Rifle shooters, regardless of their respective disciplines, are very

Gun books are most commonly associated with the military, specifically match-conditioned firearms and sniper rifles. These books are a means for the shooter and the armorer tasked with maintaining the firearm to communicate. The shooter uses the firearm for its intended purpose and notes the number of rounds fired. The armorer uses this information for the purposes of preventative maintenance and also records their maintenance and gauging results in the book. For military units and marksmanship teams this is a must to ensure firearm readiness.

For individual shooters, not affiliated with a military team or serving in a military unit, we act as the shooter and armorer for the most part. So, if we’re acting as both, why is it important to maintain records? The answer is the same reason we record all of the other data related to our shooting, we can’t remember everything. Recording your round count, maintenance history, and critical data on a rifle offers a lot of benefits for an extremely low cost and minimal time invested.

Benefits:

Barrel Life/Cost Savings: Arguably the most important data entered into a gun book is the number of rounds fired. This is because barrels have a finite life span. Whether it’s a cut rifled .223 service rifle barrel that can go 4,000 rounds or a button rifled 6.5-284 barrel that might be lucky to shoot on-call after 1,000 rounds, all barrels have a life span. Recording your rounds fired helps you be proactive in scheduling barrel replacement. While swapping out a barrel is not a cheap option these days, it beats the expense (and heartache) of traveling to a match, loading ammo, booking a hotel, and paying entry fees only to find out that your barrel has already seen its
last good day.

Preventive Maintenance: We’ve already touched on the benefits of keeping rounds counts for monitoring barrel life. But barrels aren’t the only item on the rifle with a limited service life. For service rifles, parts like gas rings, extractor springs, and ejector springs are commonly replaced items. For bolt guns, replacing firing pin springs on a
regular basis can help ensure quick lock times. Keeping track of these replacements helps the shooter ensure their equipment is ready to perform.

Firearm Status: In a world where most of us are balancing work, family, chores, and our shooting hobby, keeping track of whether or not a firearm is ready for the next practice session or match can been difficult. If you record your cleaning and maintenance in your gun book, a quick check will tell you whether you’re ready to head out the door on Saturday morning or if you need to spend some time scrubbing the bore on Friday night.

Consistency: Making records of things like action screw torque settings is critical to maintaining consistent accuracy over the course of time. While you may be able to remember for this for a single firearm, having multiple firearms can create confusion. Use a gun book to keep accurate records for each firearm.

Shooting good scores is hard enough without fighting gun troubles. Using a gun book and keeping accurate records will give you more confidence in your equipment, save you time and expense, and ultimately allow you to perform at a higher level. These benefits come at the cost of a few dollars and a small amount of your time to keep
accurate records.

-John Teachey

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Books has been a key member of the team at Creedmoor Sports since joining the company over seven years ago and has been instrumental in building out the capabilities and robust product portfolio the company offers today.

In this role, Brent will be overseeing all merchandising functions including product assortment planning, promotional planning, product pricing, customer presentation, product performance analysis, and will serve as a driving force within the new product identification and selection process. Brent will be working closely with supply chain, operations, marketing, and Creedmoor Sports’ vendor community to plan out promotional activities and new product launches.

“I am excited to see Brent take on this challenge and know that his experience within the organization and his knowledge as a shooter will help the company to be successful,” said John Teachey, V.P. of Operations and Marketing. “This is a critical function for Creedmoor Sports, and we’re excited that Brent will be the driving force behind our merchandising,” added Teachey.

“Brent is well known among our core customer base and brings a wealth of product knowledge that gives us tremendous capability in the market,” said Wayne Dayberry, Director of Marketing. “His wide range of experience, ability to use data to glean consumer insights and market trends, along with a true passion for the space creates a powerful driver to fuel our growth plans for 2023 and forward,” added Dayberry.

“With the momentum we’re carrying into 2023, we have an extensive list of projects and ideas we plan to execute this year. I look forward to working more closely with each department and utilizing our team’s collective competitive shooting experience to ensure we’re offering the best products to help our customers and ourselves achieve tighter groups and higher scores on the range,” said Brent Books.

