The test rifle was designed to show case many of the options available and was made up of the following components

Benchmark stainless, 3-groove, 1:11 twist , 24″, fluted barrel, M40A1 contour with muzzle brake (5/8″x24tpi) thread protector included, chambered with 308 win. match spec reamer.

Lawton 7000 stainless action with chomolly bolt and Lawton 20 MOA scope base.

The pillar and recoil lug areas are bedded with titanium devcon, and skim bedded with marine tex.

McMillan A5 stock with saddle cheek piece

Jewel trigger adjustable from 3 oz. to 1 lbs. (I found it to be very nicely tuned when testing)

Badger M5 DBM with 5 round mag. (added after my testing)

Guarantee: ½ MOA at 500yds (3 shots) with hand loads.

The rifle came in around 12.5 pounds without scope and bipod.

The tentative price the rifle would be $3,829 (with the above options) which is very competitive with rifles built with similar components. Many I looked at where just over $4000 with similar options.  Benchmark’s rifles would also include a guarantee of ½ MOA guarantee (for 3 shots) at 500yds with hand loads (no bench rest match prepping required, just quality components in consistent proportions). It’s not uncommon to have 100yd accuracy guarantee with factory ammo, I think this is a good thing, but most who buy rifles like this aren’t shooting factory ammo anyway. Law enforcement and military are another animal altogether, but the Jewel trigger leads me to believe this rifle is directed more toward the competition (long range tactical and F-class alike) market anyway.

When I first took the rifle I was immediately struck by how solid and quality the Lawton action felt. It compared very favorably to a Phoenix action that I currently own. After looking it over, working the action, and dry firing a few times I had a very good feeling about this rifle. I took it home an mounted my loaner scope, a Bushnell 4200 6-24×50 Tactical (I mounted my Nightforce  for pictures). It’s not as nice as my other scopes but it has worked flawlessly since I got it. I wouldn’t be able to blame any “accuracy issues” on the scope. I normally avoid public shooting ranges like the plague but I didn’t have time to get out to one of my own “shooting spots” for barrel break in. I’m not personally sold on the “proper barrel break in procedure” but since I can’t afford to purchase this rife myself. I judiciously, fired and cleaned, fired and cleaned until there was very little fouling. I was provided some surplus ammo (mixed head stamps) for this process. I did shoot some groups for accuracy and separated head stamps as best I could. Some of the groups weren’t incredibly impressive (no doubt there was some human error, but it’s safe to say I could hold tighter than the surplus ammo would shoot). One head stamp though, “FN 70″ shot very well with a best 3 shot group of .271″. Nearly ¼ MOA with this ammo is pretty darn good in my opinion. Another shooter provided me with 3 rounds of 168gr GMM free of charge if I could squeeze them into less than ½ inch outside to outside. The rifle liked this ammo just fine, as the group was .091″ center to center. I took the rifle home for a thorough cleaning and found it cleaned up very easily, something I expected since it’s not my first Benchmark barrel.

The very next weekend I had planned to go with some buddies on a long range shooting trip. I knew this would be my best opportunity to test the rifle at 500yds. Benchmark didn’t give me any demands about my testing, so I selfishly based everything on my goals for an F-TR rifle mentioned previously. I didn’t have as much 308 Lapua brass as I had remembered, and realized it wouldn’t be possible to test many different loads. I tried to bribe some buddies to test my loads at 300yds during the week, so I’d know which to bring for 500yd testing, but I guess I’m not particularly persuasive. I had 3 different loads (45gr, 45.5gr and 46gr of powder) all with the following components:

Lapua unfired brass

CCI BR-2 primers

Hodgdon Varget powder

Sierra 155gr HPBT “palma” bullets

OAL: 2.825″ (average)

I did no bullet separation by o-give, weight, etc. Cases were not trimmed, or measured for capacity, powder charges are as close as I could get them with my RCBS beam scale. It wasn’t exactly fair to expect much since I had done absolutely zero load development. I had used these same components with very favorable results in 308’s I’d owned previously. More importantly though These are the components I’d plan to use in an F-TR rifle (I’d also look into the 155.5gr Berger BT).

