The 2026 Southwest Nationals (SWN) have concluded. Held at the impressive Ben Avery range in Arizona, the 2026 SWN was a very successful event with good conditions (for the most part) and impressive scores by shooters in all three divisions: Sling, F-Open, and F-TR. We congratulate the new SWN Grand Agg Champions: Bobby Gill (Sling), Ryan Mitchell (F-Open), and Brad Sauve (F-TR). This was familiar territory for Sauve who has won the SWN F-TR title before.
The SWN has both individual and team competition in all three classes. The winning team in the Sling Division was Team USAMU 2564-124X (Capt.: Jarrod McGaffic / Coach: Verne Conant). The top F-Open team was LOS CHINGONES 2590-153X (Capt.: Dennis Ray / Coach: Brian Bowling). The F-TR team competition was dominated by Team USA F-TR VORTEX 2575-123X (Capt.: Ian Klemm / Coach: Keith Trapp).
The 2026 SWN had very high participation in all classes. Observers said that 2026 may have rivaled the highest total turn-out in many years. Weather-wise, we’re told that conditions were “very manageable” for most of the week until the final day of individual competition. Wind angles and velocities became quite hard to diagnose on that last day. As a result many top shooters dropped multiple points in the last individual relay and this created major shake-ups in the leaderboard, with some very skilled shooters dropping out of the Top 20 after an otherwise impressive week.
A special congrats to our friend Gary Eliseo who actually ended up with the highest Sling Division overall score, 1240-64X. But because he used a scope throughout the match he could not win the Sling Grand Aggregate.* Gary Eliseo reported: “I had a great time at SWN 2026. It was a privilege to catch up with so many friends from around the country, managed to shoot a PB too! My UMRS/6.5 El-Mo did everything it could to make me look good.”
SLING TEAM Top 3
Team 44 USAMU HM 2564-124X
Team 49 USNMT VFB MRNAK HM 2564-115X
Team 46 USNRT GILL HM 2562-122X
F-OPEN Grand Aggregate Top 10
1. Ryan Mitchell, 1245-83X, Match Winner
2. Joe Traylor, 1245-74X
3. Tim Vaught, 1245-69X
4. Jason Simes, 1243-73X
5. Gwen Basalla, 1243-66X
6. Brad Johnson, 1242-78X
7. Pat Scully, 1242-74X
8. Erik Cortina, 1242-71X
9. Emil Kovan, 1242-64X
10. Brian Bowling 1241-78X
F-TR TEAM Top 3
Team 23 USA F-TR VORTEX HM 2575-123X
Team 21 USA F-TR BERGER HM 2568-118X
Team 13 CREEDMOOR SPORTS GOLD MA 2556-111X
Report from F-Open Competitor John Masek (F-Class John)
This year’s Southwest Nationals appeared to have the highest attendance I’ve ever seen. The Mid-Range match on Wednesday isn’t usually all that full but this year every firing position was used which is something I’ve never seen before in Mid-Range. Long range was also sold out which I believe is around 365 shooters with the majority being in the F-Open category. I don’t know the exact count, but there were nearly three full pages of F-Open shooters listed — that means there could’ve been close to 200 F-Open shooters. Overall there was beautiful weather with mostly gorgeous conditions during the week, and it was great seeing everyone from across the country and even the world.
Conditions were manageable for a lot of the shooters throughout the week with some of the highest scores I’ve ever seen — 16 F-Open shooters all shot a perfect 450 points on the Palma day Friday. Saturday got just a little trickier, but still many of the top shooters were managing to only have dropped a couple points over the two days. Sunday started with mild conditions again, but the final relay on Sunday afternoon completely shook the leaderboard up. While there were certainly top shooters who were able to hold their positions… but just as many dropped quite a few places down. It was one of the trickiest conditions I’ve ever seen that didn’t involve giant winds.
