Target Shooter

1

2

Target Shooter

Sav e to 2 up 0%*

Dont miss out on the ZEISS autumn offers with a price discount of up to 20%.

*This promotional offer refers to the actual prices of the current price list, is valid while stock lasts and ends on December 31st, 2009.

All Classic Diavari Riflescopes

All Classic Diatal Riflescopes

30, 40, 45 and 50 Conquest T* Binoculars

Victory Diascope 65 T* FL and 85 T* FL

Autumn Offers until December 31st, 2009

For further information please telephone Carl Zeiss Sports Optics on 01707 871350 www.zeiss.co.uk

Carl Zeiss has compiled a unique offer just for you: Purchase one of the ZEISS products displayed above now and save up to 20%. Your participating ZEISS dealer will be pleased to provide you with more information.

Target Shooter

3

Welcometothe8thmonth .......ofTargetShooter16 The GSG-5 & MiniRifle Competitionby VinceBottomley

Sections6 10 12 14 18 28 34 39 52 60

ShootingSportNews ShootersCalendar SupportyourLocalGun Shop ShootingBlackPowder PistolbyChrisRisebrook Websiteofthe Month

22 HAWKE SIDEWINDER30 reviewbyTimFinleyAND ECLIPSE30 IRSW

41 Nikko Sterling

Diamond Sportsman 10 - 50 x 60mm scope reviewbyAndyDubreuil

EuropeanPractical ShotgunChampionship 2009byTonySanders

46 Windflags -

the Hows and the whys byCarl Boswell

No4TMarkings-No32 ScopebyNigelGreenaway GunoftheMonth 2009WelshOpen ChampionshipbyHayley Platts FullBoreBallisticAnalysis Part2byBryanLitz GalleryRifleBasicPart5 byGwynRoberts ClubFeature Letters

54 The FT WorldChampionshipby StanleyShaw

74 80 94

4

OLD FAITHFUL THE .308 WINCHESTER (part 1)byLaurie Holland

67 HANDLOADING

95 AdvertisersIndex

Target Shooter

Association Pages82 84 87 89 91 92 93 UKBRA UKBR22 FClassUK QuigleyAssociation HFTNews GalleryRifle UKPSA Editor(s). CarlBoswellandVinceBottomley Advertising and Office Manager AndyDubreuil.email;admin@targetshooter.co.uk Contributors VinceBottomley AndyDubreuil BryanLitz TimFinley LaurieHolland ChrisRisebrook CarlBoswell HayleyPlatts TonySanders NigelGreenaway GwynRoberts StanleyShaw KenHall

Webitorial - November 2009Fromtheoutset,TargetShootertookthedecisiontostayawayfrompoliticsbutwearenowontherundowntothenextGeneralElection,whichmusttakeplacebyJunenextyear.Wewillbeaskedtovotefor MPs-manyofwhomhavealreadyprovedtobeuntrustworthywiththeirexpensesclaims.Asalways,there arerumoursthatifelected,theToriesmayallowourOlympicsquadstooncemoretrainathomewiththeir ownpistols.IfMPswantustotrustthemtheymustalsotrustus.Letshopethatcommonsenseprevails foronce. TheUKiswellknownthroughouttheworldashavingsomeofthetoughestfirearmlawsandIhadachuckle recentlywhenreadinganAmerican-basedshootingforum.HowcomeiftheBritsaresorestrictedinwhat theycanshoot,theywhuppedourbuttsattheFClassWorldChampionships? How indeed! Maybe a few of those former pistol shooters have now become very competent riflemenIdliketothinkthatsomethinggoodcameoutofthatknee-jerklegislation. This month, we have another bumper issue for you and you can read a splendid report on the 2009 World Field TargetAir Rifle Championships in SouthAfrica. Yes, we had a bunch of Brits shooting out there and guess what? Not only did England win the team event but a Brit, James Woodhead, is the new World Champion. What an achievement! A group of guys go out there, under their own funding and beat the world! Course you knew that didnt you? It was all over the newspapers no? The NRA Journal no? Well, Target Shooter is proud to carry this report and we congratulate James and the rest of the guys for their magnificent achievement. If youre a fullbore rifle shooter reading this and maybe thinking that air-rifle just doesnt cut it let me tell you that in my experience,agoodfieldtargetshooterwillholdhisowninanyfullboreriflecompany.Itsallrifleshooting guysletsembraceitandcelebrateit. Untilnextmonth.

Onelastreminder-whenlookingatadsyoucanclickonthesetogodirectlytovendorswebsites toviewproducts.Pleasementionournamewhencontactingthem. CarlBoswell-carl@targetshooter.co.ukandVinceBottomley-vinceb@targetshooter.co.ukand AndyDubreuil-admin@targetshooter.co.uk CopyrightTrinityDigitalPublishingLtdDisclaimerThewebsitewww.targetshooter.co.ukispartofTargetShootermagazinewithallcontentsofbothelectronicmediacopyrighted.Noreproductionispermittedunless writtenauthorisationisprovided. Information,pricesanddataisbelievedtobecorrectatthetimeofpostingontheinternetwhichisonoraroundthe1stofeachmonth.Advertisementsthatarefirearm relatedarefromcompaniesorindividualsthatTargetShootermagazinebelievesarelicensedtoholdsuchfirearmsandacceptsnoresponsibilityifcompaniesor individualsarenotsolicensed. LettersandphotographssubmittedbymembersofthepublictoTargetShootermagazinewillbeacceptedonthebasisthatthewriterhasagreedtopublicationunless otherwisestated.TargetShootermagazinehasnocontroloverthecontentorownershipofphotographssubmitted. Theviewsexpressedinthismagazinearenotnecessarilytheviewsofthepublishersandrelatetospecificcircumstanceswithineacharticle.Thesearetheopinions andexperiencesofwritersusingspecificequipment,firearms,componentsanddataundercontrolledconditions.Informationcontainedintheonlinemagazineoronthe websiteisintendedtobeusedasaguideonlyandinspecificcircumstancescautionshouldbeused.TargetShooterMagazinedoesnotexceptanyresponsibilityfor individualsattemptingtorecreatesuchtestingusinganyinformation,dataorothermaterialsinitselectronicpages.PublishersofTargetShootermagazine.

Target Shooter

5

Shooting Sport News

E

xciting news from Lapua

target shooter. Also, its muzzle velocity exceeds the m/v limits of military certified ranges.

The22-250isamuchunder-ratedcartridgefortwo Secondly, the brass is mediocre at best until now that is. From next year, Lapua will be making reasons. 22-250 brass. This opens up many possibilities Firstly, rifle manufacturers have insisted on for the target shooter who likes small calibres. A barrellingtheir22-250rifleswitharelativelyslowtwist, 22-250 shooting 80 grain bullets will be an thusforcingtheshootertouselightbulletsinthe50- amazingroundoutto600yards-andbeyond.A1in 55grainrange.Althoughthisresultsinaveryfast, 9twistshouldstabilisethe80grainbulletbutthe90 flat-shootingcartridge,itsrangeislimitedandas grainerisalsoapossibility.Orneckitupto6mmand suchdoesnotinterestthe you have 6-6.5 x 47 Lapua with a useful increase incasecapacity.Youcouldevenneckitto6.5mm. Thebrasswillalsobeidealforforming6XCcases, thoughNormadomakethesenow. From initial pictures, it looks as though the Lapua 22-250willhavealargeprimer.Imslightlysurprised asLapuainitiallyintroducedthe6.5x47withalarge primer then changed it for a small primer when it wentintoproduction.AsfarasIcouldascertain,the reasonwasanincreaseinaccuracywiththesmall primer.

I

SSF World Cup Final

The final event of the World Cup season took place this week in Wuxi, China, the worlds best shooters including Olympic champions, title defenders and World Cup Series leaders competedintheprestigiousISSFWorldCupFinal forRifle&Pistol. Mens 3 Positions The Mens 3 Positions final took place with title defender Matt Emmons taking the gold medal. The Olympic multi-medallist outscored Koreas HanandthetalentedNorwegianshooterBakken withatotalscoreof1277.3(1177-62+100.3).All finalistwereshootingeley. Qualification leaders Han Jinseop finished in second behind Emmons, grabbing Silver with 1274.6 points. Walking into the final in the lead withthehighestqualificationscoreof1180points, Han wasted his advantage by shooting twice in theeightsandscoring94.6pointsinthefinal.The 28-yearoldKoreanathleteclimbedonthesecond stepofthepodiumthankstoafatalmistakeofhis Norwegian opponents Ole Magnus Bakken, who closedthefinalwitha5.3andshothimselfbackin

thirdwithatotal of1270.0points (1180+90.0). Finalscores fromthe championship canbefound ontheISSF website. www.issf-sho oting.org/ news.ashx ?newsid= 1112

6

Target Shooter

S

toreportonthisinafutureissue. Thisisatleastsomegoodnewsthatpromotes InAugustSportEnglandpublishedfiguresabout the idea of shooting sports as a safe and anumberofsportspracticedintheUK,usinga valuablesporttobeapartof. varietyofcriteria. Shooting sports seems to have come of very The SportsmanAssociation has a lead on this well in this survey, based on the feedback of storyat; 44,000peopleagedfrom14upwards,whowere http://www.sportsmansassociation. co.uk/?p=195 surveyed. The full story can be found on the Sport Octoberwassupposedtobringamoredetailed Englandwebsiteat;http://www.sportengland. analysis of this survey, regarding the specific org/research/sport_satisfaction/headline_resports.Thisisstillbeingdevelopedandwehope sults.aspx

hootingSportsbeatfootball.

