First pass of all three sales records over the past five months—an arbitrary period, to be sure, but they’d go back further only as a desperation measure—yielded nothing of much interest. Filtering, courtesy of one of Neill’s programs, for “Accuracy International .338 Lapua Magnum,” they indeed encountered a cult based upon the worship of that rifle and that caliber. But all the purchases seemed to be more along the line of adding geegaws to the system—like dedicated cleaning kits, AI optical mounts, transit cases, wrench sets, a mirage band to stretch down the barrel and thus kill any reflection from its metallic surface, headspace gauges, bolt-cap-removal tools—all the little bitty Tinkertoys that so many in the culture told themselves they absolutely had to have.

“They’re like little girls collecting Pretty Ponies,” Chandler said.

None of the purchases was particularly big-ticket, none of them was absolutely mandatory to the shot, except for the scope, but Bob assumed that most of the shooters already had scopes, and, furthermore, granted the assumption that somehow Juba’s rifle was initially stolen in America, it would have been scoped as well. None suggested someone trying to get into the AI .338 Lapua Magnum in a big way all at once. It was all about adding a little of this, a little of that.

“Any feeling or buzz?” asked Swagger.

“You’re the rustic genius. I’m just the little grind who went to State U and got straight A’s. I’m as creative as a block of wood.”

“Let’s filter for ‘L.E. Wilson dies, .338 Lapua Magnum.’”

“What the hell is that?”

“If you want to reload for superaccuracy, it all turns on the accuracy of machining in the dies. Everyone in the game knows that Wilsons are the best. These guys will get every angle perfect to a hundredth of an inch. They’re that good. Plus, Wilsons, not being screwed into a big, sloppy press, can be loaded at the rifle range on an arbor press—that’s a hand-portable device—which makes it easier. It’s not for high volume, but it’s the one most of the benchrest guys use. It’s very accurate, no wobble or slop in the construction, the parts fit like a Mercedes engine. More, I saw one in Juba’s shop—bright yellow box, very compact—in the second before the guy lit it, and himself, off.”