Precision rifle shooters don’t have to hit a big-league fastball, or launch a top-fuel dragster in the blink of an eye. Nonetheless, reaction times are important in our sport — both for competitive shooters and hunters. Want to catch that prairie dog before he slips down his hole? You’ll need to be quick. Want to win at short-range benchrest? Then you’ll need to watch your windflags and respond quickly to a change. Miss a major wind-shift and you could ruin your whole weekend.

Here’s a fun test of reaction times from HumanBenchmark.com. The way it works is that, after clicking “Start”, you wait until the background color changes from red to green. The instant you see green, immediately click your mouse. The average (median) reaction time is 273 milliseconds, according to the data collected so far. Hint: If you keep your finger “preloaded” in contact with your mouse button you can shave some milliseconds — but don’t “jump the gun”.

Tips for Faster Times
Here are three tips to speed up your reaction times:

1) Respond to the color change (by itself), rather than wait to read the word “CLICK!” after the box shifts to green.
2) Try focusing at the corner of the box, rather than the center. This may help you react “without thinking”.
3) Have your index finger “poised and ready” over the left button–you can shave milliseconds by very slightly depressing the button before you actually click.

We are sad to annouce that Benchrest Hall-of-Fame shooter Jack Neary passed away on September 25, 2026. Jack was a great shooter who set records and won many matches during his shooting career. Jack was a world-class benchrest competitor and Team USA member who shared his knowledge with other shooters through live seminars and excellent online videos. May of our Forum members credited Jack for sharing his vast knowledge of reloading and shooting sports. CLICK HERE to access a 12-segment “Reloading Class” series of video Jack hosted for the Vihtavuori YouTube Channel.

Capstone Precision Group, Jack’s employer, released this statement:

Benchrest Shooting Hall of Fame member, firearms industry executive, Team Lapua member and respected friend to many throughout the shooting sports community, John “Jack” Neary passed away on the morning of September 25, just hours before he was scheduled to compete in his next match.

Jack Neary is interviewed by Erik Cortina in this 2025 Video.

Neary’s competitive shooting career spanned more than three decades and was a dominant force in benchrest competition, he captured numerous Regional, National, and World Championship titles throughout his career. He served as President of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (NBRSA) and was inducted into the prestigious Benchrest Shooting Hall of Fame.

Among his many achievements, Neary earned a World Championship gold medal as a member of the four-man team in 2019, set the Light Varmint 200-yard single-group world record of .160″ in 2011, beat that remarkable feat again in 2019 with a .110″ group (see below), and recently recorded a pending world record 10-shot target measuring just 0.085″. [Editor: By any standards, Jack was one of the greatest Benchrest shooters who ever lived].

Beyond his own competitive success, Neary dedicated countless hours to growing competitive shooting sports. He hosted clinics and seminars across the country, teaching newcomers how to get started in competitive shooting, precision handloading with Lapua and Vihtavuori components, custom bullet making, reading wind conditions, and numerous other aspects of precision shooting. Committed to sharing his knowledge and experience, he launched the YouTube channel All Things Benchrest with Friends, creating a lasting educational resource for shooters of all skill levels[.]

Neary joined Capstone Precision Group in May 2009 as Sales and Marketing Manager, where he combined his passion for shooting with his extensive business and industry expertise. Throughout his tenure, he became a trusted voice within the firearms industry and a valued ambassador for the brands he represented.

As news of this tremendous loss spread throughout the shooting community, tributes poured in from competitors, customers, and friends alike. Many shared stories of how Neary helped them get started not only in benchrest shooting, but across a variety of shooting disciplines. “A true gentleman,” “generous with his knowledge,” and “an inspiration to everyone around him” were among the many sentiments expressed by those fortunate enough to know him.

While his competitive achievements are remarkable, Neary will be remembered most for his unwavering faith in God, his devotion to family, his generosity toward others, and the passion and competitive spirit he brought to the range every time he stepped behind a rifle.

The shooting sports community has lost one of its greatest ambassadors, but Jack Neary’s legacy will continue through the countless shooters he mentored, the records he set, and the friendships he forged throughout a lifetime dedicated to the sport and industry.

World Record 200-Yard 5-Shot Group by Jack Neary

No, that’s not two shots — it is FIVE shots, with basically four in one hole and a fifth very slightly over. If that’s not impressive enough, consider this stunning 0.110″ group was shot at TWO HUNDRED yards — the length of two football fields. This amazing group was shot by Jack Neary at the 2019 World Benchrest Championship (WBC) held in Calgary, Alberta.