N

The tenon thread is 1 1/16th x 18 tpi. and a spacer-nutwillbeavailabletogoonyouroldStolle barrels that will allow you to shoot your old barrel on the Atlas action without re-chambering. Action TheKelblyfamilyhavelaunchedanewactioncalled configurationsarerightbolt,rightportorleftbolt,left theAtlas.TheAtlasactionisbasicallyaRemington portonly.Pricedataverycompetitive$700.00inthe 700clonemadetobenchreststandardsandwith USAbutwellhavetoseewhatitcostswhenitgets Kelblysbenchrestbackground,thatsnoidleclaim. overhere. The action-body is made of 416RS stainless-steel. Boltsaremadeof4140alloysteelonthebodyand stainless-steel on bolt-handle.TheAtlas action will comestandardasasingle-shotwithtrigger-bracket for Remington-style triggers, aluminum bolt-shroud and cone bolt on the 222, PPC and 308 bolt-face andaflatbolton.532magnumbolt-face,allwitha topsafetycut-out. Several options will be available, like fluted bolt, magazine, ejector, recoil-lug, Cera-Kote to action body & bolt handle, polished finish etc. and is on schedule for production at end of October 2009. AsmanyofyouknowtheKelblyactionsarenamed afterbearsPanda,Grizzlyetc.TheAtlasbearwas theonlynativebeartothecontinentofAfricabutis nowsadlyextinct.

ewActionfromKelblyInc.makers ofthefamousStolle

Target Shooter

7

T

he Scope Coat

Irecentlygotanewscope,theNikko Stirling 10-50x60, which you may have read about in the last issue of the magazine. Unfortunately, it didnt come with dust caps and care of equipment isabigthingwithmeandascope is one piece of equipment that can so easily be damaged simply takingitoutoftheguncabinetand transportingit.Scopescanbethe secondmostexpensivepieceofkit that we buy so surely it deserves careandattention. As a benchrest shooter, I visit a number of benchrest-shooting forums and had seen an advert for a Scope Coat buthadnottakenthatmuchinterestinit-untilIgot mynewscope. TheScopeCoatisajacketjustforyourscopeand will protect it from those everyday knocks which inevitably occur. The Scope Coat was invented by Dan Evans back in 1995, for those very same reasons and he started off with just three sizes of cylindricalscopecoversbuttodaythathasgrownto over50productscoveringavastarrayofequipment. WithalargescopeliketheNikko,Iwasntsureifthey wouldbeabletohelp-especiallyasithadtheside parallax-wheel but when I spoke to Lisa at Scope Coat,shewasveryhelpfulandveryknowledgeable andworkedoutjusttherightkindofcoverIneeded. It took around a week for it arrived in the UK from

Phoenix in Arizona and I even got a Scope Coat stickertowithit.WhenItookitoutofthepackaging, the material seemed familiar from the days when I usedtojetski-ithasthesametextureasawetsuit. Imnotsureifitismadefromthesamematerialor not but they use Neoprene which is then covered in a layer of nylon on either side. The coats come in thicknesses of 2mm, 3mm 5mm and 6mm, this makes them strong but flexible and ideal for the purpose. As it is able to stretch, it fits the scope like a glove and keeps dust off the lenses and protects from accidental knocks that inevitably happen. Scope Coat have a variety of ways to protect scopes, spotting scopes and even the muzzle of yourrifleandtheycomeinavarietycolours.Ifyou have a special request they can make it to your specifications. Its often said that the most simple ideas are the best and this certainlyoneofthose. If you are wanting to protect the vulnerable parts of your rifle then you really should checkout Scope Coats. They are very reasonably priced and have dealers all around the world so if you are looking to purchase one in the UK then contact your local dealer who can order you one from Tim Hannam (Target Shooter advertiser).

8

Target Shooter

N

EWPROPELLANTS

We see at least one new canister powder (ie blended to retain burning characteristics between manufacturing lots for handloaders) introduced each year, with 2009 and this year no exception. Last years hot entry, Alliant Reloder 17, has just reachedourshoreswiththefirstsuppliesleavingthe distributor, Edgar Brothers. This propellant, which unlike other Alliant Reloder series rifle powders of Swedish origin is manufactured by Rheinmetall Nitrochemie AG in Switzerland, uses a unique new technology that has the chemicals that control the burning rate (deterrents) impregnated throughoutthematerial,notjustsurfacecoatedasis normallydone,givingaflatterpressurecurveoverthe entire course of the burn. When allied to this products high-energy nitrocellulose plus nitro-glycerine formulationandhighbulkdensityallowingaheavycharge to be packed into any given cartridge case volume, it produces substantially higher MVs in some cartridge designs. Particular beneficiaries are the short WSM and RSAUM magnums, .284 Winchester F-Class loads withheavybullets,andthe6XCwith105-115gnbullets, increases typically being in the 150-200 fps range over that produced by competitors. Burning rate-wise

Meanwhile, Hodgdon in Kansas has just announced the introduction of a new fine-grained benchrest quality extruded powder with applications in small and mediumsizedcartridgesinmatch,varmint-shootingand military/policesniperapplications.IMR8208XBRhasa burningratealittlefasterthanIMR/H4895andissuited tothesamerangeofcartridges-.204Ruger,.223Rem, .308Win,6mmBR,.22-250Remandsimilar.Itsunique selling point is total imperviousness to all normal temperature changes Hodgdon claims no pressure/velocityvariationsatallbetweenminus40and 165-degrees F, a huge plus in warmer climates than ours where seasonal or even daily variations can affect both the velocity and accuracy of cartridges loadedwithmostpowders. lliedtoitsproducingsuperlative A accuracy in the 6PPC, this has already had one interesting offshoot using pre-production batches. Lou Murdica used the powder over the 2009 US benchrest seasonwithasingleloadthroughouttakingseveralwins, and Jim Carmichael took 1st place in the IBSA 2009 National Championship meeting with the powder, again stickingtoasinglepreviouslyworkedupload.(Because of the normal sensitivity of BR loads to even modest temperature changes, and the extreme precision and grouping consistency require to win matches, top BR competitors usually vary loads slightly according to the prevailing conditions, often more than once during the courseofamatch.) Other beneficiaries are varmint shooters such as prairiedogshooterswhoseelargetemperaturevariations and military snipers whose ammunition has to perform consistently in sub-arctic to tropical and hot desert conditions.Hodgdonsaysthatthepowderisalreadybeingloadedinammunitionforsnipersinsometheatres.It willbereleasedtoAmericanhandloadersattheendofthis year,andonpastformwellseeitheresomesixtotwelve monthslater.Afullrangeofloadsdataisavailableonthe Hodgdon Reloading Data Centre section of its website: www.hodgdon.com.8208dataisalsoincludedinthenext issueofthecompanysannualmanual,amagazineformat reloadingguide(andmore)thatwillbeonsaleearlyin2010.

it falls between the existing Reloder 15 and 19 grades makingitakintothe4350sandabitslowburningfor.308 Winchesterandsimilar,butitmightdowellinmanyofthehigh performancematchsixessuchas6X47mmLapua,6mm Dasherandsimilarwithheavybullets,andAlliantlistsloads forthe.243Winchesterthatgivea100gnPSPbulletjust over3,000fpsfromasporter-lengthbarrel.Accuracyissaid tobeverygoodindeedinsuitableapplications.Loadsdata is available onAlliants website: www.alliantpowder.com

Target Shooter

9

Calendarofeventsoverthenextmonth24 Oct - LongRangeRiflesBranch,600yd Whitworth/RigbyCup&AnnualDinner, Bisley24 Oct to Sun 25 Oct Gallery Rifle -Autumn Action Weekend (National Shooting Centre (NSC),Bisley) This is the last of the 2009 main Gallery Rifle Action Weekends that encourages Action Shooting for the Gallery Rifle community who visit Bisley. This includes competitions for Gallery Rifles (centrefire and smallbore), Long Barrelled Revolvers and Pistols. There are alsocompetitionsforthoseofyouwhohavean interestinTargetShotgun.

Ifyourcluborassociationhaseventsyouwanttopubliciseherethenemailus.5 DecGalleryRifleXmasShootandSocial (NationalShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Cometothefinalgatheringof2009fortheGallery Riflecommunity.Thisfestiveeventhasplentyof shooting,withatwist,andasplendiddinnerand grandPrize-givingthathasneverfailedtoimpress. Contact(s):BrianThomas 6 Dec LMRA Wappenschaw (National Shooting Centre(NSC),Bisley) Contact(s):LMRA 6 DecCivilianServiceRiflecompetition(National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Civilian Service Rifle competitions are held throughout the year. Dates so far for the winter league 24 October, 21 November, 6 December. DownloadanentryformandsendtoNSC,Bisley. ContactMarkBradleyforfurtherinformation 12 Dec NRAShootingClubXmasShoot(National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) NRA Shooting Club Xmas Shoot. Targets have beenbookedonMelville. Open to all full members of the NRA who have completed and returned the registration form whichisavailablebyclickingonthelinkbelow. Ifyouwouldliketoattendyoumustbookinatleast aweekinadvancebycontactingHeatherWebb. FormoreinformationontheNRAShootingClub- Contact(s):CharlesPerry 12 Dec DTL Shotgun Training, Sywell Ranges - ContactMLAGB 13 Dec Rifle Practice, Bisley 100yd - advance bookingrequired-ContactMLAGB

30 Oct to 01 Nov - European F Class Championships (National Shooting Centre (NSC),Bisley) 07 Nov Start of Probationary Members Course 2009/5 (National Shooting Centre (NSC),Bisley) This course is primarily a course in safe handling and provides an introduction to TargetRifle,GalleryRifleandBlackPowder Pistol.Eachcourseconsistsoffourseparate lessons. Course date to be allocated once entry conditions are fulfilled. All applications for Probationary Membership should be made to the NRA Membership Secretary. 14 to Sun 15 NovClubCoachCourse (National Shooting Centre (NSC), Bisley) Candidates should be experienced shooters who have already completed a Club Instructor course. This course covers coaching techniques, and methods of instruction. Candidates will be formally assessedontherangeandinthedeliveryof classroom lesson. Qualified Club Coaches may run NRA Probationary, Skills and Club InstructorCourses. 14 Nov NRA Shooting Club Day (National ShootingCentre(NSC),Bisley) Multi-discipline NRA Shooting Club Day. TargetshavebeenbookedonMelvilleandat 100,200,500and1000yards.Alldisciplines welcome. 10 Target Shooter

If you have any events or matches in the Winter that you would like to advertise FREE here, then please contact us at;

customer.services@ targetshooter.co.uk

New in Forster Co-Ax Press

New in

The simplest, most powerful and most accurate press on the market, bar none. The press delivers perfect alignment of the die and the case because the shell holder jaws are designed to float with the die, thereby permitting the case to center precisely in the die. Dual floating guide rods ensure perfect alignment.

Forster Benchrest Reloading Dies

Forster dies set the standards for quality and precision. Pinpoint accuracy and uncompromising performance begin with dependable reloading equipment that delivers time after time. The perfect dies for benchrest and target shooters seeking the very best Bench Rest Quality Dies accuracy.