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To achieve the highest levels of accuracy most benchrest shooters utilize the same 5-10 pieces of brass for an entire event, reloading at the range between relays.  Fischbach employed a technique not often utilized in the short-range benchrest world by pre-weighing charges into small vials to then be loaded at the range.  These charges were measured using Creedmoor Sport’s TRX-925 Precision Reloading Scale.  The TRX-925 weighs down to the hundred (0.01) of a grain and Pascal credits this exceptional precision as a key element in his success.

“I have been shooting powder from 2019…it’s hotter and might also have a narrower sweet spot window, so weighing loads carefully is paramount,” said Pascal Fishbach. “I drop an initial charge with my electronic measure and then finely adjust with a trickler over the TRX 925 scale which is sensitive to a single kernel of powder,” added Fishbach.

Developed by the team at Creedmoor Sports, the TRX-925 was designed from the ground up to offer exceptional accuracy and value for shooters.  The scale uses grains as its native unit of measure to avoid the rounding errors many other scales experience when converting weights from grams to grains.  The TRX-925 also comes standard with three F-1 class calibration weights to help ensure consistency during each reloading session.

EBSF Championship Results    |    View Product Page    |    View Product Video

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This product incorporates the Adaptive Wedge^TM System which supports multiple die sizes, including 7/8” and 1 ¼”  at the time of this release. The Wedges allow the handloader to set up their dies one time and simply exchange wedge/die sets in the press head as needed. Like the Creedmoor Sports Enhanced Press Head^TM, this product is also a true direct drop-in upgrade that can be installed in a matter of minutes. Manufactured to exacting tolerances from stainless steel, these press heads offer a premium finish, higher corrosion and wear resistance, and a thread quality second to none.

“The Adaptive Press Head was born out of the desire to accommodate premier 1 ¼” dies on the standard Redding T-7 Press. The design and testing lead to the development of two different product lines, the Enhanced Press Head and the Adaptive Press Head,” said Jared Haehnel, Product Developer. “We set out to develop a premier product that will match the top-quality dies being produced and we met that goal by developing a product that can match, and in some cases outperform, presses that exceed twice the price of a Redding T-7 equipped with our Adaptive Head,” added Haehnel.

“Our Product Development Team has spent much of 2022 building a family of products focused on enhancing existing reloading presses in the market.  The Adaptive Press Head is the pinnacle of this product family, offering customers an enhanced user experience and quality that rivals anything on the market.  I’m incredibly proud of the team’s efforts and could not be happier with the finished product,” said John Teachey, V.P. of Operations and Marketing.

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Davidson brings to Creedmoor Sports broad marketing experience in the shooting sports industry including executing product launches and managing large-scale content generation projects. His role at Creedmoor Sports will be focused on driving consumer engagement through integrated marketing campaigns supported by rich, engaging content delivered through all D2C communication platforms.

“Joining the team at Creedmoor Sports is very exciting. I’ve always had a passion for the (shooting sports) industry, and a passion for driving consumer engagement both of which are encompassed in this role,” said Jonathan Davidson, Marketing Specialist. “We have significant growth goals for 2023 and playing a key role in growing our brand through driving consumer engagement is a great opportunity,” added Davidson.

“Jonathan, or “JJ” as he’s known around the office, is a welcome addition to the team. He brings a wealth of experience and has an incredible work ethic and positive demeanor that always creates energy and forward movement,” said Wayne Dayberry, Director of Marketing for Creedmoor Sports.  “We have a robust Marcomm plan going into 2023, and Jonathan is the right guy to help lead the charge,” added Dayberry.

“Jonathan has been on-board only a very short time and he’s already built the foundation for delivering to plan as we’re rounding out Q4 and going into 2023” said Brent Books, Senior Business Development Manager. “The biggest problem we’re going to have is trying to keep up with him, and that’s a good problem to have,” added Books.

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Warne has been producing high-quality rings and bases for over three decades and offering their customers confidence in every shot.  “We’re excited about Warne coming on board and know the line will be well received by our customers.  Ken Flood and the team at Warne use their years of shooting experience to build a great product, which aligns with how we approach all our products,” says Marcus Brown, Purchasing Specialist at Creedmoor Sports.

“Warne is thrilled to be a part of Creedmoor Sports.  As a competitive shooter, I understand the need for quality retailers where specialty products can be purchased.  I am confident Creedmoor Sports will stand apart as a leading source of professional-grade products for the shooting community”, said Ken Flood, Vice President of Sales, Warne Scope Mounts.

