Medium Length Actions
For years, long-range shooters have been pushing the limits of different short-action magnum cartridges with their bolt action receiver. Short actions appeal to hunters and long-range enthusiasts due to their shorter bolt throw, allowing quicker follow-up shots and weight savings for those ounce counters. Although cartridges like 6.5 Saum and 300 WSM were designed for use in short actions, shooters have become frustrated with one specific issue over the years. The cartridge length is limited by the length of the short action magazines if they want the rifle to be a repeater.
Increased COAL to produce a higher BC.
To use heavier, higher BC bullets, you have to be able to push them fast enough for them to be beneficial at longer ranges. This means more case capacity is needed. Obtaining more case capacity requires the bullets to be seated out further, making more volume for powder. By doing this, the case's overall action length will be too long to fit into a short action magazine. What have shooters been doing to fix this? They have had their dream rifle built off a long action. Long action magazines will give you WAY more internal magazine length than you will ever need, but it will almost guarantee that you will also have feeding issues.
Action manufacturers such as Defiance machine, Lone Peak Arms, Zermatt Arms, and Stiller have all noticed the COAL frustrations and have developed a solution. They are now making medium length actions. These custom actions allow shooters to gain .305 inches of coal over a short action magazine. So those high BC bullets we all want can be seated out further and we get the case volume needed for these awesome short hotrods. While the SAUM and WSM cartridges led the way to this change, 6.5 PRC and 6.8 western have also increased the demand for these medium length actions.
In the video below, you can see the length difference in the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC. Both of these are short action calibers, but for the hand loader, a 6.5 PRC that is throated out will allow them to seat 153 grain Hornady A-Tips, or 156 Grain Berger EOL out further and capitalize on the performance. With the Creedmoor, you could shoot the 153 or 156 grain bullets without any coal issues in a short action.
Some critical information to be aware of while deciding which medium length action to purchase is that Defiance will call theirs an XM. The reasoning is that they already have the name medium used for their 700 short action clones. What they call a short is actually a Remington model 7 footprint. Leaving the title for the actual medium length receiver to an "extra-medium" abbreviated to XM.
Medium action manufacturers.
Lone Peak Arms, Zermatt, and Stiller are all called mediums, and fortunately for them, all share the same footprint. At XLR Industries, we offer both a Lone Peak Medium (covers Zermatt & Stiller) and a Defiance action XM inlet in our Element 4.0, both aluminum and Magnesium chassis models.
If you ever have questions about what action, caliber, or chassis might work best for you, feel free to reach out, and we would love to get those questions answered for you!
Jaden Miller
XLR Industries
XLR at the Western Hunt Expo
XLR at the Western Hunt Expo 2022
Check out XLR chassis systems and products at The Western Hunt Expo hosted at Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is a weekend-long event where guests can come and check out the top manufacturers in the western hunting and shooting sports industry.
Check out NEW XLR products for 2022 at the EXPO.
XLR Booth #4359
Free Seminars at Western Hunting Expo
- Becoming the Ultimate Predator
- Hunt Prep, Optimizing Physical Performance and Mastering Hunting Nutrition
- Boone and Crockett Scoring
- Black Bear Hunting 101: Spot & Stalk, Baiting & Hounds
Western Hunt Expo Location
Salt Palace Convention Center
100 S W Temple St Salt Lake City, UT 84101
View Full Details at HuntExpo.com.
XLR Takes 1st at Great Britain Precision Rifle Association Match
XLR pro team shooter Josh Martin takes 1st place at Great Britain Precision Rifle Association's first ever match.
Notch another in the win column for the XLR Pro Team and the ENVY PRO Chassis. We want to give a big shoutout to XLR Pro Team shooter Josh Martin for his first place finish at the Orion Mountain Challenge GBPRA Hosted Precision Rifle Match in wales.
With some of the best precision rifle marksman from around the United Kingdom in attendance, Josh was able to seal the deal shooting his Bergara b14 in 6.5 Creedmoor using a Zero-compromise optic scope and an XLR Industry’s Envy pro chassis.