Original Case Trimmer

Co-Ax Case & Cartridge Inspector

For the full range of Forster Products visit www.forsterproducts.com

Peckfield Lodge, Great North Rd, South Milford, Leeds, LS25 5LJ Tel: 01977 681639 Fax: 01977 684272 email: sales@timhannam.com Target Shooter 11

Tim Hannam

UK distributor of Forster Products

The Reloading Specialists

SupportyourlocalgunshopWestlakeEngineeringShortly afterwards he developed a Two part replacement Cylinder, for the Remington Army Revolver, which uses Shotgun primers and Nitro powder. This was followed by the Nitro .38 Conversion, where the barrel is replaced for a stainless steel Cal.38 Barrel and the replacement cylinder is made to use .38 Wadcutter bullets. This being as close as you are going to get to the S&W 38 we all love and lost. Using this system Alan now converts Remington Army, Rogers and Spencer and Ruger old Army Revolvers. There is also a .38 S&W Spl Long Pistol, based on a Remington Army Revolver. Using the two part cylinder chambered for .38 spl. In 2004 Alan produced the first .22 Britarms Long Pistol and after a lengthy battle with the Home Office ( Details are on the Westlake Engineering website) was able to put it into the marketplace. This then paved the way for the Buckmark .22 Long Pistol Conversion, As Browning were by

Alan starts to strip a BuckmarkWestlake Engineering, Run by Alan Westlake specialise in Target Pistols. In 1985 Alan purchased Britarms and brought the .22 Britarms UIT Target Pistol back into production. Up until the Pistol ban in 1997 Alan made Britarms and converted S&W Revolvers for UIT type shooting and for PPC and 1500 He also made a name as one of the foremost Browning 9mm Tuners setting them up for Service Pistol Shooting. In 1996 Alan set up a Machine shop so that he could do all his own machining without having to borrow other peoples machines or buy in machined parts. While getting out of the Kit car business that was the other half of the work he did. This proved to be a bad career move, as the Pistol Ban closed his business down, not helped by the Home Office, taking twelve months to start to process his claim for compensation for all the pistols and parts handed in. However, eventually Alan decided to start making Black Powder Muzzle Loading Pistols, producing the Phoenix, followed by the Clubmaster, a simplified and cheaper pistol using the same superb trigger system as the Phoenix.

Nitro .38 Ruger Old Armythen, able to supply the base rifles for conversion. These now form the bulk of the Long pistols supplied, as they are half the price of a Britarms which have now been taken out of production. Alan will also modify pistols such as the Ruger Redhawk, fitting Balance rods and shortening the barrels back to 12 inches, or changing the Taurus wrist brace to a straight balance rod and weight. The latest product developed is the .357 Taurus Muzzle Loading Revolver. This is a conversion of the .357magnum Taurus Long Barrelled Revolver. Which has the Cylinder removed and the crane modified to accept a new Muzzle loading Cylinder, then the wrist brace is removed and the Barrel shortened. A conversion for the .44 Magnum will be available in the not too distant future. http://westlakeengineering.com/

Standard weight Buckmark 12 Target Shooter

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

Tel/Fax 01722782432

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

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

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

Optics Ammunition Reloading equipment and more...

53 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2RB www.gtshooting.co.uk Tel: 020 8660 6843 Fax: 020 8660 6843We are conveniently situated near the M23 & M25.Shooter Target Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am - 5.30pm13

Shooting the Black Powder Pistol Part 1

by Chris RisebrookLetsgettheboringbutessentiallegalbitoutofthe Single-shot pistols are usually either flintlock or way first. Any muzzle-loading pistol made before percussion, (although Pedersoli do now make 1939andkeptasacurioorrelicispresumedtobe a replica of the Japanese matchlock) and are anantiqueandrequiresnopermit.However,ifyou areluckyenoughtoownsuchanartefactandwant toshootit,thenyouwillhavetohaveyourFirearm Certificatevariedaccordingly.Ifyouceaseusingit, youcanhaveitremovedfromyourticket,takeitoutof theguncabinetandhangitonthewall!Daftbuttrue. Incidentally, if you do wish to use an original, do makesureithasbeenproofedandisstillinproof,or haveitre-proofed. Unfortunately, the cost of original antiques now putsthemoutofthereachofmostofusbut,Italian manufacturers in particular, now produce near exact copies of many of the better known revolvers and single-shot pistols at a fraction of the price. For example, a genuine 1851 Colt Navy in good shooting condition could set you back about 2500. A modern replica could be a tenth of that price. Antique pistols have proved to be a very good investment over recent years but are getting a bit expensive to use on a regular basis.

usuallyreproductionsofwellknownmakesoftargetor duelling pistol, or examples of a generic type of pistol. Thus, there are replicas of pistols by the well-known18/19thcenturymakerssuchasLePage, Keuchenreuter,CharlesMoore,Nock,Mortimeretc. Revolvers,withtheexceptionoftheRugerOldArmy, areusuallycopiesofColtandRemingtonexamples, althoughcopiesoflesser-knownmakessuchasStarr, Le Mat and Rogers & Spencer are also produced. Competition shooting with all muzzle-loading pistols is governed in this country by the Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain (MLAGB) who run postal and live competitions for all genresofpistol.Theyareveryhelpfulpeopleand will happily supply details of their competitions and the rules governing each type of weapon. To compete under their rules, pistols must either beoriginalorinthespiritoftheoriginal.Basically, thismeansthereplicamustoffernoadvantageto shootingovertheoriginal.Thus,itmaybemadeof

14

Target Shooter

bugbearofcleaning.Nodoubtaboutit,itsachoreto cleanamuzzle-loadingrevolverbutyoucanreduce thistoaminimum.Firstly,considerastainless-steel model. It may not be authentic, or as aesthetically pleasingbutitispermittedincompetitionandthere is no need to clean it immediately after shooting. However, pistols should be cleaned as soon as possible after use and this is important. Although percussion-caps are now non-corrosive, black powder is hydroscopic and rust will form quite quickly. This can be halted or delayed by the use of Forest Foam. Its expensive, but you can leave the gun for a considerable time by filling it with the foam. Secondly, try using a black-powder substitute. The best I have found is Triple Seven. This is cleaner burning than black, uses 15% by volume,anddoesnotrequireanExplosivePermit.

stainlesssteelbutitmustnothaveadjustablesightsor oversizegripsifthesewerenotontheoriginal.Atlive competitions,weaponsarecheckedforauthenticity. Of course, if you are just going to shoot on your home range, you can have any modification you wish;indeed,somemanufacturersofferRemington revolverswithadjustablesights,althoughthesewere never available on the original. One weakness of originalrevolverswastheirancillarysprings,namely thecylinderhandspringandthecombinedboltand trigger return spring. Making flat springs is a black artandonefortunatespin-offofthereplicamarketis that,ifyoudoownanoriginalrevolver,thesesprings are usually interchangeable with a little fettling.

This latter point is very useful. To buy black powder, you have to apply to the police for an explosive permit and, if you keep it in any quantity,thenyouhavetokeepthepowderinaspecial container. You are also supposed to have an additional (free) permit to transport the stuff out of the shop! These are not insurmountable problems but they do create additional hassle which can be avoided as these rules do not apply to the blackpowdersubstitutes.Personally,Iamallforthesimple Mostshootersmainobjectiontomuzzle-loadingisthe life.

Target Shooter

15

TheGSG-5&MiniRifleCompetition

Well, here I am about to write a series of articles Im using a 4X Burris scope on the GSG-5 to about something of which I know nothing! Not the test ammunition etc first time Ive been accused of that of course but PP was the large-capacity compensated semisomethingIdontliketomakeahabitof. auto. The sport involved real-life scenarios, large round-counts,mag.changes,rapidfire,doubletaps Ilovemyshootingand,whenwelostpistols,Imade howcouldthatbereplaced? a vow to do as much shooting as I possibly could andtryeverypossibledisciplinewhilstIstillcould! Before long, Mini Rifle was up and running, using Withpistols,Idabbledandplinkedbutneverreally high-capacity semi-auto 22 rimfire rifles often gotaroundtoenteringapropercompetitionwhat basedontheRuger10/22.Targetsandscenariosor awastedopportunity.Now,Irarelytakeagunoutof stagescanbeverysimilartothePPcoursesoffire thecabinetunlessitistoshootincompetitionandI andlarge-capacitymags.andthelikeareallthere. shoot just about everything Benchrest, F Class, Classic ilitary, lack-powder, actical nd mallbore. Last month, Target Shooter contributor Tim Finley M B T a S Yes,Imluckytoliveclosetoamagnificentfullbore riflerangeandIrealisethatifyouarenotsofortunate thenyouravailabledisciplinesmaybelimited.Maybe youjusthaveaccesstoanindoorrangeora50yard outdoor range which seriously limits what you can shootbut,youcangetplentyofenjoymentfromyour shooting, particularly if you are prepared to get involved. reviewed the GSG AK47 a 22 rimfire semiauto AK look-alike by shooting it in a Mini Rifle competition. I dont know about you but to me it soundedlikeawholelotoffunandcheapfunatthat! MylocalrangehasincludedsomeMiniRifleshoots fornextyearandafewmembershavevisitedother ranges and taken part in Mini Rifle competition to find out what its all about. We have a lot to learn rules, targets, course of fire and the essential safetyprocedures.Theideaofthisseriesofarticles is to hopefully encourage other clubs to at least thinkaboutshootingMiniRifleandifyoufollowme through the winter we can hopefully learn together andyoucanavoidmakingthesamemistakesasme!

ByVinceBottomley

Inmyeditorialacoupleofmonthsago,Ibemoaned the dozens of clubs out there that never seem to getaroundtorunningpropercompetitionsfortheir members.OneoftheobjectsofTargetShooteristo promote target shooting in all its forms and part of thatistoencourageclubstoputonshootsfortheir members. The first step I have taken is to acquire a suitable rifle.Ideallyweneedariflethatissemi-auto,takes So,ifyouareasmallclubwithlimitedfacilities,what high-capacity mags., has some sort of sighting sortofcompetitionscanyourun?OnedisciplineIve system and is light enough to handle in a variety nevertriedisMiniRifle.WhatisMiniRifle? of shooting scenarios. If you Google Mini Rifle, Seemingly, it was born out of the pistol ban. youwillsoongetanideaofwhatitsallaboutand Practical-pistol shooters were one of the most the favoured type of firearm. We are all aware of passionate prior to the ban - pushing the limits of the Ruger 10/22, which is something of a legend pistol development until they were suddenly on both sides of the Atlantic and there are more deprived of their sport. The favoured tool for

