Norma-300 Win Ammunition Cases

Norma USA

ANYTOWN, USA --(Ammoland.com)- Norma, the Swedish manufacturer of superior hunting and target ammunition is launching a concerted effort in the US market to grow the brand as Norma USA.

At the annual SHOT Show held in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 17 – 20, 2012, Norma USA will be introducing a complete line of US, European and Weatherby component cases for the consumer market.

The new cases will be packaged in 25-round consumer packs with the new Norma USA branding and graphics. A new Norma USA website is also scheduled to launch mid-January 2012.Norma USA ammo components

Norma USA will warehouse and fulfill all Norma products in all calibers by mid-February of 2012 with distribution through major US retailers.

Norma USA’s commitment to the US hunting and target shooting market will be supported by an extensive advertising campaign in the National Rifle Association publication “American Hunter,” “Safari,” “Bugle,” “Handloader,” and “Rifle” magazines, as well as attendance in the annual National Rifle Association Annual Meeting to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, April 12 – 15, 2012. New loaded ammo initiatives will be announced at this popular consumer show.

For retailers interested in carrying the Norma USA line directly, please contact sales@norma-usa.com or visit Norma USA at the 2012 SHOT Show at booth 12752.

Locked Back on When to Reload

A Police Officers Guide and Handbook to Tactical Casualty Care (Under Fire)

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. --(Ammoland.com)- Anyone who has been around hand guns for any amount of time can tell you the importance of a weapon reload.

A couple of the obvious concerns are usually how fast can my reload be accomplished? How can I make my reload even faster?

With this you will get the several schools of thought that mention spare mag placement and orientation.

However, how often do we talk about when and where? When should you take that split second to conduct a mag exchange and where is the best possible place for me to accomplish it?

While on the range in our sterile environments, we try to create the stress needed to get officers [and shooters] to build that muscle memory needed to conduct this motor skill. In doing so, we focus primarily on a mag exchange that results in a properly seated magazine producing sustainable firepower.

We often mention that we have to be mobile and we try to instill the two basic types of reloads:

• Combat
• Tactical reloads

The combat reload is simply conducting a magazine exchange while still under the threat of hostile fire. This type of reload focuses primarily as discussed before (a properly seated magazine producing sustainable firepower). With a combat reload, your moving to some sort of appropriate cover as fast as you humanly can!

The tactical reload is often conducted after that initial confrontation, where the officer [or shooter] has selected appropriate cover and has the mental ability to realized that they a mag exchange is needed. With a tactical reload, your focused on secondary subjects (keeping your eyes on the bad guy), your weapons status and maintaining that exchanged mag.

Regardless of your situation, you’re going to react to your training. This is why instructors spend countless hours trying to tailor their training so that their students have something to refer back to. Understanding how you will react under stress is an import factor. Exposure to scenario based training can definitely enhance or maintain this perishable skill.

So, you ask your self, what should I do if I can’t remember which type of reload to do?

The Answer to that one is simple, If your gun locks back, FIX IT! and keep moving! Don’t get locked back on what to do!

About the Author:
Rafael Navarro is a deputy trainer at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. He served four years with the SWAT team and three years in the community policing unit. Navarro is a certified evaluator and instructor for defensive tactics, ASP, firearms, vehicle operations and more. He retired as an SFC/E-7 after serving 21 years in the United States Army, and now works as an adjunct instructor at St. Petersburg College. His Book “A Police Officers Guide and Handbook to Tactical Casualty Care (Under Fire)” ia available here: http://tiny.cc/d50tu

Hodgdon’s 2012 Annual Reloading Manual

Hodgdon Powder

Shawnee Mission Kansas --(Ammoland.com)- Hodgdon The Gunpowder People proudly announces its 9th Annual Manual.

The 2012 Hodgdon Annual Manual features so much more than any typical manual: 100+ pages of rifle and pistol data with well over 5,000 shown loads, information on 30 Hodgdon, 19 IMR and 10 Winchester brand powders, new 300 AAC Blackout data, lead free bullet recipes for 21 rifle cartridges, and seven highly anticipated articles on such topics as economical handloading with lead free “green” bullets by some of the top industry outdoor writers.

The 2012 Hodgdon Annual Manual is the complete resource for the hot new Hodgdon propellant called CFE 223 or “Copper Fouling Eraser” that greatly deters copper fouling, shown in 27 different cartridges and 147 loads.

Look for Hodgdon’s most inclusive Annual Manual yet at favorite newsstands and gun stores in early 2012. Cost is only $8.99 retail or $11.99 by ordering direct from Hodgdon at 913-362-9455 or Hodgdon.com

Sierra Bullet 30 Caliber 125 grain HP MatchKing

Sierra Ammunition

Sedalia, MO --(Ammoland.com)- Sierra is pleased to introduce the newest member of our MatchKing line; the 30 caliber 125 grain HP MatchKing.

This uniquely designed flat based bullet was designed in conjunction with AAC (Advanced Armament Corporation) and Remington Arms for the new .300 AAC Blackout cartridge designed for the AR platform. This bullet has also proven to be exceptionally accurate in bolt action rifles and other .30 caliber AR chamberings.

The jacket was specifically designed to handle velocities ranging up through common .30 caliber midlevel cartridges. The #2121 will be available for sale in Jan 2012.

About:
For over 60 years Sierra Bullets has been dedicated to the manufacture of the most accurate bullets in the world. This commitment to performance has established a “Tradition of Precision” for which Sierra is known throughout the world. Visit: www.sierrabullets.com

Half-Cocked: I Feel Spent...

About: Tom McHale describes himself as a conservative gun-totin’ bible-clingin’ literary assault dude who enjoys finding humor in just about anything. His web blog My Gun Culture is an irreverent, twisted look at gun news bordering on the ridiculous. It covers shootin’ stuff, loud noises, defending your own, the occasional mall ninja, and about 200 years of the American way. These are the (partially) true stories of My Gun Culture says Tom. Visit:  www.mygunculture.com

300 Winchester Short Magnum vs 300 Heavy Express

Z-Hat Custom Inc

Kalispell, MT --(Ammoland.com)-  When cartridge choice comes up in most any group of shooters there is always at least one guy who says with a certain amount of disdain, “With all the choices of cartridges I have from the factories, why would I shoot a wildcat?”

This question has been asked almost as long as wildcatting has been going on.

In all fairness, even an avid wildcatter like myself has to agree with the logic of that question.

Today we have a wider variety of cartridges and calibers than at any time in the past. The various ammunition makers and firearms manufacturers have brought numerous new cartridges to the market in an effort to entice new purchases from the shooting public. There are countless reasons or as I like to say excuses for releasing a new cartridge, but for the factories it boils down to the simple fact that they are in business and need their products to sell.

Velocity, Accuracy & Clever Combinations
Over the decades wildcatters have continually pushed the envelope, looking for better designs, more velocity, accuracy, and clever combinations of caliber and firearm. It’s not always a desire for more horse power that drives design, when P.O. Ackley started making 17 caliber barrels it was certainly not dangerous game that he had in mind. In about 1943 Charlie O’Neil asked P.O. Ackley to make a 17-caliber barrel for him. With the war effort in full swing, Ackley had trouble acquiring the tooling and did not get the barrel made up until 1945. By then O’Neil had lost interest in the project. The first cartridge that Ackley made up in 17 caliber was the 17 Pee Wee, a necked down 30 Carbine case.

This was true wildcatting, how many reloaders today make their own bullets, especially out of necessity? The first 17 caliber bullets were made from copper wire swaged in a die in Ackley’s shop.

P.O. Ackley's early Advertisement for the "Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders"

It quickly became obvious that there were no actions that would readily handle the 17 Pee Wee and surplus .30 Carbines were still years away from the market. Consequently Ackley quickly realized the need for more useful cartridges in 17 caliber. So, he moved on to the 17 Ackley Hornet, 17 Ackley Bee, and eventually the 17/222. In his “Handbook for Shooters and Reloader”

Ackley stated that, “Experience has shown that the 222 Remington simply necked down without any other change is about the best, and most easily made since it requires no trimming or fire forming. This cartridge is about maximum capacity for the 17 bore and only a slight increase in velocity has been possible by necking down larger cases.”

The lineage of the 17 Remington is clear, it goes back directly to Ackley’s work with the 17 caliber.

22 caliber cartridges are far more popular and common when compared to 17’s. Perhaps you think the 22-250 is a factory offering of a 250 Savage case necked down to 22.

