This month’s cover feature asks the age-old question, “What’s the best High Power Rifle cartridge?” Author Jim Shults takes us on a whirlwind journey through decades of cartridge development, including first-hand accounts of how cartridges such as both the 6 and 6.5mm Creedmoor, .308 Win., .223 Rem., .30-’06 and more became so popular with shooters. Find out which one he decided is the best High Power Rifle cartridge here.
March’s Product Focus examines the Tippman M4 .22 LR rimfire rifle, and its value for not only in competition, but also for use in training. Author Dick Jones had the opportunity to try the AR-15esque Tippman M4 at the 2019 NRA World Shooting Championship, and needless to say it intrigued him with its functioning forward assist and unique magazine design. Read his review of the M4 here.
This past January, Field Editor Art Merrill journeyed to the annual SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV, to examine the latest and greatest competitive shooting gear. Well, as it turned out he found much more than new guns and accessories at the show—including a new book penned by a combat veteran who chronicles his battle with PTSD. Read all about what Merrill found on the show floor this year at SHOT.
There are a number of ways a shooter can be disqualified at an action-shooting match. One of the most common is sweeping, which is when the muzzle of a firearm passes any portion of any human body, which can be the shooter, the Range Officer or even another competitor. Field Editor Chris Christian explores this topic and shares his tips with best practices for muzzle discipline in this article.
In Vintage Military Rifle competition, the Krag-Jorgenson is the oldest U.S. rifle eligible to compete with. Field Editor Art Merrill argues the merits of the venerable rifle and shares loading information for its cartridge, the .30-40 Krag. You can read about using the .30-40 Krag rifle for VMR competition at this link.
Finally, a reminder—the new NRA Camp Atterbury website is live now, and you can view it at this link: competitions.nra.org/competitions/nra-national-matches/camp-atterbury. The three NRA National Matches disciplines—Pistol, Smallbore and High Power Rifle—will be reunited at Camp Atterbury this summer. Registration is set to begin on Tuesday, March 3. In addition, the Bianchi Cup National Action Pistol Championship will be hosted by the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club in Hallsville, MO. The Bianchi Cup remains an official NRA National Championship, but Green Valley will take over the match administration. Similarly, all four of the NRA National Silhouette Championships will be conducted by the Ridgway Rifle Club in Ridgway, PA. The NRA will continue to promote and support all of these championships as it has done for generations.
To find local matches near you, check out our Coming Events section. And for the latest competitive shooting news and updates, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly Insider newsletter.
—John Parker
Executive Editor, Shooting Sports USA
Reporters Welcome
In our efforts to recruit more reporters, we frequently hear the comment: “But I’m not a writer.” What people overlook is that they are on the scene, hearing and seeing the action first-hand. Editing and completing the article is our job, so if you’d like to try your hand at sharing draft reports and photographs from national-level matches or interviews with key people in the shooting sports, please email us at [email protected].
