www.sniperworx.com
I S S N 1 9 3 5 -7 5 0 8
JAN.2008 vol 2 issue 7
SNIPERWORX
GEAR & STUFF YOU WANT. . .
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
EDITORIAL
By George Hunt
1
TIS rifle concept
An accurate field rifle
3
KRIEGER
Barrels interview
6
JAWBONE Mil-spec bluetooth
11
X-VIP bipod
13
Effects of Altitude and
Atmospheric conditions
16
Deros lightweight tripod
23
Johnathan’s Arrow
For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten
Son, so that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish . ..
John 3:16
Gear is always discussed amongst shooters and
it would seem that the precision shooters, snipers and
tactical shooters are no exception; in fact many many
times we are driving the discussions, or are gear innovators, field testers, end users,
etc.,
And this February 2-5th, 2008the
30th annual SHOT SHOW will be a
collection of dealers, reps, manufacturers, government, law enforcement, and media types looking at and fondling the latest offerings in the industry, that is shooting.
Some of this stuff is good gear ,
some, even most is not and can
be a real turd once you get it out
into the field.
Having said that , let me tell you
about some gear that we consider
the best to be had; and it doesn’t
take a trip to the SHOT SHOW to
figure that out…
Our first gear quickie is the KIFARU MILITARY LINE OF
PACKS. If you want the best in
military grade , USA made rucksacks with all the bells and whistles , then KIFARU is the standard
by which all others are judged. I
used the ZULU pack, below with
the XTL lid in a recent sniper class
and just the lid alone was a life
saver; I carried a Leupold Mk4
spotter, 60 rounds of ammo, Leica
LRF1200, data book, and (2) 20oz
water bottles , just in the XTL lid.
Don’t mess around with the ‘other’
packs. KIFARU is the best. Pe-
riod. Full review to follow later this
year. Next is a neat little tripod
called the ULTRAPOD 2, made by
pedco.com; its rated to hold 6lbs
max, open height is 6 1/4” tall,
comes with a ball and socket 1/4”
head and weighs just 4 oz’s !!! Yes
ounces. One of these is being
tested by US Marine scout/snipers
and that’s the ultimate test of durability etc., especially in theater.
More to follow once the Marine
snipers wring it out and send some
booger eaters to paradise. . .
Semper Fidelis devil dogs!!
SNIPER WORX –e d i t o r i a l
MAGPUL UBR –A R
Page 2
STOCK FOR
MEN
THE MAGPUL UBR AR stock for men. This is the long
awaited carbine stock that as you
can see from the photo above is
unique in telescoping movement.
The buttstock assembly
rides a rail on the underside of the
buffer tube area, with built in storage at the toe section on the sides
of the UBR , it’s the beesknees.
Super duty, positive lockup , and
for those of us with facial hair,
doesn’t grab hairs and rip them out
like the standard M4 carbine 6 pos.
stocks.
Full review in May’s
issue; I am putting it thru its
paces , at a SWAT class but I
expect good things. In the picture
too, the tan pistol
grip is MAGPUL’s
MIAD core grip,
you can change
core’s for bullets,
batteries, extra
bolt/firing pin.etc.,
very nice.
LEUPOLD—NIGHTFORCE—NIKON—
S HIM R I N G S FOR ELEVATION Z E R O- S T O P S
For years now , a complaint
has been that Mk4 M1 sniper
optics don’t have a zero stop,
like the M3 Leupold’s do. In
the field and during practice ,
its always good standard procedure when you walk away
from the gun, to go back to
ZERO. This helps in preventing mistakes in come-ups.
But try as you may mistakes
still can happen. I own both a
M3 and a M1 and I rely on my
zero stop in the M3; coupled
with going back to zero when I
leave the gun its hard to
beat— I have messed up
though with the M1 and have
been 15 moa off (high is easier than low). I was glad when
Julian Jasso of Texas came
out with a zero-stop. my 'zero
stop' is 8 clicks below my
100 yd zero. It works terrific. Function is the same
with or without the shims,
and i installed them with
no issues. When proper #
of shims are used it will
NOT raise the turret
height. $6 per set Email
[email protected]
M1 MK4 LEUPOLD WITH SHIM INSTALL’D
Freedom is not
free, but the U.S.
Marine Corps will
pay most of your
share
The Tactical Intervention Special
by Mike Miller
The Search For The Perfect Medium Range Sniper Rifle
For years I have been preaching the perfect medium range sniper rifle needs to be :
1. Accurate with repeatable results
2. Light enough to carry
3. Durable and able to last 10,000 plus
rounds between barrel changes
4. Affordable with parts that are easy to
get.
5. With capability to hit to 800 yards
(Field Unknown Distance) with ease and
to 1000 yards under good field conditions
or on a Known Distance Range.
Now the GA Precision "Rock" does all of
this and more but as I get older I wanted
even lighter with slightly more range
capability. Looking at the Rock, we see a
rifle that’s as tough as any rifle on the planet and capable of everything listed above. It
does weigh 12 lbs with a scope and a barrel that’s 22". My goal is a 10 lbs rifle with 24"
barrel. I also want a McMillan A5 Stock, not the A1 that The Rock uses. Hard shoes to
fill. I want a longer barrel with larger stock and for it all to weigh less. Then throw in the
durability of the Rock Rifle.
To start this project I contacted GA Precision and talked with George Gardner. George is
a mastermind when it comes to weapon design, so I knew he would have some answer.
After talking at great lengths we came up with several ways to go.
1. Remington 700 Short Action in either Titanium or Steel. Now this was a hard choice as
several things came in. Titanium is about four ounces lighter than steel but costs is three
times as much and Titanium does not have the wear resistance of steel. In short the lugs
would wear faster. I picked steel for the receiver.
2. The barrel. I wanted to stick with a larger diameter bbl. Originally we looked at
Carbon Fiber wrapped barrels but after many delays in the manufacture to provide one
and just too short a track record to put my life on the line with one, George and Mike
Rock came up with a solution. Mike Rock took a M24 Taper 1x11.25 twist 5R barrel
and heavily fluted it. I picked a 24" length, as this adds about 40-50 fps onto the caliber
picked (to be discussed later) This turned out to be a great thing and I see no reason for
not doing this on all future projects. Mike, made another great barrel for me. The 22"
length is still an option and better for LE Activities. The second part of the lightness was
with the addition of new technology to a McMillan stock. I picked the A5 stock with no
external adjustment, as anything that can be adjusted will adjust when you don’t want it
to. The stock had to be light but just as tough as the standard McMillan stocks. Talking
with Kelly McMillan brought a solution to the stock. McMillan had been playing with the
addition of Graphite to stocks for a few years but never made an entire tactical stock out
of graphite before. This was to be a first and it was a great choice. The finished stock
came out at under two pounds and very tough. I do not believe its any less tough than a
regular McMillan stock. The only two draw backs to using Graphite through out the stock
are:
A) added cost of around 100.00 per stock
B) The stock can only be painted as its not possible to mold in colors. This is not a
problem for me as all my rifles get nice coats of various paints to get a matching finish
for wherever I am at.