Well, yes and no. The history of this cartridge is far more complex and interesting than that. It is hotly contended that Grosvenor “Grove” Wotkyns promoted the work of gunsmith J.B. Sweany as the originator of the 22-250 in the early 1930’s. Harvey Donaldson submitted a version of the 22-250 to Savage Arms in 1935, although it was designed for a .227” bullet like the 22 Savage Hi-Power. By 1938 Jerry Gebby and J.B. Smith advertised chambering rifles in 22-250.

Charles Newton Catalog

So who was first with the 22-250?
None of the above. Charles Newton gave a sample of an experimental cartridge he had abandoned for pressure problems to Jerry Gebby. It was a 250 Savage case neck for a .226” bullet. It was 1919 when Gebby paid his visit to Newton and received the sample. Charles Landis, gun writer, mentions having corresponded with Newton about just such a cartridge way back in 1905.

When Gebby reworked the idea he standardized on the .224” bullet. Changes in brass quality and available powders made Gebby’s new version of the case viable, he called it the 22 Varminter. Yes, more than one gunsmith was working with the idea of a 22-250, it was 1965 when Remington caught up with wildcatters and adopted the 22-250.

Remington stumbled when they first brought out the 244 Remington. Somebody at the company decided that this would be a varmint class cartridge so it was only available with bullets under 90 grains from the factory. Remington chose a 1 in 12 twist for the barrels in the 244 which would not stabilize bullets 100 grains or heavier.

Generally, the shooting public likes flexibility in their rifles; being able to use the same rifle for varmints and deer/antelope class game is popular. Remington solved this problem several years later when they renamed the cartridge to 6mm Remington. The only change was the twist rate offered in the barrels, the name change was designed to get away from the negative limitations of the 244 Remington. With all that said this cartridge is clearly the brainchild of Fred Huntington of RCBS fame. His wildcat was called the 243 Rockchucker; while the two cases are not mechanically interchangeable they are ballistically identical.

Shortly after the introduction of the 338 Winchester in 1958, P.O. Ackley was approached by his long time friend Les Bowman to make a 7mm Magnum on the 338 Winchester case. Ackley had a similar cartridge in his own line of magnum calibers known as the 7mm Ackley Magnum so he had a good idea what the cartridge would do.

The final design for the 7mm Remington was hardly changed from the wildcat that Ackley chambered for Bowman.

There were a number of other wildcats that preceded the 7mm Remington Magnum. The 7×61 Shape & Hart was a quasi factory offering but has spent most of its existence as a wildcat. Bill Williams and Art Mashburn two well-known wildcatters also had 7mm Magnum designs in the same general size and shape. Bowman was friendly with Mike Walker and Wayne Leek at Remington and had their ears concerning the development of a 7mm Magnum for the company. Walker was an avid shooter in his own right and likely knew of most of the 7mm Magnums popular with wildcatters at the time.

New & Unique Wildcats
Wildcatters like to believe that whatever they come up with is new and nobody has done it quite that way. Sometimes this is true, but more often than not its no more than wishful thinking. A great example of this is the current rash of short magnums (like the 300 WSM see image above) by all the various factories; one former gun writer even has a patent on the concept and thinks he can defend it. Truthfully it is not a new idea and has been around for many years. A well-known early cousin of this idea is the 35 Greevy Express, which appeared in the mid 1970’s. This was a 45-70 case necked down to 35 caliber with an overall length of 2.100”.

Before his 1962 publication of “Handbook for Shooter and Reloaders”, Ackley introduced a 35/348 Ackley Improved that has the same basic case capacity and it just a little longer. Then Remington had the 6.5mm and 350 Remington Magnums, which originated in the mid 1960’s, and had dropped off the map in recent years. The 350 Remington Magnum was reintroduced in 2002 with all the excitement about short magnums sweeping the shooting world.

Another group of cartridges that are clearly in the family tree of the short magnum were popular just before the introduction of the WSM and RSAUM families, these were the Heavy Express cartridges made from 348 Winchester cases shortened and neck to various calibers. The rim of the 348 case was turned down and a rebated case was created to suit the magnum bolt face. It seems highly likely that the Heavy Express cartridges drew the attention of the factories as they were creating buzz and had found a niche that no commercial cartridge then available could.

The next time you hear someone make that familiar statement, “With all the choices of cartridges I have from the factories, why would I shoot a wildcat?” Now you have fodder for an interesting conversation.

Check out the cartridges available from the various firearms and ammunition makers, you will find that nearly all were once wildcats.

So maybe your buddy at the range is just shooting a wildcat that has become passé with it’s adoption by the firearms establishment, some guys are just behind the curve, tell him, “Yea, my Grand Pappy liked that cartridge.” Should make for a good conversation.

About Z-Hat Custom Inc.
Z-Hat is a custom gunsmithing company started by Fred Zeglin. (www.z-hat.com) Hunting rifles are a specialty for Z-Hat. They build rifles for clients on bolt, lever, and single shot actions. The development of Hawk cartridges led to specialty offering to clients like reloading dies, cartridge design/development services, and numerous wildcat cartridges outside the Hawk line-up.

Fred Zeglin has taught classes for the NRA Short Term Gunsmithing Schools in Colorado and Oklahoma. He was the production and general manager for McGowen Precision Barrels for a time. Fred is the technical advisor for 4D Reamer Rentals Ltd. as well.

For more information about the “Hawk Cartridge Manual” or other offerings at Z-Hat Custom Inc. Contact:

Z-Hat Custom Inc

Kalispell, MT --(Ammoland.com)- Fred Zeglin, gunsmith/author of “Wildcat Cartridges, Reloader’s Handbook of Wildcat Cartridge Design” and POMA member announced this week the first edition publication of the reloading manual for “Hawk Cartridges”.

Kalispell, MT (Z-Hat Custom Inc.) August 8, 2011, announcing the publication of the “Hawk Cartridges Manual”

Fred Zeglin stated, “When I started working with this line of wildcats in 1996 I never imagined it would lead to a book.

Collecting years of data and experiences into a manual has been a pleasure; I would hate to see all these works just sit in a file cabinet gathering dust.”

Hawk Cartridges Reloading Manual

Hawk Cartridges are unusual in wildcat circles in that, correctly headstamped brass is available for them. In partnership with Z-Hat Custom Inc., Quality Cartridge of Hollywood, NJ manufactures the brass as well as custom loaded ammunition.

This hardback book contains 188 pages of stories, illustrations, anecdotes, instructions, and data. Each cartridge covered in the book includes a dimensioned drawing. Contributions from Wayne van Zwoll, Michael Petrov, Dick Williams and Mike Brady are included. Pressure tested data is included for the majority of the load data and all loads are real world tested in firearms. ISBN# 978-0983159803

History of Hawk Cartridges is presented. This collection of data includes new material and new cartridges that were not included in the earlier electronic version of the manual. The intention is to provide information that time has shown to be valuable to shooters of Hawk Cartridges and for cartridge collectors.

About Z-Hat Custom Inc.
Z-Hat is a custom gunsmithing company started by Fred Zeglin. (www.z-hat.com) Hunting rifles are a specialty for Z-Hat. They build rifles for clients on bolt, lever, and single shot actions. The development of Hawk cartridges led to specialty offering to clients like reloading dies, cartridge design/development services, and numerous wildcat cartridges outside the Hawk line-up.

Fred Zeglin has taught classes for the NRA Short Term Gunsmithing Schools in Colorado and Oklahoma. He was the production and general manager for McGowen Precision Barrels for a time. Fred is the technical advisor for 4D Reamer Rentals Ltd. as well.

For more information about the “Hawk Cartridge Manual” or other offerings at Z-Hat Custom Inc. Contact:

Senator Inhofe's Spent Brass Measure Benefits Gun Owners

AmmoLand Gun News

WASHINGTON, D.C. --(Ammoland.com)- U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), successfully added an amendment to the committee-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, making fired small arms cartridges available for commercial sale with certain restrictions.

It also requires the U.S. Secretary of Defense to ensure compliance with managing commercial sale of spent ammunition.

“My amendment provides a unique opportunity for the commercial sale of spent small arms cartridges,” said Inhofe. “This is beneficial from a cost saving standpoint. Having worked on this issue for some time, I am pleased to have made this progress. Those that care about Second Amendment Rights have put much effort into this as well.”

NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox said, “It is common sense that serviceable and safe military spent brass cases are made available for commercial sale as military-sourced spent brass cases are of the calibers most widely used for marksmanship training and competition by civilians.”