16

Target Shooter

Heres the bracket from Stockade that links two magazines together

best sight for Mini Rifle another thingtofindout. I had hoped to pick up an extra magazine from York Guns but unfortunately there were none in stock so when I got home I resorted toGoogle.Uppoppedwww.stockadeproducts.co.uk and I soon had one orderedandalittlebracketwhichclips two mags. together. The internet is greatforthisthoughitdoesnthavethe personaltouchofyourlocalgunshop, soitwasnicewhenIgotapersonal e-mail from Mike at Stockade thanking me for my order. Well done Stockade, it makes all the difference and Im pleased to be able to give you a plug. Less than a week later and I had the mag. and bracket excellent service. Ofcourse,likeakidwithanewtoy,I waseagertotryouttheGSG-5,mount thesightandgetitzeroed.Ihadintendedgettinga zeroatabout25yardsbuttherangewasalreadyin usesoIcouldntgoforwardandhadtoshootat100 yards.Ichargedthe20roundmagazine,turnedon thesightandtookaimatasmallobjectonthesand backstop. I couldnt believe it when I hit it with the first round! Im no expert on 22 rimfire ammo. but I had a variety of oddments accumulated over the yearsfromvarioustests.Maybeitwasjustbecause theriflewasniceandcleanbutthelittleGSGwas happy to digest anything I stuffed in the magazine butIsettledonsomeCCIhighvelocityMiniMag. being all too conscious of the significant trajectory-drop of sub-sonic rimfire ammo. Next month, we will get to grips with the GSG-5 and try andgetitcompetitionready.Meanwhile,howabout stirringabitofinterestinMiniRifleinyourownclub? IfyouarealreadyshootingMiniRiflethenfeelfree togetintouchifyoucanofferafewtips-notjustfor measarawbeginnerbutalsoforclubswishingto start shooting Mini Rifle. vinceb@6ppc.fsnet.co.uk

accessories,gizmosandtune-upsavailableforthis riflethananyother.Itscheaptobuyandfunctions well and naturally they are popular with Mini Rifle shooters. If you have a Ruger, Roger Francis of SouthYorkshireShootingSuppliescanofferallthe desirablewhistles&bells.www.rimfiremagic.co.uk OK, heres where maybe Ive made my first mistake. I havent gone down the Ruger 10/22 route.AttheIWAshowinGermanylastyear,Iwas bewilderedbythesheernumberof22semi-autofun gunsandtheoldRugerstartedtolookabitdated andthatGSG(GermanSportGuns)versionofthe AK47asusedbyTimFinleygotmelookinginthat direction.TimisalreadyshootingMiniRiflewithsome successandheusestheGSG-5anMP5look-alike. Imustadmit,theGSG-5appealedtomemorethana Ruger 10/22 and it also comes with quite a few useful bits and pieces, like Picatinny rail, large-capacity magazines etc. so it was off to UK importers,YorkGuns,foracloserlook. Stuart Wilson was able to show me the latest version of the GSG-5, which comes with a larger diameter faux moderator than the earlier model but I quite liked the look and feel of the earlier version so thats what I came away with plus a very neat red-dot sight which also incorporated a laser. This is a beautiful piece of kit for a very reasonable price and my term The GSG red dot is perhaps an over would function simplification but hopefully you with several different know what I mean.At this stage types of ammo, but I however, Im not sure as to the settled on CCI Mini-Mag

Target Shooter

17

ShootingWebsiteoftheMonth

Mini Rifle as we call it in the UK is developing fast in the country. We had the review if the GSG rifle last month, by Tim Finley who by the way seems to be winning a lot of these competitions as well. Anyway, in line with these developments and current competitions I thought we would look at the US based website Tactical .22.net. This combines an informative website, shop, forum, news pages etc. I have not seen anything like this website in the UK and it is an invaluable resource for anyone starting up this type of sport. We obviously have the practical/ gallery rifle side of things, but this mini rifle seems to be going a slightly different road. Tactical .22.net has some good review sections for the variety of rifles used in this sport, many of which we have access to in the UK, which is a first. The normal Remingtons, Rugers and AR 15 clones are mentioned. The new GSGs also

have a good write up. This seems to be a developing sport in the USA as there of lots of matches that have started to come up on the web, with resources like Tactical .22.net being produced to support it. We might even get inventive over here and do the same?? The new section keeps people up to date it looks like the GSG 5 may not be available for much longer whether that is in the US or here, time will tell. One thing that is good is the technical information like trigger jobs and magazine information. Overall a good start to an informative website. Like all the others we have reviewed it will inevitably grow and get even better.

18

Target Shooter

We are now building custom rifles based on these top quality US made rifle actions. We are sole UK distributors for these fine actions and are happy to supply the Trade.

SURGEON and LAWTON ACTIONS

Please click onto our website to view our latest news! We are so short of time that we are reducing our written magazine advertisements to spend more time updating our web based information....including of course the very page you're viewing right now! This has become necessary as we strive to keep pace with the orders for our rimfire and centrefire custom rifles. We refuse to lower our high standards by rushing orders which has meant an increase in waiting time for which we apologise. We have invested a large sum of money in the production of UK manufactured rifle parts over the past two years but now we are able to complete the building of our rifles completely in house, from chambering and fitting barrels, action bedding etc right through to the final finishing stages such as bead blasting and Duracoat finishing.

Most models of pistol calibre Marlins in stock! These are offered with the action checked and a Wolff reduced power hammer spring fitted. Alternatively we have them competition ready with a tuned and slicked action and trigger pull of around 2 lbs We have plenty of scope bases and Trigger Happy kits available, also one piece stainless steel firing pins.

We are proud to announce our new stainless steel Rimfire Magic action. This is now offered as an alternative to our own Rimfire Magic aluminium action which has proved so popular that we are currently engraving and proofing our second batch of fifty! The new stainless steel receiver is a similar shape to the Ruger 10/22 action which allows it to accept any 10/22 style scope base or of course it may be used in the Nordic Components kit to provide a .22 AR-15 style rifle with the associated reliability of the 10/22 system. We offer the stainless receiver with a bead blasted finish or Duracoated with the latest Duracoat SL which contains PTFE and other chemicals to give a high lubricity finish (shown above in semi-gloss black) Tel: 01226 756332 Fax: 01226 751321 e-mail: enquiries@rimfiremagic.co.uk website: www.rimfiremagic.co.uk

Everill Gate Farm Broomhill, Wombwell Barnsley S73 0YQ

19 Our retail shop is open Thursday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm toTargetus time in the workshop. allow Shooter

L

aunching the brand new airgun marque of Prestige Airguns, the Kub family comes in a trio of exciting carbine-format models - the SB (side-bolt), RB (rear-bolt) and SL (side-lever) - each available in .177 or .22 and with ambidextrous thumbhole or sporter woodwork in walnut. The Kubs weigh-in at just 6.5 lbs., yet are stacked with features - including an adjustable butt pad, plug-in charging, on-board air gauge, adjustable two-stage trigger, re-settable safety, threaded muzzle and a 10-shot rotary magazine. Notwithstanding its compact dimensions, a Prestige Kub also returns upwards of 100 full-power shots per air-fill thanks to its self-regulating firing valve. Against feather, fur, metal or paper targets, the new Prestige Kubs are the connoisseurs choice for handling and performance. A pride born to make your shooting more rewarding.

20

Target Shooter

HAWKE SIDEWINDER30 AND ECLIPSE30 IRSW

ByTimFinleyThe 3 to 12 Sidewinder 30very pleasantly surprised with its features andperformance.ThescopeIhadheardof was the Sidewinder from Hawke. From the outsetitwasdesignedtohaveallthefeatures expected of a modern telescopic sight as wellasafewnewones.Themodelsentfor testing was the lowest magnification specification in the range. They make a 3-12, 4-16, 6-24 and 8-32. The first two have 50mm diameter objective lenses and the last two 56mm. All have Hawkes new adjustment turret system, this is a very well designed affair were the turrets are kept in a locked down position and cannot be rotated, either accidentally or otherwise until the top of the dial has been liftedup.Theyhavethisonboththeelevation andwindageturrets. To reset the turret to a zero position an Allenkeyonthetophastobeundoneandthe indexing top section lifted clear of the internal spindle. When set to your required position, normally 0 after you have zeroed your rifleforwindageandatyourchosenrange,thetop section can be pushed back down to engage the spindle and the Allen screw tightened back up. It has minute of angle click values at 100yards. AnotherqualityfeatureoftheSidewinderisthefact it has a coil spring behind the erector tube rather thanthenormalleaftype.AlltheSidewinderscopes have reticles in the second focal plane, meaning with a Mildot reticle fitted, as in the test scope, it

Sidewinder 30 I ammore usedtotestingHawke scopeswith one of their specialized reticles, be it the MAP (Multi Aim Point, versions 6 or 8) or SR (Specialized Reticles, versions 6 or 12) in fact the past five reviewsIhavedoneonHawkescopeshaveallhad one or the other. So it is nice to cover two Hawke scopesthathavefairlystandardreticles.Oneofthe scopesIhadheardofandwaskeentotestandthe otheroneIhadnorealideaofitsexistencebutwas

Target Shooter

21

will only be a true Mildot on themagnificationithasbeen designedtobetrueat.Aswith 90% of Mildot second focal planescopesithasbeenset totentimesmagnification.All theMildotscopesintherange have been set to be true on 10 times mag. The 3-12 scope on test came in the most impressive packaging Ihaveseenonascope,you getmoreblingandwowfactor thanwhenyoubuyaSchmidt andBenderscope.Thescope is set in a cut-out in the box with the additional 100mm long sunshade, an optional 100mm diameter sidewheel

Green mildot of Sidewinder 30

Sidewinder Flip up scope Sidewinder Flip up scope caps come with it too caps come with it too

andascopebodyindexingpointerforthelarger sidewheelalsosetintocutsouts.Goingbackto S&Bthesescopesdontevencomewithabody pointerfortheirlargesidewheelFTscopes.The largerwheelontheHawkehasyardagemarkings of 10,15,25,50,100,200,500yards and infinity. It hasatoughrubberinsertcuttotheshapeofthe scope bodies sidewheel to ensure a snug, firm fit and that it will not damage the wheel. Three small allen screws tighten behind the rubber to grip the scopes small wheel.The Sidewinder is Hawkes premier scope and really shows in all aspects of these models. Taking the scope out of the impressive box and getting to grips with it,therewereotherfeaturesthatsetitapart.The reticle can be illuminated in either red or green with 5 brightness settings available for both

The larger sidewheel has yard markings too

22

Target Shooter

colours.Theswitchforthese The sidewheel parallax settingsisactuallypositioned also has red and green on the end of the sidewheel illumination parallaxturret,makingitvery handy, its a much better position than the more normaloneonthebackofthe scopebodynearthevariable magnification ring or on the eye bell. Speaking of which theeyebellhasafastfocus system which can be locked off once you have set the reticle to be in focus with your own eyes, this locking ringisthencoveredupbyflip up scope lens covers which are fitted as standard and