The scope base and rings are Badger Products and the same in looks as the steel Badgers
only these are Aluminum (Note rifle shown has US Optics scope base because at time of
shoot Badger was out of stock of Medium rings the NXS scope needed for mounting and
USO’s base was high enough to permit the use of standard rings and the NXS scope. It
has since been changed to Badger rings and base.
3. The floor metal. I wanted far stronger than a standard aluminum Remington floor plate
but not as heavy as the steel Badger floor metal. The answer was already available.
Badger makes a copy of their floor metal in heavy duty aluminum. It fits in any stock
cut for the steel Badger floor metal and is tough as hell! No worries about this part
failing. It has already been used in real world applications and proved totally reliable.
The rings and base, Badger Aluminum, have also shown they will hold up to what ever
can be dished out. They save 60% over the weight of steel.
4. When we talk affordable and custom rifles, the only true way to save cost is through
group purchases. This we have done so the rifle is available for a limited time only, at
2700.00 completely finished with Badger Scope Base and Badger Scope rings. Available
directly from GA Precision as the "Tactical Intervention Special" Comes in either 22" or
24" barrel length. The metal and stock finishes are OD Green but can be painted by the
operator any color they wish. It comes in 308 Winchester only at this time.
5. Accuracy of this piece is far beyond what I had dreamed. It is capable of sub ½moa
accuracy. I did not notice any muzzle flip or increase in recovery between shots. It shot
alongside all my best rifles but at a much lower weight. I gave up nothing but the weight
and a slight increase in recoil. I say slight because I did not notice it but a the weight is
lower so you do get more felt recoil, even if my body did not notice it. Accuracy and
range limitations are that of the 308 round itself 800-100 yards depending on shooter and
conditions.
Fore-end of rifle:
Stock and Flush Cup Mounts:
This rifle will be available from
Mike Miller and GA Precision.
Interview with Mr. John Krieger of
KRIEGER BARRELS
Via email, 12-2007
Mr. Krieger
First I would like to say thank you for taking the time to answer some questions that we feel our readership
will be very interested in hearing the responses to. I personally own two custom built rifles with Krieger
barrels on them and they are a real joy to shoot, accurate and clean up with a lick and a promise.
1.
SW- Please take a moment to tell us how KRIEGER BARRELS got started?
John: I’ve always had a deep interest in guns and shooting and making things. My dad taught me to shoot
when I was 6 years old or so. He mounted many surplus scopes on a single shot Remington rangemaster
and gave me the basics. He also had a machine shop with lathes, mills and grinders so this became the
“playground” on weekends for my gun projects. Then in the early 70’s I began shooting competitively and
met Boots Obermeyer the barrel maker. He was extremely helpful getting me started. While I never
worked for him as such, he led me on to my first barrel making machine and gave me many infinitely
valuable tips. I think it’s safe to say if it wasn’t for Boots I probably would not be making barrels. We
have remained good friends to this day.
2.
SW - The USA is blessed with many custom barrel manufacturers, why do you think that is? Is
there room for all in the current firearms market?
John: I think it’s because of our gun “culture”; the USA has a long history of private gun ownership,
hunting and competitive shooting that other countries don’t have. Competitive shooting is the crucible for
small arms development. Many of the arms being used by the military and police have been developed in
the private sector for civilian use. Some examples of this would be the Browning machine gun, the 1911
Colt, the Barrett M82 and the Remington 40x/700 bolt action sniper rifles. Coincidentally, Remington uses
the 5R rifling pattern developed by Boots Obermeyer for competitive shooting. Is there enough room for
all custom barrel makers? I think as of now, yes. Making real match grade barrels involves many
extremely difficult machining processes. I feel that this, in its self, generates a lot of respect between barrel
makers; no matter what rifling process they use. Shooters in general are a very ethical and honest group
and my experience is barrels makers are too. Most of us have our niche market and while there is some
overlay, naturally we don’t go after other makers customers. Generally it’s the customer that wants to try
someone else.
3.
SW - tell us about the steel selection process and the importance of getting consistent steels from
your supplier. How important is this to the final product? What country is the best steel that you
use in KRIEGER barrels coming from? Has this always been the case?
John: the steel used for making rifle barrels is extremely important not just for safety but for consistent
accuracy. So it is certified as gun barrel steel. It must be strong, have a high fatigue resistance, machine
ability, uniform hardness and grain structure and be as stress free as is possible. We have always bought
DOMESTIC steel. We have worked with the steel mills and our own private metallurgists to communicate
what we need and to ensure we are getting it. Cryogenically treating the raw steel further improves it by
making the grain structure more uniform and virtually stress relieving the steel. Despite all steps we take
to ensure good, uniform steel for our customers barrels, uniformity will still vary from bar to bar , and even
in an individual barrel. It is my opinion, that this is the major reason why one barrel will shoot better than
another. If every dimension, within reason, is the same and all other factors are the same, the major
difference is the 2 bars of steel. While some anomalies could occur in the steel in a barrel affecting its
accuracy is not our fault, it is our responsibility. That is why we have a 100% customer satisfaction
guarantee. Having said that, the steel we get today is excellent and rarely presents a problem in the
finished product.
4.
SW - button vs. cut rifling - a huge debate; your thoughts? Are there certain specific benefits in
either one that the other does not have?
John: first let me say that all the methods of rifling a barrel can make accurate barrels if they are done
correctly. But raw accuracy is not the only desirable characteristic of a great barrel. It should not walk
shots (cold clean 1st shot should not be appreciably outside of the subsequent group). It should not
accumulate a detrimental amount of fouling. It should be reasonably easy to clean; it should have a
reasonable barrel life depending on the caliber, of course. One thing we hear often from competitive
shooters and military teams is that barrel life on ‘cut rifled’ barrels is on average longer than on ‘button
rifled’ barrels. The operative word being on average. Barrels are often a law of themselves. One
advantage of cut rifling is the severe turning to size, can be done before the critical reaming, rifling, and
lapping are done. Thereby eliminating internal distortion to the bore. Button rifled barrels must be drilled
reamed and rifled while the outside is a full straight diameter. The reason is the barrel must resist the
button uniformly; the full distance of the barrel or the rifling won’t form completely. This also imparts a
lot of stress into the steel which then has to be stress relieved. This is done by putting the barrels back into
a furnace at about 1000-1100 deg.F for several hours. Only now can the barrel be turned down to finish
contour and only now will the barrel maker know what his finish internal dimensions are, how uniform the
bore is, and how straight the barrel is. The uniformity can change due to the fact that a button rifled bore
tends to open up as more steel is turned off the outside. In other words because the muzzle has more steel
turned off the than the breech it will tend to open up the bore. Not knowing exactly what they have until
they finish turning is the reason some makers of button rifled barrels have several grades of barrels. They
can only be gauged, inspected and graded after stress relieving. This is a good practice for the customer
can decide. With cut rifling and pre-turning, no stress is put into the steel. The dimensions we cut are
what they remain. The twist also, on cut rifling is more uniform.