The weekend couldn’t have come fast enough. It was very cold in my buddy’s shooting area (in the 20’s), I was glad he brought a trailer for us to sleep in even though it wasn’t heated. The next morning we drove out and set up our targets. A 14″x12″ steel plate, prairie dog silhouette and clay pigeons at 975yds. Those targets seemed to be calling the Benchmark 308 tucked safely away in the case but I simply didn’t have enough ammo and needed results on paper. Later we moved to a spot where we set up clay pigeons at 500 and 650yds. Of course I also put paper targets up at 500yds for testing purposes. By this time it had warmed up a bit, probably into the low-mid 30’s but, I’m pretty sure the ground was still frozen! There was a little wind, mostly into our face (zero value). I started out with the 45gr load, shooting a couple fowlers, and getting dialed close enough to keep the groups on paper. I repeated the process with the 45.5gr and 46gr loads (minus fowlers obviously) . The rifle clearly liked the 45gr load best with a 3 shot group (of 3 total) of 1.644″ center to center. This is just .336″ over the ¼ MOA mark and .319″ under the 3/8 MOA mark. The group strung horizontally with vertical dispersion of just .494″ which is 0.16″ under 1/8 MOA of vertical dispersion for 3 shots. The 46gr load wasn’t too shabby either at under ½ MOA. The testing was all done from the prone position using a bipod, and rear sand sock. I can only hold so tight, but if I had the opportunity to shoot more than one group with the 45gr load I’m fairly confident it could get even better for 3 shots. Most impressive to myself is the fact that there was no load development done with this rifle. Perhaps I lucked out and the 45gr of Varget is optimal, but I’d bet one could tune the seating depth to further enhance accuracy even thought the SMK’s don’t‘ seem to be very jump/jam sensitive.

I gave the rifle back the same day I tested it at 500yds. It did hurt a little, handing the rifle over along with the 500yd target, but I think I hid it very well. I’d found and shot an ideal F-TR class competition rifle. With the vertical dispersion it displayed, I feel confident in assuming this rifle is true ¼ MOA capable at 500yds. All the more so, as the testing was from a bi-pod, in less than user friendly conditions. It is very likely I’ll be talking to Benchmark about building another 308 in the near future.

Lucas Beitner

The key to shooting long range with accuracy is knowing and compensating for ballistics. Ballistics programs allow you to input your specific load information (most importantly bullet ballistic coefficient and muzzle velocity) and atmospheric conditions and then, provide you with a predicted flight path. Any experienced long range marksman will know that these predictions are often very close at closer ranges (usually out to about 500yds) and usually not so close at longer ranges. Ballistic coefficients are speed dependant because they are based off a given profile, the G1 profile being the most common. If your bullet were a perfect match to the G1 profile your BC would remain the same despite the velocity. The variance with speed is so great because the G1 profile is nothing close to the profile of long range low-drag, boat-tail, bullets most popular today. The problem is well known and the better ballistic programs have compensated for this issue to some degree.

I have been using the Nightforce Exbal program for some time and I’m very happy with it. It has allowed me to make a few cold-bore shots at extreme distances that I wouldn’t otherwise be capable. I can get information on how changing atmospheric conditions will effect my dope (data on previous engagement). I have this program loaded into a palm pilot that I can use in the field (although I’m never without a written drop chart for obvious reasons). Other features include trajectory validation, point blank range analysis, target engagement, factory load data, bullet BC data, reticle analysis, scope adjustment options, target distance estimation, etc. It’s safe to say I’ve got my money’s worth from the Exbal program. With such a comprehensive program you might wonder how Exbal compensates for inaccuracies of BC’s changing  with speed. They have included a multi-BC option where one can enter 5 different BC’s at 4 specific velocities (last velocity value must be at zero). This allows you to tailor your BC to match your confirmed drops in the field. Sierra Bullets provides multiple BC’s and using these will allow you to get very good data from the program right from the start. Unfortunately most bullet manufacturers don’t give multiple speed dependant BC’s. Obviously bullet BC’s don’t change suddenly at a specific velocity, so multiple BC’s isn’t a perfect fix, simply a compromise. Even so, I’ve found it possible to get an essentially perfect drop chart using the multiple BC option. When using bullets without published speed dependant BC’s you’ll be spending some time playing with the program to get your drop chart just right. It usually takes more than one long range shooting session to get everything just right.