The turret in its down locked positionmil between each dot. Not very useful if you really need or indeed want a true Mildot scope. In HFT for instance we need a true Mildotpacedreticle to be able to accurately rangefind the distance to the targets. Scope manufactures are keen NOT to tell you their scopes reticle is not a true Mildot one. You can trust Hawke as a top firm not to do such a thing. The reticle itselfisverycrispandwelldefinedwithfourMildots positioned off each of the four legs off the centercrosshair.Thereisanotherthingthatyoucan trust Hawke not to do, some firms who sell 30mm bodied scopes actually fit lenses made for 25mm bodied scopes into them, not very fair. Hawke 30mmbodiedscopeshavetrue30mmmulticoated lensesanditcanbeseenwhenviewingthroughthe scope,whichIdidnext.Ifittedthescopetoatest rifleandasIhadheardonthegrapevinetheoptical quality was excellent. This scope with its massive focusrangeisathomemountedoneitheranairrifle, rimfire or indeed a centerfire. In fact I really fancy oneofthelargermagnificationSidewinder30swith theSR12rimfirereticleformy.22lrRugerK77/22, I can then use it for pest control on eight times magnification with the SR12 reticle and also

supplied for the objective lens as well. The magnification ring is described as High torque in Hawkes catalogue and they do seem very well constructed to tight tolerances as the ring does takesomeforcetoglideinaroundwhenadjusting, speakingofwhichIfoundtheparallaxabittoughto turnwithouttheoptionallargersidewheelfitted. I checked the spacing of the Mildot on one of my testchartsat15yards,whichwasnoproblemasthe scopeisdesignedforshortrangesandcomesdown to 10 yards. The reticle was indeed at true Mildot spacingswhensetontentimesmagnification,dont thinkIamstrangeincheckingthisasalotofscopes madeinChinacomewithMildotstylereticleswhich are not true Mildot dot so cannot be used as true Mildot reticles can. Some have one and a quarter Mildotspacingormorecommonlytwoandevenfour

Target Shooter

23

30 Eclipse also comes with lans cloth and a spare battery

50mmobjectivelensesandIwastestingthe highmagversion.Theyalsohaveaslanton theEuropeanmarketastheycanbebought in imperial or metric, the imperial has minute of angle clicks at 100yards and the metricone1centimetreclicksat100m.They areonlyavailablewithMildotreticles,which like the Sidewinders are set to a true mil spacing on ten times magnification and

30Red illumination is on the center dotturn it up to 32 times to compete in club competitions. The 3-12 Mildot scope is a verywellbuiltandveryversatilescope,tobe honestIdonotknowhowHawkehavemade such scope for less than two hundred and fiftyquid.TheMildotmakesitidealforHFTas doesthefactthatitcanbeparallaxeddown to20yards.TheSidewinder303-12*50also comesfittedwithanSR6reticleifyouwantto godownthatroute. Eclipse 30IR The second scope of this double test I had neverheardof,theEclipse30IRisa30mm bodied scope as is the Sidewinder, but it is considerable cheaper and has two scopes in the range, a 4-16 and 6-24. Both have

Up to 24 times mag - Magnifcation is read out on the side GENIUS!

24

Target Shooter

Sidewheel PA on the Eclipse

Scope caps come on the Eclipse tooare in the second focal plane. There are two side focus scopes in the Eclipse range being the aforementioned 4-16 and this 6-24 model. They parallax down to 10 yards and in excess of 500 yards. In fact the 4-16*50 model has just won a Gold medal in the Civilian Service Rifle competitionheldatBisleyheldat300and500yards up against German and American scopes costing many times more, so the credentials of this scope havealreadybeenprovenincompetition.TheMildot reticlecanbeilluminatedredorgreenwiththecontrols beingarotatingknobbetweenthefastfocuseyebell andthevariablemagnificationring.Thisringhasa fantastic feature, which I thought I would never see on a production scope. The indexing mark for reading off what magnification the scope is set on is not on the top of the scope where you would normallyexpecttoseeit.Itisonthelefthandside of the scope so you can see it without lifting your headoffthecheekpiece.Itmakessensetomealso becausethesidewheelparallaxisreadoffontheleft handsidesoyoucanviewthetargetonmaximum magsettheparallaxthenwinddowntotenmagto use the true Mildot reticle for extra rangefinding or aimingoff.Gettingbacktotheilluminationithasfive

brightness settings in either colour powered by a single CR2032 3 volt battery. The illuminated portion of the reticle is the centerdot,whichyoudo not find on other Mildot scopes.ImustsayIlike it for pure target work thatsreallyallyouneed illuminating. The target turrets are protected by screw on/off caps, and the objective and eye bell lenses can be protected by the flip up scope covers supplied withthescope. Thisisaseriouslycheap scopeforwhatitis,soif youareonatightbudgettheEclipse30IRsidewheel needs a serious coat of looking at. Both scopes consolidate the reputation of Hawke as builders of valueformoneyqualityproductswithmanyfeatures expectedofscopescostingmuch,muchmore. SPECIFICATION Model Hawke Model Sidewinder 30 Magnification 3 to 12 Parallax Sidewheel down to 10 yards Objective Dia 50mm Body Tube 30mm Finish Matt Black Field of view @ 100m 9.4-1.2m Eye relief 101.6mm Exit pupil 4.2 - 16.6mm Overall length 340mm Weight 665grams Price 239.00 Distributor Deben 0870 4422600 Make Model Magnification Parallax Objective Dia Body Tube Finish Field of view @ 100m Eye relief Exit pupil Overall length Weight Price Distributor Hawke Eclipse 30 IR Sidewheel 6 to 24 Sidewheel down to 10 yards 50mm 30mm Matt Black 4.8-5.1m 97mm 2.1 - 8.3mm 405mm 773grams 199 Deben 0870 4422600

Target Shooter

25

26

Target Shooter

SA09/54/e

Size Really Does Matter!Thats why we offer more than 50 standard and custom sized Scopecoats.Made in America

Is The Worlds Most Trusted Name in Scope ProtectionNot sure what size Scopecoat you need or where you can make a purchase?

Call us TOLL FREE at (877) 726-7328 or e-mail info@scopecoat.comBeware of lookalikes, soundalikes, fakes, copies and counterfeits. Ask for it by name. Scopecoat has you covered!For Electronic, Holographic, Night Vision, Spotting Scopes, Long Range Benchrest, Competition Pistol, or Recreational Shooting with your friends. Scopecoat, Protecting The Worlds Finest Optics Since 1994. Many of the worlds leading Sports, Law Enforcement and Military optics manufacters recommend or offer Scopecoat on select models.

Made In The USA

3001 E. Cholla Street, Phoenix Arizona 85028 Tel (602) 957-0497 www.scopecoat.com 1994-2006 Devtron/Scopecoat All Rights Reserved US Patent # 5661920 US Patent # 5850706

Target Shooter

27

European Shotgun Championships 2009

By Tony SaundersOn Monday 14th September 2009, in the leafy Above - man versus man shoot-offs centralparkattheheartofthesmalltownofPisek in the Czech Republic, under leaden skies, the hundreds of people from 24 nations together to officialopeningceremonyoftheLevelIVEuropean formally open the four days of practical shotgun Shotgun Championships 2009 (ESC 09) brought shooting.

Ladies Team member, Sharon Sell shooting well with her Remington 1187

28

Target Shooter

As the music swelled and the dance troupes batons twirled in the damp air, the procession of competitors lined before an open auditorium, flags aloft as the town dignitaries and organisers addressed the crowds. Our own Neil Beverley, chairmanofthearbitrationcommitteethendelivered a warm speech thanking the assembled throngs andthehostsoftheeventfortheirdedication,hard workandwarmwelcometousall.Itwasamoving occasionandtestamenttotheinternationalgoodwill andcamaraderieamongshootersandpublicalike. For those who are not familiar with practical shotgun (PSG) in the UK, it is a target shooting disciplineshotagainsttheclockusinghigh-capacity pump-actionorsemi-automatic12g(or20g)shotguns. Competitorsshootcoursesoffiredesignedtotestthe threecoreelementsofpracticalshooting;Accuracy, PowerandSpeed.Thesethreequalities(DiligentiaVis Celeritas)orDVCforshort,areemblemizedinthe motto of the world governing body for practical shooting, the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and also in the UK governing ody, he nited ingdom ractical hooting b t U K P S Association(UKPSA). PSG competitions are held all across the UK, both at club level and also a series of sanctioned Level 3 competitions to determine a national grade.IfyouvenevershotPSGbefore,itshardto describe the thrill and exhilaration moving, loadingandshootingthroughaseriesofcleverand innovativestages,fromavarietyofpositions.Both static and moving targets are employed - often together with activation targets to trigger doors or movingmetalandpapertargets.Ammunitionvaries from birdshot, through to buckshot and solid slug.

ALevelIVEuropeancompetitionhasbeenheldfour times since the first one held in the UK. Italy was a major event in 2003, Kavala in Greece saw the championshipsin2006followedthisyearbyESC09at theexcellentrangefacilitiesinOperany(pronounced OP-err-AJ-nee), a series of bermed and extended pistolbayssittingcomfortablyalongadipinarolling farmed and copsed landscape. Sat approximately 20milesequidistantbetweenPisekandthetownof TabortotheWest,itisaninspiringplacetoshoot. Both Pisek and Tabor are tourist gems, boasting unassuming architectural treasures amidst the post-war Eastern block structures and chiseledfacades.Pisekhastheoldeststonebridge in Europe, in style almost identical but smaller to the famous Charles Bridge, its better known cousininthecapitalPrague,70milestotheNorth. ESC 09 drew teams from as far as Thailand and the US, as well as the major representations from Italy, Czech Republic, Russia and of course, a sizeable number of teams and individual shooters from the United Kingdom for the 22 stage match. Each of the registered 294 shooters needed a minimum of 336 rounds of ammunition (birdshot, buckshot and slug) in order to shoot the match. Over fifty IROA Range Officers were hand-picked to oversee the stages to ensure that safe gun handling and strict adherence to the rules was assured. ost hot he re-match tages long ith he M s t P s a w t otherorganiserswhoareofcourseshootersatheart. On Tuesday the main match commenced. The competitorsweresplitinto18squadsandallshotthree outofthefourdays-witharestdayallowingthemto takeawellearnedbreatherfromthecompetitionand achancetowatchothershootersanddiscusstactics.