5.
SW - talk about the popular trend in barrel making right now of cut, polygonal rifling – why is
this? Just a fad or here to stay?
John: non conventional rifling forms come and go from time to time. One that has remained though is
Boots Obermeyer’s 5R. I have had people tell me that they seem to be a little more forgiving and I have
had others say they shot no different than a conventional rifling form. I have shot a few of Boots’ 5R’s and
they shot very well. Is it the 5R or is it that Boots just makes great barrels period? I don’t know. When we
built our new factory in 2001, we built our underground 300 yard (not feet) test terminal to test things like
this. To date, I have not had the time to do so. I think Newton rifling will be interesting to test also.
6.
SW - in your opinion, what do you find drives trends in the barrel making industry? Gunsmith
recommendations, competitive shooting (f-class, high power, benchrest, etc., ) gun manufacturers,
or consumers?
John: the trends in barrel making , I believe, are driven by the competitive shooters and the barrel
makers; trying to improve everything bullet makers, stock and rifle makers do. And the gunsmiths building
the rifles. Lets face it, the competitive matches are the crucible by which the feedback and new ideas are
born.
7.
SW - Krieger uses one quality grade level for barrel blanks – while many other companies use 2,3,
even 4 varying grades - tell us about your decision to offer ‘match’ grade barrels only
John: part of this was answered earlier, as far as different grades are concerned in button barrels. But
even without the manufacturing drawbacks of the button process, we will occasionally make a barrel that
doesn’t meet our self-imposed specification of finish, dimension, etc., I guess that is more philosophy than
anything else. If we would sell ‘seconds’ for example it would kind of take the edge off of making them
right to begin with ie., ‘ well if it doesn’t come out right we can always sell it as a second’ ; also my name
would still be on it. I don’t believe we’ve ever made a barrel that’s made it thru rifling but was out of spec,
that wouldn’t shoot just fine and I have actually shot a number of them myself , so I know. But there is a
workmanship standard we adhere to , so these ‘seconds’ are scrapped.
8.
SW - Terry Cross of KMW precision , exclusively uses Krieger barrels, which says a lot to me
about your products. Are you seeing any developing trends in the sniper/tactical rifles market?
Longer? Shorter? Special contours? Barrel life? Special requests?
John: the trends I see in sniper/tactical rifles are mainly in barrels and stocks. The more or less
standard police sniper rifle used to be the Remington 700 varminter in .308 with its hammer forged barrel.
Hammer forging barrels , in my opinion, is the worst choice for a serious rifle and if a sniper rifle isn’t a
serious rifle I don’t know what is. The Remington 700 , with the stock bedded and a reliable barrel
installed with good optics is a perfectly fine sniper rifle. Improvements in the ergonomics of the various
stock design have helped with making steadier shooting positions and trigger control. The terrorist
situation seems to have generated interest in and development of the .338 Lapua in many of the NATO
countries as an extreme long range sniper rifle.
9.
SW - 30 caliber sniper rifles ie., .308win – 300winmag, and so forth still far out distance any
other caliber in the “tactical” shooting market . what kind of barrel life can a customer expect
from a stainless Krieger barrel chambered for .308win shooting normal sniper loads of 168grain or
175grain ammo?
John: simply the more powder and the heavier the bullet the shorter the barrel life. Period. Therefore,
the 300winmag will have shorter barrel life than the .308win. Again every barrel is a story on to its self
but in our 1000yd target shooting, the magnums have a barrel life of 1000-1200 rounds give or take some.
What we see first is elevation shoots that just don’t make sense. Shoot the same rifle at 100 or 200 yards
and it shoots fine but not at 1000yds. The .308 naturally lasts longer anywhere from 3000-6000 rounds. It
is generally shooting the 155 Sierra Palma bullet, while the mags are shooting the 180grain or heavier
bullets.
10. SW - barrels and barrel making, I believe, hold a great deal of mystique to most shooters; many
consider the barrel the heart of the rifle, even to the point of ‘samurai katana-esque’ live blade
worship. And subsequently, it’s the selection of the barrel that gets hotly contested and widely
discussed amongst friends, fellow shooters, and internet forum members - frequently barrel
manufacturers are perceived as ‘good, better, best’ - your thoughts on this?
John: if you have always had good luck with a Chevy you will probably always buy one. If you have had
trouble with one and the dealer isn’t helpful you may try a Ford. Most of the barrel makers I know are
sincerely interested in making a truly fine barrel but amongst other things we are at the mercy of the steel
we use. Steel will vary from lot to lot and even within the same lot. Sometimes it can be deteted and culled
during manufacturing , sometimes not. Consequently one barrel may shoot better than another. The cut
rifling process , while slow taking upwards of 2 hours just to rifle, tends to negate such variations in steel.
I believe the cut rifling process is the best not because I use it but I use it because it’s the best. There is a
factor called the point also. If something say the 6ppc cartridge used in bench rest shooting is good
enough to win often, gradually its used by more shooters until its used almost exclusively. When this
happens the 6ppc is always winning because its all that’s being shot.
11. SW - with this in mind, how much of the barrel making process is science and how much is art? Is
it really just cold steel, mic’s , gauges, and machinery?
John: production factory barrels is all gauges etc., ; premium barrels are gauges, tight specs, and more
individual care. There is definitely an art or feel for whats going on. The sound of the steel when its being
turned or drilled. The torque on the reamer and the feel of its rod, the size and finish it gives before its
lapped prior to rifling. In rifling it’s the feel of the rifling rod but mostly it’s the shape of the chips that tell
what the cutter is doing in the barrel. Then the finish lapping gives feedback thru feel. The lap being
maybe 20 times or more longer than the bearing surface of the bullet feedsback info on what the bullet will
feel going thru that barrel.