The 2026 CMP New England Games were held September 19-27, 2026 at the Camp Ethan Allen National Guard Training Site in Jericho, Vermont. This is one of the nation’s most scenic ranges, with beautiful green countryside and generally good shooting conditions.

» CLICK HERE for New England Games INFO

At this year’s CMP New England Games some impressive new records were set by SGT Zevin Linse, a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Rifle Team. The CMP reports that USAMU SGT Linse set a new CMP National Standing Position High Power 200-yard Record.

After setting a new mark early in the games with a 200-13X standing score SGT Linse returned on September 26th to break his own record — raising it to 200-14X — the best-ever at a CMP Competition.*

Along with this remarkable single match performance, SGT Linse shot superbly throughout the entire event, racking up a new CMP National Aggregate Record. His impressive performances on the line over three days of 80-shot matches led to Linse’s 2400 Aggregate score of 2390-136X, a new CMP Match record.

Linse shattered the previous record of 2383-111X, set at last year’s New England Games by MSG Kristoffer Friend of the U.S. Army Reserve team. It should also be noted that Linse’s teammate, SPC Amber Kingshill, also broke the previous record with an impressive 2400 Aggregate score of 2386-114X.

Photos from the Camp Ethan Allen Range in Vermont

Garmin Acquires Applied Ballistics LLC
There was big news this week in the shooting industry. Garmin Ltd. has acquired Applied Ballistics LLC, the company founded and run by Bryan Litz, a top software engineer, ballistics guru, and world-class rifle shooter. Applied Ballistics has developed some of the most sophisticated and accurate ballistics software. It can run on your computers and tablets, and Applied Ballistics software has also been integrated into mobile devices, rangefinders, and Kestrel Weather Meter wind reading units.

To mark this important development for Applied Ballistics, today we feature eight notable videos. These include NSSF “Elements of Long Range Shooting” videos hosted by Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics. In that multi-part series, Bryan covers a variety of topics of interest to precision shooters. Watch other informative Long Range Shooting and Ballistics videos with Bryan Litz on the NSSF YouTube Channel.

Understanding Muzzle Velocity

In this 55-minute video Bryan Litz explains how to measure muzzle velocity with various chronograph types and then explains some methods for optimizing your ES/SD. Bryan explains: “Muzzle velocity is an important variable for long range shooters. This video covers some key concepts for beginners and also goes into some advanced topics that are not normally encountered to keep it interesting for experienced shooters as well.”

How to Employ AB Quantum Software

This video is a very useful guide on getting started with AB Quantum™. Bryan Litz demonstrates the essential setup process: 1) quickly building an accurate profile; 2) establishing your zero, and 3) verifying the data at 100 yards. The proof is on the target. After creating a new ballistics profile, Bryan uses the verified profile to shoot a successful group at 1000 yards.

Powder Storage — Temperature and Humidity

In this video, Bryan Litz offers very helpful advice on how to store powder properly to ensure that you do not experience unpredictable velocities and higher-than-normal ES/SD. You want to keep your powder in a location which avoid high spikes in temperature and humidity. In addition powder bottles should not be stored in a thick-walled gun safe.

Bullet Ballistic Coefficients

A bullet’s ballistic coefficient (BC) basically expresses how well the bullet flies through the air. Higher BC bullets have less aerodynamic drag than lower BC projectiles. You will see BCs listed as either G1 and G7 numbers. These correspond to different bullet shape models. Generally speaking, the G7 model works better for the long, boat-tail bullets used for long-range shooting. Notably, a bullet’s drag is NOT constant in flight. The true BC can vary over the course of the trajectory as the bullet velocity degrades. In other words, “BC is dynamic”. That said, you can make very accurate drop charts using the BCs provided by major bullet-makers, as plugged into solvers. However, long-range competitors may want to record “real world” drop numbers at various distances. For example, we’ve seen trajectories be higher than predicted at 500 yards, yet lower than predicted at 1000.

Big Boomers — Large-Caliber Rifles for Long Range

Bryan Litz defines “Large Caliber” as .338 caliber and bigger. These rifles can shoot heavy bullets with high BCs. That’s great for ELR shooting. However there are trade-offs. It can be hard to maintain good fundamentals of marksmanship (trigger control, sight alignment) when you’re fighting heavy recoil and burning 100+ grains of powder. Accordingly, Bryan recommend a muzzle brake with any cartridge .338 or above. Also, when considering lathe-turned solid bullets, remember that these typically have less sectional density compared to lead-cored bullets with similar profiles. This affects ballistics as well as recoil energy.