* Scopes help older sling rifle shooters whose eyes are starting to wear out. But, Gary Eliseo explains: “In this event, the match director dictates that a Palma rifle be used on the first day, and if you want to shoot an ‘any rifle’ on Day Two it also must have iron sights with the third day being ‘any sights’ so ‘F-sling’ is a category where ‘any sights’ are allowed to be used on all three days but that makes us ineligible to win the Grand Aggregate.”
The Tactical Hyve YouTube channel currently hosts over 1,100 videos! Here are three of our favorite Tactical Hyve videos focusing on pistol marksmanship. These videos cover basic essential techniques as well as advanced handgun skills used in competition. These videos feature highly-skilled handgun experts.
1. How to Aim a Pistol with Iron Sights or Red Dot
We recommend this video for persons training for a CCW permit, or who are getting started in pistol shooting competition. The video shows proper technique for using iron sights. In addition, it offers some important advice for shooting with Red Dots. Shooting with Red Dot sights can be easier than with iron sights because you only have to put the dot on the target, rather than align front blade with rear notch. But it does take some familiarization to get things right. And persons with astigmatism can have challenges with Red Dot sights.
2. Get Your Sights Back On Target Fast
This popular video covers a very important skill for both pistol competition and defensive handgun use — getting your sights back on target quickly. This informative video covers grip, sight picture, trigger control, and how to handle recoil and muzzle rise. If you’re considering action pistol or 3-gun matches, definitely watch this video.
3. Five Most Common Pistol Shooting Mistakes
In this video, Myles, the founder of Tactical Hyve, talks about the five most common pistol shooting mistakes he sees in classes and how to correct them. Many folks begin pistol shooting without a qualified instructor. Or they try to imitate what they see on TV. This can lead to new pistol shooters forming bad habits. This video helps handgunners correct those bad habits. This popular video has 1.9 million views.
MidwayUSA is running a major sale right now on Factory Second Bullets. These may have some color variations and slight jacket appearance issues, but, for the most part, they will shoot fine. If you need bullets for action pistol matches, 3-gun (rapid-fire) competition, varmint hunting, deer hunting, or fun plinking, these bullets can do the job, while saving you 30-70%.
We have used factory second bullets in .223-cal and 6mm varmint rifles with great success — saving over 40% off the regular bullet price. And the 9mm and .40 Cal pistol bullets shoot fine. If you’re shooting a high volume of rounds that savings adds up quickly — put the money saved into powder and primers. Here are some of the factory second bullet types you should check out now at MidwayUSA:
“Golf — the willful misuse of a perfectly good rifle range.”
Here’s a humorous illustration that pokes fun at the game of golf. We posted this on Facebook a few seasons back. To our great surprise this generated 356 shares, and reached 22,000+ readers, making this our most popular Facebook post ever at the time.
So, what do you think — should golf courses be converted to shooting ranges? Is golf truly a “good [shoot] spoiled”? This photo was shared by our shooting buddy Jim de Kort from Holland.
Here are some comments from Facebook users who saw the post:
“Actually golf and shooting are similar sports. Trying to shoot a small object into a small hole from long range.” — Eric A.
“You can hit a golf ball 300 yards, but I can hit a golf ball AT 1000 yards.” — Zach S.
“The game should be changed. You should hit the ball out as far as possible, then get your rifle out and hit the golf ball. The most golf balls hits… with the rifle wins!” — Hui H.
Some rifle ranges certainly are beautiful enough to be country clubs. Here is the scenic General Vokes Range in British Columbia, Canada:
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
Palmetto SA — President’s Day Sale: Guns, Optics, Ammo & More
⏺️ » Amazing deals on pistols, rifles, shotguns and scopes — save hundreds
Today, February 16, is President’s Day — so Palmetto State Armory is running a major President’s Day Sale. You’ll find great savings on rifles, uppers/lowers, handguns, optics, red dots, ammunition, carry cases, and hundreds of other items. Discounts are substantial, with some items discounted over 40%.