“In addition to being a revenue source for military bases, reloaded ammunition costs considerably less, and every gun owner and hunter can appreciate the savings during these tough economic times. We are grateful for Senator Inhofe’s leadership to help ensure the continued availability of these spent casings by civilians.”

Goex Powder

Doyline Louisiana - -(Ammoland.com)- Goex Powder, Inc. has engaged the services of Cothren, Graff, Smoak Engineering, Inc. to design a safer and improved process facility.

Goex Powder, Inc. experienced a production interruption on June 7. There were no serious injuries. (see video above)

“We were here yesterday. We are here today. We will be here tomorrow.” said Goex C.O.O. Tim Vaitekunas.

“We look to the services of Cothren, Graff, Smoak Engineering to help us continue to improve the safety of Goex Powder, Inc. operations.”

Goex Powder, Inc. will supply demand out of existing inventory during the construction of the improved process facility. Manufacturing is planning to restart in mid-October.

Goex Powder, Inc. just signed a new 5 – year contract as the only black powder supplier to the United States military. For more information go to www.goexpowder.com, phone: 913-362-9455, or email: help@hodgdon.com.

RCBS Launches Reloading Website

RCBS Reloading

OROVILLE, Ca --(Ammoland.com)- RCBS announces the launch of an upgraded website. The redesigned www.RCBS.com is a complete resource for reloaders of all skill levels and is now live.

Helpful for All Reloaders
The revamped www.RCBS.com is filled with useful information for reloaders of varying skill levels. Users can view reloading guides, search through frequently asked questions, and more. A video series from RCBS experts is also available. More than 10 helpful clips are queued-up online, at www.RCBS.com/guide/#videos.

Interactive Assets
The new guide to reloading is a fun way to gain knowledge. Users will learn that reloading is not only a rewarding and enjoyable hobby, it makes economical sense and can produce the most accurate ammunition. Working through every step to an expertly loaded round is made simple with this step-by-step slideshow: www.RCBS.com/guide/step_by_step_reloading.aspx#.

Frequently asked questions are also archived for easy navigation. Visit www.RCBS.com/guide/#faq to find a quick answer.

Must-Have Information
Reloaders can also keep helpful resources from www.RCBS.com at their workbench for quick reference. The guide to reloading, step-by-step reloading pamphlet and other must-have items are available for free download. Visitors will want check back often, promotions and rebates are constantly being updated.

“Our team worked to redesign this website so all of the different assets from the RCBS reloading experts were integrated and easily available,” said Mihai Moldoveanu, Marketing Technology Manager. “A how-to video series, archived FAQs and the entire RCBS product line have been streamlined for quick navigation. The guide to reloading tops off all the different ways users can utilize this website.”

To check out the new website and learn about the entire RCBS line, please visit www.RCBS.com.

Connect with Friends, Find Fellow Reloaders

RCBS also recently launched www.ReloaderHub.com, a social media site linking reloaders together from across the globe. This interactive, user-driven community is filled with helpful information. People of all skill levels can login to exchange tips and recipes, engage in discussions, share photos and videos, calculate and compare savings with an easy-to-use reloading calculator, and more.

ReloaderHub.com is free to join. Exclusive, member-only contests and promotions are also coming soon. Log on today and see what’s new, at www.ReloaderHub.com.

About RCBS
RCBS is a leading provider of quality reloading equipment and precision shooting products. For more information or to view the complete line of RCBS products, please visit www.RCBS.com.

RCBS Reloading

OROVILLE, Calif. --(Ammoland.com)- RCBS announces new accessory upgrades and line extensions for 2011. New reloading equipment is available on store shelves now.

More Options to Service Popular Calibers
RCBS designed new reloading accessories to service a broader range of loads and calibers. An improved Powder Trickler adds precision to electronic scales with a height-adjustable, non-skid base and powder extension. A Trickler Upgrade Kit is also available. More accurate powder handling lets progressive pistol cartridge handloaders utilize new Pistol Powder Expanders on their existing presses.

Expanders fit most popular handgun calibers, ranging from .38––.500. These tools consolidate space and provide greater changeover flexibility. Reloaders can learn more about all of the 2011 new products, at www.rcbs.com/whatsnew/#newproducts.

RCBS Powder Trickler

Increase Efficiency and Speed, Reduce Waste
Carbide replacement tools provide reloaders with clean, sharp edges for a lifetime of use in Case Trimmers, 3-Way Cutters and Trim Mate and Chamfer or Debur tools. Additional case prep accessories provide increased efficiency and reduce waste. Military Crimp Removers, an ergonomic accessory handle and 50-caliber Pilot and Trimmer Cutters all help reloaders streamline production.

The New Primer Pocket Swager has been redesigned to fit a larger group of cases. Swaging rods are now made from strong high tensile steel, more than doubling their original strength. This tool is ideal for quick removal of primer pocket staking or crimps.

“We asked our customers what we were missing––what else they needed at their reloading bench,” said Brand Director Rick Stoeckel. “Then we worked with our engineers to fulfill as many as those concerns as possible. We expanded our product lines so reloaders are better outfitted for each and every task.”

Built to Last
The new accessories are built to the rigorous standards of RCBS. They are durable, long-lasting products. All of these reloading accessories feature an RCBS limited lifetime warranty.

To view the new reloading accessories and learn about the entire RCBS family of reloading products, please visit www.rcbs.com.

Part No. Description

• 09089 Powder Trickler—2
• 09093 Powder Trickler—2 Upgrade Kit
• 88885 Pistol Powder Expanders—Pro 2000 .38
• 88886 Pistol Powder Expanders—Pro 2000 9mm
• 88887 Pistol Powder Expanders—Pro 2000 .40
• 88888 Pistol Powder Expanders—Pro 2000 .44
• 88889 Pistol Powder Expanders—Pro 2000 .45 ACP
• 88890 Pistol Powder Expanders—Pro 2000 .45 Colt
• 88891 Pistol Powder Expanders—Pro 2000 .475
• 88892 Pistol Powder Expanders—Pro 2000 .500
• 90250 Trimmer Carbide Cutter Head
• 90251 3-way Carbide Cutter Head
• 90384 TM Carbide Chamfer Tool
• 90385 TM Carbide Debur Tool
• 90386 TM Military Crimp Remover—Small
• 90387 TM Military Crimp Remover—Large
• 09332 Accessory Handle—2
• 09400 .50R Pilot
• 09364 50-caliber Trimmer Cutter
• 09481 Primer Pocket Swager Tool—2

About RCBS
RCBS is a leading provider of quality reloading equipment and precision shooting products. For more information or to view the complete line of RCBS products, please visit www.rcbs.com.

Alliant Powder

RADFORD, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- Alliant Powder introduces AR-Comp, a smokeless, consistent powder developed specifically for the AR-platform. AR and semi-auto rifle shooters and reloaders can look for AR-Comp on store shelves now.

Made to Match
AR-style rifle shooters can count on high-performance ignition with every shot of AR-Comp. This powder was developed specifically for the demands of high-volume shooters. It offers consistent pressures and velocities across temperature extremes to handle heavy-power and high-volume shooting.

Consistent, Superior Performance
Consistent ignition makes AR-Comp a great option for modern sporting rifles. Steady metering and lot to lot consistency make AR-Comp a great option for all semi-auto rifles. It is also ideal for heavy .223 and .308 match bullets.

“AR-Comp is a breakthrough powder,” said Rick Stoeckel, Ammunition and Reloading Brand Director. “We developed AR-Comp to perform under all conditions in every environment. The type of performance it achieves in AR-style rifles really separates it from other powders. All semi-auto shooters and reloaders will be impressed.”

To learn more about AR-Comp, view load data and check out Alliant Powder’s other high-performing smokeless powders, please visit www.alliantpowder.com.

Part No. Description

• 150664 AR-Comp—1 lb. bottle
• 150665 AR-Comp—8 lb. canister

About Alliant Powder
For more than 125 years Alliant Powder has produced America’s best and most popular smokeless powders. Alliant Powder is part of ATK Security and Sporting. For more information and load data, visit www.alliantpowder.com or call 800-276-9337.

RCBS Launches Interactive Reloading Community - ReloaderHub.com

RCBS Reloading

OROVILLE, Calif. --(Ammoland.com)- RCBS announces the launch of www.ReloaderHub.com, an advanced online community dedicated to reloading.

Reloaders of all skill levels can join to exchange tips and recipes, engage in discussions, share photos and videos, calculate and compare savings with an easy-to-use reloading calculator and more.

