Hi all, just a very quick note to say that our 7mm Practical dies are back in stock and are available for worldwide purchase.

Manson Reamers have also received their shipment (U.S customers).

All the best.

Nathan.



Below, initial load work for a 7mm Practical using the Lee dies, fire forming shots in the center.

Hi everyone, just a quick heads up to say that our latest video is now live. 

The subject matter for this video is the Ruger American, how to set it up and get it shooting straight along with approaches to overcoming accuracy problems.

The Ruger American has certainly become a very popular rifle and the internet is filled with rave reviews as to its great performance at an affordable price. However when accuracy issues arise, this rifle cannot be bedded using traditional approaches. This video is designed to help folk understand the Ruger American at a fundamental level and to learn how to find and overcome the variables that can create accuracy issues in order to get the very best out of this rifle.

This video is hosted with Vimeo, 3 month rental, U.S $15.00.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/rugeramerican

The Vimeo link can also be accessed via our shopping pages here:

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop/Video+Learning/The+Ruger+American+Rifle.html

Youtube trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6lHLrTxzSg

Kiwi comedy version of Youtube trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laZzhBLthvY

Video run time is 1hr54m, covering all aspects of accuracy and trouble shooting including how to overcome bedding issues.

Please note: Those who are having accuracy issues with the Ruger American are advised to refer to this video rather than buying our bedding compound.

I very much hope this video helps those who have been struggling with these rifles.

All the best, Nathan.

Hi everyone, I have finally had time to write a decent blog. However, it is so long (and hopefully interesting) that I have made it into a pdf for reader convenience. If you wish to download this blog, you can do so by clicking here.

For those who have been waiting on new Knowledge Base articles, you will be happy to know that we have uploaded the following:

9.3x57 Mauser

9.3x62

9.3x64 Brenneke (and wildcats)

9.3x66 (stub article)

I have also been testing the new Precision Platforms Apex Hunter stock design (http://www.precision-platforms.com) for some time now. This is an extremely well made stock as is shown in the following video. If you are in the market for a new stock, the Apex Hunter is now available for sale and is an extremely good design.

 

 

Hi everyone, just a quick blog post to say that we have uploaded four more videos to the Tikka accuracy series.

The series now includes:

1. Set up, barrel break in and test shoot of factory rifle (this video) including vital aspects of technique in order to obtain accurate test results.
2. Stabilizing the forend in preparation for bedding.

3. Making pillars uniquely suited to the T3 design in a DIY setting. Again in preparation for bedding.

4. Bedding - Stock and action prep through to the lay-up (action placed in mortice).

5. Bedding - Breaking the action out of its bedding, clean up and basic test shoot.

We have set these to three month rental so you should have plenty of time to digest and apply info.

Total run time for the four videos is around 4.5 hours.

Information in the videos is explained step by step in such a way that it can be utilized by smiths or DIY operators with limited tools.

We will see this rifle again when I use it for further tutorial work.

All the best, Nathan.

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop/Video+Learning.html

 

 

This year, we attended SHOT for our first time thanks to the kind sponsorship of Dave Manson (Manson Reamers). To say that the event was overwhelming is an understatement. SHOT brought in 65,000 visitors, all crammed under the one roof over the space of four days. The event was so large that I only viewed around one third of the booths while trying to juggle time in our booth versus the time I needed to meet up with other specific booth holders.



Our sponsors Dave and Ann Manson with Steph and Riley. Kids were not allowed at the event so Steph missed much of SHOT.



Tight security as we approached the event.

The general feel of the event was very positive, reaching a climax when the new U.S president was inaugurated to the cheers of attendees that could be heard throughout the convention center.

As many of you know, the subjects and methods I teach are at times at loggerheads with this industry so I was interested to see what kind of a response we would receive and I put a good deal of time into observation of general trends. In talking to attendees, I felt that many hunters / shooters are now beginning to see through some of the gimmicks of the industry. I met people who had been sucked into past rifle and bullet designs, had learned the hard way and wanted to move forwards. This was all good verification on the back of the release of my second edition cartridges book. I also loved the matter of fact style of communication from Texas visitors.