The duanting Stage 1, required six classic poppers to be shot down at 45 metres with slug ammunition. The yellow are no shoots. You had to know where your ammunition was shooting at this distance

Target Shooter

29

Super Senior and super pumper George Granycome shooting targets through an aperture at the start of a stageeThe stage designs were of the snappy, multiple-position format familiar to pistol shooters, withlotsofhigh/lowaperturesandahighproportion of fast moving bobber-type paper targets activated by a variety of ingenious but simple mechanisms. Cunningtargetplacementandnumbersmeantthat StandardManualandAutoshooters(whostartwith nomorethan9roundsintheirgunsmaximum)had to carefully consider their loading strategy to take maximum advantage of timings and position. This was not running and gunning but a choreograph of optimum load/shoot sequencing, almost always weighing up opposing strategies in the five short minuteseachsquadhastolookcloselyatthestage. But this is exactly what lends PSG such an edge! Accuracy and Speed are paramount, but loading andstrategymakethecrucialdifferencetosuccess and failure on a stage, and indeed on the match. It means too that slower shooters can win if they can find sweet spots that others have missed and perhaps shoot from the weak shoulder with as much confidence as they can their strong stance. Reducing the number of shooting positions means lesstime,lessopportunityforerrorandthusfaster stagetimes.Practice!Practice!Practice!isthebyword andinPSGnothingappliesmoretothisdictumthan theneedtorefineonesabilitytoloadonthemove. Bytheendofthefirstdaysshooting,alltheteams had either shot or watched the stages being shot anditwasapparentthatthereweresomeveryfast and consistent shooters emerging in the Italian, Serbian and Russian teams. The UK ladies team was performing well having got into their stride early and shooting a careful but accurate match. The loading techniques were the main variance from country to country. Thailand shootershadlonginterchangeablemagazinetubes extendingthegunslengthtoaroundfivefeetlongand holding around 25 standard 12g rounds making them heavy as well as somewhat unwieldy. The Germansandmanyothersfavouredchestplaterigs holding cartridges such that the gun could be invertedandtwoorfourcartridgesatatimecouldbe loadedveryfastinagrab-forcedownmotion.Many, particularlytheSerbianmodifiedteamusedtheolder plasticProdecclipsandprovedparticularlyadept atfastloadingonthemoveeventhoughthegunis takenfromtheshoulderandinvertedtoloadlikethis. The British teams favoured box (or stripper) loaders with four cartridges grabbed using the weak hand and loading with the gun still mountedintheshoulderordroppedslightlytocutsight acquisitiontimesdownbetweenloadingandshooting. The thoughtful stage layouts and squad rotation ensuredakeenmomentumasthedaysprogressed. It would take too long to describe all of the 22 stages,butseveraldodeservespecialmentionhere... OnewasafastslugstagewithalineofsixIPSCcard targetsrequiringonehitoneachspacedabout2foot apartatadistanceofaround12meters.Whatmade itdifficultwasthefactthatonlythetwooutertargets werestationary.Thefourcentraltargetswereonfast moving bobbers (a mechanism like a windscreen washerarmthathasatargetmountedontheend). These were behind a wall of tyres such that they disappearedattheendofeachstrokesoyoucouldnt sightonthematrestandhadtotaketheshotwhile they were in motion. This was coupled with the additionalproblemthateacharmalsohadano-shoot targetmountedonitaswell-soamissmightincur

30

Target Shooter

Keith Wilson reloading as he shoots targets through a low aperture on the long Stage 5

asignificantpenalty.Thefinalcomplicationwasthe startposition-holdingtheshotgunintheweakhand, in Option 2 (magazine loaded - no rounds in the chamber), with a bottle of water held in the strong hand. On the start signal, the bottle was dropped into a box to activate the release mechanism; the gunhadtobebroughttothestrongshoulder,racked to chamber a round before engaging the targets. At 12 metres its not always easy to see a hit on a moving target causing many to shoot more than required, or miss but think theyd scored. The fastest shooters were doing this stage in around 7 seconds - amazing performance that drew much vocal admiration from the watching crowds. Stage 4 was a fast 8 plate shoot through an aperture with a screen of water obscuring the view.Tomakeitharder,ano-shoottargetwasalso included to prevent a wild blag and requiring accurate fast shot placement. This was from a fully loaded (Option 1) start position - the best shooters completing this stage in just over four seconds! Shootingmatchesofthislevelfordaysistiringand when Friday arrived, I think all competitors were gladtohavecompletedthecompetition.Imbushed

butwoulddoitallagainnextweeksaidoneofthe shootersashepackedhisgunawayafterafinalslug stage. The weather had been favourable apart from one morning of rain - not too hot and always with a hint of breeze. The club facilities were fantastic andIknowIspeakforallwhoattendedwhenIsay how well the competition was run by Roman Sedy and his team. Hot food was always available with large eating areas.A webcam allowed those back home to see us which was a thoughtful touch. Ammunition and accessories for on sale, stalls catering for shooters had plenty of room and even scrutineering was carried out in a slick fashion. For those lucky enough to have qualified to a certain level, there was still a day of shoot-offs on the Saturday. These are simple man v man stagesincorporatingacompulsoryreloadandwere shotataseparaterangenearPisek.AhostofUK team members took part in these tense, quick-fire events before returning to Pisek that evening for the final closing speeches and awards ceremony. The final ceremony was another blaze of celebration in the historic and spacious Pisek House of Culture.PiseknestlesalongthebanksoftheOtava

Target Shooter

31

shooter. OtherTeamwinnerswereasfollows: Modified Division : 1st:Italy, 2nd:Russia, 3rd:Finland Open Division: 1st:CzechRepublic, 2nd:Italy,

The UK contingent at the Opening Ceremonyriver,shadowedbytheremainsofthe13thcentury castlefoundedbyBohemiankingsluredbytherich promisesofgoldminingandriverbornetrade.The areaismuchrebuilthavingseenfightingandstyle changesoverthecenturies.Now,GothicandBaroque meetspost-warconcreteandcobbledstreetsabound. Packed into the house of culture, over 400 shooters,organizers,friendsandpatronsenjoyeda wonderfuleveningastheparadeofwinnerstooktheir placesonthestagetoacceptmedalsandtrophies. Asthethird,secondandfirstplacewinnersineach categorystoodproudlybearingtheirnationalflags,the winningnationsanthemrangouttostandingovation.

3rd:Slovakia Standard (Auto) Division: 1st:Finland, 2nd:Slovenia, 3rd:Russia Standard (Manual) Division: 1st:Italy. 2nd:Germany, 3rd:Slovenia

Aftertheevent,IaskedIPSCArbitratorNeilBeverley howhefeltaboutthesuccessofthecompetition.Neil hadvisitedtherangeseveraltimesbeforetheevent Without wishing to repeat all the details covered andspentanimmenseamountoftimeensuringthe inlastmonthsESCShortArticle,itwastheBritish stagedesignswerefair,safeandtruetoIPSCstanLadies team that took Gold medal for the Ladies dards.Ihavehadawonderfultime,hesaidashe category, easily beating Finland into second place. surveyedthecrowdsattheclosingceremony.The amount of work put in by the Czech hosts has been unbelievable so much effort behind the scenes. But I would also like to thank all the IROA Range Officers, Range MasterBarryPollard,Match Director Roman Sedy and his assistants Jiri Sedina and Kvido Klecanda, Jiri Marek and Radovan Lisy and the build and support teamsformakingthissuch an unforgettable match and, he added with a nod The triumphant Ladies Team with their team manager after to the packed room, to receiving their medals and trophies. the shooters themselves Vanessa Duffy, Josie Adam, Andrew Duffy, Sharon Sell and who really do get better Caroline Norman each ESC. I think we all learn new lessons from shooting cross-nation as Vanessa Duffy, current chair of the UKPSA also wedo. stepped up to take a gold medal as European LadiesChampion2009.Itwasaproudmomentfor Backnowasthenightsdrawinandtheleavesbegin tofall,theUKshootersarelookingtothefinalmatch thewholeUKTeam. Barry Sullivan(GBR) won 3rd place Senior in oftheUKLevel3seasonatHarlowinEssexon24th Standard Auto. Jim Starley (GBR) was highest Octobertoputsomeofthoselessonsintopractice, placed junior shooter. Pete Starley (GBR) was and of course, to have a last chance this year for highest placed senior Modified shooter and Mike some excellent and enjoyable practical shooting. Scarlett (GBR) was highest placed super-senior

32

Target Shooter

Target Shooter

33

No.4(T) Sniper Rifle The Number 32 Scope

ByNigelGreenawayFollowing on from last months article, that highlighted the features and markings that distinguish a No.4(T), it is now time to turn the spotlight on the telescopic sight or Telescope Sighting No.32 plus the other equipment that makes up the Complete Equipment Schedule for a No.4(T) sniper rifle. No.32 Scopes The original No.32 Mk1 scopes wentintoproductionin1941with a sliding brass ocular sun shade which, given the reasonably stout recoil of a .303 and a nice smoothbuttplate,seemedideally designed to cut chunks out of your eyebrows. Mk1 scopes had elevation adjustments in 50 yard incrementsandrangesmarkedin 100yardsfrom100to1,000yards tomatchthetrajectoryofthe.303 MkVIIround. Deflection or windageRight -: Three No.32 scopes a Mk1, a Mk2 in the middle and lower a Mk3.

adjustments were in 2 minutes of angle increments (2 inches per 100 yards) allowing for 16 minutes of windage left and right for 32 minutes in total. These adjustments are a bit course, especially at the longer ranges, so a Mk2scopewasintroducedinApril1943which hadoneminuteadjustmentsforbothelevation

34

Target Shooter

andwindagemuchbetter! Unfortunately both these early scopes were a pigtozeroandyoureallyneededthreehands todoit.ToovercomethisproblemanewMk3 scopewasintroducedinOctober1944whichhad slipping scale rings for both elevation and deflection. The scales had a raised projectionwhichenabledthetipofaroundtobe inserted to push or slip the scale round to the correct zero whilst holding the drum steady withtheotherhand.Oncezeroedataspecific range,say300yards,theelevationwouldread 3 and windage 0. Thereafter the bullet drop compensatingelevationscalewouldcaterforall ranges up to 1,000 yards. It worked well and many Mk2 scopes were retrofitted with the Mk3 drums in a refurbishment programme authorised in November 1944 but largely implemented during the 1950s. Officially this variation was designated as Mk2/1 and a few scopes were re-engraved but many were not. There were about 1,000 Mk2/1 scopes manufactured from scratch by Vickers U.I.Co. in 1944. Production of the Mk1 amounted to about 8,620 with Mk2s reaching 7,880 and Mk3s reaching 12,500 for a grand total of about 30,000 scopes. This number is greater than the number of rifles converted but many Mk3 scopes were retrofitted to early rifles when the Mk1 scopes were withdrawn from front line service by September 1951. You can see how this official upgrading during Base Workshop overhaul begins to make a mockery of what is a correct No.4(T) plus scope. TheMk3scopewassogoodthatit,andavery fewMk2/1,wereconvertedintotheL1A1scope forfittingtotheL42A1sniperifleintroducedin 1970-itselfaconversionoftheNo.4(T).No.32 Mk3andMk2/1scopeshaveareputationforthe drumsseizingup.Thisisbecausethegrease inside eventually hardens like a glue. Careful stripping and replacement of the grease will cure this. Do not try using penetrating oil readPeterLaidlersbookinsteadwhichhasfull strippinginstructions.Thelaterscopeswillhave either have one or both markings - a red W (waterproof) and/or a blue B (bloomed to enhance light transmission) painted on the scopetube. Each of the eight No.32 scope manufacturers Target Shooter 35

