Eurooptic vortex burris nightforce sale




teslong borescope digital camera barrel monitor


As an Amazon Associate, this site earns a commission from Amazon sales.









October 2nd, 2015

IBS Match Report: 100/200 Score Nationals in Maine

IBS 100/200 yard Nationals Maine Augusta Benchrest Score VFS Hunter Randy Jervais

IBS Report by Randy Jarvais
The 2015 IBS 100/200 Score Nationals were held August 22-24 in Augusta, Maine at the Capitol City Rifle and Pistol Club. By all accounts, the 2015 Score Nationals event was another success. Fifty-three guns participated in this year’s Score Nationals, with 38 Varmint for Score (VFS) and 15 Hunter rifles registered. Nine shooters competed for the 2-Gun award. Mike Niblett shot great to win the Varmint for Score (VFS) Grand Agg, while finishing first at 200 yards and second at 100 yards. Mike’s impressive 500-39X Grand Agg total was just one point shy of the current IBS record. Kudos to Mr. Niblett! Dean Breeden won Hunter Class with Randy Jarvais in second — and that was also the result for the 2-Gun Grand Agg (Breeden first, Jarvais second).

IBS 100/200 yard Nationals Maine Augusta Randy Jervais

Equipment Report
Among the Top 10 VFS shooters, nine shot a 30 BR, while the 10th campaigned an unidentified 30-caliber cartridge. Six of the Top 10 VFS shooters used Hodgdon H4198 powder, three used Vihtavuori N130, and one loaded with Hodgdon H322. Krieger barrels were used by five of the Top 10, with two Bruxes, two Liljas, and one Rock Creek. There were a wide variety of bullet choices. VFS Winner Mike Niblett used a Hillbilly 118-grainer while 2-Gun winner Dean Breeden used 115gr “10X” bullets in both his rifles (VFS and Hunter).

CLICK HERE to download Full Equipment List (XLS Spreadsheet)

Southerners Shine in Augusta
From a Maine perspective, every USA destination is south, but the true South was well represented in both number and quality of shooters. To illustrate, in the 100-yard leg of VFS class only one person north of the Mason/Dixon line was able to crack the top seven positions, and he had the home field advantage. For match One, five shooters shot 5X targets, but from then on it was the Jerry Powers show. Powers, from North Carolina, put together a string of three 5X targets before faltering with a 3X during match four. Undaunted, Powers finished strong with another 5X. He needed to, as his 23Xs were but one better than both Mike Niblett of Kentucky and Jim Cline of South Carolina.

Eight VFS Shooters Post 500-Point 100/200 Grand Aggregates

CLICK HERE for full Results (XLS Spreadsheet)

IBS 100/200 yard Nationals Maine Augusta Randy Jervais
accurateshooter.com

IBS 100/200 yard Nationals Maine Augusta Benchrest Score VFS Hunter Randy Jervais

At the Capitol City Range, the 100-yard targets are downhill, while the 200-yard targets are near level with the benches. While the benches are covered there is little covered area aft for equipment in waiting. With the prospect of showers for the entire weekend, Club members rigged tarps, hoping to provide a dry haven if needed. For the most part, ‘Tarp City’ worked sufficiently well. Fortunately, after Friday’s rain, the remainder of the weekend was mostly free of any heavy precipitation.

Score Nationals competitors line up for the Rifle Weigh-In process. The blue tarps provided a little extra protection from the elements.

IBS 100/200 yard Nationals Maine Augusta Benchrest Score VFS Hunter Randy Jervais

Thunder and Lightning, then Drizzle on Sunday
Although the weather was very nice while shooting the 100, shortly thereafter the sky opened up with an impressive display of thunder and lightning. Although that front passed, Sunday’s weather started as overcast with drizzle and showers, but no lightning. Winds started mild but as the day unfolded and the sun was able to break through, so did the wind — it became down right gnarly during some relays. The wind was gusty, and constant switching from 11:30 to 12:30 was problematic, creating vertical issues. Even so, nine shooters were able to shoot 250s at 200 yards on Sunday, all from the VFS class.

Tough Competition in Hunter Division
In IBS, Maine is the last stronghold of hunter classification shooters, thus it was no surprise that the Hunter class was the National’s largest in recent memory. At 100 yards, five Hunter shooters shot perfect 250s on Saturday. Dean Breeden nailed a 250-19X followed by Randy Jarvais with 250-18X. Third place went to K.L. Miller who out-dueled Peter Hills and Tim O’Mara who were the other two 6-power shooters to shoot the coveted 250.

