yd Mildot

Target Shooter 101


Remember to add on range
for high targets
making my own rangefinding chart based upon 15,25
and 40mm discs when set on 8 and a half mag, The
reticle is as the name suggests set to work on six
mag but that is too little for HFT. The results of my
efforts are shown in the accompanying picture, you
are free to use those and they do work. You can also
use the distance from the hinge of the target to the
center of the target, “Nockover” targets all have a set
distance regardless of the shape of the faceplate.
This is 108mm and many shooters use a chart giving
a number of Mildots from the hinge to the center, it
is more accurate than using the size of the kill zone.
With all bracketing systems you have to be aware
that course designers know of them too so will set
traps, such as using odd sized kill zones, such as
45mm which is within the rules and 20 and 35mm.
They also use home made faceplates on targets for
those who use the very accurate faceplate system.
Course setters will also hide the hinge of “Nockover”
targets behind bits of wood etc to foil that system of
ranging.
One massively useful trick, which a lot of shooters
tend to forget, revolves upon knowing the rules of
the sport. In HFT there are bands of disc sizes and
minimum and maximum ranges, which these can be
set out at the current rules, are
DISC DIA TARGET DISTANCE IN YARDS
102 Target Shooter
15-19mm 13-25
20-24mm 8-30
25-35mm 8-35
35-45mm 8-45
There are also stipulations upon
the number of the targets with a
maximum of 4 targets per 30 shot
course where the disc is 15 to 19mm
in diameter. Six can be 20 to 34mm
in diameter. Also an obscured
target (which has to have a 35-45mm
diameter kill zone) can be no closer
than 15 yards.
If you use a .22 you will have to
more accurately estimate the range
compared to anyone using a
.177 rifle. This is because of the
trajectory of the heavier, slower
moving and larger .22 projectiles.
You really have to estimate the
range within 2 yards to have any
chance with a .22, as it’s all too
easy to miss low or high. There is
a dedicated reticle for .22 users
and again I have actually used it in
competition, it is the Hawke SR12,
it has bigger gaps than the SR6
which is because it is used on 12
times magnification. .
You can also use the environment
the course is set out in, I have shot
targets which were set out along
fences, pace out the distance between the fence
posts were you are off the course and by simply
counting the number of posts you have an idea how
far the target is. There has even been target’s out on
a course set on or near the host’s clubs zeroing lane,
which has yardage markers every five yards. Always
look around for things that will help you, if an number
of targets are set along a straight line course then
you will gain clues from you’re your pellet landed on
the previous target, does the next one look longer
or shorter? Look at the targets faceplate before you
shoot it also, a lot of misses high or low should give
you a clue, it may be the case it is a special target
set out to trick the shooters, meaning the faceplate
or disc may be a non standard size. There is an art
involved in all forms of airgun rangefinding (With the
possible exception of laser hand held rangefinders)
be it the MKI eyeball, scope parallax adjustment,
laser dot or reticle bracketing. It pays to use more
than one system of rangefinding, I always use the
MKI eyeball as I approach the lane and often find
when I use other systems once I get behind the rifle
that my 1st guess was not far out at all, I have been
top flight air rifle shooting for over twenty years so
that may have something to do with it.
 SA09/54/e

