We learned last week that the CMP had closed the Camp Perry CMP Championship Matches. Now the NRA has followed suit, cancelling the Pistol, Smallbore, and High Power National Championships slated for summer 2020 at Camp Perry (Pistol) and Camp Atterbury (Rifle). We know readers will be disappointed. The NRA High Power Championships were slated for mid-August — over three months away. Many shooters were hoping some normalcy would be restored by then. However the potential health risks of having hundreds of shooters in close proximity lead to the cancellation decision. On 4/29/2020, the NRA stated:
Due to the current state of affairs surrounding COVID-19, the uncertainties associated with this pandemic at present, and shutdowns across our country that have impeded vital preparatory work, the National Rifle Association has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 NRA Precision Pistol Championships scheduled for July 1-5, 2020), 2020 NRA High Power Championships scheduled for August 9-25, 2020, and the 2020 NRA Smallbore Championships scheduled for July 23-August 4, 2020.
We are trying to make the best of the current situation by moving forward with range construction and other improvements as we look towards the 2021 NRA National Championships season. The NRA is also exploring the feasibility of hosting a variety of new NRA events at Camp Atterbury (if conditions are favorable) [in] the state of Indiana later this year.
We share your disappointment that we had to cancel these competitions. The NRA wishes everyone good health and the best of luck. Stay safe and healthy. For more information, visit Competitions.NRA.org.
The NRA had previously cancelled all sanctioned matches through April 30, 2020. Read story HERE.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) issued a statement yesterday, April 22, 2020, announcing the complete cancellation of the 2020 National Matches at Camp Perry — all rifle and pistol matches are cancelled. Sadly, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, and concerns about ongoing stay-at-home and social distancing orders, the CMP declared that there will be no Camp Perry National Matches in 2020:
Official CMP Statement about 2020 National Matches
After thoughtful consideration and reflection, the Board of Directors of the Civilian Marksmanship Program announces the cancellation of the 2020 National Matches at Camp Perry.
“This decision was not arrived at lightly, but was prompted by restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. These matches date back to 1903 and have been held at Camp Perry since 1906,” said Judith Legerski, CMP Board Chairman.
“The health and safety of our competitors, participants, vendors, military support, volunteers and staff members is of the upmost importance — overriding even the historical imperative of maintaining the continuity of the Matches,” agreed Legerski, with Chief Operating Officer Mark Johnson and Programs Chief Christie Sewell.
“We were unable to come up with a manner in which we could safely produce the Matches. Housing and pit duty were amongst the many insurmountable problems faced by the CMP Board,” Legerski explained.
The CMP looks forward to the 2021 National Matches at Camp Perry as the best marksmanship celebration ever! In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy at home, as we prepare for the new normal ahead of us.
All CMP operations have been shut down since mid-March and a full resumption of business remains undetermined. Full refunds will be made to those who have already registered.
Here’s some good news about rifle shooters enjoying an early March competition before Executive Orders forced people to stay at home. We can report that the first-ever springtime CMP Western Games were well-attended. Nearly 300 shooters enjoyed the event, though the High Power matches and clinic phase was cancelled due to official social distancing mandates.
By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
With the first run in its new March time slot, the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) annual Western CMP Games and HP Rifle Matches event was met with greatly-increased registration and attendance compared to recent years, despite social distance restrictions that led to a premature end to the event.
Competitors completed the entire schedule of CMP Games rifle events and schools at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility under brilliant Arizona skies and comfortable temperatures. Unfortunately, the 5-day CMP High Power Rifle Matches and clinic, scheduled in the second half of the schedule, were cancelled due to health concerns — “social distancing” mandates for participants and staff.
The Western CMP Games portion of the event held in Phoenix is one of many travel events conducted by the CMP across the country each year. It includes specially designed vintage and modern rifle matches and clinics affording opportunities for marksmanship enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels.
A spike in early registration of 283 participants led to an impressive number of 664 scheduled event entries for the early Spring event in Phoenix. Since its first Arizona appearance in 2008, the Western CMP Games events have been conducted in the month of October. Due to recurring inclement weather at the CMP’s annual Oklahoma Games, the decision was made to trade seasons with those in Arizona beginning in 2020.