In the 6-power Hunter class, the battle between Breeden and Jarvais continued on Sunday. Breeden started better and maintained a 2X lead through match three. Skip Plummer, a long-time 6-power shooter (with a very “stock”-locking rig), shot three straight 50-point targets (on targets 2, 3, and 4) to threaten the two leaders.

IBS 100/200 yard Nationals Maine Augusta Benchrest Score VFS Hunter Randy Jervais

Breeden shot a 50-1X on his fifth and final 200-yard target and watched through his spotter, while Jarvais dropped one point on his very last shot for record at 200. The order of finish for the five-target, 200-yard leg was Breeden (249-6X), Jarvais (248-5X) and Plummer (247-8X). Sweeping both the 100- and 200-yard legs gave Breeden (499-25X) the Hunter Grand Agg with Jarvais (498-23X) placing second.

Breedan Wins 2-Gun Aggregate… Again
The 2-Gun is a recent award and as yet has been contested but a few times. That doesn’t diminish the feat that there has been but one winner of the award, Dean Breeden. Prior to match 5 on Sunday, Jarvais had the Xs to dethrone Breeden from the 2-gun award, but this is a score game. Match 5 is now a nightmare memory for Jarvais, losing the last shot with each gun. So close yet so far! Breeden on the other hand proved again why he is the competitor to beat. With all the chips on the table, Dean did what he needed to do — dropping just a single point in the entire match. Breedan finished with 999-50X (for both guns) to secure another 2-Gun title, followed by Randy Jarvais (997-55X) two points back. That was tough for Randy, but as Orland Bunker observed: “All the Xs in the world means nothing if you don’t have the points.”


Every Shooter Was a Winner
The Capitol City Rifle and Pistol Club offered a rich prize table. Thirty Benchrest vendors donated nearly $9000.00 worth of hardware and shooting supplies. That generosity allowed each shooter to receive a door prize. In addition, a Nightforce Competition scope was raffled off, with the proceeds earmarked for new concrete benches. Wyatt Fox of New Hampshire was the lucky winner of the Nightforce.

IBS benchrest August Maine Nightforce

All shooters received a door prize. Lucky Wyatt Fox (above right) received a Nightforce scope.

Permalink Competition, News No Comments »
September 15th, 2015

Match Report: 2015 IBS 1000-Yard Nationals at Hawks Ridge

Hawks Ridge IBS Benchrest Shooters International 1000 Yard 1K Championship North Carolina 6mm Dasher

Report by David and Donna Matthews
The 2015 IBS 1000-Yard National Championships were held September 4-5 at the Hawks Ridge Gun Club in Ferguson, North Carolina. Attendance was great, with 103 Registered Light Gun shooters and 89 Heavy Gun competitors. After a practice day, the competitors tried on Friday and Saturday to master the unpredictable conditions at Hawks Ridge. The 1000-Yard National Match for 2015 featured a three-target Aggregate for each Division (i.e. six targets total for both classes).

The Hawks Ridge range is quite unique — it’s a very wide-open, over-the-hills range. Conditions constantly change (and change very quickly according to several competitors). The management and membership of this range put on a great event this year. Several shooters said this was one of the best-run National-level matches they had ever attended.

Hawks Ridge IBS Benchrest Shooters International 1000 Yard 1K Championship North Carolina 6mm Dasher

Jim Bauer Won the IBS 2015 Nationals shooting a 6mm Dasher in both Light Gun and Heavy Gun Classes. Here’s his match-winning Heavy Gun. Smithed by Gordy Gritters, Bauer’s Heavy Gun featured a BAT action, Kreiger barrel (in barrel block), Shehane stock, and Nightforce scope.

Hawks Ridge IBS Benchrest Shooters International 1000 Yard 1K Championship North Carolina 6mm Dasher

Bauer Drives Dashers to Victory
Hawks Ridge IBS Benchrest Shooters International 1000 Yard 1K Championship North Carolina 6mm DasherThe Two-Gun Champion and Overall winner was Jim Bauer with 24 rank points. In second place was Robert McMichael with 36 rank points. Bauer shot great in both Light Gun (LG) and Heavy Gun (HG) matches, posting Top 10 finishes in both classes. Bauer ran 6mm Dashers in both Divisions (LG and HG) with Vapor Trail bullets. By contrast, McMichael shot big cartridges — a .284 Shehane in LG and a .300 WSM in HG, using Berger Bullets for both calibers. Top lady shooter was Donna Matthews while Amber Brewer won the Junior Division. John Stecik won a BenchSource Annealing machine for shooting the Best Light Gun Target (50 score with a 3.758″ group). Steve Knight shot the Best Heavy Gun Target (100 with 4.407″ group), to win a Douglas barrel.