Midsouth — Major Timney Trigger Sale, Many Types
⏺️ » Huge selection of quality Timney triggers at major discounts
Need a good trigger for your match, hunting, tactical or classic rifle? Then head over to Midsouth, which is running a huge Timney Trigger Sale. There are over a dozen trigger variants for Rem 700s, plus a wide variety of AR Triggers, and Winchester Model 70s. Plus you’ll find triggers for CZ 452/455/457, Howa 1500, SAKO, Tikka, Ruger 10/22 and M77, Browning X-Bolt, Mauser M98, Springfield M1903, Weatherby Vanguard and more.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
“The press is the heart of the handloading operation, also traditionally the most expensive single tool employed…” — Laurie Holland
British competitive shooter Laurie Holland has reviewed three popular, single-stage reloading presses for Target Shooter Magazine (targetshooter.co.uk). Laurie bolted up a Forster Co-Ax, RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme, and RCBS Summit to his reloading bench and put the three presses through their paces. These three machines are very different in design and operation. The venerable Rock Chucker is a classic heavy, cast-iron “O”- type press that offers lots of leverage for tough jobs. The smaller RCBS Summit press is an innovative “upside-down” design with a large center column and open front. It offers a small footprint and easy case access from the front. The Co-Ax is unique in many respects — dies slide in and out of the upper section which allows them to “float”. The cartridge case is held in the lower section by spring-loaded jaws rather than a conventional shell-holder.
If you are considering purchasing any one of these three presses, you should read Laurie’s article start to finish. He reviews the pros and cons of each press, after processing three different brands of brass on each machine. He discusses ergonomics, easy of use, press leverage, smoothness, priming function, and (most importantly), the ability to produce straight ammo with low run-out. The review includes interesting data on case-neck run-out (TIR) for RWS, Federal, and Norma 7x57mm brass.
Review Quick Highlights:
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme
“My expectations of the antediluvian RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme’s performance weren’t over high to be honest as I mounted it in the place of the Summit. As soon as I sized the first of the stretched RWS cases though, I saw why this press has been such a long-running favorite. The workload was considerably reduced compared to the other two presses and doing 40-odd cases took no time at all with little sweat — it just eats hard-to-size brass.”
RCBS Summit Press
“Despite its massive build and long-stroke operating handle, [the Summit] took more sweat than I’d expected, even if it was somewhat less work than with the Co-Ax. Although the Summit is apparently massive, I noticed that the die platform would tilt fractionally under the heaviest strains[.] It is nevertheless a very pleasant press in use and bullet seating was a doddle — the few examples tried proving very concentric on checking them afterwards. The optional short handle would be valuable for this task.”
Forster Co-Ax
“[On the Co-Ax], the operating handle is above the machine, located centrally here [with] twin steel links at the top end of the press dropping down to the moving parts. The Co-Ax incorporates a number of novel features, principally its automatic and multi-case compatible shell-holder assembly with spring-loaded sliding jaws, very neat spent primer arrangements that allow hardly any gritty residues to escape and foul the moving parts and, the snap-in/out die fitment that allows rapid changes and also sees the die ‘float’ in relation to the case giving very concentric results. I own this press and it meets my handloading needs very well.”
The 2026 Southwest Nationals (SWN) competition concludes this afternoon, February 15, 2026, at the Ben Avery range in Arizona. With skilled shooters in Sling, F-TR, and F-Open classes, the SWN is one of the USA’s most popular multi-class, long-range rifle events held annually. We’ll have a full report on SWN individual and team final results tomorrow.
To show the type of rifle that can win a SWN title, today we feature the .308 Winchester F-TR rifle of talented F-Class shooter Peter Johns. With this impressive rig, Peter won the F-TR Division at the 2020 Berger SW Nationals (SWN), after finishing second in 2019. And Peter also won mid-range AND long-range Texas State championships in 2019. Along the way Peter set a new 600-yard NRA National F-TR Record (200-18X), and tied the 600-yard F-TR Aggregate Record with 600-47X. This Sunday GunDay story features Peter and his trophy-grabbing .308 Win F-TR rifle.