Target Shooter 103

 Gallery Rifle & Pistol News
The season is now almost on us and I know that
all the organisers would be very grateful if you can
enter their competitions as early as possible. It helps
them to judge demand and capacity and it helps you
– if you leave it too late you may well not get what
you want to shoot on the day you want it.
The 2010 version of the GR&P Rules Handbook will
be off to the printers in a few weeks and will be out
in time for the new season. It’s free and you can
pick it up from the NRA offices. It will also be on the
NSC and GR websites for you to download. It also
has everything you need to know about the Phoenix
Meeting at the back and it’s a very handy thing to
have in your range bag.
There are a few changes you need to note. The
division of GRCF into three gun types and the
changes to the classification system I have
mentioned before. There are also some changes
to the Bianchi event with disabled competitors given
more opportunity to shoot the barricade match and
enabling prone shooting in the practical and plates
matches.
The practice of allowing range crew to go forward
when any competitor has a loaded firearm will be
explicitly banned in all circumstances in future as it
is just plain dangerous.
There will be a few changes to some of the Standard
Medal scores at the Phoenix Meeting. These mostly
affect the Gallery Rifle Small Bore precision events
where it was beginning to look like you needed to
win just to qualify for a bronze. Another change is to
the X class qualifying scores in Gallery Rifle Centre
Fire Timed and Precision One. This has gone the
other way with nearly everyone getting a medal. Not
any more!
There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes
on the software which keeps the classifications,
squadding and stats running smoothly. Of course
you don’t see most of this but one thing that it will be
able to do from now on is keep an historic record of
all scores in classified matches. It may be possible
in future to find a way of displaying these data.
104 Target Shooter
Finally, here is the latest calendar for 2010. Entry
forms will be coming out from the NSC towards the
end of the month.
DATES FOR 2010
March 27-28 Spring Action Weekend NSC
Bisley
April 17-18 Basildon 1500 Basildon
May 2 Mattersey Ten Mattersey
May 8 Frome Western Winner
Bristol
May 9 Shield Practical GR&P Dorset
May 28-30 The Phoenix Meeting NSC
Bisley
June 5 Open WCSA Gallery Rifle
Warminster
June 26-27 Derby 1500 Derby
July 10-11 Fermoy International GR
Ireland
July10-24 The Imperial Meeting NSC
Bisley
July 18 Mattersey Steel Shoot
Mattersey
July 24-25 Frome Three Gun Shield
Dorset
August 28-29 Gallery Rifle National
Championships NSC Bisley
September 19 Mattersey Bianchi Mattersey
October 17 Shield Steel Challenge
GR&P Dorset
October 23-24 The Trafalgar Meeting NSC
Bisley
October 30-30 Autumn Action Weekend
NSC Bisley
November 12-14 Leitmar International GR
Germany
(Either contact the organisers direct or go to www.
galleryrifle.com for entry forms.)
GR&P = Gallery Rifle Centre Fire (GRCF),
Gallery Rifle Small Bore (GRSB), Long Barrelled
Pistol (LBP) and Long Barrelled Revolver (LBR)
Please go to the Gallery Rifle website www.galleryr-
ifle.com for more news and information.
January 17th was a busy day for UKPSA members. It
was the date of the AGM but a number of them found
themselves taking part in the first ‘practica’l match of
the year. Bisley has been the chosen the venue for
the annual meeting for a number of years now and it
has been customary for the Blue Team Club to put on
a competition before the AGM gets underway.
This year the match was set up over 5 stages and the
course of fire was designed so that members could
choose to shoot the match with either their Shotgun,
Gallery Rifle or LBR. The match was cut down version
of the type of competition held twice a year at Bisley
known as the Shotgun Festival. Weather conditions
meant the usual range, Butt Zero, was waterlogged
and so the NRA switched the match to Cheylesmore
Range. The stages consisted of the old standard
stage of El Presidenté, some turners and some
unloaded as well as loaded starts. One stage was
improvised because of the switch of location and the
Shotgunners and Gallery Rifle shooters had to shoot
from the weak shoulder, whilst the LBR competitors
had to shoot the stage strong hand only. With there
being two categories for each of the gun disciplines,
there were six overall winners, plus top senior and a
prize for top lady. It seemed that the older members
were canny enough to pick up both top place and
senior prizes.
Shotgun Standard Auto Winner - Mick Flatley
LBR Standard winner Nick Towndrow with Rob Adam
as top senior
LBR Standard Lady – Josie Adam
LBR Open Winner & Top
Senior - Pete Starley
Gallery Rifle Standard
Winner and top senior was
Richard Perry
Gallery Rifle Open Winner
and top senior George
Granycome
the year.
2009 UKPSA PSG Champions
Open Division Champion Nick Hockley
Modified Division Senior Champion Pete Starley
Modified Division Champion James Harris
Standard Manual Senior Champion George
Granycome
Standard Manual Champion Iain Guy
Standard Auto Division Junior Champion Jim Starley
Standard Auto Division Ladies Champion Vanessa
Duffy
Standard Auto Division Senior Champion Barry
Sullivan
Standard Auto Division Champion Mike Darby.
Next came the reports from the Council members
followed by elections for Council places. This year the
attending members voted for a change of personnel
for the position of Regional Director and George
Granycome was the winner of a very close vote.
The UKPSA now looks forward to a full programme
of L2 and L3 matches in both LBR and shotgun. Plus
the premier competition of the year, the European
Handgun Championships in Serbia in September. The
first L2 LBR match will be held at Bedford on Sunday
21st of February. The first L3 shotgun match will be
the Shield Hardy on 5th & 6th March. Dates of other
matches are available for members on the UKPSA
members Forum.
More information about practical shooting can be
found at www.ukpsa.co.uk

