Readers often ask us: “Is there an inexpensive way I can get started in position shooting?” The answer is “yes” — across the country CMP-affiliated clubs host Rimfire Sporter matches. You can use a wide variety of .22LR rimfire rifles — manual actions (such as a Winchester model 52) or semi-automatics (such as a Ruger 10/22). There are prone, sitting/kneeling, and standing stages. CMP rules provide separate classifications for scoped rifles, open-sighted rifles, and aperature-sighted rifles. The matches are fun, the ammo is inexpensive, and everyone has a good time while improving their marksmanship.
Our friend Dennis Santiago recently helped run a CMP Rimfire Sporter Match in Southern California. Dennis reports: “You want something challenging? Well that X-Ring 50 yards away is the diameter of a 50 cent piece, and there are people out there that can womp that thing with iron sights.”
The rapid-fire sitting or kneeling stage of a CMP-sanctioned .22 Sporter Match consists of two, 5-shot strings. A manually-operated or semi-automatic rifle may be used for this match. Below is a video Dennis made that shows a sitting/kneeling rapid fire stage.
Dennis notes: “There are six (6) stages of fire on a tough little target. Notice the rifles that can be used run the gamut from pump and bolt actions to variations on the semi-auto theme. All still require a good eye and a steady hold to earn one’s bragging rights for the day. A match takes about an hour and a half per relay. The slowest part of the match is initial sighting in. It’ll take longer than the allocated 5 minutes for the typical first timer coming to a club match.”
At Dennis’s Burbank Rifle & Revolver Club (BRRC), procedures are modified a little bit: “What we typically do at BRRC is run two relays. Experienced competitors shoot per the full rulebook. New shooters are afforded a bit more relaxed environment to make the experience more fun and inviting. We do the same thing in our M-1 Garand Clinic/Match series.”
Rimfire Sporter Match Basics
The CMP Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match is an inexpensive, fun-oriented competition using .22 caliber sporter rifles (plinking and small game rifles) commonly owned by most gun enthusiasts. To compete, all you need is a basic rifle, safety gear, and ammunition. No fancy, high-dollar rifles are required.
The event is shot with standard sporter-type, rimfire rifles weighing no more than 7 ½ lbs, with sights and sling. Rifles may be manually-operated or semi-automatic. Shooters with manually-operated actions are given extra time in the rapid-fire stage to compensate for the difference. (See Video).
There are three classes of competition — the standard “O Class” for open-sighted rifles, “T-Class” for telescope-sighted and rear aperture-sighted rifles and “Tactical Rimfire” class, which is a .22 caliber A4 or AR15 style rifle. Firing for all classes is done at 50 and 25 yards on a target with a 1.78″ ten-ring and an 18″ outer one-ring. Even new shooters can get hits on this target, but it’s still tough enough that no one yet has fired a perfect 600×600 score.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has a CMP Guide to Rimfire Sporter Shooting. This FREE, 50-page digital publication covers equipment, positions, course of fire, rules, scoring and much more. You’ll find helpful “how-to” sections on aiming, sight picture, hold control, and trigger control. Reading these instructional sections can benefit any prone or three-position competitive shooter.
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Many shooters prefer to use padded soft cases for their guns. These weigh less, take up less room in vehicles, and store more easily. Unfortunately most soft rifle cases on the market are too short (or not tall enough) to handle scoped rifles with 29″ or longer barrels, particularly if a muzzle brake or extended front site hanger is attached. You can find long soft cases designed for shotguns or long-barreled black powder rifles, but these typically do not have enough clearance (top to bottom) to handle bulky target scopes. Where can you find a quality soft case for a scoped F-Class or Palma rifle with 30″ or longer barrel, making the rifle at least 50-51″ in overall length? Here are some suggestions.
55″ Bald Eagle Match Rifle Case
A good combination of features and value is the 55″-long Bald Eagle soft case from Bullets.com. This case was designed for match competitors with long-barreled rifles (with barrels from 29″ to 32″). This case fits both scoped and iron-sight rifles, and has quality zippers and heavy-duty padding. Large, zippered storage compartments hold log books, chamber flags, and other gear. Available in two popular colors, red and black, this case measures 55″ long, 13″ tall on back end and 6″ tall on front end. It is currently on sale for $57.95. Bullets.com also sells 60″ soft cases, and 50″ soft cases to fit rifles with both longer and shorter OALs.
52″ Creedmoor Sports Soft Case
At the request of many High Power shooters, Creedmoor Sports has created a high-grade 52″x10″ softcase. That’s tall and long enough to fit a Tubb 2000, or AR-based spacegun with long barrel. The Creedmoor case is one quality offering, with nice 1″ thick close-cell foam padding plus tough Cordura nylon on the outside and nylon pack cloth on the inside. Both materials are urethane-coated for water proofing. Another nice feature are the integral backpack straps (see photo left). These free your hands to carry rests, spotting scopes or other gear.
The Creedmoor 52″x10″ case comes in Forest Green ($66.95, N152A), and Royal Blue ($76.95, N152C). Creedmoor also offers a similar, slightly smaller 48″x12″ case for Service Rifles in Green or Blue.