With Josh's 1st place finish it puts him a clear 19 points ahead of 2nd place in the GBPRA standings.
View Josh's Wins & Profile.
Get the XLR ENVY PRO and Element 4.0 Chassis at Josh's all new C2 Precision in Bude, UK.
CompExpo 2021
The CompExpo hosted at Cameo Shooting Sports Complex in Palisade, Colorado is a week-long event where guests can come and check out the top manufacturers in the shooting sports industry. August 6, 2021 guests will be able to participate in live fire demos and educational seminars.
At the end of the week guests will be able to watch the NRL Hunter Grand Slam Championships, Surefire World Multigun Championships, Total Archery Challenge (open to the public) and the COMPX Shotgun Challenge.
CompExpo Events
CompExpo 2021 Location
Cameo Shooting Sports Complex
3934 I 9/10 Rd
Palisade, CO 81526
View Full Details at CompExpo.org
CompExpo Video
XLR Industries at CompExpo
XLR Industries is going to CompExpo in August! Come put your hands on XLR's latest chassis designs and accessories and see why shooting competitors, long range enthusiast, and hunters trust XLR as their precision rifle chassis of choice.
XLR Booth Location: XLR Industries booth location will be across from the Viking Armament Live Fire booth.
The All *NEW* ATOM Chassis
The *REDESIGNED* Element 4.0 Chassis
The ENVY PRO Competition Chassis
New Night Vision Mount for the Element 3.0 Chassis
The Element 3.0 Night Vision Mount is a 4.5” hood that uses (2) MLOK side plates that bolt to the side of the chassis. The mount will accommodate a variety of optics and night vision accessories. The mount can also serve as a place to rest your hand and manipulate the rifle without touching the barrel.
New 3D Printed Titanium Grip!
The NEW Titanium Grip is the new pinnacle of ultralightweight performance. Weighing just 26 grams, less than one ounce, it is the must-have grip for the avid ounce counter.
3D printed from Titanium, the grip is strong enough to meet the demands of the hunting trail, precision rifle competition, or any other punishment you can dish out. The grip will fit any of our chassis systems. The webbed design not only looks great but it also provides excellent grip when wielding your weapon.
Head over to https://xlrindustries.com/collections/accessories for more information on the NEW Titanium Grip and other great XLR Accessories!
Collin Fossen - 2020 XLR Pro Shooter
This year Collin has his sights set on taking the top spots at the Burris Optics Team Challenge, the Competition Dynamics Steel Safari and the Wyoming Tactical Rifle Championship (WTRC). He will be teaming up with fellow Team XLR member Andy Reinhardt to compete in three separate highly physical field style team matches that will put their skill and gear to the test.
Collin has participated in competition shooting sports since his youth. He learned basic firearm handling skills from his family and then refined his skill shooting air rifle and pistol through his participation in the Lander, WY 4-H chapter. His more advanced skills were learned after he finished college when he studied books on the subject and began to regularly compete in matches.
“Fear the man with one gun, for he knows how to use it. Practice with your gear so you can use it without conscious thought,” Collin said recalling the best shooting advice he had received.
Collin lives in Wyoming with his family where they enjoy camping, hiking, hunting and being outdoors. To complement his competition shooting activities, he runs Fehu Outdoors, a company that makes soft bags and other competition shooting goods. He is also a brand ambassador for Maven Optics. Collin trusts all his gunsmithing to Precision Shooting of Wyoming and their carbon sleeved barrels.
Collin's Advice for New Competition Shooters?
Collin's Favorite Match Memory
"In 2014, I was running a 20” 308 Win and shooting 155 Palma Match King bullets at the Sniper’s Hide Cup. I didn’t realize at the time that I was shooting very well but at the end of the tally, I was in 50th place. Being newer to the sport and knowing that the last year I was 3rd from last, I was very excited about my placement. It happened that I also ended up as the top 308 shooters at the match among all the 6.5mm and other ‘wildcat’ cartridges. I ended up being presented with a brand new 6.5 Creedmoor for my top 308 finish and still use the Stiller action though it has been through 6 different barrels at this point."
Collin's 2020 Competition Rifle
NEW Carbon Buttstock Bag Rider!