12. SW - shooters tend to gravitate to specific barrel makers by the style of shooting they do and the
shooters they hang out with, word of mouth and such . . . what questions should a shooter be
asking to ensure the best barrel choice is made?
John: a good barrel is a good barrel no matter what the target is. The only difference is what bullet is
used and that is mostly a twist issue. Barrels that are going to shoot lead bullets may want a tighter or
smaller groove diameter
13. SW - what type of testing is done (destructive, etc.,) to Krieger barrels as part of your quality
assurance standards?
John: we have a fulltime inspection department. They do nothing but inspect barrels. They are
accountable to our standards only. I even have some of the barrels that I personally made rejected by
them! We also field test some of the barrels in competitive shooting. Most of us are competitive shooters
and this way we have an intimate knowledge of what is wanted and needed. Most of our matches are 6001000 yds.
14. SW - Krieger barrels have won numerous shooting awards - your obviously producing a superior
barrel , that are consistent year after year – without giving away trade secrets, how do you do it?
John: basically by what I’ve already said above. The inspection department ensures uniform quality. Cut
rifling is the best for uniform quality and dimensions. There is no magic to barrel making. It’s the sense
and feel of what is happening. And it’s the people, tooling, procedures and attitude.
15. SW - Savage rifles, with their barrel nut and ability for shooters to swap their own barrels, are
gaining in popularity quickly. Do you have any plans to offer finished, threaded, chambered
barrels for that end user application on Savage tactical rifles?
John: I hadn’t thought about it but that’s a good idea of yours! May we use it?!
SW: of course - Savage makes great bolt guns and Krieger barrels are a natural for them
16. SW- a lot of my fellow shooting friends spec out a new custom built rifle and the barrel is a
required part of that gunsmith build. No questions asked that factory barrel is coming off- while
others have never experienced a custom gun or custom barrel - tell them, tell us, what is the
advantage in putting on a new Krieger barrel, why not just keep the factory tube?
John: this is going to be a complicated answer. If the barrel is appropriate for the intended use .i.e.,
caliber, contour, etc., and it shoots, why re-barrel it? Practice with it and shoot it out, then rebarrel it.
The exception to this is a hammer forged sniper rifle barrel. I had one of the first SR25’s from Knight
Armament and it shot well. So I shot it till it was shot out. People asked me why I didn’t put on one of our
barrels. My answer was always the same, ‘I have got better things to do than re-barrel a rifle that shoots.’
Another factor is your level of experience in a competitive shooting discipline. Years ago an actual phone
call, a shooter had just purchased a service rifle and was going to shoot service rifle matches, leg matches,
etc., the rifle was about 1.5 moa rifle with good ammunition. ‘Should he rebarrel it? I asked him how long
he’d been shooting; he replied he was just starting. My advice was to keep the factory barrel on it and use
it up learning to shoot the rifle, particularly standing position. He will know when it’s holding him back
and can rebarrel it then.
SW - thank you sir!!
Military Grade Noise Canceling Technology at Your Cell Phone.
Author: Sal Palma
Contact author: [email protected]
I’m always amazed at the veritable cornucopia of
product announcements that claim to
revolutionize how you live, play or work. This is
particularly true in the consumer electronics
arena where cellular communication products
abound. Every six months manufacturers, vying
for your dollars, find a revolutionary way to
repackage an old concept that delivers no
measurable benefit. For example, cell phones
have been getting smaller and smaller but the
problem is that your finger tips have stayed the
same. Call me when you provide reliable speech
recognition but until then please leave the keys
so that the average sized human hand can use the
product.
In all fairness though, things are not as bad as
they seem and once in a blue moon a new
product makes it to market that actually adds
value to the consumer. I’m writing today to tell
you about such a product the Jawbone.
Like most of you, I lead an active life style. I’m
either at the range or moving about town all the
time and it is very inconvenient to have to stop
doing what you’re doing to dig out your cell
phone to make or receive a call. It’s a real pain in
the neck. The solution for me was to run out and
buy a Bluetooth headset that would free me from
that drudgery. Well friends, good luck finding
one that’s worth a plug nickel.
In spite of the claims made by numerous
manufacturers, the overwhelming majority is
trash - weak audio, poor fit, bad designs with
poor controls and adding insult to injury the
person at the other end of your conversation
can’t hear a damned thing you’re saying. For all
this you have the privileged of paying upwards
of $50. What a deal folks!
Frustrated with my inability to locate a headset
that was worth a damn, I began checking for
military grade headsets and this is when I turned
up a new Bluetooth design called the Jawbone.
Jawbone is manufactured by Aliph, a San
Francisco company, and the technology behind
this product no less than extraordinary. I’ll begin
by talking about the fit.
The entire human interface on the Jawbone is
customizable. The headset ships with a variety of
ear buds that twist and lock on to the headset, so
you don’t need to sit there like a jackass trying to
stretch neoprene over molded plastic. Whatever
your ear shape is, there is a bud that ships with
the product. The same is true for the ear loop.
The ear loop is made from a stainless steel wire
that supports a durable and pliable rubber strap.
The entire mounting arrangement is extremely
comfortable. In fact, I’ve been wearing it seven
days a week for twelve hours a day without even
noticing that I have something on. Folks, the
mounting technology is so good on this product
that I run with it, shoot with it, and just to be a
pain in the behind I’ve even done forward roles
with it; at no time did the headset ever come
close to working its way loose. That alone is
worth the $119 that you pay for it, but wait, we
are not done yet, and what is a headset for if not
to hear and be heard.
would due in an area where there is open gunfire.
I’m here to tell you that you can rest easy. Your
wife can now call you while you are on the firing
line and you can hear her and she can hear you.
Life is indeed wonderful.
If you find yourself, as I did, headset challenged,
give yourself a treat and pick up a Jawbone from
Aliph. It is one of those pieces of technology that
constitutes new and significant science adding
value to the consumer.
You can find out more about the Jawbone by
going to their web site at
http://www.jawbone.com/.
The Jawbone uses some very impressive
technology that adjusts the volume of the
earpiece so that it overcomes background noise.
Additionally, it uses a noise calling algorithm
that eliminates the background noise so that the
person you are speaking to can hear you clearly,
and it works! I live in a major metropolitan area
and there is more ambient noise here than
virtually any place one can find; yet my
conversations are clear and unstrained. I can hear
and be heard without getting into a shouting
match, Eureka! However, we are not done yet
because for me the acid test is how the headset
Now, if they only made it in OD green or Digital
camo…
Written by Michael
Haugen
A DIFFERENT BREED OF BIPOD
GADGETRY
OR
CUTTING
EDGE
GENIUS??
