Air Travel with Firearms — Smart Advice by Stan Pate
Savage Arms offers a series of Shooting Tips in the Savage Blog. Here is a helpful article from Team Savage Shooter Stan Pate. This covers how to ship your rifle safely, and then re-establish zero properly when the gun is reassembled after transport.
Traveling with Firearms — Important Advice
Traveling with firearms can be stressful. You must comply with multiple regulations and then trust your expensive guns to airline baggage handlers. And after arrival you'll need to put your rifles back together and confirm the zeros. This article offers helpful travel advice from Team Savage shooter Stan Pate. Pate has traveled the globe competing with match rifles. Here he shares his tips for making trips easier on you and your firearms.
Easier Air Travel With Firearms
TSA isn't nearly as careful with your rifles as you are. Proper storage before sending your firearm up a conveyer belt and into the belly of a plane is critical. Stan Pate spends lots of time each year traveling the skies and has devised a system for keeping his rifle safe when going to and from.
"Never travel with your firearm completely assembled," Pate cautions. "A fully assembled firearm is much heavier than one that has been broken-down and stored. More weight creates more in-the-case movement, which can result in damage. I learned this the hard way years ago. My rifle was actually broken in half when traveling to an international competition. Record your torque settings, use those settings during reassembly and your return to zero should be no problem."
"Be sure to check on current TSA rules and regulations before travel to be aware of any changes that may effect how you pack your rifles," says Pate.
Rifle Reassembly and Resetting Zero
The quicker you can reestablish your zero, the quicker you can relax and stop worrying about if your rounds are going to hit their mark during competition. Pate, over the years, has developed a system for rifle reassembly and getting back to zero as quickly as possible. While his torque settings may not be the same as yours, the process can still be used.
"The barreled-action goes back on the stock, and then I tighten all three receiver screws finger tight," says Pate. "Next, I tighten the front two receiver screws down to 35-inch pounds. The rear receiver screws on this particular rifle likes 15-inch pounds. [Note: Proper torque settings will vary with your action and stock type. Most actions have TWO screws, not three.] Scope attachment comes next, and I follow manufacturer settings when tightening it down. All that's left to do now is go zero your rifle."
This video explains an efficient method to Re-Zero your rifles
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Savage Offers Expert Advice with Articles and Videos
Savage Arms has completed a major overhaul of the Savage website. Now the SavageArms.com site is more mobile-friendly and easier to navigate. Savage has expanded information on its rifle products, and also updated the Expert Advice area. This section of the website offers informative technical articles/videos, as well as numerous helpful tips for hunters.
You'll find 30 informative topics in the Expert Advice section of the updated Savage Arms website. Below are FIVE of our favorites. Click each item to view the full text and linked VIDEOS. Even if you don't own a Savage, these features are useful. And all new shooters should definitely check out the Advanced Optics selection. This features a good video covering mirage and light refraction.
1. Advanced Optics — Stan Pate
Light refraction can wreak havoc on your ability to connect with a target at extreme long range. Stan Pate offers some good advice concerning mirage and refraction.
2. Gun Motion Management — Patrick Kelley
3. How to Mount a Scope
4. How to Sight In a Rifle
5. How to Adjust the Savage Accutrigger
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Savage Offers Expert Advice on Updated Website
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Stan Pate Earns First-Ever F-TR Int'l Distinguished Badge
Stan Pate is the first-ever F-TR competitor to earn International Distinguished Rifleman honors in his discipline. We congratulate Stan for that achievement. As a long-time competitor, Pate has earned numerous honors throughout his shooting career. The International Distinguished Rifleman award is a culmination of decades of hard work and dedication to the shooting sports.
"To earn the International Distinguished Badge, especially as the first F-T/R shooter to do so, is the pinnacle of my competitive shooting career," Pate said. "I'm honored to share this award with all of those who have supported me, especially Leupold[.]"
Photo from Shooting Sports USA story on NRA International Distinguished Badge.
The coveted International Distinguished Rifleman Badge is earned by accumulating points at authorized matches. In the USA, this program is overseen by the National Rifle Association. International Distinguished points can only be earned at authorized international competitions. Points can be earned for the International Distinguished award at World Championships, the America Match, and the Australia Match. A total of 30 points must be earned to be recognized as International Distinguished.
"Stan represents the pinnacle of his sport and we're honored to call him a friend and a partner," said Rob Morrison, vice president of global marketing for Leupold & Stevens. "His tenacity and perseverance in competition demand that his optics perform at a similar level, which is why he chooses Leupold."
