Gun Digest Long Range Shooting SIP No3

“Shooting is a game of milliseconds, and if you divert your attention from the target, you risk drifting off target. In so many cases, shooters will not even notice this. They will establish their sight picture, consider the cross-hairs on target and then begin to think about something else. It’s during these moments where we miss the movement caused by a poor trigger press or a subconscious shift in our body. We need to carefully watch the reticle so we can answer: Where are our sights during the firing sequence?” I recently came across this paragraph in Frank Galli’s new book, Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals, and it grabbed me for some reason … especially his statement about breaking down the art of shooting to a game of milliseconds. I’ve…

HISTORICAL NOTES The .50 Browning BMG was invented by its namesake and adopted into United States military service in 1918 for John M. Browning’s famous heavy machine gun. His attentions in this area were prompted by a battlefield need recognized during World War I. There have been other developments; and, at least once, the Pentagon considered dropping the .50 BMG in favor of more-modern and generally bigger chamberings. However, the .50 BMG has remained. The advent of saboted loads generating 4,500 fps muzzle velocities and having devastating armor-penetration capabilities, as well as its performance in the Gulf War, cemented its continued existence as a stable part of NATO’s arsenal. Battlefield use is against light-armored vehicles to ranges of a mile or more. And, used against the unprotected foot soldier, it’s…

Tried and True I don’t know who to address this to—probably Luke because of his “First Shot” column. I just finished my July issue, and I was very impressed by the article on the 60-year-old Remington Model 870. I love to see one of the classics brought back to life! But I think I can top that shotgun. I acquired an old Winchester 1897 in January of this year. The seller reported the manufacture date as 1905. I verified this with Winchester. My 1897 was, in fact, made in 1905. I had it renovated this spring and was able to take it to the field for spring turkey season. The 115-year-old classic worked like a charm. Keep up the good work with the magazine. Michael Shepherd, via e-mail As you…

Learn Precision Shooting From a Marine Sniper! Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals breaks down the fundamentals of marksmanship with easy-to-understand methodology. Author Frank Galli draws on his background as a Marine sniper to offer a logical order of instruction from shooter to target. It’s the same way he teaches students when he’s on the firing line with them. As Galli explains, there’s no “voodoo” when it comes to precision rifle marksmanship, but there are techniques that, when practiced, make the difference between good marksmanship and great marksmanship. Understanding the reasons a bullet hits—or doesn’t hit—its intended target at ultra-long distances is a crucial element to learning. Galli’s explanation of how to understand and compensate for wind speed and direction will, by itself, make this book invaluable for new shooters. MSRP:…

When was the last time you gave as much attention to your firearm’s lubricant as your ammunition, magazines, optics or lights? Because lube can’t attach to a Picatinny rail, get laser-etched or dipped in the latest absolute invisibility camo pattern, probably very little. When was the last time you considered what’s in your lubricant and how that impacts the performance of your firearm? Probably the same answer. 100-YEAR-OLD LUBRICANT Sadly, many American firearm owners lubricate their guns with “what they’ve always used” and live with its shortcomings. In fact, the top-selling firearm lubricant in the United States was introduced in 1913—before World War I! It was designed first and foremost to prevent rust; lubrication was a distant second, and cleaning only happened with aggressive scraping and additional harsh chemicals. However,…

American Defense Manufacturing (ADM) has been making optics mounts for some years now. I’ve got red-dot and magnifying optics mounts on rifles, and I’ve always been pleased with their performance. The system uses a throw lever with a built-in locking tab, so you aren’t depending solely on friction or the cam geometry of the lever to keep it closed. And, the lever tightness can readily be adjusted. All of this can be done without tools—no Allen wrenches or tiny socket wrenches to adjust this or that. The company even manages to shave off a bit more weight by using titanium in the construction of some of the mounts. However, titanium costs, and you don’t save weight by saving money. That’s life, folks. But now, ADM is also offering ADM-branded red-dots…