F-Class shooting (both F-Open and F-TR) is one of the fastest-growing forms of rifle competition. Each season many new shooters hit the line and attendance at the big matches increases every year. But if you’re new to the game, you may ask “Where can I shoot an F-Class match?”. Well, Forum member Rod V. (aka Nodak7mm) has compiled a useful list of 112 ranges throughout the USA where F-Class matches are held. With venues from Alabama to Wyoming — you should find an F-Class program not too far from home. The list, in Excel spreadsheet format, provides range locations and weblinks (where available). Click the link below to download the F-Class Range List (.xls file):
Note — this list, now in its 20th Revision, is a treasure trove for F-Class shooters. No claim is made that the list is comprehensive. But it still covers the the lion’s share of the important F-Class venues nationwide. If you know of a range that should be added to the list, please post the location on our F-Class Range List Forum thread. Rod will update the list as new range info is received. Rod writes: “Range information is wanted and welcomed. I would like your help on collecting specific info on Clubs/Ranges where known F-Class matches are held.” Here’s a partial sample from Rod’s list:
NOTE: This is a photo of Ronald Zerr from a Team Match, 600-yard stage. Photo by SSUSA.org.
Congratulations to Ronald Zerr, the 2019 NRA National High Power Rifle Champion. Competing at Camp Atterbury, Indiana against hundreds of the nation’s best High Power shooters, Zerr finished with an impressive score of 2374-107X, five points ahead of runner-up Kenneth Lankford (2369-116X). Finishing third overall was SSG Sean Morris (U.S. Army Reserve) with 2366-87X.
Kerr, who hails from Tucson, Arizona, is a civilian shooter, a dedicated sling-shooting competitor for many years. Kerr shot a great match to earn the National High Power title, a Mumma Trophy plaque, plus gift certificates from Geissele Automatics, Krieger Barrels, and Sierra Bullets.
Notably Morris shot the match with a AR-15 type service rifle shooting 5.56×45 ammo. His strong showing earned him the service rifle championship, and the Dupont Trophy plaque. Denise Loring shot 2340-84X to earn the service rifle High Woman award.
About the NRA National High Power Championship
The NRA National High Power Rifle Championship is the aggregate of three matches: the Vandenberg Cup, Nevada Trophy and Clarke Trophy matches, which themselves are comprised of numerous events. Next year, along with the High Power Championships, Camp Atterbury will host the NRA Precision Pistol and Smallbore Rifle Championships.
A full match report from the 2019 NRA High Power Rifle Championship will be published in a future issue of the Shooting Sports USA digital magazine.
In the late fall of this year (2019), Lapua will open a second USA Lapua Rimfire Test Center at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio. The new Test Center will offer rimfire shooters the opportunity to match individual lots of Lapua ammo to their match rifles and pistols. All of the capabilities of the new test center will replicate Lapua’s current USA Rimfire Test Center in Mesa, Arizona.
Patterned after the world-renowned Lapua Test Center in Germany, the new Ohio center affords shooters the opportunity to test different types and lots of Lapua ammunition, in their own firearms, under tightly controlled conditions. At the heart of each operation is the 100 meter test range. Fully instrumented, with state of the art Meyton/Bollman electronic targeting systems, the centers can record ammo accuracy at both 50 and 100 meters with a single string. Customers have the option to send their rifles in for testing or schedule an onsite appointment. Customers interested in testing at either USA Lapua Rimfire Test locations (Arizona or Ohio), should call (480) 898-2731 or email rimfiretest@capstonepg.com .
Lapua Hires Ace Smallbore Shooter to Manage New Testing Facility
Lapua has appointed Luke Johnson as manager of the new Rimfire Test Center. Johnson, a native of Marysville, PA, is a long-time competitive shooter and hunter. Luke recently became the NRA Smallbore Silhouette Standard Rifle National Champion and he was a USA Junior National Champion in 50m rifle. At the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Luke was a 4-year letterman for the University’s D1 Rifle Team.
Luke says, “I’m excited to join the crew at the new Lapua testing center in Ohio. I have trusted Lapua for many years in my own competitive experiences and look forward to helping others improve their performance and confidence. The new test center will open up more opportunities for competitors to use Lapua ammunition.”
“We’re very fortunate to have Luke join the Capstone family in this very important role. We’ve watched Luke for many years in his competitive shooting, and while that was a key in his selection to this position, his people skills are even greater. His outgoing personality and eagerness to help others excel are exactly the qualities we sought in filling this new position,” stated Adam Braverman, Capstone Precision Group Director of Sales & Marketing.
About Capstone Precision Group
Capstone Precision Group produces Berger Bullets and Ammunition, and is the exclusive distributor of Lapua components and ammunition, Vihtavuori Powders, and SK Rimfire ammunition. Capstone Precision Group is a Part of Nammo Group. For more information, visit Capstonepg.com.
In setting a Women’s record at the 2019 Nat’l Trophy Individual Match, Sara beat 987 other shooters. Only four competitors, all men, had higher scores.