How to Campaign a Winning .308 Winchester F-TR Rifle
Report by Peter Johns
I started contemplating F-Class shooting after talking with Darrell Buell at SHOT Show a decade ago. My first F-Class match was with a Savage VLP with a 26″ Shilen 7mm SAUM barrel and a Harris bipod. After that initial match in Texas I knew I had a lot to learn. I decided that F-TR was the place to start. This story follows my development as an F-TR shooter and showcases the rifle that delivered multiple F-TR match wins in 2019 and 2020.
Watch Peter Johns Shoot his .308 Win F-TR Rig
Equipment Showcase — Key Components of Peter’s F-TR Rifle
Omar Alonzo (Alonzo Custom Rifles, (713) 283-4384, Gunbuilder284@gmail.com) does all my gunsmithing. I believe this is one of the major reasons I have been doing so well in the last couple years. He does a phenomenal job with rifle bedding. He also fixed the timing on my action. The first barrel he chambered has really helped me win matches and set records.
In this Video, Peter talks about his key rifle components and gear:
McMillan Kestros BR Stock — I switched to a Kestros BR stock when they first came out. I painted the stock myself. I am very grateful to Kelly McMillan for letting me be one of the first to try them. The Kestros BR tracks better than any stock I have tried. NOTE — the Kestros was so light that I had to add a steel bar under the forearm to get closer to the F-TR weight limit with a 30″ HV barrel. [Editor: That has the advantage of lowering the center of gravity and the bar can slide fore/aft to adjust center of balance]. I use a SEB Bigfoot rear bag with slick ears and 3/4″ spacing. When I got the Kestros I thought the rear bag spacing was too wide but it worked so well I didn’t change.
Kelbly (Stolle) Panda Action and Krieger Barrel — My rig has a Kelbly Panda F-class action with a Bix’N Andy trigger. At the Berger SWN, I used a Krieger 1:10″-twist 30″ HV 4-groove barrel. It is superbly accurate. I have been bouncing between Krieger and Bartlein for barrels for the last few years. The best barrel I have had is a 30″ Krieger 4-groove HV, however the Bartleins have been very good as well.
Duplin Bipod with Articulating Feet — I really liked the Pohlabel articulating feet that are available for the SEB JoyPod so I asked Dan Pohlabel for permission to copy his feet. I bought some aluminum and made the best copy I could. Since SWN, Duplin has coming out with a new bipod with articulating feet which are considerably better than the feet I made. I use a board and a piece of stall mat with carpet glued on it for the bipod to sit on.
Vortex Golden Eagle Scope — I use the 15-60x52mm Vortex Golden Eagle on all my F-Class rifles. I see the mirage better with the Golden Eagle than any other scope and it tracks perfectly. I also use a Vortex Razor spotting scope with long eye relief lens on the line to help watch mirage and flags. I also use the Razor spotting scope to call wind for Team Texas.
Cleaning Procedure — Less is More — No Cleaning During SWN Long Range Event
Peter has learned that he can go for long round counts without cleaning: “I have found that my .308 Win rigs, for the most part, shoot really well dirty. I can usually get 300 or more rounds before cleaning. I cleaned my barrel at the 2020 SWN after the mid-range event and fouled it before the long-range. I did not clean my barrel again until I got home from the match.”
Peter does clean thoroughly when he gets home: “After a big match I clean my rifles with Boretech Eliminator and a bronze brush followed by Iosso until the majority of carbon is removed from the barrel, as verified with a Lyman borescope. After a thorough cleaning, I find that I need to shoot a bunch of foulers. I will usually go to my practice range and shoot a 20-shot practice match and I will see the accuracy tighten up in the back half.”
600-yard practice target on left. On right is 600-yard record match target shot at 2019 TX State Championships (on ShotMarker targets). This 200-18X was a NRA National Record for F-TR division.