Top and middle are brackets by Rose Brothers, lower bracket is by Dalglish haditsownwayofengravingthescopes,mostly withtheirlogobutsometimesnot,butallusing the Government code of OS466A for the Mk1, OS1650A for the Mk2, OS2039A for the MK3 andtheveryrareOS1400GAfortheMk2/1. Dalglishof lasgow ho arked heirs 92. ther G w m t N O markings will be successive numbers, like 18 and19or202and203,onthesideofthecradle cramps or scope rings as we would call them today. Some of the early scopes having single letterprefixesorsuffixes.Thereasonforthese No.32 scope manufacturers numbersistopreventthecrampsbeingputback UICUnitedInstrumentCompany(Vickers) onthewrongcradle.After1950thebrackethad WWWilliamWatson theriflenumberstampedonit,usuallybeneath H.B.M. Co Houghton Butcher Manufacturing the rear cradle. Original brackets without a Company numberwillhavebeensoldoutofservicebefore AK&SAlexKershaw&Son 1950.Sometimesyouwillfindbracketswithtwo CT&SCookeTroughton&Simms orthreedifferentriflenumbersstampedonthem TH&CoTaylorHobson&Co with the previous numbers struck through as KLKodakLtd armourers maybe salvaged them to use on RELResearchEnterprisesLtd. otherrifles(adecisionthatwouldnotbetaken lightlyduetopotentialcollimationproblems).The Scope Brackets Canadian REL made brackets always had the There were two British and one Canadian rifle serial number engraved on them in the manufacturer of the brackets that held middlebetweenthetwocradles. the scope to the rifle. Rose Brothers of Gainsborough in Lincolnshire marked their Roger Payne has, over the years, made brackets with either JG or KD and they have batches of 100 brackets, cast out of malleable a more rounded profile compared to the iron and machined just like the originals. We squarer and slightly thicker ones made by haveworkedtogetheronwhatisthe5thbatch 36 Target Shooter

A reproduction bracket

andtheyarenowready.Theyaremadetotight tolerances to ensure that they collimate within acceptable limits when fitted to genuine rifles. Experienceandminortweakshavemadeeach successivebatchbetterandthequalityissohigh that,toquotethenotedauthorityonthesubject, Peter Laidler, when answering a question on oneoftheinternetcollectorforumsabout50 orsoofRogerPaynesbracketswereutilisedon thelatterrebuildsoftheL42sdestinedforWar Reserve stocks and they were indeed perfect.ItsironicthatsomeoftheL42owners outtherewhowouldprobablyshudderatarepro anything, probably have an MoD fitted repro bracket.Doesthatmakeitarepro?Theowners ofthoseriflescanatleastbeassuredthatthey haveoneofthededicatedWarReserveStocks held at xxxxxxxx in Berkshire. The steel stock andqualityassessmentwasdoneatthematerial labsatShrivenhamandeventhatwasthesame horrible black-heart (or was it white-heart...?) malleablecast!ItssuchanoldformulathatIcant findthemixinMachineryshandbookanymore! Theyaredifficulttodistinguishfromanoriginal Dalglishmadebracketandhavehelpedpairupa scopewithasuitableriflewhichwouldotherwise havecontinuedtogatherdustinacorner.The valueofacompleterifle,eveniftherifleandscope aremismatched,isfargreaterthanthesumof itspartssothebracketsareagreatinvestment.

Scope Tins and Canvas Cases There were two types of tin or Case Sighting Telescope No.8. The early ones had rounded corners, which were quite expensive to make, so a simpler square corneredversionwasmade.Manufacturerswere Belling&CoofEnfield,markedB&CoandBerrys Electrical Company, marked B.E.Ltd. The Canadians also made rounded cornered tins plus the canvas case. In November 1944 the Case Sighting Telescope No.8 Mk2 was introduced. This canvas case was initially made by Mills Equipment Co. but there were fiveothermanufacturerstheyarequitescarce today. During the refurbishment of No.4(T)s in the 1950s more of the rounded corner tins weremadebyS.G.C.andcouldbedated1954, 1955 or 1956. During the conversions to the L42A1sniperrifleinthe1970sand1980smore rounded tins were produced by Pressed Steel MetalWorkCo,markedPSMWanddated1973or Cooke&Perkins,markedC&Panddated1983. Chest, Small-Arms, No.15 Mk1 Introduced in February1942thebasicdesignwascopiedfrom theBrenGunchestbutwithrepositionedleather handles on the sides and new fixing blocks to hold the rifle and the scope tin plus the Scout Reg.spottingscope.Thesechestsarenowvery scarce. Leather Slings and Lens Caps TheAmerican1903A1SpringfieldRifletwopart Target Shooter 37

Top to bottom, an early round cornered No.8 Mk1, middle is a square cornered No.8 Mk1 and then the Canvas Cased No.8 Mk2 , lastly reverting to the round cornered tin for the L1A1 scopes for the L42A1 sniper rifle of the 1970s

leather M1907 sling was used. These tend to with a few other tips on how to get the best betheearlyWW1madeoneswithbrassclaws. accuracyoutofthesefineoldrifles. Although it could be used as a single point sling this method seems to have been taught in the early training literature but not the later publications. This explains why Leather lens caps with the metal stud were used an additional sling swivel was throughout the life of the No.32 scope, but the variation fitted forward of the magazine with the retaining ring was also quite common sothatitcouldbeusedasatwo point sling. Later in the war an experimental webbing sling was made, based on the 37 pattern Brenslingattachedtoaseparate 15inchsectioninthestyleofthe 1907 leather sling arriving too lateinthewar,itneverwentinto largescaleproduction.Twotypes of leather lens cap were used, onewitharetainingloopandthe other without see photograph. Next month - the concluding article will examine some of the training literature produced between 1940-1951 plus Ill explain how to zero the scopes 38 Target Shooter

GunoftheMonth

This month we have had deadline issues sotheriflewewanted isnottheoneyouget this month. So with that I turn to my own rifle,asitandIhave hadarelativelygood season. Sad I know that I am the last resort,butIhavewantedtowrite aboutmyAnschutzforawhileandthisgivesmea perfectchance.(Bythewaysorryaboutthepic). The rifle is based on the Anschutz 2013 action and for some this is not the best choice for rimfire benchrest,preferringthe1913orolderactions.For me it has worked, but I am much happier with the riflesincechangingtoaLiljabarrelhalfwaythrough thisyear.TheLiljahasbroughtnewlifetotherifle andthisisprovedwithsuccessivewinsthisyear. CicognaniofItalyoriginallybuiltthisforme,topping offwiththeoriginalselectAnschutzbarrel,acustom edgestylestockwhichhasarearreceivertoadd extraweighttotherig,barreltunerwithshroudand

l i g h t weight scope rings. Theactionitselfispillar/glassbedded.Ontopwe haveaLeupoldx45competitionscopeandthishas servicedmewelloverthethreeyearsIhavehadit. The whole rifle was built to my specifications, regardingweight,lengthandoverallfeatures.Asthe Euro has gone up a lot in the three years since I haveboughtthis,soitdoesnotcomecheap. AtarecentbatchtestatEley,therifleandnewbarrel workedreallywell,goingontotherimfirebenchrest championshipsthedayafterandwinningboth50m titles,withaggregatecup.Wewillseehowmyscores hold up in the world postal, but the 50m unlimited classintheinternationalleagueisminealready. Thereareafewindependentdevelopmentsforthe 2013action,suchasthe6oclockfiringpinadaption, whichIwouldliketolookinto.Unfortunatelythese arenotmadecommercially.Ifanyoneouttheredoes thisIthinkitwouldpossiblybetheonlymodification thisriflewouldneed.

Target Shooter

39

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

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

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

www.FoxFirearmsUK.comWE STOCK HUNTING RIFLES BY COOPER, KIMBER AND PFEIFER AND COMPETITIONWINNING RIFLES FROM KELBLY AND KEPPELER, AND ARE TRADE AGENTS FOR THE SUPERB BARNARD ACTIONS, AND RECORD-BREAKING TRUE-FLITE AND BARTLEIN BARRELSVISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE VERY BEST VALUE CUSTOM PRECISION RIFLES FOR TR, MATCH, F-CLASS, AND BENCH-RESTWE ARE NOW SELLING A FULL RANGE OF HARRELL PRODUCTS

Tel: 0161 430 8278 or 07941 958464 PUTTING SHOOTING FIRST

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 40 Target Shooter IMPORT IS BY FAR THE BEST VALUE IN THE UK

Nikko Sterling Diamond Sportsman 10 - 50 x 60mm scope

By Andy DubreuilI had my first Nikko Diamond scope back in 2007.Itwasoneofthefirstbudgetscopesonthe marketwiththesideparallaxwheelandtheidea wasasgreatthenasitisnow.Tryingtochange the parallax on the front of a scope seemed clumsy - trying to look through the scope while reaching forward to focus-in. The side wheel is easiertocontrolandeasiertogetholdofwithout stretching. Aswithanygoodscope,youtrytotakecareof it and I did love those Nikko-supplied screw-on lens-caps ormally nly een n copes ith uch -n o s o s w am higherprice-tag-Ithoughtthatwasanicetouch. Asabenchrestshooter,Ineedascopewithhigh magnification and good light transmission and,

The scope about on my Anschutz - it weighs a fair bit but worth it.as a mid-range scope, the Nikko did the job.A coupleofweeksagohowever,Inoticedafogging begantoappearwhenitwasawarmday.Ascopes should be able to withstand hot humid days unless there is a problem with the nitrogen gas seal. I contacted Highland Outdoors - the sole distributersofNikkoscopes-toseewhattheyhad tosay.Theytoldmetosenditbacktothemfor inspection. I have to say that Highland Outdoors were fantastic at turning things around for me, not only with sourcing the problem but also sending me a new replacement scope within 72 hours - thats what I call service. When they rang me however, they explained that this model is no longer available and it had been superseded by the 2008 DiamondSportsman. This scope has the same magnification but far superior optics but they only had the choiceofthemildotorNATO RF reticle. On the old scope I hadthefinecrosshairnotas fineasIwouldhavelikedbutI gotonwithit.So,tohelpmake the decision between the mil dotorNATORFIchecked-out theNikkoStirlingwebsite.

Nikko 60mm objective lens

Target Shooter

41

High visiblity turrets for ease of use

Unfortunately, the pictures were rather poor in quality to help me to make a decision. I have passedthisontoHighlandOutdoorsinthehope thattheywillpassthisontoNikkoanddecidedto gowiththeNATORFasitdidseemmoreonthe

Mag ring details

linesofwhatIwaslookingfor. Sincegettingthescope,IhaveseenBlackpoolAir Armswebsiteandtheyhavereallygoodpicturesof whatthereticleshouldlooklike,forfuturereference. The scope arrived in a huge box with plenty of packaging which is reassuring as I have worked in the transport business in the past I know how thingscangetthrownaround!Better thepackagingthemorechanceits goingtoarriveinperfectcondition. The first thing I noticed however - no screw-on dust caps but I will get to that later. I took it outside for a first look and wow, what an image. Nikko have been working on improving their optics for some time now and they have done a fantastic job on producing quality lenses. Nikko say that they have redesigned the internals and have added an additional lens to the scope and this can certainly be appreciated when looking through thescope.