BONUS: Bryan Litz Interview with Erik Cortina

Bryan Litz is arguably the leading ballistics expert on planet earth. A talented shooter who has won major F-Class, ELR, and Palma matches, Bryan is a high-IQ scientist who has developed the ballistics software many of us now use in Kestrels and other devices to calculate scope clicks with extreme precision. In this interview, Bryan explains basic ballistics principles and also corrects some popular misconceptions. This is a great interview that has received much praise from viewers, one of whom has noted: “Bryan is a walking science lab. He puts out amazing data-based info[.]” With 107,000 views, this is Erik Cortina’s second-most popular video ever.

TEN Shots in 0.303″ (0.289 MOA) at 100 Yards
Look at that target showing TEN shots at 100 yards, with eight (8) shots in the main cluster at the top. The ten-shot group measures .303″ (0.289 MOA), as calculated with OnTarget Software. Not bad for a handgun — a very nice bolt-action XP-100 pistol! What do you think, can your best-shooting rifle match the 10-shot accuracy of this XP-100 pistol?

Report by Boyd Allen
This story goes back a few seasons… this remarkable XP-100 pistol belongs to Dan Lutke, a Bay Area benchrest shooter who publishes the results for the Visalia matches to the competitors and the NBRSA. He has been an enthusiastic competitor for an number of years, at various ranges, notably Visalia and Sacramento. The action is a Remington XP-100, to which a Kelbly 2 oz. trigger has been fitted. On top is an old Japanese-made Tasco 36X scope (these were actually pretty darn good). The Hart barrel (a cast-off from Dan’s Unlimited rail gun) was shortened and re-chambered for the 6x45mm, a wildcat made by necking-up the .223 Remington parent case. The custom stock/chassis was CNC-machined by Joe Updike from 6061 Billet Aluminum to fit the XP-100 action and mount a target-style AR grip with bottom hand rest. The gun was bedded and assembled by Mel Iwatsubu. In his XP-100 pistol, Dan shoots 65gr custom boat-tails with Benchmark powder.

This diagram shows the most common 6x45mm wildcat, which is a necked-up version of the .223 Remington parent cartridge. NOTE: The dimensions for Dan Lutke’s benchrest version of this cartridge may be slightly different.

ACAD drawing by Peter Gnanapragasam CC by SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Title Added.

Today we share some smart tips from a past F-Class and Sling Champion who is both a great shooter AND a ballistics wizard. Founder of Applied Ballistics LLC, Bryan Litz is the author of multiple books and creator of advanced Ballistics Software.

Bryan is also a highly skilled competitor. In 2015, Bryan Litz won the F-TR Mid-Range AND Long-Range National Championships hosted at Ben Avery. And at the 2014 Berger SW Nationals (SWN), Bryan took top honors among all sling shooters. If you only know Bryan Litz from his Applied Ballistics Books and DVDs, you may not realize that this guy is a also great marksman along with being an actual rocket scientist!

Given his impressive track record in both F-Class and Palma (Fullbore) out to 1000 yards, we asked Bryan if he had any advice for other long-range competitors.

First Bryan provided three tips concerning Ballistics, his special area of expertise. Next Bryan offered three more general tips about long-range competition — how to analyze your shooting, how to choose your ‘wind strategy’, and how to avoid the most costly mistakes, i.e. how to avoid the “train-wrecks”.

Bryan Litz won the 2015 F-TR Mid-Range and Long-Range Championships with this sleek rig:

Litz Ballistics Tips

Ballistics TIP ONE. If you’re having trouble getting your ballistic software to match actual drops, you need to look at a number of possible reasons. Here are some common issues that can cause problems.

Click Values Are Not Exact. Scopes and iron sights don’t always produce accurate adjustments. In other words, if your ballistics program predicts 30 MOA of drop, and you dial 30 MOA but hit low, it might be that your sight actually only moved 28 MOA (for example). To see if your sight is adjusting accurately, shoot a tall target at 100 yards and measure group separation when dialing your sight.

Barometric vs. Station Pressure. This is a commonly misunderstood input to ballistics programs. You can avoid this pitfall by remembering the following: station pressure is the actual measured pressure at your location, and you don’t need to tell the program your altitude when using station pressure. Barometric pressure is corrected for sea level. If you’re using barometric pressure, you also have to input your altitude.

Muzzle Velocity. Chronographs are not always as accurate as shooters think they are — your true MV may be off by 10-20 fps (or more). If your drop is different than predicted at long range, it might be because your muzzle velocity input is wrong.