Here are some photo highlights from the 2020 CMP Western Games. View hundreds more Western Games images on the CMP Zenfolio Photo Archive.
AR-platform rifles are fun and versatile, but the standard, mil-spec triggers leave much to be desired. They tend to be gritty, with creep and heavy pull weight. One of the easiest, most effective AR upgrades is a trigger group swap. An improved fire control group makes a huge difference. There are many aftermarket trigger options for the AR platform rifles. Choose single-stage or two-stage, either standard trigger assembly or unitized “drop-in” trigger, such as those made by Timney or Triggertech.
When upgraded with a precision trigger and match barrel, AR-platform rigs work great in NRA High Power competitions (Photo from NRA Blog, at Camp Perry).
Two-Stage vs. Single-Stage Triggers
Two-stage triggers have two separate movements. The first stage offers a light, spring-loaded pressure that works against the shooter’s pull until stopping at the second stage – this is called “take-up”. If there is no spring pressure, it is known as “slack”. Should the shooter continue to pull the trigger once he’s arrived at the second stage, the mechanism will operate like a single-stage trigger from there until engaging the sear and firing the gun. Some shooters prefer a two-stage trigger because it allows a mental preparation (first stage) before the final decision to “break the shot”.
Single-stage triggers feature no take-up or slack, as they begin engaging the sear as soon as the shooter begins pulling the trigger. Some competitive shooters prefer the two-stage trigger because of the feedback it provides during its first stage, while other shooters, including those using their rifle in tactical scenarios, may want the surety of a single-stage trigger, ready to engage and fire once their finger is inside the trigger guard. Regardless of preference, a good trigger will feature minimal creep and should be free of grittiness, providing a smooth, even break.
Drop-In Trigger Assembly vs. Standard Trigger Group
Once you decide between a single-stage or two-stage trigger, you can choose between standard and drop-in trigger groups. Standard trigger groups feature all the fire control group parts separated, and need to be pieced together and installed much like a mil-spec trigger, while drop-in trigger are pre-assembled and contained within a casing that simply drops in to the receiver and accepts the pins, hence the name.
After-Market Trigger Comparison
Some shooters prefer drop-in triggers due to the ease of installation, while others opt for standard groups so they can access the components individually for cleaning adjustment or replacement. If one piece of a drop-in trigger fails, you’ll need to either replace the entire unit or send it to the manufacturer for repair, whereas you may be able to simply replace the broken component of a standard trigger without needing a whole new trigger set.
Trigger Terminology — “Creep”, “Stacking”, “Overtravel”
“Creep” or “travel” is the distance the trigger moves between the end of take-up and when the trigger breaks to fire the fun. Too much creep can affect accuracy, but no creep can be unsafe, as the shooter may not be prepared to fire. “Stacking” occurs when the trigger weight actually increases during travel — this shouldn’t happen. Lastly, “overtravel” is the distance the trigger continues moving back after the gun fires.
This article is based on a longer story in the NRA Blog.
Sadly, this year the “Zombie Pandemic” 3-Gun match in Nebraska has been replaced with a true health pandemic, one of the greatest challenges facing the United States since WWII. Due to the public health measures in response to the spread of the Coronavirus. The event organizers issued this statement:
“The Hornady 2020 Zombies in the Heartland 3-Gun Match has been canceled due to the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19. Although the match wouldn’t have taken place until May 28-31 at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, current health and safety protocols would have precluded preparing the range for the event. Hornady and the Heartland Public Shooting Park plan to resume the battle against the zombie scourge in 2021.
Refunds will be issued by the City of Grand Island to all registered shooters, but please be patient as this will take some time. Hornady is also working with companies to return prizes and cash sponsorships. Should there be any questions, please contact the shooting park directly.”
About the Zombies in the Heartland Match
For many years, Hornady has hosted the popular Zombies in the Heartland event. This “Pandemic” 3-Gun fun match, one of the biggest three-gun shoots in the nation, was to be held at the Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. The Pandemic traditionally has a rich prize table worth over $150,000. Prizes included pistols, rifles, shotguns, scopes, AR uppers, gun parts, and gear of all kinds.