Thanks to Sean (host of longrangeshooter.com) I recently had the opportunity to test the Lex Talus Delta IV ballistic program. Completely satisfied and very familiar with Exbal, I was honestly expecting just another ballistic program. It doesn’t take long to notice a difference when inputting basic data. When using standard G1 BC’s you will get drop charts much closer to actual numbers than with other ballistic programs. This is due to the type of compensation Delta IV uses for BC variation with velocity. They label it “DK” which is a way of calibrating BC degradation and they also claim it can be used to compensate for shooter to shooter variances in launch dynamics. I must say that the default DK settings gives me very close drop info compared with my confirmed data. I’ve found that adjusting the DK (and BC if  advertised BC is off)  is easier to get “perfect” drops compared with the adjustment of multiple BC’s and the velocities at which those BC’s “change”. Delta IV includes all of the options of the Exbal program mentioned above. One option of Delta missing with Exbal is the powder temperature (ammo temp). You can adjust how sensitive your powder is to temperature. I gravitate to using powders that are not particularly sensitive to temperature. I have a reasonably wide range of temperatures where my drop charts will allow hits on reasonably small targets, but there’s no getting around changes in MV due to temperature. In one competition a couple years ago, the temperature rose to over 100 degrees and I quickly discovered I was missing high. My “temperature insensitive” loads had lulled me into a false sense of security. If only I had been using Delta IV back then! Having this option will allow you to get very accurate drops even when out of your normal temperature range.

To compare these programs I did a few tests. I have some confirmed drops for a couple different rifles. I decided to input “standard” BC info (only data that’s readily available), no multiple BC’s except for Sierra bullets. I only used the default DK for Delta IV. Either program can be adjusted to match your tested drops. Obviously, I made all the elevation, atmospheric/scope height data the same. I think  these examples  give a good basic idea of the program capabilities. Before I get into all the specifics let me just say that there are numerous reasons this test isn’t a perfect comparison including: operator error (in using the programs and/or shooting the rifles) imperfections in my confirmed drops, difference in actual MV and measured MV, error in atmospheric condition and elevation data, group dispersion, scope calibration error (I check mine but when you dial over 50 MOA a small error will show up in drop chart data), bullet manufacturer BC inaccuracy, etc.

Test 1) 7wsm 168gr JLK @ 2910fps Advertised BC .690

500yds Actual drop 8.25 MOA                                     1000yds Actual drop 24.50 MOA

500yds Exbal projected drop 8.00 MOA       1000yds Exbal projected drop 23.25

500yds Delta projected drop 8.25 MOA           1000yds Delta projected drop 24.25

This test was not exactly fair to either program since the advertised BC of this JLK bullet is too high in my opinion. Delta was still very close!

Test 2) 243 win 108gr Berger BT @ 2912… Advertised BC .511

500yds Actual Drop 8.50 MOA                   1000yds Actual Drop 27.75

500yds Exbal projected drop 8.50      1000yds Exbal projected drop 27.00

500yds Delta projected drop 8.50       1000yds Delta projected drop 28.25

Test 3) 308 win 175gr SMK @ 2729… Advertised BC’s .505 (2800fps+) .496 (1800-2800fps) .485 (1800fps-)

500yds Actual Drop 10.25 MOA                                     1000yds Actual Drop 32.75

500yds Exbal projected drop 10.00 MOA       1000yds Exbal projected drop 32.00 MOA

500yds Delta projected drop 10.75                           1000yds Delta projected drop 34.00 M0A

This test illustrates how the Exbal program works with multiple BC’s.

Test 4) 338 Lapua Mag 245gr Bore Tech V3 @ 2895… Advertised BC .869

500yds Actual Drop 7.25 MOA                 1000yds Actual Drop 22.00

500yds Exbal projected drop 7.25    1000yds Exbal projected drop 21.50

500yds Delta projected drop 7.25       1000yds  Delta projected drop 21.75

1850yds Actual Drop 58.00

1850yds Exbal projected drop 59.00

1850yds Delta IV projected drop 57.75

This one is truly amazing. Delta was within ¼ MOA at over a mile! I wouldn’t have imagined this was possible. Now the info after using Delta IV’s DK calculating option which gives me a new DK of .4992 new drop info was

500yds 7.25 MOA

1000yds 22.00 MOA

1850yds 58.00 MOA

A quick and simple step (DK calculation) gives me an essentially perfect drop chart not just at 500yds (most on-line ballistic calculators could do that) but spot on at 1000yds and 1850yds! To say that I’m impressed with Delta IV would be an understatement.