Peter’s Match Load and Reloading Methodology
Loading for .308 Win F-TR — Do What Matters
My loading technique has evolved almost full circle from where I started. I went from the basics to doing every step a person could conceive. Then I decided to start testing all the different steps to see what didn’t matter or made things worse. I am now back to almost no steps in my reloading process. I don’t clean brass anymore. I just wipe the case off, lube, size, prime, and load. I anneal when I feel the necks getting inconsistent when seating the bullets. I pre-load all my ammo for matches. I tried seating them at the match but I didn’t find it to matter on the score card and it takes my focus away from conditions.
Peter’s 2020 SWN-winning .308 Win load consists of Berger 200.20X bullets, Lapua Palma brass, Federal 205M primers, and Varget powder. Peter revealed: “The Berger 200-grainers are running in the mid-2600 fps range. I have tried them much faster but found the best consistency at this speed.”
Peter measures powder to the kernel and also weighs/sorts other components. He runs Berger 200.20X bullets slightly off the lands in a 0.170 freebore chamber. Notably he tests a variety of powders, ascertaining each barrel’s particular preference: “In the last few years I have tried N140, N150, H4895, and Varget. I think they are all good powders for F-TR and the 200.20X bullet. This year I was using Varget. At the 2018 SWN I placed 4th with H4895, in 2019 SWN I got 2nd with N140. I find what powder my particular barrel likes best. I also test CCI BR4 and Fed 205M to see which my rifle likes best. This year I was using Fed 205M. I have been using Lapua Palma brass and it seems to last forever.” Peter full-length sizes with a Redding bushing FL die. He seats his Berger bullets with a Wilson inline seater.
Q & A with Peter Johns, F-TR Ace
Q: What was your biggest challenge at the 2020 Berger SW Nationals?
Peter: I think the biggest challenge was staying focused on conditions. I think the hardest thing for me to do is to stop shooting when the wind conditions are out of my ability to call accurately. I focused hard on this aspect of my game this year and it has paid off. This match is super well run and staff does an excellent job which allows the shooters to maintain their focus.
Q: What gear/hardware items give you an edge over the competition?
Peter: The Kestros BR stock (below) is not used by many F-TR shooters and I think it gives me a huge advantage over the competition. This stock fits me perfectly and tracks in such a manner that I can shoot fast and accurately when conditions are right.
Q: What is your advice for newcomers in F-Class and Long Range competition?
Peter: Go to a top gunsmith building F-Class rifles and do what he says. Competition is the best way to get better. So shoot as many matches as you can. Find top shooter rivals and strive to beat them.
Q: Do you have any specific Gun Handling Tips for F-TR shooters?
Peter: I shoot better with a really light grip and cheek pressure. I can shoot well with a heavier grip and cheek pressure but when the tension of a big match is going my pressure will vary and cause poor accuracy. The most consistent I can shoot is with light gun handling. I also focus on trying to watch the bullet hit through the scope to ensure good follow through and this prevents me from jerking the trigger. There are a bunch of ways to hold a rifle that have proven to be successful. I think a shooter needs to test and find what works best for them.
Q: What do you like most about F-Class and Long Range competition?
A. I really like technical things. F-Class is right in my wheel house for technical stuff. Also, the people in the shooting world are top notch. I enjoy talking with other shooters.
Q: Do you prefer individual events or team matches?
Peter: I prefer the team matches by far because it is a social event with collaboration and there is a lot more pressure. I put a lot of effort into learning the wind for the team matches which in the long run helps me with individual matches.
Peter Johns calls wind for Team Texas at 2018 F-Class Nationals in Raton.
Overcoming Serious Injury in U.S. Navy to Become a Top-Level Marksman
Peter Johns is a U.S. Navy veteran, rank Chief (E7). In 2006, during his duty aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz, Peter sustained very serious and extensive burns in a massive electrical fire. Showing great strength of character, Peter went through a tough, 4-year program of surgeries and rehab. The photo below shows Peter doing therapy during his recovery process.
Peter tells us: “As many of you know I was badly burned on board the U.S.S. Nimitz in 2006. That has limited me in my ability to compete in physical activities that I used to enjoy but F-Class has filled the gap for my competitive nature. I medically retired from the Navy as a Chief (E7) in 2010 after four years of surgeries and physical therapy. I was very surprised to find how accepting and nice people have been in the shooting community. I think the shooting community is comprised of the best people in the world.”