THE X-VIP / VIP 2
Anyone familiar with long gun certainly knows the value of using a bipod. Bipods have been
used for years on any variety of weapons to include sniper rifles and crew served machineguns. A bipod has become indispe.nsable for providing a expedient rest in adverse conditions
and situations. A bipod provides the shooter with the ability to hold his target with more
stability and control than almost any other method. In short any shooter with even the
shortest amount of time behind a long gun knows the capability a bipod brings to the fight.
For the most part as far as rifle shooters are concerned there has only been one reliable
manufacturer of capable bipods. The problem has long been that the available commercial
bipod did little but provide a quick portable rest. It has not been that long ago that a new
improvement was made with the advent of the “swivel” versions which allow the shooter to
move the weapon to compensate for uneven ground or more importantly follow a moving
target. From a military prospective the bipod while necessary was somewhat limited in that it
was not conducive in a percentage of his firing positions most notably on or out of some form
of vehicle.
The author is a
former special
forces warrant
This has now all changed; several years ago a new product was developed in proto-type form
that provides the professional shooter with not only a stable platform in almost every situation
but actually dampens recoil as well. This new breed of bipod called the X-VIP and X-VIP II
utilizes technology borrowed from the archery community to reduce vibration in the weapon
system thus allowing the shooter to hold the target easier in addition to providing faster follow
up shots. This bipod on first look brings confusion and doubt, however after using it in
conditions where everything else fails miserably it excels.
officer and
sniper instructor
with over 17
years of
HALO/sniper
team experience
.
THE PROTOTYPE
I was provided with a proto-type version during a sniper course I was running and
to be honest had my doubts when removing it from the box and seeing it for the first
time. My first impression that it was some type of “Frankenstein” device that in all
likelihood was another piece of sniper “gadgetry” that would most likely not work.
Given the robustness of the sample I had I felt it needed to be attached to a heavy
recoiling rifle in order to more easily determine its value. Subsequently I attached it
to one of my 300 WIN MAG rifles whose recoil I was intimately familiar with. Firing
the weapon from the prone I initially thought that it provided a modicum of value but
given its size and weight was really not worth what I assumed would be a high
price. However after thinking it through I decided that perhaps my testing protocol
was flawed so I decided to shoot the system off the hood of a vehicle which for any
other bipod would present some unique challenges. Once I positioned the system I
commenced to shooting at targets out to 400 yards, immediately I noticed that the
weapon was much “tamer” that it should be allowing me to fire repeatedly and
quickly at a number of targets. Given that I was running a course I decided to let
the students try it out. To a man, everyone has reservations and voiced them
loudly, however after firing the rifle they all commented that it was surprisingly mild.
“immediately, I noticed
that the weapon was
much tamer.”
In order to really test this product I felt that it needed to be tried in a helicopter which would
instantly provide or disprove its worth, however firing from a helo is not something easily done. As it
turned out the guys I was teaching were scheduled for some aerial platform shooting in the coming weeks
so I coordinated with them to take the X-VIP along to see if its claims held “water”. Several weeks passed
and I did not hear anything, finally one of the guys called me to ask if they could deploy with it overseas. I
inquired as to how the testing went thinking that they probably didn’t use it and just didn’t want to admit it.
Surprisingly he told me that not only did it work but it was the star of the training resulting in more hits per
shooter than any other method tried. He told me that when the first guy was going out to the helo with the
X-VIP on his weapon the other snipers laughed and gave him a hard time, however after seeing the
results one-by-one all asked if they could try it. Again to a man they all got off the bird saying that the XVIP was outstanding and were reluctant to turn it over.
SUPPORTED the MISSION with SUCCESS
Given this success and their anticipated mission scenario these soldiers felt that the X-VIP would
come in very handy. As it turns out the X-VIP actually went on 2 deployments with this same group and by
their accounts delivered a vibration free firing platform on many occasions when anything else either would
have or did fail.
Admittedly, the X-VIP probably is not for your average “paper” shooter and given the size and weight
may not lend itself to use on all systems. However having said this the X-VIP has seen use on everything from
.50 caliber BMG systems to M4 carbines all with great success. In fact due to it’s successes and consultation
with the US Military the X-VIP II was developed specifically for use on the M-4 carbine or weapons with rails at
the 6 O-Clock position. It is now my opinion that despite first impressions the X-VIP delivers the “goods” so-tospeak and is a valuable tool in especially the sniper’s arsenal. As a post script to this article I should mention
that last year during a demo the X-VIP was placed on a 338 Lapua Magnum equipped with a very rudimentary
muzzle break; what had been a shoulder breaker turned out to be so mild that ladies repeatedly stood in line
to fire the system several of which were overheard telling the others how mild the “big gun” was.
In conclusion, if you are professional shooter or a shooter of big guns the X-VIP is the ticket. It will
drastically change the way you view shooting either from a felt recoil stand point or from a vibration inherent
stand point. The X-VIP and the X-VIP are not currently commercially available, however that should change in
the near future and provide everyone with the chance to try one out proving that even something as ordinary
as a bipod can be improved upon.
“if you are a
professional shooter. .
the X-VIP is the ticket.”
Subscribers , we are re-printing the following article with permission from SIERRA
bullets
We would like to thank Sierra bullets for allowing us to use their work , for your benefit.
They can be reached at www.sierrabullets.com ; another awesome resource is Sierra’s
Website www.exteriorballistics.com if you have the time please check these out .
Some of this article may seem eccentric and beyond what a sniper team may need in the
field.
It is our desire to make your range time and practice time more effective; to explain and
be able to account for wind, in components, at the gun, at the target and in between is a
usable skill set by anyone who slings bullets long distances.
3.1 Effects of Altitude and Atmospheric Conditions
The effects of altitude and atmospheric conditions on aerodynamic drag are very closely coupled
and must be treated together. This was not understood very well by ballisticians until about the
beginning of the 20th century. Many firing tests took place in Europe in the latter half of the 19th
century, especially in England, Germany, France and Italy, in an effort to understand
aerodynamic drag and develop theoretical models for drag. Ballisticians found it difficult to
compare measured data when the firing tests were made at locations having different altitudes
and different atmospheric conditions.
Ballisticians gradually came to realize that drag measurements made in different locations, or
even at the same location under different atmospheric conditions, could not be compared unless
the measurements were somehow referenced to a set of standard altitude and atmospheric
conditions. This led to the adoption of a standard set of altitude and atmospheric conditions to
which measurements could be referenced. At the same time, analytical methods were developed
to convert data measured at nonstandard altitude and atmospheric conditions to their standard
values. Data from different locations and/or different atmospheric conditions could then be
compared.