Hawks Ridge IBS Benchrest Shooters International 1000 Yard 1K Championship North Carolina 6mm Dasher

CLICK HERE for Complete Match Results and Equipment List

PDF File — scroll to bottom of document for EQUIPMENT LIST.

The Hawks Ridge Gun Club Range and Facility
The 1000-yard shooting facility is a covered pavilion that has 15 shooting benches located in the rolling hills of Wilkes County North Carolina. The Club has a great Barbeque grill on site, which the McNeil family employed to perfection, delivering an outstanding Barbeque chicken meal on Friday night.

Hawks Ridge IBS Benchrest Shooters International 1000 Yard 1K Championship North Carolina 6mm Dasher

One veteran shooter commented that when you can take 103 of the best shooters in the country and hold a event that had very little to any issues you have accomplished something. Range officials were quick to point out that it took a lot of hard work from Hawks Ridge Club members as well as support from the IBS, the sponsors, and the competitors.

Outstanding Prize Table
Over $20,000 worth of prizes were awarded at this year’s IBS 1000-Yard Nationals. Prizes included: Nightforce scopes, Sightron Scopes, BAT Action, Defiance Action, Baity Action, Shehane stocks, rests, reloading tools, Sierra and Berger bullets, and more. Many thanks should go to Stanley Taylor from Douglas Barrels for his time and energy in acquiring prizes for the match.

Hawks Ridge IBS Benchrest Shooters International 1000 Yard 1K Championship North Carolina 6mm Dasher

Permalink Competition, News 1 Comment »
April 26th, 2014

Praslick Teaches Wind-Reading Skills

Emil Praslick USAMUTo succeed in long-range shooting matches, given the high level of competition these days, you’ll need solid wind-reading abilities. We’ve found an article by SFC Emil Praslick III, USAMU Service Rifle coach, that can help you make better wind calls in competition.

SFC Praslick is considered one of the best wind gurus in the United States, if not the world. He has authored an excellent two-part article on wind reading that is available on the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program) website. Both articles contain helpful illustrations, and are “must-read” resources for any long-range shooter–not just Service Rifle and Highpower competitors.

Click to Read Articles:

Reading the Wind (Part One) | Reading the Wind (Part Two)

Part One covers basic principles, tactics, and strategies, with a focus on the 200-yard stages. Emil writes: “There are as many dimensions to ‘wind reading’ as there are stages to High Power competition. Your tactical mindset, or philosophy, must be different for the 200 and 300 yard rapid-fire stages than it would be for the 600 yard slow-fire. In the slow-fire stages you have the ability to adjust windage from shot to shot, utilizing the location of the previous shot as an indicator. Additionally, a change to the existing conditions can be identified and adjusted for prior to shooting the next shot.”

In Part Two, Praslick provides more detailed explanations of the key principles of wind zeros, wind reading, and the “Clock System” for determining wind values: “The Value of the wind is as important as its speed when deciding the proper windage to place on the rifle. A 10 MPH wind from ’12 o-clock’ has No Value, hence it will not effect the flight of the bullet. A 10 MPH wind from ‘3 o’clock’, however, would be classified as Full Value. Failure to correct for a Full Value wind will surely result in a less than desirable result.”

USAMU Praslick wind clock

Praslick also explains how to identify and evaluate mirage:

Determine the accuracy of the mirage. Mirage is the reflection of light through layers of air that have different temperatures than the ground. These layers are blown by the wind and can be monitored to detect wind direction and speed.

Focus your scope midway between yourself and the target, this will make mirage appear more prominent. I must emphasize the importance of experience when using mirage as a wind-reading tool. The best way to become proficient in the use of mirage is to correlate its appearance to a known condition. Using this as a baseline, changes in mirage can be equated to changes in the value of the wind. Above all, you must practice this skill!

Click HERE for more excellent instructional articles by Emil Praslick and other USAMU Coaches and shooters.

Permalink - Articles, Shooting Skills 4 Comments »
September 22nd, 2013

Match Report: IBS 1000-Yard Nationals in Yukon, Missouri

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

Report for International Benchrest Shooters (IBS)
IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long rangeOn August 30-31, 2013, Robert and Chrissy Ross hosted this year’s 2013 IBS 1000-Yard National Championships at their Midwest Benchrest range in Yukon, Missouri.