An accurate, self-loading .22 LR rifle, such as this Volquartsen, is our gun of choice for speed shooting with rimfire reactive targets.
Reactive targets offer “instant gratification” — with every hit your target moves, spins, or falls. Shooting reactive targets with a rimfire rifle is fun AND affordable. The price of .22 LR rimfire ammunition has been pretty stable recently, so you can still get very decent rimfire ammo for well under $5.00 a box, such as CCI Blazer ($4.29/box) and Aguila Super Extra ($3.99 to $4.19/box). Now priced at $3.99 for 50 rounds, the Aguila Std. Velocity is just 8 cents a round! At that price, you can shoot every weekend.
Rimfire Know Your Limits Target Rack Challenge Targets offers the popular Know Your Limits (KYL) rimfire target for $159.00. This KYL target has become popular for NRL22 and PRS Rimfire shooters. Start on the left by engaging the 2″ round target and work your way to the right. Each shot gets progressively harder as the target sizes decrease. With each solid hit, the target plate will spin giving providing hit confirmation. The target rack easily breaks down for transport in a couple minutes.
Make Your Own Shooting Gallery with Reactive Rimfire Targets
For .22 LR fans, the folks at Action Target have created a whole series of steel rimfire targets. Much lighter than their centerfire counterparts, these rimfire targets are easier to transport and easier to set up. With this wide selection of reactive targets, you can create your own shooting gallery.
Rimfire Dueling Tree
Rimfire Spinning Jack
Rimfire Plate Rack
Rimfire Buffalo
In this video, Michael Bane reviews Action Target’s line of rimfire targets, which includes plate racks, spinners, dueling trees, and more. As Michael explains: “This line of targets is very well thought out. For example — dueling trees are a lot of fun. But a centerfire dueling tree weighs a lot, it’s hard to cart it around. A rimfire dueling tree is easy to set up, easy to carry around.”
New PT Target “Walks” When Hit
Action Target has a cool reactive target that doesn’t even need a stand or base. The patent-pending PT Twist rests on the ground, and flops over or “walks” when hit. Constructed from a single piece of 3/16″-thick A514B steel, the PT Twist has no welds or bolts to break or ricochet. Watch the PT Twist in action:
A few seasons back, Forum member Rick from Louisiana (aka RMulhern) rigged up a fantastic target for long-range shooting. Rick, a long-time competitive Palma shooter, had a large 72″x72″ steel target fabricated with two separate center rings that are equivalent to the official paper Palma/Creedmoor target. He says he’s “shot a lot of Palma on that target, as well as lots of Black Powder Cartridge (BPCR) rounds”. The big steel target works great when Rick shoots his Sharps 45/110 BPCR at 800 to 1000 yards. The large steel background (painted white) helps Rick see and hear his hits. If you understand the high-arching trajectory of 500+ grain projectiles shot from a 45/110, you know it can take a few rounds to get Point of Impact dialed in.
Rick reports: “These are two of my favorite rifles to shoot: a M1874 Shiloh Sharps in caliber 45/110 (2 7/8) made in Big Timber, Montana by Kirk Bryan and family. The other is a 6.5×47 Lapua on a blue-printed M700 action with 1:8.5″-twist Krieger barrel and F5 McMillan Tactical stock. Many of the shooters that take up BPCR have a tendency to get away from their smokeless powder rifles in favor of the blackpowder game. Frankly I have the best of both worlds as I enjoy shooting both (smokeless and BPCR), although I must admit that I probably spend the majority of my time on the range with the Sharps rifles these days.” (Rick’s pretty good with his Sharps by the way — he recently shot a 95, 96, and 100 (clean) for 3×10 shots at 800 yards.)