The Pandemic was a veritable theme park for shootists, with many fun stages and innovative targets. Many unique, reactive zombie targets were developed specifically for this match. The use of paper targets was minimized — so it was mostly “bang and clang”.
Shotguns, rifles, and handguns were used on most stages, which feature handgun targets from 1-15 yards, shotgun targets from 10-20 yards, and rifle targets from 1-200 yards. There were also side matches with full-auto demo firearms, exploding targets, specialty targets.
This video from 2017 offers a Shooter’s POV views of many stages including full auto:
Operated by the Grand Island Parks and Recreation Department, the Heartland Public Shooting Park is the largest and most complete public shooting facility in the Midwest. For more information, call 308-385-5048.
For decades, the Kelbly’s Super Shoot has been one of the premier events for 100/200-yard benchrest shooters. The Super Shoot attracts the top benchrest competitors on the planet, including legends such as Tony Boyer and Wayne Campbell, and many other Hall of Fame PPC pilots. Hundreds of ace shooters from around the world would come to North Lawrence, Ohio each year and compete. There would be a sea of windflags, and scores of top shooters shoulder to shoulder on the long firing line.
Things will be different this year. Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Kelbly family has determined to cancel the 2020 Super Shoot. The next Super Shoot will be held in May 2021. Jim Kelbly issued this statement about the 2020 Event Cancellation:
Super Shoot 2020 Has Been Cancelled — Notice from Kelbly’s
Super Shooters,
After long weekend thinking about the Super Shoot, I have decided to cancel this year’s Super Shoot till May 2021. The new dates will be May 25 through 28, 2021. With COVID-19 turning the world upside down and quite possibly the worst to hit the USA will be in April this year, I think it is best to just cancel for this year. It is very likely that most travel bans both in USA and from foreign countries may still be in place in May. With the last 25 plus years of the Super Shoot being an International event, we would like it to end at Kelbly’s with the foreign shooters being able to attend the last Super Shoot at Kelbly’s.
I do not feel there is a good time this summer or fall to host the event with all other events in Benchrest shooting being postponed to June to October in the United States and in foreign countries as well. If we would hold the event later this year, it could conflict with other postponed matches and I really do not want to affect attendance at other matches. Our sport is struggling these last ten years and we must support all ranges still holding Benchrest matches.
The Next Super Shoot Will Be Held May 25-29, 2021.
I want to thank everyone that has contacted me with their opinions on this situation as it was appreciated and helped in my decision. I know I stated in previous email that I would wait till end of April to make my decision, but I felt a decision now was better for everyone to get travel and hotel arrangements taking care of.
I want to thank Wade Hull for working with me on this decision. Wade has generously decided to wait an extra year before he and his staff will take over Super Shoot. I also want to thank St. Louis Benchrest Club for helping Wade the first few years of hosting the Firearms Industry Super Shoot.
As far as those competitors that are signed up for this year’s event, we will just keep everyone signed up and with the same requests for next year as you had for this year.
As far as the shooters that have equipment here, we will keep your equipment here till end of 2021 if need be. We can help with export or moving the items to St Louis for 2022. For those that are interested in selling your equipment, I would suggest making up flyers for the 2021 Super Shoot to post on the For Sale board with sale pending at end of competition.
We would like to wish everyone a safe shooting season and ask you to support those ranges that are hosting competitions this year as long as you are healthy. Be smart and be safe.
AccurateShooter.com will offer a new FREE service for Forum members and readers — Barrel Break-In. Knowledgeable shooters know that it can take 150 rounds or more for a barrel to achieve peak accuracy during Phase I of break-in. Then you want to do a lengthy Phase II break-in process to smooth the lands and grooves for reduced bullet drag and maximum velocity potential. Overall, the optimal barrel break-in schedule encompasses 500 to 700 rounds of careful firing under match conditions with a precise, cleaning regimen between each shooting cycle.