Lucas Beitner

My first impression was how big it is and that the writing is big enough that you can clearly see it through your scope. To many times somebody may have a good target but make that MOA (minuet of angle) block lines or wording to small that it cant be seen clearly from the FFP (field firing position)
The target is very easy to use and setup but like most things that relate to long range shooting you only get as much as you put into it. If you are hastily in the setup proses or try to cut corners there would be no point in the effort you are going through. The main details to properly setup the target would include leveling the target to insure the accurate data from the elevation adjustments. A good 100 yards between you and the target.
You can use ether a laser range finder or a long steel tape measure or something similar. I would recommend using a tape measure because of the tolerances that accompany a laser range finder. Lastly a good solid shooting position to remove human error.

The first thing that I did was to check my scope click value and that my scope is true to my bore. This is simply done by by aiming at the bottom of one of the “Straight Tracking Channels”. Once you have your cross hairs sable on the center of the circle with the rifle held in place simply fire a 3 shot group into the circle. Note: If some sort of strapping system is used to secure the rifle make sure that it is not secured over the barrel as this will change your zero and accuracy. After you fire your group all that is needed is to dial you scope 15 MOA and shoot for the same spot as before. But now your bullets will hit 15 inch’s higher than your first 3 shot group. If you see your bullet impacts move outside of the “Straight Tracking Channels” than you know that your scope is not level with the bore of your gun. To fix this simply rotate your scope in the opposite direction. Once you fire your second 3 shot group it will hit on one of seven lines indicating the actual click value of your scope.

As you can see there are clear marks that tell you what your scope click value really is vs what you were told by the manufacturer. This target is setup for 1/4 MOA scopes and I am not sure if they are available in 1/8, 1/2 or full Min. And as luck would have it my scope dialed directly to .25 so that is a good thing even though I have done this in the past with a different scope I found this to be much faster and more accurate. Now you might be thinking, so what if my scope is off a bit and if you only shoot inside the first few 100 yards it would not make much difference. But here is some food for thought if your scope is .26 per click vs .25 and you were shooting at a target at 1,000 yards you would be almost a full minute off at the target which is the difference between a hit and a miss. So you can imagine if you are shooting beyond a 1,000 yards it starts to multiply very quickly. So if you are looking for cold bore hits doing this is a absolute necessity. Now that you have done that here comes the real test, scope repeatably. After you have shot your second three shot group dial your scope back to your zero and shoot again. Did they hit in the same spot? We all hope that they do but very few scopes are capable of doing that. In Dan Weavers words “Many weak or stressed erector springs will allow the system to settle in after a few shots but this certainly is not optimum”. A scope that cant come back to your zero after repeatably being changed to shoot at distant targets is absolutely useless. If you dialed for a shot at 1,000 yards and returned to your zero and then dialed for the 1,000 yard target again. Your impact would be different from the bullets you just fired if your scope could not be zeroed correctly. Very Important.

Now after I was done with that I decided to check the accuracy of the Mil dots in my scope. Very simple proses to do and all you need is a stable shooting position and to make sure that the target is level. As you can see from the target on the right is you can check your mil dots using one or two mils. I decided to use the one mil option and turned my power setting to 12.5. Now on my scope I have two option for mil dot ranging, 12.5 or 25 power. At 12.5 each mil dot and hash mark is one full mil and on 25 power each mil dot is one full mil and the hash marks are a half mil, very convenient. Now with my scope on 12.5 power and looking at the target. The mils in my scope lined up perfectly but when I turned to 25 power and checked again it did not line up. Now this is nothing wrong with the target it is just that the target pointed out a flaw in my scope. On 25 power each mil in my scope actually equals more like 3.3 instead of 3.6. Which tells me that my scope is probably not a true 25 power sense it lined up perfectly on 12.5. No big deal really as long as I know what it really is and with out this target I probably never would have thought about it twice. The best part is that the targets are very reasonably priced at only 3 dollars each. When I first saw this target I thought it would be in the price range of about 10 bucks so I was happy to see that is was so affordable. You can find these target at bossaccuracy.com which also offers much more than just targets. I think that these targets would be a absolute for the long range shooter or hunter that is looking to get the most from his rifle and scope and I plan on using this target on a regular basses.