This lady can shoot! At this year’s National Trophy Individual Match (NTI) at Camp Perry, the very talented Sara Rozanski sent an all-time record for female competitors. Sara shot a stellar 496-22X, a new record score for lady shooters. That record-breaking performance won Sara the Women’s Trophy at the CMP National Matches.
“It felt amazing to be able to pull it together and perform well”, Rozanski told reporters. Rozanski’s performance eclipsed the previous women’s record of 496-19X set by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Amanda Elsenboss in 2017. Sara finished fifth overall in the 2019 NTI.
“It’s an honor to set a new women’s record since the level of competition is so high. It gives one a sense of accomplishment knowing you are competing against the best competitors this sport has to offer”, Rozanski said. By stages, Rozanski scored 100-2X standing, 98-2X rapid sitting, 99-6X rapid prone, and 199-12X prone at the 600-yard line.
Camp Perry includes rifle ranges out to 1,000 yards. Camp Perry boasts one of the longest continuous firing lines in the world.
Among all NTI competitors, Sara finished fifth overall after tie-breakers, just one point out of first place and four points from a perfect score of 500. Only four other competitors (all males) beat her 496-22X tally. A total of 992 competitors fired in this year’s NTI match, so Sarah finished ahead of 987 other shooters. That is mighty impressive!
A native of Toledo, Ohio, just 28 miles from Camp Perry, Rozanski has been competing in High Power rifle events since she was 16 years old, when she started with the M1A, the semi-automatic civilian equivalent of the Army’s M14 rifle. Rozanski serves as the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s High Power rifle program coordinator in Port Clinton, Ohio.
National Trophy Individual Match
The NTI course of fire has no sighters. It starts with 10 shots standing slow fire at 200 yards, followed by 10 shots sitting (or kneeling) rapid fire in 60 seconds at 200 yards. This is followed by 10 shots prone rapid fire in 70 seconds at 300 yards. The match concludes with 20 shots prone slow fire with a time limit of 20 minutes at 600 yards.
Need targets — not just any old targets, but the correctly-sized targets for specific shooting disciplines (such as NRA Smallbore, F-Class, and 1K Benchrest)? Well you won’t find them at your neighborhood Wally World store. Precise, dimensionally-correct competition targets are producted by a half-dozen specialty printers. In this article we provide links to the leading target sellers, with a chart showing “who’s got what”. Look for your particular discipline and the vendors will be specified.
Sources for Official Shooting Competition Targets:
AccurateShooter.com offers dozens of FREE, printable targets for target practice, load development, and fun shooting. We also offer a few of the most popular NRA Bullseye targets. One or more of these printable targets should work for most training purposes. However, some readers have asked: “Where can we get the real targets… exactly like the ones used in NRA, IBS, and NBRSA shooting matches?”
All these vendors carry nearly all the NRA High Power and Smallbore targets, including the new, smaller F-Class targets. National Target has the F-Class and High Power targets, including 100-yard reductions of the 200, 300, and 600-yard military targets.
Germany’s Kruger Targets sells all the important NRA targets, and international (ISSF) air rifle and smallbore targets too.
Orrville Printing currently sells IBS targets for rimfire (50 yard) benchrest, short-range centerfire Benchrest (100, 200, 300 yards), Hunter BR Rifle (100, 200, 300 yards), plus the official 600-yard and 1000-yard IBS targets. National Target Company also has most of the IBS targets. NBRSA short-range, 600-yard, and 1000-yard benchrest targets are available directly from the NBRSA Business Office. Call (307) 655-7415 to order for the season.
Need Steel, Cardboard Silhouettes or specialty targets? ALCO Target Company in Duarte, California is the USA’s leading producer of the full spectrum of shooting targets including paper targets, cardboard targets, steel targets, and target stands.
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF), through the Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program, awarded 126 youth athletes over $100,000.00 in college Scholarships for this upcoming academic year. The funds were awarded to qualifying applicants. In addition, some young competitors received special sponsor scholarship checks at the 2019 National Championships in Marengo, Ohio last month (see below). CLICK HERE for all scholarship winners.
National Director Tom Wondrash noted, “this is the first time our combined programs were able to award our Youth Athletes and their families over $100,000 in college scholarships. We could not have done it without the generous support of our program sponsors who continue to step up and support this initiative”.
In addition to the scholarships awarded to SCTP and SASP youth athletes who apply for these awards, at this year’s National Championships special scholarships were awarded by Browning, Beretta, and Blaser USA. In order to be eligible, athletes must have shot a Browning shotgun in 16-yard singles trap, a Beretta shotgun in the skeet event, or a Blaser shotgun in the sporting clays event.
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is 501(c)(3) public charity responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) across the United States. For more information, visit SSSFonline.org.
The Modern Smallbore Silhouette Rifle
Smallbore rifle silhouette is a shooting discipline that can really test a shooter’s ability and fundamentals. The saying in silhouette is “the bench proves the rifle, standing proves the shooter”. To be able to stand and shoot a rifle at targets ranging from 40 meters to 100 meters is no small feat, especially when the 100 meter ram target is just a little bigger than a large potato.