The site is live and participation is quickly growing, at www.ReloaderHub.com.

More Ways to Interact
ReloaderHub is the ultimate social community for reloaders. This interactive, user-driven community is filled with helpful information. Members can search for a new recipe, view photos of other members’ reloading benches, or simply have fun building relationships and getting to know other reloaders who share their hobby.

The site also features a point system. The more content users share, comment on and upload, the more points they earn. The top point rankings show which members are the most active in the network.

Connect to the Network
Membership to the site is free—and has plenty of benefits. Members can take advantage of enticing promotions, get loads of news and information, and enter in the site’s launch sweepstakes. The site also features a reloading calculator which helps users identify and compare costs of reloading shotshells or metallic loads directly to commercial loads. Exclusive videos and content will also be available. Reloaders can join today by visiting www.ReloaderHub.com.

“Reloaders are a unique bunch—we wanted a place for our customers to interact and build relationships,” said Rick Stoeckel, RCBS Brand Director. “We took the platform behind our highly successful, waterfowl-driven Stormchasers Network and applied it to the reloading community. ReloaderHub has already become an advanced, user-driven resource for everything reloading. Members are having a blast uploading media and sharing their interests.”

Visit the site to learn the basics of safe reloading, post a question, or see who else is joining in on the action, at www.ReloaderHub.com.

About RCBS
RCBS is a leading provider of quality reloading equipment and precision shooting products. For more information or to view the complete line of RCBS products, please visit www.rcbs.com.

Jim Scoutten Appearing at RCBS Booth at 2011 NRA Annual Meetings

RCBS Reloading

ANOKA, Minn. --(Ammoland.com)- America’s best known shooting sports reporter and industry expert Jim Scoutten will be appearing at the NRA Annual Meetings in Pittsburgh, PA.

Visitors can meet and chat with this industry icon at booth No. 1023 from 1-2 p.m. on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30.

Ask the Expert—In Person

Jim Scoutten has been covering the shooting sports industry for decades. He’s reviewed countless firearms, ammunition, optics and reloading accessories on his famous TV show, Shooting USA.

Visitors can ask Jim almost anything at the booth—but they shouldn’t expect to stump this expert. He holds in-depth, trusted knowledge on everything shooting sports.

About RCBS
RCBS is a leading provider of quality reloading equipment and precision shooting products. For more information or to view the complete line of RCBS products, please visit www.rcbs.com.

Bulk Smokeless Gun Powder

Ballistic Solutions, Inc

Torrance, CA --(Ammoland.com)- Ballistic Solutions, Inc is having a special offering for 50 caliber re-loaders and is offering smokeless powder in bulk pallets at up to 60%+ off the average retail price for comparable powders, IE Hodgdon H870.

The powder we have available was originally manufactured for Winchester by St. Marks.

* WC 872 or WC 867 Powder (2 – 30lb bags per box) (36 boxes per pallet) total weight per pallet is 2,160 lbs

The powder was demilled by a military contractor, is palletted and ready for shipping. It’s military surplus, pulled-down by automated machine press with vacuum extraction. This is a critical process as there are no contaminants and no moisture as is common with other pull-down methods, so the powder does not need to be filtered.

These particular powders have multiple applications. The burn charts show them to be ideal for 50 caliber reloading, as they are in the same range as H860, H870, 5010 & 50 BMG (872 is replacing 5010 by many reloaders.)

It can be loaded as small as 338. Other uses include: testing, explosives, pyrotechnics, movie & TV special effects, etc.

Our price for the remaining powder is $2.00/lb. Minimum order is one pallet. The powder is classified as 1.3 Hazard. The cost does not include shipping. Shipping cost is estimated to be about $.25 a pound.

About:
For 15 years Ballistic Solutions has been manufacturing small arms ammunition and sniper rifles. We are in the process of a major expansion. One of our divisions markets military surplus including demil powder and other components. Visit: www.ballisticsolutionsinc.com

Hodgdon Powder

Shawnee Mission, Kansas --(Ammoland.com)- IMR Legendary Powders is clarifying recent misconceptions about TRAIL BOSS gunpowder.

TRAIL BOSS is a 100% SMOKELESS propellant.

Various articles and blogs have appeared miss-stating that TRAIL BOSS is a blackpowder/muzzleloading type propellant. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

IMR Trail Boss is 100% Smokeless Powder

Since TRAIL BOSS is smokeless it does not require any special cleaning like muzzleloading powders.

Using TRAIL BOSS, or any smokeless powder, in a muzzleloading firearm is never recommended.

The primary advantage of TRAIL BOSS is that even in reduced, low velocity loads such as those popular with Cowboy Action shooting the powder fills the shell case. This not only improves the ballistic uniformity of the load but is an added safety feature for the handloader because an accidental double charge spills over the shell case.

Always follow IMR’s loading recommendations exactly as shown in the 2011 Basic Smokeless Manual, Annual Manual and in the RELOADING DATA CENTER at imrpowder.com.

For more information on further loading information, contact:

Sinclair Reloading International

Fort Wayne IN - -(Ammoland.com)- If ultimate accuracy is your handloading goal, the Sinclair Bullet Sorting Stand #59-2000, is a “must-have” tool on your loading bench.

With a perfectly flat, black granite base for stability, this Sinclair tool uses a caliber-specific, bullet comparator and a dial indicator to quickly sort bullets by their length from base to 0give.

Segregating your bullets into batches that vary no more than +/- .005 inches in length will tighten your groups significantly.

Sinclair Bullet Sorting Stand

Even finer tolerances will yield additional improvement.

Obviously bullet sorting works best if you start with several hundred bullets from a single manufacturer’s lot.

Most established bullet makers have excellent quality control, so all of your sorted batches should shoot well. However on rare occasions, you may need to discard a bullet that falls well outside the normal range.

Simply drop each bullet nose-down into the caliber-specific bullet comparator and place the dial indicator onto the base of the bullet to read its length.

Depending on how tight your tolerances are, you may end up with five to 15 separate batches of sorted bullets. Although each of your batches vary in length, all will invariably shoot better than unsorted bullets.

Sinclair Quick-sorting Comparators for use with the Sinclair Bullet Sorting Stand are available in most popular calibers.

About:
Sinclair International is the world’s premier supplier of high-quality reloading tools, components and accessories plus unique benchrest shooting supplies. Stocking more than 10,000 items, the company supplies reloaders and precision shooters worldwide. To order, or for more information, call 800-717-8211 or visit sinclairintl.com and mention AmmoLand.

Sierra Bullets .338 caliber 225 grain SPT Pro-Hunter Bullet

Sierra Ammunition

Sedalia, MO --(Ammoland.com)- .338 caliber 225 grain SPT Pro-Hunter: Sierra is pleased to introduce the newest member of our Pro-Hunter line; the .338 caliber 225 grain SPT Pro- Hunter.

The flat based design and lighter weight of this projectile make it a great choice for medium & large game.

Combine that with Sierra’s world renowned accuracy, and you have a perfect choice for those hunter seeking a reduced recoil alternative where a heavier bullet is not required.

• .338 Caliber (.338 diameter)
• 225 grain SPT Pro-Hunter (Part # 2620)

About:
For over 60 years Sierra Bullets has been dedicated to the manufacture of the most accurate bullets in the world. This commitment to performance has established a “Tradition of Precision” for which Sierra is known throughout the world. Visit: www.sierrabullets.com

Sierra Bullet Smiths 25 caliber 70 & 90 Grain BlitzKing Bullets

Sierra Ammunition

Sedalia, MO --(Ammoland.com)- 25 caliber 70 & 90 Grain BlitzKing Bullets: Sierra is pleased to introduce the 2 newest members of our BlitzKing line; the 25 caliber 70 (flat base) & 90 (boat tail) grain BlitzKing bullets.

Created to fill the demand for the longer range varmint crowd taking over where our current .20-6mm BlitzKings leave off.

These bullets will be available in boxes of 100 bullets and 500 bullets as indicated below.

• .25 Caliber (.257 diameter)
• 70 grain (Part # 1605) & 90 grain BlitzKing (Part # 1616)

About:
For over 60 years Sierra Bullets has been dedicated to the manufacture of the most accurate bullets in the world. This commitment to performance has established a “Tradition of Precision” for which Sierra is known throughout the world. Visit: www.sierrabullets.com

Sierra Bullet Smiths 7mm 180 Grain HPBT MatchKing Bullet

Sierra Ammunition

Sedalia, MO --(Ammoland.com)- 7mm 180 grain HPBT MatchKing: Sierra is pleased to introduce the newest member of our MatchKing line; the 7mm 180 grain HPBT MatchKing.