Mixing Up BC (G1 vs. G7). Knowledgeable long range shooters know that the G7 standard is a more representative standard for modern LR bullets. However, using G7 BCs isn’t just a matter of clicking the ‘G7′ option in the program. The numeric value of the BC is different for G1 and G7. For example, the G1 BC of the Berger 155.5 grain Fullbore bullet is .464 but the G7 BC is .237. If you were to enter .464 but click on G7, the results would be way off.

Ballistics TIP TWO. A properly installed level is absolutely essential for long range shooting. Without a good level reference, your long range wind zero will be off due to minor canting of the rifle from side to side. You can verify that your level is installed correctly on a 100-yard ‘tall target’. Draw a plumb line straight up the target and verify that your groups track straight up this line as you go up in elevation.

Ballistics TIP THREE. If your long range ballistic predictions aren’t tracking, always come back and verify your 100-yard zero. Sometimes a simple zero shift can be misconstrued as errors in long range ballistics predictions.

Litz Competition Shooting Tips

Competition TIP ONE. Improving your scores in long range competition is a constant process of self-assessment. After each match, carefully analyze how you lost points and make a plan to improve. Beginning shooters will lose a lot of points to fundamental things like sight alignment and trigger control. Veteran shooters will lose far fewer points to a smaller list of mistakes. At every step along the way, always ask yourself why you’re losing points and address the issues. Sometimes the weak links that you need to work on aren’t your favorite thing to do, and success will take work in these areas as well.

Competition TIP TWO. Select your wind shooting strategy carefully. For beginners and veterans, most points are typically lost to wind. Successful shooters put a lot of thought into their approach to wind shooting. Sometimes it’s best to shoot fast and minimize the changes you’ll have to navigate. Other times it’s best to wait out a condition which may take several minutes. Develop a comfortable rest position so you have an easier time waiting when you should be waiting.

Competition TIP THREE. Actively avoid major train wrecks. Sounds obvious but it happens a lot. Select equipment that is reliable, get comfortable with it and have back-ups for important things. Don’t load on the verge of max pressure, don’t go to an important match with a barrel that’s near shot out, physically check tightness of all important screws prior to shooting each string. Observe what train wrecks you and others experience, and put measures in place to avoid them.

Looking down-range with F-TR rifle at Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bullet Stability and Twist Rates

In this video, Bryan Litz talks about bullet in-flight stability and how to calculate barrel twist-rate requirements for long-range bullets. Bryan explains that bullet stability (for conventional projectiles) is basically provided by the spinning of the bullet. But this spin rate is a function of BOTH the nominal twist rate of the barrel AND the velocity of the projectile. Thus, when shooting the same bullet, a very high-speed cartridge may work with a slower barrel twist rate than is required for a lower-speed (less powerful) cartridge. For match bullets, shot at ranges to 1000 yards and beyond, Bryan recommends a twist rate that offers good stability.

You’ll find more expert information on long-range shooting and ballistics on the Applied Ballistics website and the Bryan Litz Ballistics Facebook page. Bryan’s most recent Facebook post talks about the Coriolis effect — the apparent drift of a rifle trajectory due to the rotation of the earth.

To learn more, we recommend you subscribe to the Applied Ballistics Science of Accuracy — with in-depth articles, brilliant podcasts, exclusive videos and more.

Want to learn the basics of position shooting? Then you should check out an article by Gary Anderson, DCM Emeritus, in On the Mark digital magazine (Summer 2014, pp. 6-13). This article covers all the key elements: body position (prone, sitting, standing), sling use/adjustment, sight picture, aiming process, and trigger control. While this 8-page article was specifically written for Rimfire Sporter shooters, the techniques described by Anderson apply to all types of position shooting, whether you shoot air rifles, smallbore rifles, or centerfire rifles.

CLICK HERE for Position Shooting Article in On The Mark Magazine
NOTE: This is a large PDF Document — it may take some time to fully load. Scroll to page 6-13.

Here’s what Anderson says about aiming — how to keep your sights steady and get them centered on the middle of the target:

Trigger Contact and Center
As soon as aiming at the target begins, the index finger must move from the trigger-guard to contact the trigger. It is important to get initial pressure on the trigger as soon as aiming begins. Then the shooter must focus on the sight picture and centering the sight picture movements over the aiming point. No one, not even champion shooters, can hold the aligned sights perfectly still. The sights are going to move a little bit or a lot, depending on the shooter’s skill level. The secret is to center those sight picture movements over the aiming point on the target (see trace illustration) before pulling the trigger.

When the sight picture movements on the target are centered, the last step in firing the shot is to add… smooth pressure on the trigger until the shot breaks.