Warne rings, bases, mounting systems, and bipods are available now at creedmoorsports.com.

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Long Eye Relief: What is it and why is it important?

The long eye relief (LER) eyepieces offered for Kowa scopes do exactly as their name implies; they offer longer eye relief than other lenses.  This extra eye relief offers several key benefits.

• The extra eye relief allows shooters wearing glasses to get a full field of view without touching the lens of their glasses to the eyepiece, or having to remove their glasses.
• The eye relief allows shooters to look at their target and/or mirage with minimal disturbance of their position. This is critical for disciplines like highpower, small bore, and F-Class.
• Many shooters find it easier to see mirage and appreciate the wider field of view offered with the LER eyepieces.

To get extended eye relief there is a trade-off related to magnification.  The LER lenses are fixed power and do not provide the ability to adjust the magnification or offer the high-end magnification that the zoom eyepieces do. This lower magnification works well for disciplines where spotting discs are used or the primary intent is seeing mirage but may be less than ideal for spotting impacts.

Zoom Eye Pieces:

For those wanting to see the ragged edges of the paper that their bullets make, or shooting in the field or in a competition where target distances and sizes vary, then the zoom eyepiece may be the right choice.  The zoom eyepieces give shooters a wide range of magnification and offer some benefits of their own.

• Magnification is adjustable over a wide range to suit light conditions, mirage, target size, range, and potentially help spot trace as the bullet travels downrange.
• Zoom eyepieces allow for greater magnification, which can prove beneficial for those wanting to see a higher level of detail on the target such as group size or target impact location.

The ability to adjust magnification and really zoom in on targets comes at a cost, which is precisely what the LER eyepieces offer.  The zoom eyepieces have a shorter eye relief, which can restrict the field of view when wearing glasses or increased movement when in position.  We’ve also seen that many shooters will inadvertently bump the scope with their glasses when looking at the target.  This causes the spotting scope to move slightly and makes it harder to see the target image well.

Both eyepieces offer benefits for specific shooting situations, and both come with their limitations.  Our recommendation to customers to take a serious look at your expectations of a spotting scope and what features are most valuable to your shooting.  For those competing in shooting sports like highpower, f-class, or similar; the LER eyepieces are your best option and where we see the highest level of customer satisfaction.  For shooters more concerned with being able to see the impact on steel targets or those spotting for events such as PRS or ELR then the zoom eyepieces are likely a better option.  Of course, one of the biggest advantages of the Kowa series of spotting scopes is the ability to change eyepieces.  So if you happen to need both the LER and zoom eyepieces, changing them out requires no tools and can be completed in a matter of seconds.  Regardless of the route you take, we are confident you will be happy with the quality of the Kowa product line and that the spotting scope will be in your kit on every trip to the range.

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Creedmoor Sports’ facilities are located on the grounds of historic Fort McClellan in Anniston, AL. The former US Army installation is now home to a mix of private industry, government, and military training facilities. Since relocating to Alabama in 2013, Creedmoor Sports has enjoyed a period of strong business growth. The company has recently become more vertically integrated by expanding its in-house manufacturing capabilities. This additional acreage will support a larger campus and will provide the infrastructure for further expansion in the areas of manufacturing, product development, and retail distribution operations. 

“Expanding our operational footprint has been a key element of our long-term growth plan for quite some time,” said Bill Gravatt, President of Creedmoor Sports. “The efforts of our hard-working, talented Creedmoor Sports team in areas such as product development, marketing, and operational efficiencies have created this need to expand. We’ve outgrown our current space, and to support our growth in current and new markets, we need to expand our campus. The fact we can do so right here on McClellan is really an honor. The historical significance of the area is appreciated by all of us at Creedmoor and I am sure it will be by the history buffs among our customer base,” added Gravatt. 

“Our growth just over the past two years has us really pushing the limits of our current facility,” said John Teachey, V.P. of Operations and Marketing. “Bill touched on a critical point that the real impetus behind this endeavor has been our investment in growing the company; and that investment is working. Fueling this growth are aggressive new product development programs and market expansion plans which will push this need even greater in the not-to-distant future. Continuing to provide our best-in-class customer service, and delivering the products our customers want requires expansion, and we’re very excited to start this journey,” added Teachey. 