This year’s format was run with all the Light Gun (LG) relays shot on Friday, followed by all the Heavy Gun (HG) relays on Saturday. The competition was very tight as the Two Gun Overall Champion, Henry Pasquet from Elsinore, Missouri, didn’t even realize he had won until his name was called out at the award ceremony. Henry, an active AccurateShooter Forum member, secured a well-deserved National Championship with strong performances in both classes. Henry registered a fifth place in LG Group along with tenth place in LG Score. Henry then finished first in HG Score along with eleventh in HG Group to earn the 2013 Two-Gun Overall Title.

IBS 2013 1000-Yard National Championships Results (PDF)

Matthew Kline traveled from Pennsylvania to take second place in the Two Gun competition. He garnered that honor with an eighth Place in LG Group and a fourth place in LG Score. Matthew followed up these with a ninth place in HG Group and eleventh place in HG Score.

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

Kansas’ Jim Bauer came in a close third in the Two Gun rankings, by finishing first in LG Score and 21st in HG Group, then adding a second place in HG Group and 16th place in HG Score. Jim’s wife Sally, last year’s IBS long-range Shooter of the Year winner, was the Top Female Shooter. Rory Jacobs, from Vapor Trail Valley Shooting Club in Spickard, MO was the Top Junior Shooter.

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

Hot Temperatures and Fickle Winds Challenge Shooters
The Midwest Benchrest range is literally in the Ross’ back yard and is cut right out of the middle of a Missouri forest, which gave the shooters new to the range a false sense of confidence, thinking the trees would block the winds. The shooters had to deal with temperatures in the upper 90s (and the shade trees offered little relief). With the incredible humidity present, it felt it was even hotter. Although the winds weren’t very high, they weren’t very cooperative either, as they were never consistent throughout both days. One minute it was directly behind the shooters and the next it was quartering to the right. A moment later it was to the left.

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

The early relay winners seemed to favor the end benches, while later in the day, they seemed to favor the middle benches. There was was nothing but bright sunshine for the two-day event. Cloud cover and cooler temps, which were earlier forecast for the shoot, finally showed up the day after the tournament. Needless to say, the “heat monkeys” were making small groups difficult at this year’s shoot. Most small groups that were shot, were followed up with larger groups, in both the LG and HG events.

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

All in all, everyone still had a great time competing, seeing friends and fellow shooters from other parts of the country, and enjoying the Ross’ hospitality. It wasn’t long after the shoot was over before everyone started talking about where the 2014 Nationals would be. Perhaps, Robert Ross said it best: “Ultimately, the competition yields to the resulting friendships, which are fostered as part of a common goal: Raising the bar in long range precision shooting.”

The two-day competition was run as smoothly as any monthly shoot is run. The weekend’s shoot really started off on Thursday night though. Jim and Sally Bauer, Hornady, and Midwest Benchrest, sponsored a fantastic fish fry for all the competitors and their spouses. This provided some neutral ground to meet up and catch up with both new and old friends alike before the actual shooting began. If possible we will add equipment lists and individual relay results to this story on Accurate Shooter.com.


Featured Hardware at the 1K Nationals (Click Photos to Zoom)

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

IBS 1000-yard National Championships Midwest Yukon Missouri benchrest long range

Permalink Competition, News 5 Comments »
December 28th, 2012

Gene Bukys Sets New Sporter 100/200 NBRSA Grand Agg Record

Gene Bukys NBRSA Record ArizonaBenchrest shooter Gene Bukys has smashed the existing Sporter Class 100+200 yard Grand Aggregate record, lowering the NBRSA record from 0.1886 to 0.1777. That’s a big deal in the short-range benchrest game. This record was shot in October, 2012 at the Arizona Nationals.

On Benchrest Central, NBRSA SW Regional Director Tom Libby reported:

“Yes it’s said that ‘Every Thing is Bigger in Texas’. Well in this case ‘Smaller is Better’ and Gene has done it with his new World Record for five 5-shot groups at both 100 and 200 yards in the Sporter Class Grand Aggregate.

The Old Record: .1886
The New Record: .1777

[That includes five targets at EACH distance, ten targets total.]

Great Job Eugene G. Bukys!

It is my understanding that Gene has bought a new special cowboy hat to start putting his awards on it but don’t get to close to him as the brim will hit you in the head.