In response to requests from top level F-Class shooters, Sierra has designed an all new MatchKing to provide a higher weight/higher B.C. alternative in our 7mm line.

This bullet’s 12 caliber secant ogive and lengthened boat tail make it the perfect choice for the discerning 7mm long range shooter.

Sierra recommends at least a 1 in 8 inch twist barrel to stabilize this bullet.

• 7mm (.284 diameter)
• 180 grain HPBT MatchKing (Part # 1980)

About:
For over 60 years Sierra Bullets has been dedicated to the manufacture of the most accurate bullets in the world. This commitment to performance has established a “Tradition of Precision” for which Sierra is known throughout the world. Visit: www.sierrabullets.com

Dillon Precision

PEORIA, Ariz. --(Ammoland.com)- Photographer Yamil Sued announced that he has signed on with Dillon Precision, the leading manufacturer of reloading equipment and supplies, to handle photography services.

Included in the many projects Sued will handle are the Dillon Blue Press covers and calendars whose popularity with consumers rank among the highest.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome a photographer of Yamil’s caliber to the Dillon team. His work is well known throughout the industry and we know that with Yamil on board our monthly Blue Press readers will have even more to look forward to when the mail arrives,” said Mark Pixler, editor of the Blue Press.

Dillon Precision Signs Photographer Yamil Sued

“The Dillon Blue Press is one of the most recognizable publications in the firearms industry and the Dillon calendars are prized processions within military and law enforcement circles. I am honored that Dillon chose me to handle their growing photography needs and I look forward to bringing my photographic vision to the Dillon brand,” said Yamil Sued.

Yamil Sued has more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer. A graduate of the prestigious Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, Sued has handled product and action photography for several well known brands within the firearms industry including The Beta Company, Brownells, Cor-Bon Ammunition, FNH USA, Insight Tech-Gear, Midway USA, PowerTech, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson and the U.S. Practical Shooting Association.

His work has also appeared in various publications such as American Handgunner, Front Sight, the Glock Annual, Gun Games, GUNS, Krause Publications, Shooting Illustrated and Shooting Sports USA.

For more information on Dillon Precision and their complete line of reloading equipment and supplies, visit www.DillonPrecision.com. For more information on Yamil Sued Photography, or to review samples from his portfolio, visit www.hotgunshots.com or call (623) 374-4896.

Gun Talk Radio

MANDEVILLE, LA --(Ammoland.com)- Tom talks reloading and Hemingway this Sunday on Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk (R) Radio, the only nationally-syndicated radio talk show about guns and the shooting sports.

For more than six decades, Hodgdon Powder Co. has been known for inventing and perfecting reloading powder and black powder substitute propellants.

Hodgdon is also known for producing one of the most comprehensive reloading manuals available.

Chris Hodgdon with Hodgdon Powder Co. visits Gun Talk today to talk with Tom about “The 2011 Hodgdon Annual Manual”, featuring 100 pages of rifle and pistol data with over 5,000 shown loads, information on 29 Hodgdon, 19 IMR® and 10 Winchester® brand powders, and more, including two new Hodgdon powders: Hornady® Superformance™ and Hornady LEVERevolution®.

As a writer, editor and publisher for more than 30 years, and a worldwide hunter, Silvio Calabi marries his love of writing and his love of firearms together in the book “Hemingway’s Guns – The Sporting Arms of Ernest Hemingway”.

Along with co-authors Steve Helsley and Roger Sanger, Calabi takes the reader through Hemingway’s vast collection of firearms and tells the story of each – how it came to be owned by Hemingway, what he used the firearm for, and where they ended up. Calabi and Sanger also founded and produced the Gold Medal Concours d’Eleagnce of Fine Guns.

About:
Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk Radio is in its 15th year of national syndication, Gun Talk Radio airs live on Sundays from 2PM-5PM Eastern, and runs on 101 stations, plus SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. All Gun Talk shows can be downloaded as podcasts through Apple iTunes, the Gun Talk iPhone App, the Blackberry Podcast App, or at www.guntalk.libsyn.com. More information is available at www.guntalk.com.

New iphone App For Nikon’s SPOT ON Software

Nikon Hunting

Melville, NY --(Ammoland.com)- Nikon’s ballistic matching program, Spot On, is now available as an app for your iPhone.

Spot On allows users to select from the largest database of factory ammo and reloading components ever assembled to build the perfect plan for dialing in their rifle, handgun or muzzleloader.

Shooters around the world now have a tool to help them match their preferred load to their style of shooting and to their style of riflescope and reticle.

“Spot On has been a huge hit with shooters and hunters around the world,” said Jon LaCorte, senior product marketing manager Nikon Sport Optics.

“Now with the new iPhone app they can access it anytime they have their phone.”

Available options include:

• Detailed sight-in info to match the user’s goals
• Ballistic reports for the bullet and load
• Trajectory, field references and ballistic graphs
• Adjustable atmospheric conditions
• Adjustable magnification for the ultimate dialing-in of BDC reticles
• Determine point blank range for Nikoplex reticles with adjustable target/vital size

While nothing can replace time spent shooting on an actual range, Nikon’s Spot On technology/program allows shooters to decide from thousands of load and sight -in options for specific hunts or shooting styles. Never before have so many variables been brought into one tool for rifleshooters.

Nikon’s Spot On app is available as a download from the iTunes app store for $4.99. Spot On is also available to use for free at nikonhunting.com/spoton.

Nikon Inc. is the U.S. distributor of Nikon sports and recreational optics, world-renowned Nikon 35mm cameras, digital cameras, speedlights and accessories, Nikkor lenses and electronic imaging products.

For more information on Nikon’s full line of Riflescopes, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, Fieldscopes and Laser Rangefinders, please contact: Nikon Sport Optics, 1300 Walt Whitman Rd., Melville, NY 11747-3064, or call 1-800-645-6687. www.nikonhunting.com.

Hodgdon / Goex Reenactor Gun Powder

Goex Powder

Shawnee Mission, KS -(Ammoland.com)-  Goex® Powder Inc., manufacturer of the only American made authentic black powder for over 200 years, makes history again with the new Reenactor Gunpowder.

This new powder is dedicated to the historical reenactor and the value conscious black powder recreational shooter.

Goex’s new Reenactor Gunpowder loads the same by volume charge as regular grade black powder. This new powder is ideal for blank fire in Muskets, Carbines, Pistol, and Cannon. Also suitable for recreational round ball muzzleloaders, where it performs nicely at low pressures and lessens wear on vintage and modern reproduction firearms.

With its 100% percent black powder ignition, it is reliable with every shot. Reenactor Gunpowder is value priced for every budget minded shooter pursuing living history.

New Reenactor Gunpowder in 1lb tin cans will be available at Goex dealers everywhere spring 2011. To find out more about this, or any of Goex’s products, call 913-362-9455, write to 6231 Robinson, Shawnee Mission KS 66202 or see goexpowder.com

For all your black powder needs it’s Goex The Tradition Continues

Sinclair Flash Hole Tool

Midway USA

Columbia, MO --(Ammoland.com)- With one easy step, you can go a long way to obtaining the greatest potential accuracy from your ammunition handloads by using Sinclair’s new Piloted Flash Hole Deburring Tool.

High-volume cartridge case manufacturing can leave a burr on the flash hole, which can deflect and distort the primer flame, leading to erratic powder ignition and significant velocity variation. The Piloted Flash Hole Deburring Tool solves the problem.

The Sinclair tool’s adjustable stainless steel pilot fits precisely into the cartridge case mouth to guide the tool shaft and control depth of cut. The tool steel cutter removes the burr on the flash hole’s mouth, and leaves a lightly chamfered edge. This ensures the primer flame is directed to the center of the powder column for uniform ignition.

According to company President, Bill Gravatt, “Deburring is one of the most important case-prep steps for accuracy. We designed our Deburring Tool for a precise, fast, and easy deburring operation to help you obtain the greatest accuracy from your firearm.”

This simple reloading step needs to be performed only once during the life of a case.

The Sinclair Piloted Flash Hole Deburring Tool works on all rifle and pistol calibers from .22 through .45 using the stainless steel neck pilots, which are sold separately. Also available in 17/20 caliber and 50 BMG offerings.

Sinclair International is the world’s premier supplier of high-quality reloading tools, components and accessories plus unique target shooting and hunting supplies. Stocking more than 10,000 items, the company supplies reloaders, shooters and hunters worldwide. To order, or for more information, call 800-717-8211 or visit sinclairintl.com and mention AMMOLAND.