In the United States, standard altitude and standard atmospheric conditions were adopted by the
U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland at about
the beginning of the 20th century. These conditions, called the Standard Metro conditions, are
used for ballistics computations. The Standard Metro conditions are:
Altitude:
Barometric Pressure:
Temperature:
Relative Humidity:
Sea Level
750 mm Hg = 29.53 inches Hg
59°F = 15°C
78 percent
(Hg denotes the chemical element mercury)
The values of air density and speed of sound corresponding to these conditions are:
Air Density: Speed of Sound:
0.0751265 lb/ft3 = 1.2030 kg/m3 1120.27 fps = 341.46 m/s
Also, the acceleration due to gravity used for ballistics computations is:
Acceleration due to Gravity: 32.174 fps = 9.80665 m/s
The drag function G1 is referenced to these standard conditions, and ballistic coefficients are
therefore referenced to the same conditions. Of course, these standard conditions are used for
reference only; it would be a very rare event if anyone were to shoot a gun under these standard
conditions. So, the question and the problem is how to calculate real world trajectories at different
altitudes and under different atmospheric conditions.
The historical approach to this problem has been to first extend the Standard Metro atmospheric
conditions to altitudes higher than sea level, that is, to create a “Standard Metro atmosphere”
versus altitude. Table 3.1-1 shows the Standard Metro atmospheric conditions versus altitude up
to an altitude of 15,000 feet above sea level, which is sufficient for hunting and target shooting on
the North American continent. The next step is to treat the differences between actual
atmospheric conditions at any altitude point and the standard atmospheric conditions at that
altitude as small variations from the standard conditions. This approach has been successful for
several reasons. The main reason is that air density decreases dramatically with altitude, while it
changes much less dramatically with small differences between actual atmospheric conditions
and standard conditions at any given altitude.
Furthermore, the small change in air density caused by a small difference between actual air
temperature and standard air temperature at any altitude point tends to be offset by the change in
air density caused by a small difference between actual barometric pressure and standard
barometric pressure at that altitude point. This is because a higher-than-normal temperature (a
warm, balmy day) tends to be accompanied by a higher-than-normal barometric pressure of the
atmosphere. That is, high temperature tends to decrease air density, while high pressure tends to
increase air density.
The air density ratio column in Table 3.1-1, which is the ratio of standard air density at altitude to
the standard air density at sea level, shows that the air density decreases rapidly as altitude
increases. Air density is a direct
Table 3.1-1 Standard Metro Atmospheric Parameters versus Altitude
Altitude
Air Density Ratio
Temperature
(Feet)
(At Altitude /
(Deg F)
Baro Pressure
(mm
(in Hg)
Hg)
At Sea Level)
Sea Level
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
11000
12000
13000
14000
15000
1.0000
0.9702
0.9414
0.9133
0.8862
0.8598
0.8342
0.8094
0.7853
0.7619
0.7392
0.7172
0.6959
0.6752
0.6551
0.6356
Speed of Sound
Ratio (At Altitude /
At Sea Level)
59.0
55.4
51.9
48.3
44.7
41.2
37.6
34.1
30.5
26.9
23.4
19.8
16.2
12.7
9.1
5.5
750.0
722.7
696.3
670.9
646.4
622.7
599.8
577.8
556.6
536.1
516.3
497.3
478.9
461.1
444.0
427.6
29.53
28.45
27.41
26.41
25.45
24.52
23.62
22.75
21.91
21.11
20.33
19.58
18.85
18.16
17.48
16.83
1.0000
0.9873
0.9744
0.9614
0.9483
0.9350
0.9216
0.9080
0.8943
0.8805
0.8666
0.8525
0.8383
0.8239
0.8094
0.7948
multiplier in the equation for the drag force on a bullet, and because of this, the drag force also
decreases rapidly as altitude increases. This decrease in air density with altitude has by far the
largest effect on a bullet trajectory, compared to the actual atmospheric conditions and the speed
of sound versus altitude. As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the differences between
actual temperature and standard temperature, and between actual barometric pressure and
standard barometric pressure, have small effects on a bullet trajectory compared to the effect of
decreasing air density, and these effects usually tend to offset each other due to weather
patterns. The speed of sound ratio column in Table 3.1-1, which lists the ratio of the standard
speed of sound at altitude to the standard speed of sound at sea level, shows that the speed of
sound also decreases quite rapidly with altitude. However, the speed of sound is not a direct
multiplier in the equation for drag force. In fact, it enters the equation in such a way that its effect
on the drag force is much smaller than the effect of the decrease in air density. The true speed of
sound does vary slightly from the standard value because of actual weather conditions, but the
effect of the variation is considerably smaller than the small effect of the standard speed of
sound.
Humidity also has a small effect on a bullet’s trajectory, and at all altitudes. Humidity affects the
air density, tending to decrease the air density a small amount, depending on the relative
humidity in the atmosphere and the vapor pressure of water at the temperature of the
atmosphere. The effect of humidity is generally worst at locations near sea level on very hot days,
but even under these conditions, the effect is small. For example, for a location near sea level on
a 90°F day with barometric pressure the same for both situations, absolutely dry air (zero relative
humidity) is not quite 0.02 percent MORE dense than air saturated with water vapor (fog,
meaning 100 percent relative humidity). This seems strange; wet air feels “heavier” than dry air.
But it is true because a water molecule weighs less than a nitrogen molecule, which it displaces if
the pressure and temperature remain the same. This tiny change in air density is not completely
negligible for long-range shooting. For example, under these same atmospheric conditions, the
drop at 1000 yards for Sierra’s .308” diameter 168 grain MatchKing bullet fired at 2700 fps muzzle
velocity will be about 2.4 inches more for absolutely dry air than for saturated wet air.
A word about barometric pressure. In this country, the National Weather Service and local
weather bureaus report sea level-referenced barometric pressures regardless of location. For
example, if you were in New York City (at sea level) on a balmy day, the barometric pressure
might be reported near 30 inches of mercury (in Hg). If you were in Denver, CO, (5200 ft altitude)
on a balmy day, the barometric pressure might also be reported near 30 in Hg. Now, the true
barometric pressure at the altitude of Denver should be about 25 in Hg, not 30 in Hg. Our weather
bureaus report sea level-referenced barometric pressures so that citizens can compare the
weather in Denver with the weather in New York, or Los Angeles, or Fairbanks, AK, or Salt Lake
City, or anywhere else in this nation. Also, the barometer instruments that we can purchase in
stores are designed to read out sea level-referenced barometric pressures. Now, of course, the
trajectory of a bullet at any location depends on the true atmospheric pressure at that location,
not at sea level. Sierra’s Infinity program takes this into account. It is important to realize that
Infinity is designed so that the user must enter the altitude of the shooting location and the sea
level-referenced barometric pressure at that location, as well as the temperature and the relative
humidity (if known). These parameters can be obtained from TV, a local weather station, or
portable instruments. Then, Infinity will calculate the true barometric pressure at the firing point
from atmospheric variation laws coded into the program.