Our booth with Manson reamers. UK gunsmith Mike Norris (multicam pack) and his wife stand to the side watching the foot traffic flow.

As time allowed, I was able to visit several booths of interest to me. To begin with, I met with Sierra Bullet staff who were immensely responsive to the research in my Long Range Cartridges book. I do very much hope to be able to contribute to the work Sierra are doing so that we as hunters can have the very best in bullet designs. I also met up with Dustin Worrell from DRT bullets, another bullet maker who I believe is doing great things. This company very much needs support from customers so that it can grow, expand (new bullet designs / calibers) and flourish long term. I was also able to meet with Hornady Staff members Mitch Middlestaed, Neil Emery (no relation to Dave) and Hornady’s senior ballistician Dave Emary. This was a highlight for me due to the fact that many years ago, though Dave may not remember, he helped me along during my initial learning phase. I could tell that being put on display for fans at SHOT was very hard on Dave (and others) yet he remained willing. When speaking of his past he stated - “I was such a nerd as a kid yet I was completely shit at maths. I just wanted to blow shit up. My father didn’t know what the hell to think”. But with great perseverance, Dave managed to overcome the many challenges of his trade and achieve mastery. It felt good to meet someone I was on the same page with. While speaking of one particular brand of rifle, I was about to mention my expected group sizes (out of the box)  when Dave finished my sentence stating 2.5 MOA. This pleased me no end because I often hear of greatly exaggerated claims with this rifle out of the box. By the same token, I quite like these rifles, they simply need a good work over (bedding, trigger, lugs) before one can really get down to business. Again, Dave was on the same page, an everyday down to earth guy who has walked the walk.  Dave also relayed some of his crazy experiences from earlier years when he did finally get a chance to 'blow shit up'. It was a very interesting chat.



Myself and Dave Emary, senior ballistician for Hornady.

Later in the event I got to talk with folk from Cutting Edge and also Lehigh. In both instances it was interesting to see that these homogenous copper bullet makers have come to understand the need for a bullet that loses some weight and SD as a means to maximize energy transfer. A main factor has been the .300 Blackout which can be a hopeless hunting cartridge if used with the wrong bullet design. This has pushed many bullet makers towards a deeper understanding of terminal performance. Prior to this, I felt that too much emphasis was placed more on getting the bullet to reach its target and generally expand to create a 'nice looking' mushroom. I very much liked the fact that Lehigh utilize a wide meplat for maximum energy transfer across all of their bullet designs. This is about doing what is right rather than doing what is fashionable (e.g maximum BC).



Funky bullet designs from Cutting edge. Note the heavy notches and wide hollow points (including behind Raptor polymer tips).




Cutting Edge Laser.


Cutting Edge are also using wide meplats but with polymer tips to boost BC’s, the Raptor line is for general hunting, the Laser line for long ranges. Cutting Edge also produce an extreme range bullet, but I am dubious as to its killing prowess on lean bodied deer at very low velocities due to the very small meplat on this bullet deign. I really need to test all of these for myself (as opposed to studying gel blocks and photos) to make further comments. The one factor I loved about both companies is that when I asked if it would be possible to order enhanced designs, both companies offered me custom options provided bullets are ordered in a decent quantity to justify CNC set up time. In plain terms, a distributor can ask for an extra deep hollow point bullet design. I cannot really go into more detail within this space but those who have read my books will understand the potential of this and how any loss in SD / penetration can be overcome via other factors. Please remember this as it is there for the taking. If you are a distributor wanting something with an edge to it, you may wish to consider an extra deep HP design and you are most welcome to put my name on it as a Foster style optimum long range killing bullet.



Justin Evans from Lehigh defense. I am holding the latest Blackout bullet from Lehigh, showing performance at 1400fps.



Close up of the Lehigh .300 Blackout bullet. The meplat is unashamedly large and deliberately weakened to maximize performance. It is no good being able to hit a live target if you can't kill it and to this end, the BC of a bullet must always be considered secondary regardless of what others may have you believe.