Gongzilla: $1000 Worth of Steel with Three Plate Layers
Rick tells us: “Here’s the deal — everything is steel! The large plate is 72″x72″ and the black bull is 44″ diameter. The 20″-diameter central white bull is made from 1/2″-thick AR400 bull-dozer plating. That’s the same size as the regulation Palma/Creedmoor paper target. The white square and black bull are 3/8″-thick mild steel. Plates are off-set 2″ from each other. I welded a 2″ length of square tubing to the back of both plates and the bolt slides through and is attached to the large plate. I used 2 3/8″ upset tubing (oil field pipe) for the holder framing.” Rick says he invested about $1000.00 in metal for the target, but that was 15 years ago. Today the steel would be much more expensive.
Rick says the AR400 armor plate in the center bull is very strong: “You can shoot a .338 Lapua Magnum at 200 yards and it won’t damage the center bull”. The mild steel works well for the cast bullets Rick uses with his Sharps 45/110. Also, Rick says the mild steel is rugged enough for 6.5mm and .308 hollowpoint match bullets, if you’re at least 500 yards away. However, Rick told us, “If I would make [the target] again, I would make the black bull AR400 as well. [That way] you would never have to worry about big dents or beating the plate up at any distance. The AR400 is very tough steel. You can shoot a Sierra or Lapua HP bullet and they will just splatter.”
Rick told us: “I built this target with off-set clanger plates. The white clanger is AR400. Bullets just splatter!” Does he worry about hitting the bolt head? Not at all. Rick says: “When I hit the bolt head, I break my arm patting myself on the back!”.
The 2026 Southwest Nationals (SWN), one of the major long-range rifle matches of the year, is underway right now in Arizona for three rifle classes: Sling (“Any Sights” and “Palma”), F-Open, and F-TR. Running from February 11th through 15th, the match started with the Mid-Range 600-yard event on Wednesday, February 11th, and concludes with the 2-day 1000-yard match on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th. On Thursday and Friday there were team and individual Palma-format competitions for all three divisions (Sling, F-TR, F-Open). These are multi-distance matches with targets at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. The match continues today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) with 1000-yard matches. CLICK HERE for all official 2026 Southwest Nationals results on the Desert Sharpshooters website.
The 2026 Southwest Nationals event continues today and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday) with individual and team competitions at 1000 yards. CLICK HERE for full 2026 SWN Match Program.
Shown below left are results for the 2026 SWN Nationals 2/13/2026 Individual Palma matches for the three divisions: Sling, F-Open, and F-TR. The Palma match is 15 shots each at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. There were some very impressive performances on Friday the 13th. All the top 10 F-Open shooters did not drop a single point, all finishing with 450 scores (before X-count). Below, to the right of the Palma scores, is a video from ace shooter Brandon Green. This shows the Palma stage at 2026 SWN.
2026 SWN Palma 800/900/1000 Match
Sling Division Top 10
Mark Kelley, 449-31X (Match Winner)
Jerrod McGaffic, 448-28X
Avtar Nanrey, 448-24X
Gary Elesio, 448-23X
Phil Hayes, 448-22X
Vern Conant, 447-32X
Nate Guernsey, 447-26X
Brandon Green, 447-21X
Fazal Mohideen, 447-21X
Ken Foster, 447-20X
Gabriel Rowe, 447-20X
F-Open Division Top 10
Joe Traylor, 450-38X (Match Winner)
Brad Johnson, 450-38X (2d on tie-breaker)
Pat Scully, 450-36X
Henry Ferris, 450-36X
Antun Kovacevic, 450-35X
John Girgis, 450-33X
Roger Mayhall, 450-33X
Barry Holcomb, 450-30X
Peter Johns, 450-30X
Tod Hendricks, 450-29X
F-TR Division Top 10
Tracy Hogg, 450-31X (Match Winner)
Keith Trapp, 450-26X
Brad Sauve, 449-30X
Benoit Vautour, 449-25X
Tom Hubbard, 449-23X
Scott Kyle, 449-23X
Alen Tampke, 449-22X
Oleg Savelyev, 448-30X
Gerry Wiens, 447-25X
James Crofts, 447-24X
Alan Barncroft, 447-24X
Travis Elfgren, 447-24X
2026 SWN Individual Palma Day
Video from Brandon Green
15 shots for record each at 800, 900, 1000 yards.