52″ Midsouth Gun Case
For those on a tight budget, Midsouth Shooters Supply offers an Extreme 52″ padded gun case for just $23.00 (item #208-BD240-52). This thickly-padded case is high enough in the center to fit most scoped rifles — even with big Nightforce scopes. Made by Bulldog Cases, the all-black Extreme 52″ case features a soft faux-fur inner lining, an external accessory pocket, and a removable shoulder strap.
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If you’ve been following the tactical message boards, you’ll hear a lot of buzz about FrogLube CLP. Among the zillions of gun cleaner/lubes on the market, FrogLube stands out for its ability to work well even in challenging environments. Intended for U.S. Navy SEAL operators’ use in extreme environments, FrogLube was developed by Larry Lasky (Captain, USN retired), a former Navy SEAL officer. FrogLube’s blend of ingredients has been extensively field tested. The makers of FrogLube claim that fouling is dramatically reduced in FrogLube-treated firearms. FrogLube is a decent carbon-cutter and it also provides protection against rust and corrosion (though there are better rust preventers on the market, such as Eezox).
NOTE: Don’t expect FrogLube to remove copper fouling in the barrel — you’ll need a real copper solvent, such as Montana X-Treme. Overall, though, as a general purpose CLP, FrogLube performs well.
FrogLube is now available from major vendors, including Amazon.com and MidwayUSA. Notably, FrogLube is a “green” product that has received the USDA’s BioPreferred designation. On Amazon.com, a 5-piece combo kit with CLP liquid, CLP paste FrogLube, and FrogLube Solvent sells for $30.95 with FREE Shipping (on orders over $35). Amazon’s customers have raved about this stuff:
I was introduced to this product by a Sig armorer. I tried it. I loved it. It works. Period. Just like everyone else is saying here. Here is my break down of it as a CLP. The “C”: I have found that putting it on warm metal makes it work great…just like they say. I rub the paste on, let it sit and penetrate. A few minutes later….wipe it off. Clean enough to eat on. I even tried it on my mountain bike chain and components after running out of degreaser. Worked better than anything I have ever tried. The “L”: Once you use it on the parts you will notice it’s still there, having saturated the parts. Great for lube and goes a long way. The “P”: I hunt waterfowl in very rugged and sloppy conditions. The thing about this product is that when they say it saturates the metal, it truly does. Great protective features. It’s still on there and after all that moisture not speck of rust anywhere, unlike even the best of of other CLPs. — J. Zabick
Crazy Good — This stuff is amazing. I use it on my knives, razors and, of course, guns. It smells great, leaves no oily residue and cleans like nothing else I have used. Get the paste and the oil because sometimes the oil is called for and sometimes you need the paste. Can’t recommend it enough. I have already ordered more. — K. Chariton
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Norma has released a fascinating video showing how bullet, brass, and ammunition are produced at the Norma Precision AB factory which first opened in 1902. You can see how cartridges are made starting with brass disks, then formed into shape through a series of processes, including “hitting [the cup] with a 30-ton hammer”. After annealing (shown at 0:08″), samples from every batch of brass are analyzed (at multiple points along the case length) to check metal grain structure and hardness. Before packing, each case is visually inspected by a human being (3:27″ time-mark).
The video also shows how bullets are made from jackets and lead cores. Finally, you can watch the loading machines that fill cases with powder, seat the bullets, and then transport the loaded rounds to the packing system. In his enthusiasm, the reporter/narrator does sometimes confuse the term “bullets” and “rounds” (5:00″), but you can figure out what he means. We definitely recommend watching this video. It’s fascinating to see 110-year-old sorting devices on the assembly line right next to state-of-the art, digitally-controlled production machinery.
Video tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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Our friend Dennis Santiago recently helped run a CMP Rimfire Sporter Match in Southern California. Dennis reports: “You want something challenging? Well that X-Ring 50 yards away is the diameter of a 50 cent piece, and there are people out there that can womp that thing with iron sights.”
The event is shot with standard sporter-type, rimfire rifles weighing no more than 7 ½ lbs, with sights and sling. Rifles may be manually-operated or semi-automatic. Shooters with manually-operated actions are given extra time in the rapid-fire stage to compensate for the difference. (See Video).
52″ Creedmoor Sports Soft Case
If you’ve been following the tactical message boards, you’ll hear a lot of buzz about FrogLube CLP. Among the zillions of gun cleaner/lubes on the market, FrogLube stands out for its ability to work well even in challenging environments. Intended for U.S. Navy SEAL operators’ use in extreme environments, FrogLube was developed by Larry Lasky (Captain, USN retired), a former Navy SEAL officer. FrogLube’s blend of ingredients has been extensively field tested. The makers of FrogLube claim that fouling is dramatically reduced in FrogLube-treated firearms. FrogLube is a decent carbon-cutter and it also provides protection against rust and corrosion (though there are better rust preventers on the market, such as Eezox).
Norma has released a fascinating video showing how bullet, brass, and ammunition are produced at the 