Bukys and Barrel Tuners
Commenting on Buky’s record-setting performance, Boyd Allen writes: “Gene has a fine record as a shooter, and his rifles have tuners (at least the bag guns do, I’m not sure about the rail.) In contrast to other users of tuners, I’m told that Gene tunes his to the middle of a node, locks it down, and does not move it again, preferring to tune with normal means. I think that the effectiveness of this approach is pretty evident — the proof is now in the record books! Gene would tell you that he has never seen a barrel’s accuracy increased by the addition of a tuner, but that, with a tuner, accuracy nodes are wider. I would add that, while Gene’s tuner is an important component, we must acknowledge Gene’s outstanding shooting skills — this man can win with or without a tuner.”

Permalink Competition, News 1 Comment »
April 25th, 2012

NBRSA 1000-Yard Nationals Results

The official results for the NBRSA 1000-yard Nationals have been released, along with final results for the F-Class Bench and 600-Yard Nationals. Congratulations to Bill Johnston, the new NBRSA 1000-yard Champion. Bill finished first with 18 rank points, edging runner-up Richard Schatz (19 pts) by one point. Terry Balding (who won the 600-yard NBRSA Nationals) finished third with 29 points, ahead of Greg Wilson (30, 4th place) and Robert Hoppe (34 5th Place).

Bill Johnston NBRSA 1000-yard Champion

LIGHT GUN GROUP — RICHARD SCHATZ 4.801″

LIGHT GUN SCORE — ROBERT HOPPE 288-6X

HEAVY GUN GROUP — BILL JOHNSTON 7.759

HEAVY GUN SCORE — BILL JOHNSTON 552-4X

TWO GUN GROUP — RICHARD SCHATZ 6.585″

TWO GUN SCORE — BILL JOHNSTON 817-6X

NEW 1000-Yard NATIONAL RECORDS

RICK DUNCAN — LIGHT GUN 3 TARGET SCORE 149-4X

ROBERT HOPPE — LIGHT GUN 6 TARGET SCORE 288-6X

RICK DUNCAN — LIGHT GUN 6 TARGET SCORE 283-6X

Jim O’Connell tells us tha several new records were set at both of the National Champonships (1000-yard and 600-yard). Check out the attachments for all the groups and scores as well as the many winners in separate divisions and target categories (LG/HG, Group/Score, Single Target/3-Target/6-Target). We congratulate all the shooters who attended the NBRSA Long-Range Nationals this week. The match directors thank you for your participation and hope to see you next year.

Permalink Competition, News 2 Comments »
February 14th, 2012

Match Report: Berger 2012 Southwest Long Range Nationals

Report by German Salazar
The 2012 Berger Bullets Southwest Long Range Nationals fired last week at Phoenix’s Ben Avery Shooting Facility left competitors from all over the US and Canada smiling and ready to return for next year’s event. With over 200 competitors from 40 states and several Canadian provinces, this was truly a national level event and the scores reflected that intensity. However, it wasn’t just about the shooting; as at any large rifle match, renewing old friendships, seeing friends from the AccurateShooter Forum and enjoying time and a few meals with them are just as important.

Complete Individual and Team Match Results will be linked here as soon as available.
F-Open Individual Grand Aggregate (RTF) | Palma Team Results (interim) (PDF)

Berger 2012 SW Nationals

The week began on Tuesday with a wind reading clinic by Mid Tompkins who knows more about how air moves across a rifle range than just about anyone. Next in line was Wednesday’s 600-yard match, a nice warm-up for the long-range shooting to come. Thursday we got down to business with a Palma team match. The sling winners were the US National Team composed of Trudie Fay, Bryan Litz, Justin Skaret and Peter Church. In F-Open, the winning team was Team Norma/Berger composed of Larry Bartholome, John Brewer, Danny Biggs, and Jim Murphy. The winning F-TR team was the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Assn. squad, with Warren Dean, John Chilton, Steve Lockwood and German Salazar.

Berger 2012 SW Nationals

Individual shooting resumed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as one more team match at 1000 yards. Conditions throughout the week were picture perfect as cool mornings gave way to afternoons in the mid 70’s. One of the Canadian shooters mentioned that it was 35 below at home on Saturday while we were in shirt sleeves! The wind was challenging without ever being as vicious as it can be on certain days in Phoenix. More than one Eastern shooter was heard to comment that they had never seen wind as switchy as this. Overall, it tested one’s ability without reaching a level of frustration — just perfect. Trudie Fay was the overall winner in the sling category, Jim Murphy in F-Open and James Croft in F-TR, but many other shooters won cash and bullets from our generous sponsor Berger Bullets as well as many door prizes at the barbeque from Nightforce, Krieger, Leupold, Sierra and many others.