The Smoke Carbon Buttstock Bag Rider was designed based on customer feedback to compliment and increase the functionality of the Smoke Carbon Buttstock. It increases the shooter's ability to better spot their shots for quicker follow-ups.
The bag rider adds an additional 3.25" of surface area to the bottom of the buttstock that allows a natural and solid feel when used with any rear shooting bag. It installs easily by utilizing the buttstock's lower M-LOK slot. The backer used to attach the bag rider features machined in flush cup Quick Detach (QD) sockets for sling attachment.
With it's minimalist and practical design the bag rider only adds 1.5 ounces to the buttstock weight and is ideal for lightweight Element 3.0 Magnesium hunting rifle configurations.
Head over to www.xlrindustries.com for more information on the NEW Smoke Carbon Buttstock Bag Rider and other great XLR Accessories!Jake Vibbert - XLR Pro Shooter
Jake Vibbert is back with Team XLR for 2020 precision rifle season. Although it has been an unusual year for the sport, Jake has continued to make an impact as a competitor, match director, instructor, and sponsor.
In just five years, Jake has earned an impressive shooting resume with consistent top finishes in both the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and the National Rifle League (NRL). In fact, Jake has compiled more wins than any other shooter in the United States at national level PRS and NRL matches during that span.
Jake owns JC Steel Targets which produces quality AR500 steel targets along with target hanging systems. JC Steel Targets is a proud sponsor of precision rifle matches in both the NRL and PRS and also supports local ministries in Jake's community of Cheney, WA.
As a precision rifle instructor, Jake travels the country shooting and teaching precision rifle classes. He has also put together a Precision Rifle Training series, the first of its kind, geared towards both new and advanced shooters who are interested in improving their tactical/practical precision rifle performance.
This past year, Jake and fellow shooter Jon Pynch launched the VP Precision Podcast in which they discuss recent matches, trends, and offer their insight and perspective on the precision rifle scene.
A devoted husband and father, Jake, has formal degrees in sports medicine and youth ministry. An avid outdoors-man, he enjoys hunting and fishing with his family and mentoring youth through his ministry service.
Make an introduction to Jake and he will respond instantly with a big grin and firm handshake. You would be hard-pressed to find a nicer person.
Top Finishes of 2020 (Thus Far)
Jake took the top spot at the RETRO-TPRC the first professional match of the Precision Rifle Series, and a strong second-place finish at the Parma Precision Rifle Rumble.
Jake's Competition Rifle
Jake Vibbert's competition ENVY Pro! Checkout the ENVY PRO JV Competition Kit which includes all XLR Accessories that Jake runs on his rifle. We have bundled them all together to take all the guesswork out of building your next competition rifle!
Chris Way - 2020 Team XLR Pro Shooter
Chris Way is back with Team XLR for the 2020 season. He is off to a quick start with a win at the National Rifles League's (NRL) Rifles Only Brawl the first national match of the NRL's season.
Since taking up competitive precision rifle shooting, only a short time ago, Chris has had success in both the NRL and Competition Dynamics (CD) series. Last year Chris had 3 top 5 finishes within the CD series including a 1st place finish at the Sniper Adventure Challange.
Chris's goals this year are to qualify for the NRL Finale within three matches, to be highly competitive within the Competition Dynamics series and to beat Dorgan Trostel in a match.
Chris is based out of Erie, CO where in addition to his shooting activities he is an avid rock climber and runs a company called PACE Lid which makes storage compartments for largemouth water bottles.
Tidbits about Chris:
- Motto: "Do it, or don't"
- Inspiration: "My wife inspires me, my kids motivate me."
- Routine: "Routines kill, mix up training and responsibilities often."
- Precision Rifle Teaches: "Life is hit and miss"
- Fun Facts: "Challenges and shenanigans trump all. Try me. I manage to max my health insurance deductible every year…"
Chris (above) competing at the NRL Rifles Only Brawl earlier this year. To see more details on Chris's competition rifle setup and other great products he uses, check his shooter profile on XLR's website. Chris and his company are both Instagram and Facebook.
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