MISSOULA, Mont.—Science-based field research, funded in part by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, is yielding solid data on why gray wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming should be managed by state wildlife agencies.

Wolves have been on and off endangered species lists in recent months. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has repeatedly announced at least partial delisting and state-based management via regulated wolf hunting. But, each time, anti-hunting groups have blocked the effort with lawsuits.

“List, delist, repeat. It’s become an endless cycle driven by those who profit from legal uncertainty over gray wolves,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Tying up this issue in courts defies a proven conservation system that is extremely successful at balancing predatory species within biological and social tolerances.”

The Elk Foundation has long funded scientific research on topics surrounding elk and habitat. Universities and state and federal agencies apply for RMEF research grants and conduct the projects. Researchers present results to peers at professional conferences. New understanding leads to better management strategies for all wildlife in elk country.

Here’s a sample of findings, from many different research projects, that support the Elk Foundation’s position that wolves should be managed this fall via state-regulated hunting.

1. In the northern Rockies, original wolf recovery goals for population size and breeding pair
estimates are now exceeded by over 500 percent and 333 percent, respectively.

2. Wolf populations in Montana are increasing 10-34 percent annually.

3. Wolves are the top predator on adult elk, especially bulls. Bears take more calves, but at least black bears can be scientifically managed via hunting.

4. Cow-calf ratios are commonly lower in areas with both bears and wolves.

5. Between November and April, wolf packs in Montana kill 7-23 elk per wolf.

6. Since 2000, elk numbers across non-wolf western states have held relatively stable, while elk populations across Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have dropped a combined 4.2 percent. In
many local areas, elk reductions have been dramatic and significant. Wolves are a factor, affecting not only elk numbers, but also their distribution, movement and behavior.

7. Elk hunting adds nearly $1 billion per year to the U.S. economy.

8. Hunter opportunity is being reduced to counter declining elk populations in Idaho.

9. A fully restored—but still federally protected—population of keystone predators is complicating and hindering elk management, as well as conservation itself.

10. In 1907, only 41,000 elk could be counted in the U.S. Leadership, stewardship and funding from hunters restored elk to their current population of more than 1 million. It’s this resource that made wolf recovery possible. Yet hunters and state conservation agencies are being victimized by continuous delays in wolf management.

Allen encouraged Wyoming and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work together on a mutually agreeable wolf management plan. This would remove one of the obstacles that conservationists can actually control, enabling regulated wolf hunting alongside Idaho and Montana, he said.

This 3.048″ 10-shot group was a remarkable accomplishment, breaking one of the longest standing 1000-yard World Records. Bill Shehane commented: “This tops the NBRSA, IBS, and Original Williamsport Clubs’ all-time 10-shot Heavy Gun group records. Took a long time to do it and I for one know Joel did not back into it — he has worked harder than most the last 10 years to break this record. And just like John Voneida of the Original Williamsport Club who held this most prestigious record for so long, Joel is a super nice guy and a great competitor.”

Pendergraft’s fellow 1K competitors were quick to praise his accomplishment. Dave Tooley observed: “I still remember the day I suggested flat-based bullets to Joel and the laugh I got. Well he was laughing today. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Glad I was there to see it.” Posting on Benchrest Central, “4Mesh” wrote: “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy! That gun showed some serious promise last year at the World Open and anything that cranks off targets like the one you shot there, has what it takes.” Jim Hardy added: “The new record is great but no better than the fine man who shot it. Everyone who knows Joel will say the same thing — he is one of the finest men you will ever meet. He lives the life, and walks the walk and has paid his dues in the 1000-yard BR game to get the record.”

Pendergraft was modest after his notable achievement: “Some of the words spoken are too kind. What makes this so very special is to be able to celebrate the accomplishment with all of my shooting friends[.] A good friend once said that records are shot when preparation and opportunity meet. I feel blessed to have personally had the opportunity. The preparation we can individually work on and achieve but the opportunity only comes to a few. Those of you that compete in long range competition will know what I mean.”

This is mike first chance to shoot his new gun at 800 yards and so for looks like it is going to perform well

Here are some free targets to download that can be printed of your computer, 63 targets in all
You will need WinRAR to open it which you can download here………….
Targets

Here are some Sniper Data cards that most people try to charge you for that I think should be free so help your self.
Data Cards