Put this match on your list for next year, it’s well worth the effort. We have 100 firing points (check out the photo below) and we’re ready to put them all to use!

Berger 2012 SW Nationals

All-Star Instructors Lead Clinic
Bryan LitzA training clinic was held on Feb. 7th (Day 1), with a true all-star cadre of instructors. The clinic started with Nancy Tompkins instructing sling shooters on proper position/shooting style, while Darrell Buell and Larry Bartholome did the same for F-TR and F-Open shooters. Mid Tompkins then conducted a lengthy wind clinic which featured a series of drills at 1000 yards to observe specific wind trends. Many shooters commented on the benefits of the exercise as well as the opportunity to get some ‘trigger time’ before the main event. Finally, Bryan Litz (photo right) gave a class on long-range ballistics.

Berger 2012 SW Nationals

Permalink Competition, News 2 Comments »
September 21st, 2011

IBS 600-yard Nationals Set for Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 in Missouri

IBS Nationals 600 yardsMark your calendars, gents. The IBS 600-yard Nationals are slated for the weekend of September 30th through October 2nd. The event will be held at the Midwest Benchrest Range in Yukon, Missouri. The 2011 600-yard Nationals consist of an 8-target Aggregate match in Light Gun (LG), plus an 8-target Aggregate match in Heavy Gun (HG). There will be a total (LG + HG) of 16 record targets (5 record shots each [80 total]). After a safety meeting, the match begins at 9:00 am on FRIDAY September 30th, and continues on SATURDAY, October 1st. Sunday October 2nd is a reserve day if needed due to weather delays.

IBS Nationals 600 yards

Sight-In and Practice Times on Thursday
Thursday, September 29 will be the last day to register. The range is also open on Thursday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm for sight-in and set-up. NOTE: Due to the nature of this event, practice/sight-in will not be available on match days (9/30 – 10/2) prior to the start of the matches.

CLICK HERE for IBS 600-yard Nationals Registration form (PDF)

For more information, visit Midwestbenchrest.com or contact Robert Ross, at (417) 247-2020 or
robert [at] midwestbenchrest.com.

Story Tip from Sam Hall. We welcome reader submissions.
Permalink Competition, News No Comments »
September 9th, 2011

Results from IBS 1000-Yard Nationals at White Horse Range, WV

IBS NationalsThe 2011 IBS Nationals were held at the White Horse Center Range near Peeltree, West Virginia. This was a 3-target Aggregate match for both Light Gun (LG) and Heavy Gun (HG) with six (6) targets total. The big winner was Shooters’ Forum member Tod Soeby (aka 4Xforfun). Tod, who hails from North Dakota, drove a long way to the match, but his journey was well worth it, as he topped a large, highly-competitive field of 117 shooters. Soeby won BOTH the 2-Gun Overall as well as the Light Gun Group+Score Overall (In Light Gun, Tod was #1 for Group and #6 for Score, shooting a 6mm Dasher). Soeby’s Light Gun Group Agg was a remarkable 3.884″, nearly an inch smaller than the next best Light Gun Group Agg, a 4.724″, turned in by Salley Bauer. Gordy Gritters finished second in 2-Gun Overall, while David Powell secured third place in 2-Gun Overall.

White Horse IBS 2011 1000 yard nationals

Tod’s three, 5-shot Light Gun groups were: 4.489″, 3.760″, and 3.283″. That yielded an average of 3.884″ at 1000 yards. Think about that — Tod’s average is barely over one-third MOA, which is 3.49″ at 1000 yards — seriously small. Yes, those Dashers can shoot!

Wesley Springman was the top Heavy Gun Shooter, placing second in Group and third in Score, to finish first Overall in Heavy Gun class. Don Rabun was second in HG overall, with Eric Springman taking third in HG, edging Don Nagel on a tie-breaker (both Eric and Don racked up 14 Agg Rank Points). As noted above, Tod Sobey won the Light Gun Overall, with Donald Whitlock second in LG, and David Powley third. Notable other performances were Jeffrey Morten’s first place finish in LG Score, and Eric Springman’s outstanding Group shooting in Heavy Gun. Eric finished #1 in HG Group, with an impressively small 5.925″ Agg (that’s for ten-shot groups). And Sharon Ruben nailed the small group for the match, a mind-blowing 2.686″ on her second Light Gun (5-shot) target. For reference, one-quarter MOA at 1000 yards is 2.617″. Amazing.

Winning Rifles: 6mm Dasher Light Gun, 300 WSM Heavy Gun
Tod Soeby provided this equipment rundown for his Nationals-winning rifles.