A great advantage of the standard atmospheric conditions is that, based only on altitude, bullet
ballistics can be calculated for locations where the true atmospheric conditions are unknown or
unpredictable, and the resulting trajectories will be accurate enough for most practical purposes.
To illustrate this, let’s consider an example. Suppose that a hunter living near St. Louis, MO, has
a Model 70 Winchester rifle in 300 Winchester Magnum that he uses to hunt mule deer and elk in
western Colorado at an altitude near 8500 feet above sea level. His gun is telescope sighted. He
loads Sierra’s .308" dia 200 grain Spitzer Boat Tail (SBT) GameKing bullet at 2800 fps muzzle
velocity for hunting. He sights his gun in at a target range near St. Louis that is located at an
altitude near 500 feet above sea level. The question is, if he sights his rifle in at the target range
near St. Louis, where will his gun shoot in western Colorado where he intends to hunt? Sierra’s
Infinity program will be used to answer this question.
Suppose he sights his gun in on a late summer day in St. Louis when the temperature at the
target range is 92°F, and a local weather report lists the barometric pressure at 30.25 in Hg and
the relative humidity at 90 percent. For the 300 Winchester Magnum, he uses a zero range of 300
yards. When in Colorado he will use a laser rangefinder, and he will limit his shots at mule deer or
elk to no more than 500 yards.
After he finishes sighting his gun in, he returns to his home and performs the following
calculations on his personal computer using the Infinity program. He calculates three trajectories
for the 200 grain SBT GameKing bullet in the 300 Winchester Magnum cartridge and carefully
examines the bullet path parameter from the output data. [Bullet path is the trajectory variable
that locates the bullet relative to the shooter’s line of sight through the gun sights as the bullet
travels downrange. It is most important because it tells the shooter how high or low his bullet will
strike the target, or how much he has to hold over or hold under a target at any downrange
location.] The first trajectory is a reference trajectory for the environmental conditions at the target
range near St. Louis. Then, he uses the “Trajectory Variations” feature inInfinity to calculate a
trajectory in his hunting location, first based on standard atmospheric conditions only, and then
based on atmospheric conditions that he predicts based on his previous experiences in the
hunting area.
So, for the .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge, he selects the Sierra .308" dia 200 grain Spitzer
Boat Tail GameKing bullet from the “Load Bullet” library in Infinity, and selects the “Normal
Trajectory” mode of operation of the program. In the “Trajectory Parameters” list, he sets the
muzzle velocity at 2800 fps, maximum range at 500 yards, range increment at 50 yards, zero
range at 300 yards, the elevation angle at 0 degrees, and the sight height at 1.75 inches because
his telescope sight has a large objective bell. In the “Environmental Parameters” list he sets the
conditions for the target range near St. Louis, that is, barometric pressure at 30.25 in Hg,
temperature at 92°F, altitude at 500 ft, humidity at 90 percent, and the wind speeds to 0 mph. He
then commands Infinity to calculate the reference trajectory for the St. Louis environs. The bullet
path numbers versus range are listed in Table 3.1-2. It is evident that between the muzzle and
the zero range the bullet rises a little more than 5 inches maximum above the line of sight, but at
500 yards. the bullet is nearly 30 inches low.
The next trajectory calculation is made using the “Trajectory Variations” capability in Infinity. The
hunter selects the “Environmental Parameters” option in that mode and makes the following
changes to calculate the trajectory variations based on standard atmospheric conditions at the
hunting location. The standard conditions are barometric pressure at 29.53, temperature at 59,
and humidity at 78. He sets the altitude at 8500 ft. [Recall that Infinity automatically adjusts the
standard atmospheric conditions at sea level to the values appropriate for 8500 ft altitude.] He
again commands a calculation, and Infinity outputs the bullet path differences shown in the third
column of Table 3.1-2. It can be seen that the 300 Winchester Magnum always will shoot high
compared to the reference trajectory at St. Louis, but the hunter really needs to make no sighting
correction unless possibly when the game animal is close to 500 yards away.
The third trajectory for the 300 Winchester Magnum is calculated again by using the “Trajectory
Variations” capability. From previous experiences in western Colorado, the hunter believes that
the weather will be fair with low humidity, but cold. So he adjusts the barometric pressure to
29.90, the temperature to 20, and the humidity to 20, leaving the altitude at 8500 ft. After the
calculation is commanded, Infinity outputs the bullet path differences in the fourth column of Table
3.1-2. Note that these bullet path differences are relative to the bullet path values in the second
column of Table 3.1-2 for the reference trajectory at St. Louis, and not to the numbers in the third
column. It can be seen that the trajectory calculated for the non-standard atmospheric conditions
is very close to the trajectory calculated with only standard atmospheric conditions at the hunting
location.
The data in Table 3.1-2 support two observations. The first is that this 300 Winchester Magnum
cartridge has a trajectory that is quite flat. The reference bullet path at 500 ft above sea level
stays between a little over 5 inches above the line of sight and does not fall more than 5 inches
below the line of sight until the range exceeds a little more than 350 yards. At 8500 ft above sea
level the bullet path stays within this band until about 365 yards. This is excellent performance, as
expected for this very popular magnum cartridge for western hunting.
The second observation is that calculating a trajectory for the hunting location based on standard
atmospheric conditions gives an accurate representation of the trajectory for actual atmospheric
conditions, as pointed out above. Comparing columns three and four in Table 3.1-2 shows that
the bullet path changes based on the predicted actual atmospheric conditions are very close to
those based on standard conditions. The largest difference between the bullet paths is at 500
yards, and it is just 0.3 inches. This observation holds true for the vast majority of cartridges and
atmospheric conditions at all shooting locations. We recommend that when the actual
atmospheric conditions are unknown or unpredictable at any shooting location, standard
atmospheric conditions be used for the altitude of the location. The altitude of any location usually
can be estimated from a topographical map, a local weather station, or an atlas of North America.
Table 3.1-2 Reference Bullet Path and Changes for the 300 Winchester Magnum Cartridge
loaded with Sierra’s 30 caliber 200 grain SBT Bullet at 2800 fps.