Further within the labyrinth of SHOT, I came across the NZ made Annealing Made Perfect case annealing machine http://www.ampannealing.com/. This really is an amazing little machine and it is no wonder that the manufacturer is fully booked with orders. I had been aware of this company for some time but it was not until SHOT that I was finally able to meet with Co-owner Matt Findlay.

I was also fortunate enough to meet Karl Lewis of Lewis Machine and Tool. The NZ army recently adopted LMT rifles as a replacement for the Steyr. LMT are a highly respected maker of reliable and accurate weaponry and it is very good to know that our soldiers are now being issued with this kit. While visiting, Karl could not help but show off the Compressor rifle, an extremely short AR-15 platform rifle coming in at just 24.5”. The system is such that our NZ rifles can be changed over to this configuration should various situations demand it. There was of course the duller side of SHOT which involved black rifles in just about every aisle. Many passers by complained to me that they were utterly sick of seeing hand guards and add-ons from booth to booth. Tactical bolt action rifles were also the rage. The hardest to find was a rifle that was neither welter weight with a piddly thin barrel or extremely heavy and cumbersome, such are the current extremes.

I also managed a visit to Bell & Carlson which proved fruitful. Those of you who are into bedding rifles for optimum accuracy will be glad to know that B&C are open to the idea of a floating lug in the B&C Tikka T3 stock if customers want it. This may however require you as readers to email B&C as a show of hands. Those of you who are into Tikka rifles may want to get onto this now while my conversations with B&C are still fresh. Howa shooters will be pleased to know that B&C now (finally) make a straight recoiling stock for the Howa action as a deviation from the basic Weatherby Vanguard stock shape. Per chance I bumped into the Weatherby stand and popped the question as to “when are you guys going to ditch your recoil increasing stock design” to which the salesman replied, “yeah, it kicks like hell but it’s our trademark look and we won’t be changing it any time soon”. I find this very odd considering that these companies blow vast amounts of money trying to find new ways to sell rifles, yet overlook the basics. Getting back to B&C - I really appreciated the no-bullshit response I got when I said that many rifles need epoxy bedding no matter how hard the stock maker tries for a perfect fit. I appreciated not being been given a pile of fantastical magical fit drivel.

Across at Shilen I discovered that this company are now making a rifle action (M700 clone) with a Savage type barrel nut, allowing end users to swap out barrels provided they have appropriate head spacing tools. This is certainly a clever way to deliver products to customers while at the same time, empowering the end user.



There were many tactical rifles at SHOT as one might expect. Here we see the Accuracy International for fans of Lego. These are the latest weapon from AI after a successful run of the Bob the Builder "fits like a rough sawn 2x4" stock design.  More shit to get your pack straps caught up in. The posters were pretty cool.

Away from the booth, I tried my best to gather information, study recovered bullets and photos provided by companies. I spoke to several other companies including a fast feedback session with Sightron and a quick trip to Leica. Within the booth, I sat with my own readers and peers, discussing all manner of subjects. None of this would have happened for us without the kindness of Dave and Ann Manson. Dave is highly respected within the industry, has a quick wit and is as sharp as a tack. It was interesting to watch him as customers asked questions about reamer dimensions. Dave is the type to retain numbers in his head and could answer tech questions on the fly, whether the punter was asking about standard cartridge dimensions or potential wildcat creations. Dave also introduced Riley to Silly Putty which I had heard of but never seen. Talk about hours of entertainment for kids. Ann is yet another brave woman who makes such businesses happen. Like Steph, her work load over the years has been immense, yet she holds fast at the helm no matter the weather. 

The event was extremely exhausting and with the poor quality of food in Las Vegas combined with thousands of punters in the one air conditioned space, one feels generally ill and in need of a bathroom at any given (most of the) time. At night, the foot traffic and taxi ques were of epic proportions, making for very long days. As I write this blog, I feel immensely ill and it is all I can do to type and distract myself from whatever has most recently ailed me.