42

Target Shooter

Parallax adjustment is easy using this hefty side wheel

When looking through a new scope, it should be possible to see a sharp picture edge to edge and if you see a blurring of any kind then takethescopebacktothedealerandaskfora replacementremember,thecustomerisalways right. TheNATORFappearsverysharpandclearand theeye-reliefisverygoodandeasyontheeye andtheyhavemadechangesherewitharubber zoom-ringbut,youcantbuyascrew-onlens-cap evenifyouwantonewhichisabitdisappointing. Another enhancement is the elevation adjustment,whichhasbeenincreasedby another 25% and they also now have screw-oncoversfortheturrets-notavailableonthe older model. What I do love is that the turrets haveananglededgeandtheupanddownand leftandrightareincisedontheedge,soinclear viewfromtheshootingposition-nomorehaving toturntherifleovertoseewhichwaytoturn(if youcantremember!).Anothergreattouchisthe gold lettering for the turrets contrasted against thegreencolour,whichforme,wasalittleeasier to see when zeroing-in. If you regularly shoot differentdistancesasIdo,havingquickandeasy turretstonavigatefromisausefulbonusanda saving on time and ammo - nice touch Nikko.

The new design of lens combination allows for better light-transmission, especially in low light or artificial light. This was something that was missingintheoldermodelandIalwaysstruggled afterawhiletoseethetargetwithoutitblurring onmebutnotwithnewmodel,theimageisbright andcrisp. Dealing with mirage was always a problem formetoworkoutandnowIknowwhy-Iwas seeingthemirageclearenoughthroughtheolder version of the scope but with the 2008 version andthenewlenses,Icouldactuallyseehowthe miragewasmoving,makingiteasiertoworkout wheretoshoot.Havinga50powermagnification isgreatwhenyouneedtogouptothemaximum but when shooting UKBR22 targets, I normally sticktoaround4042powersimplybecauseI findthatIshootbetteratthatmagnification.The magnificationgoesupin10pointincrementsand uses the same rubber-style grip to move up or down. As I mentioned, the large parallax wheel is great but if you find that its too much, then you can easily take it off. Its held on by two socket-headscrewsandremovingitdoeshelpto reduce rifles weight, as the scope weighs-in at 37.4ouncesbutIthinkthisisslightlylighterthan

Target Shooter

43

itspredecessor.Theparallaxadjustmentisvery smoothsoeasytomakereallyfineadjustments togetthatsharppictureeitherwithorwithoutthe wheelandagain,goldletteringisused. Like most scopes, the Diamond Sportsman has a 30mm tube but with a 60mm objective I found it difficult to find mounts high enough for the scope. You can get the Bisley high mounts but you will find that the scope only just clears thebarrel.Addingriser-blocksinmyviewisnot the way to go and can cause more problems thantheyreworth.ThemountsIhaveareJohn Morrisons offset mounts details of which you can find in an article in Julys Target Shooter. SomeNikkomodelsdoincludeasun-shadebut notwiththisscope.Iwashopingthatmyoldshade wouldjustscrewontothenewscopebutsadlythis isnotthecase.Nikkosaythiswasnotpossible withallthenewdesignfeaturesincorporatedso youdoneedtobuyanewshadeifyouneedone. Highland Outdoor say the new shade will come withascrew-ondustcap,soyouwillbeableto protectthemainlensfromdustwhichisabitofaplus Overall this is a fantastic scope for the competition shooter with its new optics, crisperimageandbettertransmissionoflightand somegreatdetailinthefinerpoints.Ifyoushop

aroundyoucangetitforjustunder600which you may think is a lot of money but you do get what you pay for and its a sound investment. If youre in the market for a new scope then do checkoutthenewlineinscopesfromNikkoStirling. Ithinkyoumaybesurprisedbytheirnewrange. Specification Model MFN 10-50 parallax yards ~10 Field of view At 100yds 7.8 - 1.3 Click value 1/8 MOA Eye Relief 90 - 110mm Ocular Lens Effective Diameter 35mm Objective Bell 69mm Diameter Overall Length 16.9 inches Ocular Dia 42.5mm Weight 37.4 ounces

The mildot and Nato reticle View through the scope at 50m

44

Target Shooter

firearm solutions to suit you

SECTION 5

Section 5 deals in all forms of these specialised weapons revolvers, semi-automatic pistols and rifles, and dart guns. We have one of the largest and most comprehensive stocks of these weapons in the UK, ready for immediate sale, magazine or cylinder restriction, De-Activation or export to approved countries.

TRAINING

Email: sales@sect5.co.uk

DE-ACTIVATION

HUMANE DISPATCHWeb: www.sect5.co.uk Tel: 07549 945 292 Fax: 0845 280 1620

Target Shooter

45

Windflags - the whys and hows

By Carl BoswellThiswasanarticleIwrotesometimeago,butIve above - wind flags at a competition in the USA reworkeditforTargetShooter. We have to remember, that with 22 rimfire rifle Shootingrimfireorairrifletargetrifleishardenough shooting specifically, the wind deflection of a but when you figure-in the wind with all of the bullet is related to the amount of delay in the probabilitiesforitsmovements,thewholeprocess flight caused by air resistance. Not the bullets gets a lot more complicated. Be it rain or shine, timeinflight!Bulletsshotfromhighervelocity.22 thewindwillbetheretoamoreorlessereffect. rimfire ammunition - around the speed of sound - do suffer from more air resistance. There is To help counter this in competition shooting, we therefore potentially more wind deflection on tend to use ribbons or funnels or cloth flags to higher velocity rather than lower velocity showthestrengthanddirectionofthewindtoaid rimfireammunition.Thisresultisattributedtothe the shooter. Rimfire rifle and air rifle benchrest extremely rapid rate at which air resistance shootingtakesplaceoveradistancerangingfrom increases with the increase in bullet speed in the region close to the speed of sound.A good 25yardsto50meters. explanation of this can be found in the NRA FirearmsFactBook,abookwhichIfindinvaluable attimes. Set of Caldwell flags The aim of this article therefore is to offer other alternatives to rimfire shooters and specifically rimfire and air rifle benchrest shooters, in the UK. We now compete with a large number of countries from around the worldandweneedtolearnfromthemandmore importantly compete with them on an equal footing. Shootersinsomecountrieshavebeenshootingthis disciplineforagoodtwentyyearsorsoandhave vast knowledge. We can also learn from the extreme accuracy shooters in centerfire

46

Target Shooter

providethemwiththeopportunitytoincrease accuracyinshotplacement. This is why we need wind flags to attempt to indicate the amount of deflection thatthewindwillsubjectthebulletto,which will of course, depend on the winds speed and direction. Anything out there, between youandthetarget,thatwillindicatethespeed anddirectionofthewindwillclearlygiveyou a better opportunity of hitting your aim-point providingyoucaninterpretthecondition. If we adopt the Swiss mathematician Daniel Bernoullis theories for shooting, we begintoseewhateffectthewindhasona.22 calibrerimfirebullet,overspecificdistances. Thediagramtotheleftisametricadaptionof oneproducedbyJoeHaller. A wind blowing from 3 oclock with a velocity of around 9-10 mph, will cause the bullet to impact approximately 25 to 26mm to the left and about 6mm high. From the 9 oclock direction it would impact approximately 25 to 26mm right and 6mm low.Thischangeinelevationisdowntothe Bernoulli Effect and the fact that most modern target rifles have a barrel with a right-handtwist.

benchrestandevenF-classersshootingatgreater distances.Thewindflagiscapableofimpartinga Obviously,a1mphwindfromtherightwillmove lotofinformationtotheshooterwhichcanandwill the bullet a tenth as far. A similar strengthwindfromthe4or5oclock directionwilldrivethebulletlesstothe leftbutstillslightlyhigh.Awindfrom the6oclockdirectionwillraisethe bulletimpactslightlyanda12oclock headwind will drive the bullet slightlylow. Thetablebelowliststheconstraints for 9-10 mph winds and could theoreticallybeused.Justremember the wind always does what you expectitto-untilitdoesnt!Sorrybut thereitis!Winddeflectionisallabout readingtheflagsandtheinformation listed below are at best quite good estimates. When actually shooting however, you will need to consider other issueslikebarometricpressureand temperature.

Target Shooter

47

If you have time to practice and ascertain what the conditions of the day are, you can correct your shooting accordingly. Each range and day will have its own features that will increase or decrease muzzle velocity and energy-dependingifitis hot or not, for instance. Thisincreaseordecrease may not be that much, butitcouldbesignificant enoughtoalterfigureson the wind deflection grid below. Shooting rimfire and air rifle benchrest is a lot aboutlookingatwhatthe wind is doing and trying to interpret that via an indicatorofsomesortsuchasaflag.Clearly,we allgetcaughtout,otherwisetherewouldbelotsof perfectscoresaround!

Carbon River wind flagBenchrest windflags have evolved over the years in attempt to indicate both speed and direction.Thereareavarietyofmodelswhichcanbe purchased or reproduced reasonably easily by anyoneofmodestability.Flagisaverylooseword todescribetheonesweuseinbenchrest. They tend to be very brightly coloured - forvisualacuityandmadefromlight,rigid plastic often looking more like a childs toy than the cloth flags we are used to. Ourflagsmustbeultra-sensative,aswe want to see instantly what the wind is doing when firing 25 accurate shots in 30minutesorfiveshotsin15seconds if you are a centrefire BR shooter. Flag designs or windicators vary from the basic plastic propeller type that might haveone,twooreventhreeveins,to180 degree (showing the speed from left to right), and 360 degree windicators (showing wind-speed and direction at all angles). There are many variants of these models but they all attempt to do the same job and we have limited space for pictures of all models available. The flags and windicators are used in a varietyofways,ascanbeseenfromthe picture showing flags used at a match.

Killough 180 degree wind indicator 48 Target Shooter

Other designs to consider are the dual vainflagsthatallowtheshootertobetter

flags (www.carbonriverwindflags.com), Killough Shooting Sports (http://www.killoughshootingsports.com/) do have a selection of designs to lookat. The alternative is to make your own, which is something I have done over the years I have been shooting Benchrest and with some recent success. I was sent a wind flag design by a friendintheUS,DougWeeter,whoisabitofa meanshothimself.Ihavefoundthismodelvery useful in recent years