Watch Video for Tips from Past National F-TR Team Members Mike Miller and Stan Pate
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How to Win in F-TR Competition — Tips from Mike and Stan
Over the past few years, participation in F-Class competition has grown dramatically. At the 2013 SHOT Show we had a chance to talk about F-TR competition with then-U.S. National F-TR Team members Mike Miller and Stan Pate, two of America's top F-TR shooters. With the U.S. F-Class Nationals underway this week (in Lodi, Wisconsin), we are reprising this interview for readers who may have missed it the first time around. If you shoot F-TR (even if you're a High Master), we think you'll learn a few things from this interview.
In this interview, Mike and Stan agreed to share their vast store of knowledge about long-range shooting. In a wide-ranging dialog, we discussed many topics of interest to F-Class shooters: position set-up, bipod shooting techniques (and hardware), gun-handling, and bullet selection. In addition, Mike and Stan offer some great advice on wind reading and precision reloading. These general tips will benefit all competitors, no matter what their discipline.
Watch Video for Tips from past U.S. National F-TR Team Members Mike Miller and Stan Pate
If you shoot F-TR or you are considering getting involved in this fast-growing shooting sport, definitely watch this 14-minute video interview from start to finish. Mike and Stan are true F-TR gurus whose knowledge of the F-TR game has been gleaned from years of top-level competition. If you shoot a .308 from a bipod, we guarantee you can learn much from Mike and Stan. If you follow their advice, we bet you'll see your scores improve in future matches.
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F-TR Top Guns Share Their Secrets
Over the past few years, interest in F-Class competition has grown dramatically. SHOT Show opens tomorrow, so we thought we'd reprise an interesting interview captured two years back. At the 2013 SHOT Show we had a chance to talk about F-TR competition with U.S. National F-TR Team members Mike Miller and Stan Pate, two of America's top F-TR shooters. We are reprising this interview for readers who may have missed it the first time around. If you shoot F-TR (even if you're a High Master), we think you'll learn a few things from this interview.
Watch Video for Tips from U.S. National F-TR Team Members Mike Miller and Stan Pate
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Mike Miller and Stan Pate Provide Expert F-TR Tips
Over the past few years, interest in F-Class competition has grown dramatically. At the 2013 SHOT Show we had a chance to talk about F-TR competition with U.S. National F-TR Team members Mike Miller and Stan Pate, two of America's top F-TR shooters. We are reprising this interview for readers who may have missed it the first time around. If you shoot F-TR (even if you're a High Master), we think you'll learn a few things from this interview.
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Savage CEO Ron Coburn Announces Retirement
Having led one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the outdoor industry, Ron Coburn is stepping down as Chairman and CEO of Savage Sports Corporation. Ron's retirement follows a 25-year tenure as CEO where he led the Company out of insolvency to the Company's current position as one of America's top rifle makers. Coburn took the helm of Savage in 1988 shortly after the Company filed for bankruptcy protection and Coburn guided Savage's subsequent rise to market leadership.
"Everybody wants to go out on top," Coburn said. "We've had many years of strong, sustained growth, and it seems like every year has been a new record year for Savage. The business has never been better positioned for the future. I'm turning 65 this year; the time is right for a transition."
Coburn's retirement has been in process for several years, as he has slowly delegated the day-to-day leadership to the Company's management team. "Some people say that Ron Coburn rebuilt Savage Arms. That's not true. I helped build a team and together we rebuilt Savage Arms," Coburn stated. "The management team is still in place, and Savage is in very good shape with a very, very bright future." Coburn will maintain a substantial personal financial stake in the company: "I may be moving out, but my money is staying. I can't think of a better place to invest right now."
Coburn Shoots What He Sells
You have to love a gun company CEO who actually gets behind the trigger. In this "behind the scenes" video made during the filming of a Savage Arms commercial in Utah, Team Savage Captain Stan Pate guides Ron Coburn in the use of the Savage Palma rifle chambered in .308 Winchester. Ron successfully hits targets at 1200 yards. Ron comes away smiling, as do members of the film crew who get "trigger time" at the end of the video. We love Stan Pate's closing line. With a big grin, he says that the Savage rifle's accuracy makes long-range shooting "So easy — even the Boss can do it".
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Long-Range Accuracy "So Easy — Even the Boss Can Do It"
You have to love a gun company CEO who actually gets behind the trigger. In this "behind the scenes" video made during the filming of a Savage Arms commercial in Utah, Team Savage Captain Stan Pate guides Savage CEO Ron Coburn in the use of the Savage Palma rifle chambered in .308 Winchester. Despite the somewhat wobbly shooting platform, Ron successfully hits targets at 1200 yards. Ron comes away smiling, as do members of the film crew who get "trigger time" at the end of the video.
The video has a very positive vibe and does a great job illustrating why it's fun to shoot accurate rifles at long range. Hat's off to Savage for putting its CEO behind the trigger. We love Stan Pate's closing line. With a big grin, he says that the Savage rifle's accuracy makes long-range shooting "So easy — even the Boss can do it".
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