On the back side of SHOT we took a trip to a local Gun show (guns for sale). I have never seen so many Holland and Holland rifles under the one roof. The value of the rifles and shotguns within the show would perhaps been high enough to purchase a good portion of my home district. But of all of these, one rifle that interested me was an original Griffin & Howe .400 Whelen. The picture below says it all.



Griffin & Howe .400 Whelen on a k98 action. A rare gem. For those unfamiliar with this - this is what a rifle looks like without an extra 10lbs of railing and other crap attached to it - and yes, these can shoot just as accurately.



H&H were well represented at the Las Vegas Gun Show.

We also visited the Gun Garage while waiting to check in to our next hotel after SHOT.  We had a couple of hours to kill. The Gun Garage is a indoor gun range located just behind the Luxor hotel. We got busy with a Glock, an S&W M29 .44 Mag, an Uzi, an AK and an M4. But while I was busy trying to shoot a nice group with the .44 as far away as we could string out the target, a woman screamed out "50 cal" which was followed by a horrendous bone deep boom beside us. I don't know who the hell thinks its fun to fire a 50bmg at an indoor range with a rear gilled brake but there you go - only in Vegas. Following that, I backed off shooting until others were done playing with the 50. The Gun garage staff were very friendly and helpful but with a taste for rock music played at deafening levels, making any form of communication very difficult. I can see how this (and the .50) combined with the minimal lighting which managed to reflect more off our safety glasses than our sights would be highly distracting to the new shooter. Still, it was a chance to get away from the strip and I am sure most visitors would enjoy it.

A few hours later it was time to check into the Luxor, we arrived liberally coated with and smelling of powder residues. The Gun Garage is to shooting what Burger King is to fine dining was  Steph's description of the place. Having said this, it was in its own way a good proof research facility considering the volume of rounds fired each day (800-1000 rounds per gun per day). The guns were caked with carbon by 11am. The AK would not reassemble after we stripped it for inspection at my request, so heavy was the carbon fouling. After we finally got it back together, it carried on in its usual manner, rattling when fired and shooting all over the show as these do once the bores wear and when fired in bursts. The Rock River M4 was simply excellent, remaining accurate whether fired semi or full auto when combined with disciplined technique. The trigger on this rifle was standard and yet much better than other stock AR rifles I have come across with no creep. No doubt the barrels were stuffed on any given weapon at any given time considering the daily volume of fire, their lives extended only via the use of chrome lining. The Gun Garage has two full time armorers cleaning and checking weapons and replacing fatigued parts as needed. The armorers do their best to make sure the weapons are accurate and this was certainly the case when shooting the likes of the M4 and Smith and Wesson. 



Only in Vegas...

Vegas is hard to put into words. The strip is bold and bright, the mega resorts being incredible to behold. It is sexy yet ugly, it can be fun, yet makes most folk ill. The people are wonderful, yet the businesses and franchises are ruthlessly mercenary. Away from the strip, life in the suburbs is more or less the same as it is in any western corner of the globe. Beyond the city, the Nevada mountains rise like fortresses, dwarfing the city in the basin below.



Stephs idea of a good time, mule riding with Cowboy Trails at red Rock canyon.

I hope that some of this information is useful to our readers. There were many more questions I would have liked to have asked while we were at the event however time simply did not allow.

I cannot thank Dave, Ann and the team at Manson reamers enough for their wonderful support. Dave has such a hard working and extremely loyal team. I would also like to extend my thanks to those of you who came to sit and shoot the breeze at the booth. Dave Manson had some extremely cool kit at our booth and the string of gunsmiths that came to say thanks for past orders and offer success stories was high praise for the team. Besides chamber reamers, the Accurizing kit has proven extremely popular along with the book (again sold through Manson Reamers)- A Complete Guide To Precision Rifle Barrel Fitting by John L Hinnant.  To view the full catalogue, readers can click on this link: https://mansonreamers.com/catalog/

End users will appreciate the fully match accurate muzzle recrowning hand tool kit. Yes, a hand (or cordless drill) tool that can be used to recrown barrels (also mentioned in my Accurizing book) yet produce optimum accuracy. This is extremely well designed and immensely useful when dealing with all manner of rifles, especially modern factory rifles with crowning swath burrs (again see Accurizing book). To see the kit in use on youtube, please click on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xpzv1Spsnk



Rick, Dara, Ann and Scott (at rear) setting up the booth at the beginning of Shot.