For this Saturday Showcase, we provide videos from past SWN events, plus informative videos that explain how to prepare for the event and pack your gear for air travel and/or lengthy overland trips.
Tips for New Competitors at the Southwest Nationals
Headed to the SW Nationals for the first time? Never shot at the Ben Avery range before? Then definitely watch this F-Class John video. It provides a series of smart tips for SWN first-timers.
Highlights from 2024 SW Nationals with Past Champ Erik Cortina
This video follows long-range competitors at the 2024 Southwest Nationals. The video shows match preparation and competition. There are interviews with participants and highlights of the challenging conditions. The video concludes with the announcement of class winners. 2024 F-Open winner Jay Christopherson is interviewed starting at 12:18 time-mark.
Analyzing Conditions at 2022 SW Nationals
In this video past SWN Champion Erik Cortina and F-Class John analyze relays from the 2022 match, discussing shot holds for specific wind conditions. You can learn quite a bit from this dialog with two top F-Open shooters. Erik won the F-Open LR SWN event in 2023.
Packing Gear for Air Travel — Tips from F-Class John
It can be very challenging to travel via airline to a major shooting event because of all the gear you’ll need to bring, along with your rifle(s). F-Open shooters must bring a heavy, bulky front rest and rear bag, while F-TR shooters will need a large front tripod and rear bag. Then you’ll need to transport a spotting scope with its adjustable mount, plus a LOT of loaded ammunition. Some shooters will also bring a press and dies to do final seating of their ammo. That’s a lot of gear. In this video, F-Class John shows how to pack rifles, gear, and ammo efficiently so air travel can go safely and smoothly.
Southwest Nationals Video SHORTS
Bird’s Eye Ben Avery — A Look at the Range
If you’ve never visited the Ben Avery Facility north of Phoenix, Arizona, here’s a video that shows the 1000-yard range (including drone footage). The desert range at Ben Avery is something special — check out this “birds-eye view”. This 2016 video also includes an interview with Derek Rodgers, F-TR World Champion, King of 2 Miles, and the only man who who has earned both F-Open AND F-TR USA National titles.
Sling Shooters in Palma Division
For the Palma division, the cartridge of choice is the .308 Winchester (7.62.x51). This versatile cartridge is still capable of extreme accuracy. Never underestimate a skilled sling shooter with a good Palma rifle. Below is multi-time NRA National Long-Range Champion John Whidden in action. John’s rifle features a centerfire action in an aluminum Anschutz small-bore stock.
Ballistics wizard Bryan Litz shoots at the 2015 SW Nationals. Notice how steady he holds his rifle.
The 2026 Southwest Nationals (SWN) have concluded. Held at the impressive Ben Avery range in Arizona, the 2026 SWN was a very successful event with good conditions (for the most part) and impressive scores by shooters in all three divisions: Sling, F-Open, and F-TR. We congratulate the new SWN Grand Agg Champions: Bobby Gill (Sling), Ryan Mitchell (F-Open), and Brad Sauve (F-TR). This was familiar territory for Sauve who has won the SWN F-TR title before.
Review Quick Highlights:
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A few seasons back, Forum member Rick from Louisiana (aka RMulhern) rigged up a fantastic target for long-range shooting. Rick, a long-time competitive Palma shooter, had a large 72″x72″ steel target fabricated with two separate center rings that are equivalent to the official paper Palma/Creedmoor target. He says he’s “shot a lot of Palma on that target, as well as lots of Black Powder Cartridge (BPCR) rounds”. The big steel target works great when Rick shoots his Sharps 45/110 BPCR at 800 to 1000 yards. The large steel background (painted white) helps Rick see and hear his hits. If you understand the high-arching trajectory of 500+ grain projectiles shot from a 45/110, you know it can take a few rounds to get Point of Impact dialed in.