After lunch the AGM got

underway. First duty for
the UKPSA President, Bob
Chittleborough was to
present trophies to the 2009
Champions in Practical
Shotgun. The winners were
determined by their best
3 scores from the four New RD and Senior Standard Manual Champion 2009 George
Championship matches Granycome.Shooting in last year’s European Championships
which took place at various
times and locations during

Target Shooter 105

Letters
Dear TS,
I came upon your website while searching
for shooting magazines and would like to
subscribe to your free download copy
please. Please use my email provided.
I have been a clay, game and target shooter
for many years since the late 1980’s but
gave up after I had a spinal injury through
my work as a Paramedic. You could say I
recently got
talking to the right person, as they
encouraged me to return to shooting clays
and rifle target shooting albeit from my
wheelchair!! I’m now looking forward to
catching up with the latest news and ‘shooting
a bit differently’. Your magazine looks very
interesting and I look forward to reading it
as it becomes available.
Kind regards
Mike
Hi Mike,
I am one of the founding members of the
Target Shooter magazine team. I am also
wheelchair bound and having been shooting
for over 8 yrs now and shoot Benchrest and
also part of the British Squad. I would be
interested in what you are currently shooting
and to see if maybe Benchrest is up your
street as you are able to shoot against regular
shooters. I am glad to hear you enjoying the
magazine so please pass on the website
address to all your friends.
Andy
Dear Team TS, the committee of our club
have just been called into the local firearms
department and been told we have to
remove the long barrelled pistol of our Club
License but they would put the long barrelled
handgun onto a members license.
Is this correct can somebody give us some
advice or can you recommend someone
please.\Sorry I have tried to find a contact
but with no luck.
Kind regards
Bob
106 Target Shooter
Hi Bob,
I know this sounds daft but apparently if you are
the owner of a long barrel pistol – you can’t let
someone else have a go!
There is a guy at Bisley, on the NRA team who
has chapter and verse on this – having said that,
I’ve yet to see it written down in law.
If you contact Glyn Alger the NRA sec. he will put
you in touch with this guy.
Best regards
Vince
Hi Vince,
Thank you I will get in touch with him, it’s
not the removal of the thing it’s been quoted
that as an approved club we are only
approved for rifles and muzzle loading
pistols, this has been since 1997 apparently
so we are worried that we are running
events for these but we are not approved
(like all clubs apparently, hence no good
reason for our members to own these.
So far we have been told that ACPOs have
used their own discretion but this is to stop.
This has come from the Home Office so we
are told.
Regards
Bob
Hi Bob,
An ineresting document to look at is the
Firearms Law: Guidance to the Police 2002;
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-polic-
ing/firearms/firearms-licensing-guidance/
This has not been amended in eight years.
LBR’s are covered in this - Chapters 2, 3 and 13
I think. Another organisation you could talk to is
the Sportmans Association - there is precedent
in law that if a long barrel pistol started off as a
section 1 firearm and is converted into another
form of section 1 firearm - like his .22 LBP
converted from a rifle, then it can be used by
anyone – I believe you still cannot have it on
a club licence, but I may be wrong. There are
very knowlegable people in the SA that would be
able to confirm this and give advice. Interesting
document the one I mention - all club secs should
have a copy - in fact all shooters should have one
to refer to. Cheers, Carl
If you have an issue, question
or comment then please send
letters via customer support on
the website.
 News
Next month we hope to have a review of the Shooting Show for you as we will be there at the end
of February. Let’s hope this month gives us a bit of a breather from the snow and cold weather. As
ever we will be bringing you the latest in reviews, information, new products, etc. Until then!
customer.services@targetshooter.co.uk
Happy reading and we hope you enjoy the magazine. The team at Target Shooter.
If you have any letters or news that you would like to air on a national basis then please contact us
at the magazine. This could be for those budding writers out there that would like to submit a full
article on specific firearms, competitions, shooting sports, etc.
The aim of the magazine is to include you the shooters in the United Kingdom and further afield.
So having a regular letters page or even a question and answer section would be really useful for
a lot of people out there. Let us know what you think!?
We would also like to have a gun of the month section - so send us your pic and spec and we’ll
include it in ‘gun of the month’.
Any news that your club or association thinks is worth viewing can also be sent in for selection.
What we would like is to get a letters page started with your views, news and perceptions about
all all the aspects of target shooting. So lets see those letters coming in and we will read your
thoughts in these pages.

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Target Shooter 107

Next time in.....

The March issue will be out as normal on the 1st of the month. Lots of follow up articles, new
reviews, news and as ever packed with the articles you want to read.

108 Target Shooter