Hodgdon’s 2011 Reloading Manual

Hodgdon Powder

Shawnee Mission KS, --(Ammoland.com)- Hodgdon The Gunpowder People is proud to announce the 8th Annual Reloading Manual.

The 2011 Hodgdon Annual Manual features so much more than any regular manual: 100 pages of rifle and pistol data with well over 5,000 shown loads, information on 29 Hodgdon, 19 IMR and 10 Winchester brand powders, 70 pages of articles on shooting and hunting from some of the top industry outdoor writers and 31 cartridge updates including the new 30 AR Remington and 338 Marlin Express.

The 2011 Hodgdon Annual Manual is the complete data resource for the two new Hodgdon powders; Hornady Superformance and Hornady LEVERevolution.

This pair of new technology, high speed propellants that are currently used in Hornady’s factory ammunition will provide the handloader a significant performance boost in many popular cartridges.

Look for Hodgdon’s most inclusive Annual Manual yet at favorite newsstands and gun stores in early 2011.

Cost is only $8.99 retail or $11.99 by ordering direct from Hodgdon at 913-362-9455, www.Hodgdon.com or write to 6231 Robinson, Shawnee Mission, KS 66202.

Hodgdon Lever Super Powder

Hodgdon’s new Hornady Superformance™ and LEVERevolution® Powders

Hodgdon Powder

Shawnee Mission KS, -(Ammoland.com)- Hodgdon® Powder Company and Hornady® Manufacturing have teamed together to answer the frequently asked reloading question; “Can I buy the powder used in Hornady Superformance and LEVERevolution factory ammunition?” Beginning in January the answer will be yes.

Hodgdon’s new Hornady Superformance and LEVERevolution reloading powders are the same propellants used in Hornady’s innovative and award winning high performance factory ammunition. Like its name, Hornady Superformance powder delivers striking velocities –nearly 190 feet per second faster than the nearest competitor in the 300 WSM! Other top cartridge loads are in the 22-250, 243 Winchester and the 300 Ruger Compact Magnum. Hornady LEVERevolution powder offers performance in the 30-30 Win. that has never been available previously with handloads. Velocity with a 150 grain bullet is an astounding 2,512 feet per second, that’s 122 fps faster than any 30-30 Win. published load. Both are especially smooth metering Spherical powders that flow easily through a measure.

Hodgdon’s new Hornady Superformance and LEVERevolution powder will be available in one and eight pound containers at dealers everywhere in Spring 2011. Complete data is always free at hodgdon.com in the Reloading Data Center. For more information contact Hodgdon Powder Company at 913-362-9455 or by mail at 6231 Robinson, Shawnee Mission Kansas 66202.

For your powder choice it’s Hodgdon, the Brand that’s True.

RCBS Rifle Bullet Feeder

RCBS Unveils Rifle Bullet Feeder Kits for Progressive Presses

New RCBS Bullet Feeders Increase Load Rates by 50%; Gives Reloaders the Capacity to Load Faster and More Efficiently

RCBS reloading press

Oroville, CA -(Ammoland.com)-  RCBS, maker of reloading equipment and precision shooting products, introduces two new Rifle Bullet Feeder Kits to its lineup of popular and proven reloading gear. Designed for the progressive metallic reloading press, these two new units include a 30-caliber kit and a 22-caliber kit (MSRP: $595.95 each). Both these kits are on sale now.

Feeder Kit increases load rate by 50-percent
The Rifle Bullet Feeder Kit is designed to fit on most 7/8″-14 threaded progressive presses and features a four country, universal 110-240 VAC power supply operated collator unit that orients the bullets to drop directly into the feed mechanism. The 30-caliber hopper holds approximately 125 (180-grain) 30-caliber bullets while the 22-caliber feeder holds approximately 250 (55-grain) 22-caliber bullets. Both units increase load rates by least 50%. NOTE: Not for use with lead bullets. Jacketed or FMJ bullets only.

Product highlights
• Available for either 22-caliber or 30-caliber
• Increases load rate by 50%
• Large hopper for non-stop reloading and max output/efficiency
• Bullets are oriented to drop directly into feed mechanism/seat die
• Bullet feeding and seating are accomplished in one station.
• No need to flare case mouth for proper bullet seating
• Adjustable collator height
• RCBS® two-year warranty

Maximize time at the reloading bench
RCBS’ new Rifle Bullet Feeder Kits are the most efficient way to reload metallic centerfire 22-caliber and 30-caliber loads. The power operated collator unit ensures each bullet component is properly oriented for feeding directly into the seat die. “This steady stream of properly aligned bullets increases the consistency of your reloading process,” claimed Kent Sakamoto, product line manager. “It guarantees your progressive press rolls right along making round after round—regardless of press make or model. Red, green or blue, our new Rifle Bullet Feeders fit all progressive presses and increase the seed and consistency of reloading. That’s what these Rifle Bullet Feeders bring to the reloading table.”

For more information or to view the complete line of RCBS products, please visit www.rcbs.com.

Alliant Powder

Radford, VA --(Ammoland.com)- Alliant Powder, makers of some of the best and most popular reloading powders, welcomes Extra-Lite to their line of premium products.

Extra-Lite is a shotshell powder designed for 12-gauge shooters looking to reduce loads from 1 1/8 ounce to 7/8 ounces.

On store shelves now, Extra-Lite is welcome news to shotshell reloaders who want reduced recoil while gaining a new option for filling their hulls.

Alliant Extra-Lite Shotshell Powder

Get more with less!
Extra-Lite delivers less recoil, less cost and less headaches to shotshell reloaders transitioning to a lower load charge and features a density that allows the use of standard components (wads and cases).

Extra-Lite also delivers pressure levels that guarantee complete combustion across a broad range of temperature ranges while remaining extremely clean burning. Made in the U.S.A. and delivering lot-to-lot consistency, Extra-Lite load data can be found at: www.alliantpowder.com.

There are dozens of reasons why shooters decide to take up the hobby of reloading.

Here are a few of the most frequently referenced reasons:

• Cost Savings: Saving money by assembling your own ammunition is an incentive to begin reloading. Depending on the caliber of ammunition, using factory loaded ammo can cost up to 60 percent more than reloading. And though money concerns may not be an overriding factor for some enthusiasts, it is a driving reason why shooters consider reloading in the first place.
• Accuracy & Velocity: So you don’t believe that loading your own ammunition matters? Consider that most professional shooters carefully reload their own ammunition for improved shot groupings and velocity. And that means more power and consistency when it really matters.
• Customized Loads: The flexibility to customize loads that are not available in factory ammunition.
• Personal Satisfaction: Nothing can change the way you feel when you make something by hand. Loading your own ammunition is like restoring a classic car or completing a home improvement project. When you’re finished, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that the materials you’ve assembled were made by you for you.

About Alliant Powder
For more than 125 years Alliant Powder has produced America’s most popular smokeless powders. Alliant Powder is part of ATK Armament Systems. For more information and load data, visit www.alliantpowder.com.

Brass Casings

Lucky Gunner Ammuntion

KNOXVILLE, TN --(AmmoLand.com)- LuckyGunner.com is excited to announce a new program designed to help you reduce your shooting costs.

Instead of throwing away spent brass, Brass-4-Cash provides you with a great incentive to collect and ship it for credit toward future purchases. The process is fast and easy.

Here is how the Brass-4-Cash Program works:

• Collect as much brass as you can after your next trip to the range (take a snow shovel and a broom and you will make a fortune)
• Fill out the simple online form at www.LuckyGunner.com/Brass-4-Cash (the website will then generate an instructional shipment ticket to print out)
• Ship your brass to LuckyGunner.com, using your choice of UPS, FedEx, or USPS–whichever is most convenient for you.

Once we receive your brass, LuckyGunner.com we will inspect it, weigh it, and then e-mail you with a credit code! This code entered on their website allows you to receive instant credit when making your next purchase.

Because we view this as an opportunity to help our customers afford more time at the range, LuckyGunner.com is paying top dollar for spent brass. For example, for 40 pounds of 45 ACP brass (this is only about 3,000 casings), LuckyGunner.com would issue a credit of $96.00! This really is a great opportunity to save some serious money at the range.