Very few gun owners have the time (or money) to do a full 500-round barrel break-in. The cost in bullets and powder is significant, not to mention time spent at the range. Thankfully AccurateShooter.com’s talented team of shooters will take that burden off you. You send us those brand new high-dollar match barrels — we do the work, using those barrels in our matches and varmint shoots, all the while carrying out the critical Phase I and II barrel break-in processes start to finish.
Barrel Break-In Carried Out By Champion Shooters
Our barrel break-in procedure is done by some of the nation’s top shooters. Here is AccurateShooter System Admin Jay Christopherson performing barrel break-in on a customer’s barrel during a competition. Jay won the F-Open Division at the 2020 Berger SW Nationals. Put your brand new match barrel in the hands of champions, to have it broken in the right way!
To participate in the Accurate Shooter Barrel Break-In Program (ASBBIP), just send us your chambered Krieger, Bartlein, Brux, Lilja, Douglas or other custom barrel and our testers will shoot it for six months, dutifully logging how the accuracy improves as the careful break-in process takes place over time. We guarantee that when you get your barrel barrel back, it will be thoroughly broken-in and ready to use. Enjoy peak accuracy for many hundreds of rounds! Then you can send us a new chambered barrel and we can do the tedious barrel break-in process for you again. Just pay for the shipping — we do the rest!
NOTE: Program limited to premium match barrels of approved calibers/chamberings and contours. Barrels must be chambered for one of the BAT, Borden, Kelbly, Defiance, and Barnard custom actions used by our shooting team. We reserve the right to retain the barrels for use in Nationals-level shooting matches.
A decade ago, the Editors of AccurateShooter.com and a pantheon of legendary shooters first collaborated on Voodoo Accuracy, hailed as “the definitive print resource for precision shooting”. Now to mark the new decade, we are releasing an updated 666-page, full-color “Voodoo Two”, the Voodoo Accuracy Second Edition. Voodoo Accuracy II compiles the wisdom of today’s greatest Hall of Fame and National Champion shooters. With the Voodoo knowledge of the world’s ‘top guns’ in your grasp, you can and will shoot more accurately no matter what your discipline.
Why do Voodoo? Sure you can spend hours, days, months, heck even a lifetime measuring stuff with calipers and trickling individual powder kernels, but you’re not going to win the big matches without access to the closely-guarded Voodoo secrets of the world’s master marksmen. Remember, there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your reloading manuals!
Voodoo Accuracy II reveals the hidden shooting secrets of the greatest trigger-pullers of all time. Now you too can shoot like a legend! Find out how to win matches without ever practicing! Apply Voodoo reloading techniques with startling results! Voodoo Accuracy II contains chapters on all major forms of competitive shooting, from 25m air rifle to ultra-long range tactical competitions. Whatever your sport — point-blank benchrest, High Power, F-class, Silhouette, Palma, Multi-Gun, Biathlon, 1000-yard Benchrest — you’ll find invaluable Voodoo insights that will transform your shooting abilities overnight. We guarantee it!
Voodoo Accuracy II Chapter Highlights:
● Extreme Wind Calling — How to dope a hurricane.
● Barrel Break-In — Sure-fire 50-step, 1000-round method.
● Ogive Talkin’ — More incomprehensible Ballistology by Bryan Litz.
● Point-Blank Pointers — Feng Shui and the placement of Wind Flags.
● Why Weigh Charges? — How to throw perfect charges blind-folded.
● Powder Blending Basics — Have a BLAST with the Mix-Master method.
● For FTR, Size Matters — Six-foot-wide, servo-adjusting bipods by Danny Biggs.
● Hall of Fame Headgear — The effect of dorky hats on Group Size, by Tony Boyer.
● Barrel Tuning — Voodoo Methods demonstrated (results guaranteed non-repeatable).
● Tactical Gearfinder — Be the first on your block with the latest, overpriced Tacticool accessories.
● Voodoo Annealing — How to anneal by instinct (worrying about time and temperature is for sissies).