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Teachey has been a key member of the leadership team at Creedmoor Sports since joining the company in 2020. Under Teachey’s leadership as Vice President of Operations, Creedmoor Sports significantly increased internal capabilities including expanding the hard and soft goods rapid prototyping and manufacturing capability. These programs are critical building blocks for future growth across all product categories and market segments.

Building out a robust strategic sourcing program has also been a focus area for John, resulting in a product portfolio aligned with the voice of the customer. Teachey also led an ERP system overhaul resulting in enhanced back-end operations and a streamlined order fulfillment process increasing both throughput and efficiency as well as a refined customer experience. John brings over a decade of large-scale eCommerce operations management experience and has been a competitive shooter for over two decades.

“John brings a wealth of experience and has a drive and passion for providing solutions to our customers, which is invaluable for a company like ours,” said Bill Gravatt, President of Creedmoor Sports.  “I am thrilled to see John taking the next step in his career and I know our team will receive the guidance we need to carry us forward,” added Gravatt.

“I truly echo Bill’s comments,” said Wayne Dayberry, Director of Marketing. “John is the right person for this role. He has the experience, the drive, the right mindset, and the vision to continue building out an incredibly successful eCommerce experience and a truly supportive home for our team. This is mission critical since we consider every single customer and all our team members part of our Creedmoor Sports extended family,” added Dayberry.

“We have great people here at Creedmoor Sports and it is an honor and a privilege to lead as we continue to grow our business.  As a lifelong competitive shooter and someone who has spent the bulk of my career in the shooting sports industry, this is a very special opportunity both personally and professionally.  Creedmoor Sports will continue to serve the needs of shooters across multiple disciplines, and I am truly grateful to be part of this team,” said John Teachey.

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Part 3: The Process- with Wayne Dayberry

We’ve covered the “Quick Start” and “Filling in the Data Gaps” in previous emails. Now we finish this series with an overview of “The Process” and “Truing Your Ballistic Coefficient” for Rimfire Ammunition below.

The Process

1. We need an estimated ballistic coefficient as a starting point to enter in your ballistic solver.

a. For 40grain 22lr rimfire ammunition, I start with a .1 G1 ballistic coefficient as a baseline.

2. Enter the data into your ballistic solver (free ones work just fine for this)

3. If you have the capability, update the environmentals in your solver for the day

4. 100yards: Using your solver, dial the indicated elevation adjustment and confirm with live fire. Write down your elevation adjustment

5. 200yards: same drill.  Using your solver, dial the indicated elevation adjustment and confirm with live fire. Write down your elevation adjustment

6. Before going to 300yards: compare what your solver is telling you and what your actual elevation adjustment needed. If they are fairly close, proceed to 300y. If not, skip to the truing section, the come back to step 7 300yards.

7. 300yard: using your solver, dial the elevation solution, make a wind call, and send rounds down range.

a. If not shooting on paper:

i. A good follow through and staying on scope will help you spot misses and make adjustments

ii. A friend on a spotting scope or another rifle optic works very well for this process.

iii. **shooting at easily identifiable spots on the berm (clumps of dirt, clay pigeons etc) helps to call your shots

8. Write down your actual elevation adjustment.

Truing your Ballistic Coefficient

Now the magic happens with a little trial and error.

Before starting this last step, ensure you have the velocity data we gathered earlier. If needed, obtain a good average velocity by shooting 10 shots over a chronograph. Then, for this last step we’ll hold that data constant along with bullet weight and adjust our ballistic coefficient as follows. Go back to your solver and adjust the ballistic coefficient for this ammunition until you develop a profile that is very close to your actual elevation adjustments.

I keep my zero range zero elevation and adjust the ballistic coefficient until my 300 yard is spot on. Then I refine the ballistic coefficient plus or minus very small increments until the intermediate ranges true up as well. Sometimes it is hard to get every range perfect, and that’s acceptable. This is a field expedient method to do what sophisticated radar systems and extensive testing are designed for. In my experience, the ballistic profile is within .1 or .2 mils at all distances from my zero range out to 300 yards. And that’s basically a maximum error at distance of 2”…I’ll take that with a rimfire any day.  

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