All told this has been a wonderful experience for us (between dashes to the bathroom). Over time, I hope that we can put some of the products we saw into use and offer both our readers and the bullet makers some useful information.

Here I come to the end of my blog. I am sorry for myself that I do not have more to say as the action of typing is helping to prevent me slipping into a fully nauseated state. At least I have stopped trembling. Riley is dying to see the Tournament of Kings at the Excaliber, I do not know if I can brave another meal that Steph or I have not ourselves shot or killed. I tried the vegetarian route for a few days but this had equally dire results. It seems the only thing safe to eat here on the strip is coffee, though even the water will not agree with rural NZ folk. I am just glad it has to be boiled to make coffee. 

Hello all, I hope this blog post finds you well. I am just writing this short note to let customers and industry peers know that we will be attending SHOT in Las Vegas, January 2017.

We would not have considered going to this event were it not for the kindness of Dave Manson from Manson Reamers. For the past (seems like forever) years we have been committed to research for the global hunting / shooting community. Dave in turn felt that it was time we came up for air and let folk meet the people behind the research. To this end, he sponsored our visit to SHOT. This is such a kind, warm and supportive gesture.  

We will be in booth 2308 if anybody wishes to stop by for a chat.

I have little else to report for now. As usual, we have been very busy with cartridge and bullet research. It seems that we are either hunting or compiling data which I hope to be able to pass on in the near future. There are many new bullets on the market now and it has taken a great deal of time to investigate their full strengths and limitations. Although I have posted my initial impressions of some of these new bullet designs on our site, it has taken a great deal more field time to truly understand them.  

The website is nearing its typical quarter million hits for thirty days as happens at this time of the year as readers far and wide utilize the online knowledge base. It is good to see this being put to use however this has also put a huge strain on our mail. I simply cannot do the field work and answer this volume of technical questions. Please understand that I am of better service to you if I am in the field gathering data and can then take time to compile and publish this data. As the saying goes, the needs of the many… Having said this, I will always endeavor to make myself available to each of you as and when I can. 

All the best, Nathan.








 

Just a quick heads up for our readers, the .35 Whelen article is finally live!

Please click here to view.

Alternate link:

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/35+Whelen.html

All the best, Nathan.

 

Mid June book special - Hunting Rifles and Accurizing - sold for the first time together as a bundle for a limited time. Offer Ends Sunday 26^th.



Please follow this link to view this special: http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop/Book+Bundles.html



This special offer differs from our normal bundles, so please check to see which package is right for you. We have noticed that all ‘dabblers and toe dippers’ have become diehard fans of the entire series, so please make sure that you have checked and double checked each package deal and selected the one that is right for you. Some of you may prefer to start with the currently discounted Tools bundle and then buy the currently discounted Skills bundle which will then give you the full collection. Others may prefer the fully discounted Entire Collection bundle.  If you buy this bundle, you will need to purchase other titles separately or wait for a unique Cartridges / Reloading book deal, purchasing the shooting book as a final addition. That said, this package deal offers great savings.

This package deal is for those who have wanted to buy these two books together. It also makes for an excellent gift package. The rifles book teaches the reader the fundamentals while serving as a buyer beware (what rifles not to buy) while the Accurizing and Maintenance book teaches the reader how to make use of their (wisely) selected rifle in a DIY setting. It does not matter whether you shoot to 300 yards or want to shoot to and beyond 1000 yards; these books will help you make the right decisions while saving you money.
 

Youtube stuff

Our latest uploads include:

Pig hunt and pork prep (5 minute vid specifically made after seeing poor meat handling):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZrChxEGLL4
DRT bullet hunting / autopsies (12 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvge3tA5bX
 
Kapiti Lecture, part one of the epic saga:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-_2RiJhltU

Long range talk (9 minutes of your life you will never get back):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvNXYj3eJEk

Radio interview from 2014 which is 'about us' (27 minutes. Some of you may have already heard this. I added a photo slide show for kicks):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY28_gX5vAs
 
Short fun vid for True-Flite to promote .358 caliber barrel making capabilities (1 minute):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc0bsmwUN84

All the best, Nathan.