Here’s a sample from our chapter on the Joys of Abrasives: “We all learned as kids that shiny is good. Well it is. And more shiny is even better. Why settle for a bore that has anything less than a mirror finish? Just do a quick high-pressure bead-blast down your bore, followed by few thousand strokes with JB, and your bore will be perfectly slick and shiny. And you won’t have to waste any more time with those annoying lands and grooves that trap carbon and copper. They’re gone for good! Polish your bore to a mirror finish for the ultimate in barrel cleanliness.”
Order Your Own Copy of Voodoo Accuracy Voodoo Accuracy II comes in a handsome, large-format hardback edition for $49.99. There is also a special, limited-run letterbox edition signed by Hall of Famers so legendary we can’t even mention their names here. The letterbox edition, limited to 250 copies, will cost $1000.00. Think that’s too much? Well who can put a price on perfection? We guarantee that if you buy Voodoo Accuracy II you’ll win early and often, feeding your self-esteem while reducing your shooting rivals to whimpering, broken shells of their former selves. Remember, as Charlie Sheen said, it’s all about “Winning”! If you want to run with the Big Dogs, and strut your stuff on top of the podium, order your copy of Voodoo Accuracy II today!
On Monday, March 30, the National Rifle Assocation (NRA) announced the suspension of all sanctioned matches until the end of April. Here is the NRA’s official statement:
Due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the NRA is unfortunately suspending all sanctioned matches through April 30, 2020. Any requests for sanctioning of new matches beyond April 30 are also suspended until further notice. As a result of this suspension, the NRA will no longer accept match fees or scores. The NRA will continue to monitor the situation and make additional statements as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds. [For more information] Please contact the NRA Competitive Shooting Division at comphelp@nrahq.org, follow the NRA Competitive Shooting Facebook page or monitor the Competitive Shooting Division website at Competitions.nra.org.
NOTE: At this time there are no plans to cancel the NRA National Championship Matches to be held at Camp Atterbury, Indiana during July and August 2020.
NRA Smallbore Championships — July 23 – August 5, 2020
NRA High Power Rifle Championships — August 9-15, 2020
NRA Mid-Range Rifle Championships — August 16-20, 2020
NRA Long Range Rifle Championships — August 21-25, 2020
Precision Rifle Challenge on Shooting USA This Week
This week, Shooting USA TV features a show that should interest PRS/NRL fans, tactical marksmen, and long range hunters. Run in Utah’s backcountry, the Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge is a unique long range competition with serious wind and elevation changes. This isn’t a typical PRS Pro Series match by any means. Participants in this challenging Precision Rifle match will have to deal with tough conditions not typically seen in other tactical matches. The match runs in summer in Utah, just across the state line from Evanston, Wyoming. Watch the show 3/25/20 on the Outdoor Channel.
Shooting USA will air Wednesday, March 25, at 9:00 PM Eastern (8:00 PM Central) on the Outdoor Channel. If you miss that, it runs again on Thursday afternoon. Look for Shooting USA on the Outdoor Channel. In addition, you can watch all episodes of Shooting USA on the VIMEO channel by subscription. Each episode is just $0.99, about 1/10th what a movie ticket costs these days.
In addition to the Precision Rifle challenge, this week’s Shooting USA episode features to interesting rifles — one new, one historic.
Volquartsen Summit — Toggle Bolt Rimfire Precision Rifle
With the help of Volquartsen, John Scoutten has created a prototype .22 LR Rimfire Precision Rifle based on the toggle-bolt Summit action fitted in a modular chassis.
The Summit’s straight-pull toggle action is similar to the actions on competition Biathlon rifles. This allows very fast cycle times, without disturbing rifle placement. The Summit fits stocks made for the Ruger 10/22 and uses 10/22 magazines. But it’s a manual action, not blow-back semi-auto.
Enfield L42 A1 Sniper Rifle — History’s Guns
This week’s show also features a legendary WWII sniper rifle, Britain’s Enfield L42 A1. This special sniper rig was the last in a long line of military arms built on the famous Enfield .303-caliber bolt action.
About the Zombies in the Heartland Match
Order Your Own Copy of Voodoo Accuracy
Volquartsen Summit — Toggle Bolt Rimfire Precision Rifle