For acceptance, all brass casings must meet the following requirements:

• Casings must be brass or nickel-plated brass only (they do not accept steel or aluminum casings)
• Casings must not be deformed in any way (crushed, dented, or split casings will be rejected)
• Casings must be free of tarnish and corrosion
• Casings must be free of dirt, sand, and any other foreign material
• Casings must be of the types/calibers requested on the website or a mixture thereof

According to the Brass-4-Cash Terms and Conditions, you will be responsible for paying for shipping your brass to LuckyGunner.com. With that in mind, it is usually best to ship at least 2,000 to 3,000 or more casings at a time. The more you ship at a time, the more profitable Brass-4-Cash becomes for you because your shipping costs per dollar earned decreases. You may even want to contact your local range and ask them if you can pick up the extra brass laying around.

This is a great opportunity to save money at the range. To find current used brass rate information, and for Terms and Conditions, go to www.LuckyGunner.com/Brass-4-Cash.

Montana Shooting Sports Association

Montana --(Ammoland.com)- Montana U.S. Senators Baucus and Tester have sent a strongly-worded letter to the Department of Defense insisting on answers soon to pointed questions about military brass destruction. Thanks to Baucus and Tester for this effort.

You may read the Baucus/Tester letter at: http://www.progunleaders.org/ammo/Update2.html

It seems that there may be two separate problems related to destruction of military brass:

1. The sweetheart side deals defense contractor ATK has been promoting with military installations to destroy brass, and
2. That many military installation commanders may not be in compliance with a congressional prohibition that no Congress-appropriated funds may be used to destroy brass. This may be because DoD simply didn’t make the effort to inform installation commanders that Congress had prohibited destruction of brass. Here’s the language that was included in the 2009 Department of Defense appropriation by Congress:

“None of the funds available to the Department of Defense may be used to demilitarize or dispose of M-1 Carbines, M-1 Garand rifles, M-14 rifles, .22 caliber rifles, .30 caliber rifles, or M-1911 pistols, or to demilitarize or destroy small arms ammunition or ammunition components that are not otherwise prohibited from commercial sale under Federal law, unless the small arms ammunition or ammunition components are certified by the Secretary of the Army or designee as unserviceable or unsafe for further use.”

It will be very interesting to see what answers Baucus and Tester get from DoD by the deadline set in their letter. ALSO, members of Congress from other states need to be pestered to join Baucus and Tester in this effort, or make similar efforts separately. Gary Marbut, president Montana Shooting Sports Association

About Montana Shooting Sports Association:
MSSA is the primary political advocate for Montana gun owners. Visit: www.mtssa.org

This was in response to MSSA’s questioning whether ATK was involved in an end-run around the rescinding order by the DOD to stop destroying once fired brass at US military bases. – AmmoLand.com

Once Fired Military Brass Casings

ATK

MINNEAPOLIS, MN --(AmmoLand.com)-  ATK is a strong supporter of our armed forces, the shooting sports industry, second amendment rights and all of our customers who choose to reload ammunition.

In fact, ATK is a leader in the reloading market. The dated brochure and presentation have caused confusion in the marketplace and do not reflect the views of our company and will be immediately withdrawn.

As a service to our military customers, we routinely handle demil operations for various munitions and respond to requests from military installations for reclamation and recycling of military items.

Each contract is awarded through the military installation’s procurement process. The installations received fair value for the brass.

ATK fully supports the provision passed by Congress last year to ensure that demilitarized spent brass casings remain available for civilian use.

Brownells is proud to announce a 37,000 square foot expansion of their Montezuma, Iowa warehouse...

Brownells.com

Des Moines, Iowa - -(AmmoLand.com)- Brownells is growing. The company is proud to announce a 37,000 square foot expansion of their Montezuma, Iowa warehouse is well underway.

According to company President, Pete Brownell, “The extra space makes room for the additional inventory needed to maintain our industry-leading in-stock position and to also help us get our orders out even more efficiently.”

Along with the new space, plans call for the addition of several people, plus more technology to assist order picking, packing, and bulk warehouse staff with their jobs.

CEO Frank Brownell told us, “I remember working for Dad in the basement of the old movie theatre on the town square. We couldn’t imagine filling the current building when we moved in back in the 1970s and we’ve had to add on every five years. What’s really neat is we’ve been able to expand without losing the personal service that our customers deserve.”

At Brownells Everything is Guaranteed period! …Forever, 100%, with no restocking fees. Founded in 1939, Brownells provides free tech help and there’s no minimum order size or small order fees.

About:
Brownells is the world’s largest supplier of firearm parts, gunsmithing tools, reloading equipment and accessories. Stocking more than 30,000 items, the company supplies armorers, gunsmiths, and shooters worldwide. All of their products are backed by a 100% satisfaction, unconditional, lifetime guarantee. For more information, or to place an order, call 800-741-0015 or visit Brownells.com

Freedom Group, Inc. (FGI)

Madison, NC –-(AmmoLand.com)- Freedom Group, Inc. through a wholly owned subsidiary has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire certain assets of Barnes Bullets. The transaction closed on December 31, 2009.

Barnes Bullets, located in Mona, Utah, is the industry-leading supplier of copper bullets, including copper-tin composite core bullets. These products are used by hunters, shooters, military and law enforcement professionals around the world. With their innovative designs, advanced manufacturing techniques and core focus on the end-user, Barnes Bullets has been a leading choice of commercial consumers, law enforcement and military users since its inception in 1932.

Barnes Bullets

Barnes Bullets will continue day-to-day operations at their Mona, Utah-based location under the guidance of company founder, Randy Brooks.

“We welcome Randy and his team to the Freedom Group family,” commented Ted Torbeck, CEO of the Freedom Group, Inc. “With the acquisition of Barnes; the Freedom Group continues to demonstrate our commitment to the ammunition business. Barnes offers a premium line of high performance bullets for the hunting and shooting communities; and for law enforcement, military and commercial consumers around the world. We are excited about their research and development capabilities and the breadth of the products they bring to our portfolio.”

About Freedom Group, Inc.
Freedom Group is the world’s leading innovator, designer, manufacturer, and marketer of firearms, ammunition, and related products for the hunting, shooting sports, law enforcement, and military markets. As one of the largest manufacturers in the world of firearms and ammunition, we have some of the most globally recognized brands including Remington, Bushmaster, DPMS/Panther Arms, Marlin, H&R, NEF, LC Smith, Parker, EOTAC, AAC, Dakota and INTC. The Company distributes its products throughout the U.S. and in over 80 foreign countries. More information about the Company can be found at www.freedom-group.com.

The Company assumes no obligation to update publicly such forward–looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Barnes Bullets™ is a trademark of BB Acquisitions Holding, LLC.

Starline Brass Ammunition Production

Starline Brass

Sedalia, MO --(AmmoLand.com)-When you are known as the “Maker of America’s Finest Brass” you can relax and enjoy the successes of over thirty years in the shooting sports industry, right?

Starline brass does not think so!!

They continue working hard to make the best even better.

Starline recently invested in several pieces of equipment to better serve the needs of their customers and to ensure continued superior quality.

Starline Brass's Anneal Machine

Starline Vice-President Robert E. Hayden secured the purchase of a belt annealer and other production related equipment in August of 2009.

“It is rare to purchase a piece of equipment that can both improve efficiency and consistency at the same time.” said Hayden. “We have done just that at Starline.”

Starline anneals between each draw to ensure the correct metallurgy in every piece of brass they produce. This machine cuts the process time in half, while improving the consistency of the grain structure of the brass. This results in both a higher rate of production and a better brass case.

Cutting production time could not have come at a better time. Customers are pleading for quality reloading brass and Starline is working around the clock to provide just that. They have also added additional draw presses and material handling equipment this year to increase the rate of production.

Employees oversee Starline Brass's New Draw Press while working hard to keep up with Ammunition Production

About:
Starline is a leader in the development, production and worldwide distribution of both standard and unique brass calibers for handguns and rifles. The company offers customers more than 80 different calibers. Orders can be placed by calling toll-free 800-280-6660, or on the Starline web site at www.starlinebrass.com. In most cases, orders are shipped within 24 hours. Visit www.starlinebrass.com

Sinclair Ammunition Re-loading Supplies

Fort Wayne, IN - -(AmmoLand.com)- Sinclair International, one of the country’s leading providers of high quality reloading products for precision shooters, has chosen Callis & Associates as their media partner. Callis was selected because of their in-depth knowledge of and relationships within the shooting sports and outdoor sports industries.

Sinclair International, Inc. has been a leader in the hunting, competitive shooting, reloading and varmint hunting markets for over 30 years and became a member of the Brownells family in 2007. Brownells is known as the world’s largest supplier of firearms accessories and gunsmithing tools.