Hi everyone, we need your help. And to kick things off, we are offering an Easter special:

Easter book special- 15% off the Practical Guide To Long Range Shooting
The best book you will ever read if you want to become a better hunter and long range shooter.
We need your help

These are our goals for this year:

• Upload more cartridge research to the Knowledge base.
• Purchase and test new bullet / cartridge designs.
• Youtube uploads.
• Continue to provide email support where possible.
• Continue to fund the website and forums.

To be able to perform these activities we need your support. It took eight years to complete the first half of the knowledge base, pouring personal funds into making our research available to the public. We do not want to take another eight years to give you what you want! Instead, we would like to be able to put all of our efforts towards completing the Knowledge base. We cannot do this alone and this is a critical time for us. In plain terms, decisions made now will affect the rest of our year.
I am a great fan of the medium bores and to be honest, the Knowledge base is unbalanced without the addition of these cartridges - there is a great deal we wish to share with you.

If you have been thinking about buying any of the books or products, now is the time. If you have not already read the books and need a push, we can state in all honesty that the books will help you immensely while your purchase helps us to continue to provide our services. The books are easy to read and will get you on track. They are utilized by both amateurs and professionals.

If you already have the books, we would also be very grateful for any plugs via social media or whatever avenue you can think of. Please spread the word! The books are packed full of useful information that can save a shooter hundreds and often thousands of dollars long term.

If you are in a position to donate, we would be immensely grateful for this. I have been donating a good 1500 hours per year helping folk with their projects.  Now we need your help. As stated, this is a critical time for us and all funds donated will be put towards the cause.

As an incentive, we will be offering the Practical Guide To Long Range Shooting with a 15% discount over Easter. This book is the clincher in the series, an ideal gift for a shooting buddy. Other discounts will remain over Easter including our Entire Collection 25% off deal along with the 10 and 15% reductions on bundles.

To view  book deals, please visit:
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/shop.html

To help us by making a donation, please visit this page:
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/product/x_sku/Donation.html

For those who have not seen my latest Youtube uploads, please visit my channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ3UtxnxSjYVpyKuN3HMIcQ

Videos of interest include the Kapiti talks, bullet talk and long range shooting interview (and the stinging nettle video for those who have aching joints). The Kapiti talk in particular covers a variety of topics from bedding to suppressor usage through to shooting technique. Please spread the word.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to all for your ongoing support. As I mentioned earlier, you have made a difference in our lives. I very much hope that we have made an equally positive impact on your lives.

All the best, Steph and Nathan.

PS: A quick Review of the Sierra TMK:
Recently I have been testing Sierra’s Polymer tipped Matchking (don’t worry, I’ll be into the new ELD-X range soon enough). This is a relatively new high BC bullet design from Sierra boasting a massive hollow point behind its big green tip. As a quick summary - it works extremely well as a long range hunting projectile. The 168gr .308 in particular has been a great bullet. As a testimony to its performance I made up a batch of downloads for Riley (now 9) with a hefty load of Trail Boss and a magnum primer yielding 1650fps. I zeroed at 120 yards and the load shot fairly flat in between and beyond, again thanks to its very high BC. Riley was able to shoot accurately at the range (as if I would let her get away with anything less) and also use the load in the field to bag two feral goats. Both went down immediately (one shot at exactly 120 yards and the other around 30 yards). Wounding was thorough and penetration excellent. Recoil was near nonexistent for the wee lass yet the pay load was emphatic for close range work.

The 168gr TMK works equally well at full velocities and can tackle reasonable body weights at close ranges without issues. Wounds are devastating.

This is a very long projectile and takes up good deal of magazine space with a COAL of around 2.815” / 71.5mm working effectively. I you are looking for something a little different to try in your .308 or .30-06, give this a go.