Light Gun (6mm Dasher): Smithed by Greg Wahlstrom, Straightline Customs, in Ogilvie, MN. Greg also did the stock work and bedding. Action is a BAT “M” multi-flat, 8.5″-long, R-L-R dual port. Stock is a Shehane ST-1000. Barrel is 30″ Krieger 1:8″ twist, chambered as 6mm Dasher with 0.267″ neck. Optics are: Nightforce NSX 12-42X in BAT +20 MOA aluminum ring/bases.

Heavy Gun (300 WSM): Smithed by Clay Spencer. Action is BAT “L”, 10″-long, 2″-round, dual port. Stock is a Bruce Baer 5″-wide thumbhole, with custom rails by Greg Wahlstrom of Straightline Customs. The barrel is a Hart 1:10″ twist chambered in 300 WSM. Optics are: Nightforce 12-42X Benchrest model. Tod is not sure about the source of Picatinny rail and rings.

CLICK HERE for Full 2011 IBS 1K Nationals Results

117 Shooters Competed at 2011 IBS Nationals
Overall, shooters commented that West Virginia’s White Horse facility was a nice range, and many folks hoped that other major events might be hosted there in the future. Despite the predicted hot, humid weather, there was a great turn-out for the event, with 117 registered shooters in Light Gun and 115 Heavy Gun Registrants. The match organizers at White Horse did a good job with such a large field of shooters. The excellent turn-out proves there is a growing interest in long-range benchrest.

Permalink Competition, News No Comments »
August 7th, 2011

NBRSA 100/200 Nationals and Meeting Sept. 19-24 in Texas

NBRSA Nationals Midland TexasThe NBRSA 100/200 yard Nationals will be conducted September 19-24, 2011 at the Midlands Shooters Assn. Range, located at 3212 E. County Road 136, Midland, TX 79706. There are still places available for the Nationals. Fees are: $190 for 3-gun (SP,LV,HV), $250 for 4-Gun, and Juniors shoot for half-price. There is a $40 late fee for registrations received after August, 20, 2011.

CLICK HERE for NBRSA 100/200 Nationals Registration Form

NBRSA Membership Meeting on August 22, 2011
The NBRSA’s Annual General Membership Meeting will also be held in Midlands, Texas, in conjunction with the Nationals. The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, September 22, 2011, will be held after the day’s shoot and before the Awards ceremony. All active NBRSA Full Members are welcome to attend, whether they compete in the match or not.

Story Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome user submissions.
Permalink Competition, News No Comments »
July 6th, 2011

West Virginia’s White Horse Center Hosts 2011 IBS 1K Nationals

IBS logoThe White Horse Center Range near Peeltree, West Virginia, will host the 2011 National IBS 1000-Yard Nationals from September 3-5, 2011. The good news is that the match directors have lowered the fees in response to the week economy and high gas prices. If you register before August 8th, the match fee is only $80.00 per gun.

CLICK HERE for IBS 2011 1000-Yard Nationals Registration/Entrance Form.

Whitehorse Shooting Center WV

Whitehorse Shooting Center MapMatch Schedule and Fees
The 1K Nationals will be a 3-target Aggregate match for both Light Gun (LG) and Heavy Gun (HG) with six (6) targets total. Membership in the IBS, NBRSA, or Williamsport organizations is required — bring your membership card. The match will run Saturday, Sunday, and MONDAY, September 3, 4, and 5. Practice and Sight-in will be available Wednesday (8/31), Thursday (9/1) and Friday (9/2), starting daily at 8:00 am. NOTE: There will be a $10.00 per target fee during practice days and the shooter must furnish his/her own target puller.

Match fees for the Nationals are $80 per gun ($40 per gun for Juniors), if post-marked before August 8, 2011. Thereafter fees go to $90 per gun ($45 per gun for juniors). All registrations MUST be received by 3:00 pm Friday, September 2nd. No walk-up registrations will be accepted on match days.

How to Get There
The Center is located 9.7 miles south on State Route 20 from I-79, exit 115 or 10.1 miles north of Route 20 from Buckhannon. Look for a brown and yellow Dept. of Natural Resources sign on Route 20. Take Crouse Road to the next sign, turn right at the sign, and proceed up the hill to the Center. Map coordinates are: 39°, 7′, 11″ North latitude; 80°, 13′, 4″ West longitude. The White Horse Center website has information on area hotels and campgrounds.