“We are very excited to help build the Sinclair brand.” said Cliff Callis, president of Callis & Associates. “They have a great reputation and are a great compliment to our other shooting sports clients.”

Callis & Associates is a full service advertising, public relations, and interactive marketing firm that specialize in the shooting sports industry. Their website is www.ecallis.com.

About:
Sinclair International is the world’s premier supplier of high-quality reloading tools, components and accessories plus unique target shooting and hunting supplies. Stocking more than 10,000 items, the company supplies reloaders, shooters and hunters worldwide. To order, or for more information, call 800-717-8211 or visit sinclairintl.com and mention AMMOLAND.

MidwayUSA.com Launches a New Homepage

Midway USA

Columbia, MO --(AmmoLand.com)-MidwayUSA, a catalog and Internet retailer offering Just About Everything^(SM) for Shooting, Reloading, Gunsmithing and Hunting is excited to announce the launch of a new homepage and website design. These updates are designed to improve navigation and create a more user-friendly shopping experience for the Customer.

“MidwayUSA is always improving how we serve our Customers and our website is a critical piece of creating a great shopping experience.

Our team studied Internet and eCommerce best practices before we began the design process and then tested the new application tools with small groups during the creation of the new MidwayUSA experience,” said Adam Ray, vice president of eCommerce at MidwayUSA.

A major improvement is the site navigation bar for browsing, which reduces the browsing tabs from 21 categories to just seven (Shooting, Re-loading, Gunsmithing, Hunting, Optics, Ammunition and Clearance), but still provides all information via “hover” menus.

The new homepage even has a section that highlights a different GunTec video each week. However, all of the old favorites are still on the page, including Search, Featured Promotions, Top Sellers and others.

Since 1977, MidwayUSA has been improving the shopping experience. Visit midwayusa.com and take advantage of this fast, friendly and secure shopping experience.

For more information about MidwayUSA, please visit midwayusa.com or call 1-800-243-3220.

About:
Shop MidwayUSA online for shooting supplies, reloading, airguns, gunsmithing, rifle scopes, ammunition & outdoor products. Extremely competitive prices, great sales, huge in stock product selection, same day shipping, legendary service, passionate NRA supporter & family owned.

Frank B - Brownells.com

Brownells.com - -(AmmoLand.com)-We’ve been doing some “reality checks” around here last week, trying to get a handle on how our industry is doing and how we need to prepare for the upcoming year.

As we look back, it would seem that most all of us in the industry have had a fantastic run of business. Our industry has been recognized by shooters, non-shooters and even the economic whiz-kids on Wall Street, as one of the very few bright spots during this economic downturn.

You probably saw it in the huge volume of sales starting right at the election in November, 2008, peaking somewhere around Easter, 2009 and then sliding back closer to the traditional summer slow-down we always see.

In doing our analysis here, we asked ourselves the following three questions and tried to come up with answers. You might want to stop a moment and with a fresh cup of coffee, ask yourself these questions about your business and how you feel about your future.

1. Is this “Obama Gun Sale Bubble” over?
2. Is demand for firearms and ammunition coming down to the standard demand curve for our business?
3. What can we do for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010 to match or beat those high sales in the “Bubble” months of 2008-09?

We came up with some answers, which I’ll pass along to you, but they really are only our opinions from our viewpoint. Hopefully you will find something in here which will be beneficial to you in your business.

We believe the insane demand level for tactical firearms is over and future demands for these products will come back down to the industry norms. Keep in mind, though, there have been a huge number of non-traditional firearms buyers making purchases of AR-15′s. So there are a lot of customers out there who will still want to accessorize and modify one of the world’s most versatile and popular platforms. Definitely still a market for AR-15 “stuff”, but a much softer one for the basic platform itself.

The conceal carry/home defense market, however, is starting to heat up and right now is the beginning of a “short boom”, not as significant as tactical rifles, but one nonetheless. We don’t know how much leg this market can get under it or how long it might run. It is getting lots of play right now in the gun press, so take a look at how you can get into it modestly and watch it closely.

We strongly believe the reloading and ammo markets are still underserved and have strong growth ahead of them. It will take longer to get these markets back to a norm because the primer shortage. The deep fluctuations/price increases in the metals markets from which most of these ammo components are made – lead, copper, brass has an impact on availability and prices. Our industry’s share of these markets is not even a wrinkle, and we have neither control nor any leverage we can bring into play. We just have to wait for the metals markets to settle out.

Shotgun and hunting markets did not seem to have the favorable run-up as the tactical weapons market. From what we think we see, there might be some returning strength. It looks like reservations for hunts have still to recover. We definitely expect those to slowly come back, but quite possibly not until folks are more comfortable the economy has settled down and a general recovery is underway. Hunts are discretionary, more easily put off.

For net results for 2009, don’t focus too much on beating year-over-year numbers. Our last year was way out of the norm. Instead focus on the year’s sales number. With the history we’ve had, it would actually be acceptable to have a 0% growth year in 2010 – it all depends when your fiscal year ends and where the “Obama Bubble” fell. Sometimes it’s just nice to have survived and to be able to move on!

Brownells.com

About:
Brownells is the world’s largest supplier of firearm parts, gunsmithing tools, reloading equipment and accessories. Stocking more than 30,000 items, the company supplies armorers, gunsmiths, and shooters worldwide. All of their products are backed by a 100% satisfaction, unconditional, lifetime guarantee. For more information, or to place an order, call 800-741-0015 or visit Brownells.com

MidwayUSA - Shooting Supplies, Re-loading, Gunsmithing, Hunting, Ammunition, Gun-Parts & Rifle Scopes

Midway USA

Columbia, MO - -(AmmoLand.com)- MidwayUSA offers a huge selection of Shooting, Reloading, Gunsmithing, Hunting and outdoor products to Customers worldwide.

We have designed one of the most sophisticated computer networks in the industry, which allows us to maintain real-time inventory and our trademark service. To find about employment with MidwayUSA, please visit the Careers page.

From our humble beginnings to our current modern 140,000 square-foot facility in Columbia, Missouri, MidwayUSA has developed an extremely loyal following of shooting and re-loading Customers worldwide. Enjoy this video tour of our operations with Gun Talk Radio’s Tom Gresham.

MidwayUSA was incorporated in 1977 under the name of Ely Arms, Inc. In 1979, the name was changed to Midway Arms, Inc. In June 1998, the MidwayUSA name came into use. MidwayUSA has been under the continuous ownership and management of the Potterfield Family from the beginning.

About:
Shop MidwayUSA online for shooting supplies, reloading, airguns, gunsmithing, rifle scopes, ammunition & outdoor products. Extremely competitive prices, great sales, huge in stock product selection, same day shipping, legendary service, passionate NRA supporter & family owned.

Alliant Powder's New Website

Alliant Powder

ONALASKA, Wis. – -(AmmoLand.com)-  Alliant Powder has launched a new and improved website at www.alliantpowder.com.

Using important statistical information from its site users, the company tailored the user experience to the needs of its regular visitors. The site houses the latest product information, recipes and testimonials from satisfied customers.

Web statistics provided foundation for content flow:
Alliant Powder based the information architecture of its new website on input directly from its users. The company wanted to make sure the site was a reflection of the way real visitors use the content. As a result, visitors will find recipe information, testimonials and new product details up front and center.

Site highlights new recipes, products

The following areas stand out as most prevalent on the site:

• New recipes: If you’re an avid reloader looking for the latest recipe information to charge up your favorite caliber, you’ll see the Latest Recipes area.
• New products: Products like 20/28, Reloader 17 and the new Power Pro series are highlighted for a quick look at their benefits to the reloader.
• Customer testimonials: The site features comments from customers—and even a record setting accomplishment achieved using Alliant Powder.

According to Mihai Moldoveanu, web projects manager, “The new site is based on a broader web strategy that puts the focus on the user and how they access information. We feel this site has reached a great balance between functionality and aesthetic appeal—we look forward to seeing how our customers enjoy it.”

See www.AlliantPowder.com to check out the new site.

About:
Alliant’s origins as a gunpowder manufacturer can be traced back more than 125 years to the DuPont Company, whose leadership position in the explosives industry is legendary. DuPont’s divestiture in 1912 created the Hercules Power Company as an independent entity, and eventually resulted in Alliant becoming America’s premier gunpowder manufacturer.

The long, proud history of Alliant Powder began in 1872 as Laflin & Rand, later to become Hercules Powder Company — the most respected name in the reloading industry.