Range
(yards)
Reference Bullet
Path (1)
(inches)
Bullet Path Changes (2)
at Hunting Location
(inches)
Bullet Path Changes (3)
at Hunting Location
(inches)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
-1.75
1.72
4.01
5.06
4.80
3.14
0.0
- 4.71
- 11.10
- 19.28
- 29.35
0.0
0.0
0.02
0.07
0.17
0.34
0.60
0.98
1.52
2.23
3.18
0.0
0.0
0.02
0.06
0.15
0.30
0.54
0.89
1.37
2.03
2.88
(1)
(2)
(3)
Reference trajectory from sighting the rifle in near St. Louis, 500 ft altitude and actual
atmospheric conditions at the shooting range (see text).
From trajectory calculated for the hunting location, 8500 ft altitude and standard atmospheric
conditions (see text).
From trajectory calculated for the hunting location, 8500 ft altitude and predicted
atmospheric conditions (see text).
Note that a positive bullet path change in columns 3 and 4 means that the gun will shoot
higher than the reference trajector
DCLW
Deros Compact Light Weight Tripod
By Tony Gimmellie
Well just when I thought I had found the best option in tripods Alamo Four Star proves me wrong. As
mentioned in my last article about the Deros Long Range Tripod (DLR) about the versatility and the many
ways that the unit can be used in applications for Military, Law Enforcement and hunting. Alamo shows us
they are not done listening to the end user and people in the field doing the dirty work.
Alamo just released the DCLW, which stands for the Deros Compact Light Weight tripod unit. This new
tripod takes in consideration every aspect of shooting and above all is small, light weight and easily pack
able for general field use and duty call outs.
As I stated before I have known Mark Deros for a while and he is always looking to improve his products.
When I first talked with Mark about his Long Range tripod system, I had mention the weight of his current
DLR tripod was just way too much for the mobile military sniper to pack on a sniper operation. I had
mentioned to him that if he could get the unit smaller, lighter and compact, while offering the same quality
and durability that he would be hitting a home run. I went on to explain to Mark the need for a quality
lightweight tripod in what we snipers do. Tripods are being used in the sniper field as shooting and optical
platforms for numerous types of weapons and optics. I explained to him about how $20 Wal Mart cheap
tripods are currently being used and they were unreliable and broke and had to be replaced more then we
actually got to use them.
Well some time has passed and as he has been working on other products and ideas I get the call that he
had been working on what I had mentioned to him with a few guys in the local area and he had pictures of
the prototype and that the first run of the DCLW units were in the works and he would be getting one out to
me to test and run it through its paces. Less then 2 weeks goes by and I come home from work around
2300 hours and I find a box on my doorstep from Alamo Four Star.
I knew it was my eagerly awaited tripod unit. I was tired but just had to open it up and see what this new
piece of gear looked like and how it worked. Well I take it down in the gunroom to open it up and as I pull
it out of the box I also got a room full of Styrofoam peanuts everywhere. Not only did I pull out the most
incredible tripod unit I have ever put my hands on but I also caught the tail end of the Styrofoam peanut
practical joke that they set up for me. How can you not love a guy with a sense of humor!?
The next day I get home from work early and now its time to start running this new tripod through its paces
and make sure it would do everything I could ever want it to do when employed in a tactical situation. I
went ahead and looked over the unit and inspected the workmanship, which I found to be solid and very
impressive. Every detail was taken into consideration. The complete unit is CNC machined from 6061T
aluminum.
It weighs 3 pounds 11 ounces and it is hard anodized. At 21 inches in length it’s easy for packing. I was
able to pack it into the large pocket of my
drag bag, inside my Eberlee stock
gunslinger, and into a large Alice pack
with no problems. The DCLW will adjust
in height up to 31 inches tall. This allows
the user to be able to use the unit in a
sitting to a high kneeling position if
needed. The unique head unit on this
tripod is flexible and versatile.
The head will rotate 360 degrees on a
smooth free path. The head assembly also
tilts up and down 95 degrees to allow it to
be used for shooting extreme angles up or
down and it can be locked into place to
maintain a desired angle if need be with
the flick of the locking lever.
The fore end will accept any rifle stock up
to 3 inches in width and can also be
ordered with an optional clamping
attachment that allows the user to clamp
the rifle into the tripod.
The first thing I did was to drop it completely flat to test out how it would feel in the prone position. I like
to be as low as possible in my prone position and when I got behind the DCLW it was absolutely perfect
for me in the prone shooting position. I then continued thru multiple shooting positions strong and weak
sided and in varying heights and found the tripod to be ideal in all applications. As we all know position
shooting takes many hours of practice and dedication to master and be proficient with. Not to mention a
shooter cannot spend long periods of times in these positions until their bodies become sore, tired, or
cramped. With the DCLW the unit allows for a shooter to be able to set up and take those position shots
with little to no effort at all.
Being that the head assembly rotates 360 degrees I immediately noticed that this system would be ideal for
tracking and shooting of moving targets. The head assembly’s smooth unrestricted free movement is
something I have never seen or used in a tripod system before and the benefits and stability is unmatched.
As I stated before, snipers have been using cheap Wal-Mart tripods in their training and during operations.
I can tell you I have seen these cheap tripods fail many times. Of course they always fail when you need
them the most. I can recall sniper students on graded stalks who just spent hours belly crawling into
position to get that perfect shot off on a graded stalk event and they setup take there shot only to have the
legs on that cheap tripod give way and expose the snipers position causing him to fail the exercise. I have
seen shooters conducting live fire training and the recoil would blow the tripod over or once again collapse
because of the weight of the rifle and recoil. Well the DCLW is the fix to this problem. I next went out to
live fire test my unit and see if any of the above problems would come into play and ruin my day. I went
ahead and shot it in varying positions and heights.
I also got a chance to use it to shoot movers and a few other stages during a recent Sniper Match. I am
happy to report that the DCLW past all the live fire testing as expected.
Another great aspect to the DCLW is it can be modified to mount and hold everything from Spotting
scopes, binoculars, Laser Range finders and any other items you may have a need to use off a tripod unit.
You can purchase a complete tripod unit or if you have a tripod that you have become attached to and want
to be able to enjoy what the DCLW offers. Also, you can order the DCLW option which is the head
assembly only, it weighs 1 pound 3 ounces and comes with the same features as the standard tripod head.
The DCLW option will easily adapt and attach to your current tripod and you will be able to enjoy all the
features that this shooting platform has to offer.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR - SUBSCRIBERS, I REALLY WANT TO SHOW YOU THE
PICTURES OF THESE TRIPODS. SO SOME ARE BELOW WITH MINIMAL RESIZING FOR YOUR
VIEWING BENEFIT
Contact info:
www.alamofourstar.com
ALAMO FOUR STAR, LLC - P.O. Box 28147 - San Antonio, Texas 78228 - Phone: (210) 4327006
[email protected] [email protected]