Anderson also discusses the 5 Basics of Shot Technique:

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You can spend thousands on a rifle, but that expensive hardware won’t perform at its best if you have poor trigger technique. One key element of precision shooting is trigger control. Our friend Kirsten Joy Weiss has produced a good video that shows how to refine your trigger technique for better accuracy. In this video, Kirsten talks about the actual placement of a shooter’s index finger on the trigger. It is important to have the finger positioned optimally. Otherwise you can pull the shot slightly left or slightly right.

Kirsten tells us: “Finger placement on the trigger might not seem like a big deal, but it actually is. The reason for this is because, depending on where your index finger is placed on the trigger, [this] translates to different muscle interactions with the gun.” Watch this video to see Kirsten demonstrate proper finger placement (and explain problems caused by improper finger positioning).

When you pull the trigger, you only want to engage the last section of your finger, in order to avoid unwanted muscle engagement and to achieve a smooth shot. Remember there is a “sweet spot” between the crease (first joint) and the tip of the finger. If you position the trigger in that “sweet spot”, you should see an increase in your accuracy. Don’t make the mistake of putting the trigger in the crease of your finger, as shown below.

Effects of Incorrect Finger Placements
You want to place the trigger shoe between the end of your finger and the first joint. If you place the trigger on the very tip of you finger you’ll tend to push the rear of the rifle to the left when engaging the trigger, causing shots to go right (for a right-handed shooter). On the other hand, if you put the trigger in the crease (first joint), you’ll tend to bring the rear of the rifle to the right, causing shots to fall left. This is illustrated below for a right-handed shooter.

]]> https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2026/09/optimal-finger-placement-on-trigger-key-marksmanship-skill/feed/ 1 https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2026/09/spirit-of-america-championship-underway-in-new-mexico/ https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2026/09/spirit-of-america-championship-underway-in-new-mexico/#comments Sun, 13 Sep 2026 05:22:37 +0000 https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/?p=73166
Archive image from 2014 Spirit of America Match.

The 2026 Spirit of America NRA National Fullbore Championship is running September 11–17, 2026, at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Sponsored by the Bald Eagles Rifle Club, this individual and team championships event is open to Target Rifle (Fullbore), F-Open, and F-TR shooters. There are matches at 300, 500, 600, 900 and 1000 yards. CLICK HERE for 2026 Spirit of America Match Program.

The Spirit of America Championship is one of the flagship long-range rifle competitions at the NRA Whittington Center, offering a world-class fullbore rifle match experience on the renowned 1000-yard range. Since 2001 the Bald Eagles have hosted the Spirit of America Match and it has grown in reputation with every year of competition. It is one of the premier fullbore matches in the United States, and the range at Raton is one of the most challenging in the USA. 2026 Spirit of America Match Preview.

This video shows Day 2 of the Spirit of America individual championships. This shows the 300-yard line as the match got started. Brandon Green notes the winds were already pretty “sporty” blowing 10-12 mph and gusting a bit heavier.

This video was taken during practice. Brandon comments: “Practice Day for the Spirit of America Match. It is absolutely beautiful. This is one of the most awesome places in the world to shoot… it is gorgeous.” Brandon said some rains and “pretty big winds” were predicted. He noted it would be interesting to “see who could survive [the high winds].”

Here is a view of the 1000-yard range seen from the Founders Cabins up on the opposing hill. Raton is truly one of the most spectacular places you could ever shoot a match like this.

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This week the 6th World Benchrest Shooting Federation (WBSF) Rimfire Benchrest World Championship event is taking place in Portugal. Running September 6-12, 2026 at Clube de Tiro de Fervença in Barcelos, the event features nearly 100 participants from 15 nations competing in both individual and team matches. The event is organized and hosted by the Portugese Shooting Federation and Lapua is the primary sponsor for this special event.

“We’re really thrilled to be hosting this event and our partnership with Lapua as a main sponsor,” commented Pedro André, WBSF Match Director. “We have a great team working together to create a successful [rimfire benchrest] event that strengthens the shooting community and offers great development opportunities for our sport.”

The event is organized by the Portuguese Shooting Federation. “We’re really thrilled to be hosting this event and our partnership with Lapua as a main sponsor,” commented Pedro André, WBSF Match Director. “We have a great team working together to create a successful event that strengthens the shooting community and offers great development opportunities for our sport.”

“The WBSF World Championship is one of the world’s rimfire benchrest highlights. We’re excited and proud to support this event that brings together the world’s top rimfire benchrest shooters,” stated Lapua Sales & Marketing Manager, William Thao.

To read more about the 2026 WBSF World Rimfire Benchrest Championship, visit the event Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61591578999170.

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