Story Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome submissions from our readers.
Permalink Competition, News No Comments »
April 26th, 2011

Match Report: NBRSA 600-Yard and 1000-Yard Nationals

From April 20th through the 24th, the NBRSA conducted its National long-range Benchrest Championships at the Sac Valley Shooting Center in Sloughhouse, CA. The 600-Yard Nationals were held on April 20-21. Next was an F-Class Benchrest match on Friday the 22nd. This was followed by the two-day, 1000-yard Nationals on Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24.

Complete Match Scores (MS Word files): 600-Yard Results | 1000-Yard Results | F-Class Bench Results

Peter White was crowned the new NBRSA 600-yard Champion. Peter, who shot a 6mm BRX in both Light Gun and Heavy Gun classes, finished with 17 ranking points overall, well ahead of runner-up Greg Wilson (24 points). (In the two-gun overall ranking, fewer points are better). A highlight of this event was Bruce Bangeman’s 280-7X score, which has been logged as a potential NBRSA World Record.

Bruce Bangeman was the “Top Shot” in the NBRSA 1000-Yard Championships held on Saturday and Sunday. Bangeman won the 2-Gun Overall to be named the NBRSA 1K champion, with 23 ranking points. Bob Hoppe finished second with 26 points, and our friend Bruce Duncan of MT Guns finished third with 32 ranking points. CLICK HERE for a PDF file with complete 1000-yard results.

Despite rather blustery weather, there was a good turnout for all the events, with over 30 shooters on the line in both the 600-yard and 1000-yard Tournaments. Bruce Duncan, who finished 3rd overall in the 1K event, told us that: “Conditions were tough off and on throughout the match. We had targets blown off the board in some events. The winds were especially nasty on Sunday morning.”

600-Yard NBRSA National Championship

National 2-Gun 600yd Champion: Pete White, 17 points
2nd: Greg Wilson, 24 points
3rd: Gary Gagliono, 27 points
4th: Ken Schroeder, 33 points
5th: Jay Cutright, 34 points (tiebreaker- higher finish in 12 tgt grp)
6th: Robert Hoppe, 34 points
7th: Lou Murdica, 38 points
8th: Connie Murdica, 40 points
9th: Bruce Bangeman, 41 points
10th: John Crawford, 44 points

2 Gun Score Champion: Pete White 798 7x
2 Gun Group Champion: Jay Cutright 3.291

2011 Light Gun Score Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 280-7X (Pending World Record)
2011 Light Gun Group Champion: Jay Cutright, 2.670″
2011 Heavy Gun Score Champion: Connie Murdica, 535-3X
2011 Heavy Gun Group Champion: Jay Cutright, 3.912″


1000-Yard NBRSA National Championship

National 2-Gun 1K Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 23 points
2nd: Bob Hoppe, 26 points
3rd: Bruce Duncan, 32 points
4th: Billy Copelin, 37 points (won tiebreaker)
5th: Lou Murdica, 37 points
6th: Jay Cutright, 37 points
7th: Gary Gagliano, 42 points
8th: Greg Wilson, 44 points
9th: Curt Mendenhall, 51 points
10th: Everet Smith, 52 points

2 Gun Score Champion: Jay Cutright, 781-3X
2 Gun Group Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 8.279″

2011 Light Gun Score Champion: Gary Gagliano, 271-3X
2011 Light Gun Group Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 6.690″
2011 Heavy Gun Score Champion: Jay Cutright, 534-3X
2011 Heavy Gun Group Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 9.869″


F-Class Benchrest Match
In addition to the 600-yard Nationals and 1K Nationals, this year the Folsom Shooting Club conducted something relatively new — an “F-Class Benchrest” event. On Friday, a benchrest match for F-Class rifles was held. This allows the F-TR guys and the F-Open shooters with their 22-pounders to shoot from a seated position. Jerry Tierney reports: “The Friday F-Class Bench match was won by Tom Price (right) with a 386. In second place was Charles Greer with a 386 with less Xs.” Jerry finished in 3rd place “with a lot more Xs but only 385 points”. The first match was fired on the F-class target. The second match was on the slightly smaller 1000-yard bench rest target.

Shooters Pick 1K Benchrest Targets for Future F-Bench Matches
There was a vote on which target to shoot on for F-Class bench match and it was a close vote. Bob Hoppe observed that any range holding an F-bench match will have the 1000-yard Benchrest targets, but may not have F-Class 1000 yard targets. Another vote was taken and the 1000-yard Benchrest targets will be used for F-Bench matches.

Match photos courtesy Lou Murdica.
Permalink Competition, News 2 Comments »