Of course, you need a good rifle. The CZ 455 has been at the top of the starter rifle list for a long time, however, a few newcomers such as the Tikka T1x are definitely challenging that spot. The gold standard in the silhouette discipline seems to be the venerable Anschutz 1712. With a fantastic two-stage trigger, smooth operation, great balance, and consistent accuracy it’s one of the most popular rifles, just look through the equipment survey from the U.S. Nationals and you will see what I mean. Even though the Anschutz is a great rifle, there are those competitors who want more. Enter Erich Mietenkorte, a Master silhouette shooter from Ellensburg, Washington and his P-51 Mustang-inspired .22 LR silhouette rifle.
The P-51 Mustang artwork was masterfully painted by Perry Mallet of Spokane, WA from a basic theme sketched out by Erich. This is one of the coolest gunstock paint jobs we’ve ever seen. Bravo Mr. Mallet!
Erich’s Smallbore ‘Silhouette Slammer’
Report by Erich Mietenkorte
At the heart of my .22 LR “Silhouette Slammer” is a Sako P94s Finnfire action. I chose this action due to its incredibly fast lock time. Mated to that is a tight-bore Lilja 4-groove barrel finished at 24 inches. This has a Winchester 52D chamber. The barrel and chamber combination were suggested by Loren Peter of Vancouver, WA, a long time silhouette shooter and gunsmith, and it definitely works! The rifle easily and consistently shoots under one inch at 100 meters with good ammo.
Finnfire Fitted with Modified Anschutz 2-Stage Trigger
The Finnfire was originally equipped with a single-stage trigger but I decided that a two-stage works better for me. There weren’t any available options at the time so I took an Anschutz 5109 trigger from a model 1712 and machined a new sear and mated it up to the action.
CLICK to Zoom Photo Click Image for large, full-size photo showing details of paint-work.
The rifle wears a Leupold FX-3 25-power optic, a scope favored by many silhouette shooters for its clarity, magnification, and relatively light weight. To make weight in Hunter Class, the rifle may weigh no more than 8.5 pounds total with optic! The last component that makes up this winning rifle is the amazing work of art that is the stock. All of these components rest in a custom fiberglass stock made specifically to push the limits of the NRA stock jig that all competition silhouette rifles must fit. The stock was constructed by Steve Wooster, a long-time silhouette shooter from Chehalis, WA. The P-51 Mustang artwork was masterfully painted by Perry Mallet of Spokane, WA from a sketch I did. Perry took an idea and used his artistic abilities to create a masterpiece that looks as good as it shoots.
Getting Started in the Silhouette Game
Erich’s advice for anyone wanting to get started in the fun and challenging discipline of silhouette is to take any .22 LR scoped rifle you have and simply show up at a silhouette match. On many occasions Erich has helped newcomers and has even loaned out his own rifle for novices to try. “One of the best things about silhouette is the generosity and friendliness of the competitors. Silhouette is a shooting sport that you don’t have to be intimidated, all shooting abilities are welcome and everyone has an opportunity to be successful.” To learn more about silhouette shooting, or locate a silhouette match near you, visit Steelchickens.com, a popular silhouette-centric web forum.
In this Video Erich Mietenkorte Shoots Rams at 100M with his .22 LR Silhouette Rifle:
Note the bullet impact locations on those 10 turkeys — that would be about a 1″ group. Great shooter with a great rifle. In Canada two weeks ago, Erich set a new Ram “long run” record, hitting 30 in a row.
The Three Amigos — Along with his P-51 paint job smallbore rifle, here are two of Erich’s centerfire silhouette rigs. Erich notes: “The green rifle is my High Power silhouette standard rifle (class weight limit 10 lbs. 2.0 oz.). This features a Defiance Machine Rebel action with a Lilja #6 Contour barrel finished at 26″. This rig is chambered in .260 Bobcat (aka 6.5×250, i.e. 250 Savage necked up to 6.5mm). This cartridge has the same energy as a .260 Remington but much less felt recoil. It is very efficient and makes a big difference when shooting a lot of rounds in a match.” Stock by Steve Wooster.
The brown rifle (upper right) is a blueprinted Remington 700 action with a Lilja #5 Contour barrel finished at 26″, also chambered in .260 Bobcat. Erich tells us: “I won Second Place at the U.S. National Championships last year with this rifle. Stock made by Wooster. This rifle is for the hunting rifle category (9-lb weight limit). For Hunter rifles in smallbore and High Power the trigger must have a safety and a pull weight at least two pounds. (By contrast, a Standard rifle may have any weight trigger with/without a safety.) Because you can shoot a Hunter rifle in the Standard rifle class, I started my High Power silhouette journey with this rifle and then added the Standard rifle later. I’ll be replacing this rifle this upcoming season with a Defiance Rebel action and barrel chambered in 6mm BR.”
Many of the best rifle competitors in the United States will be heading to Indiana next week to compete at the 2019 NRA National High Power Rifle Championships which commence Monday, August 5, 2019. The Across-the-Course Championship, Mid-Range Championship, Long Range Championship, and Extreme Long Range Championship will all take place August 5-21, 2019 at Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana.
Day By Day Planner for 2019 Nationals at Camp Atterbury
Monday, August 5 will be the First Shot Ceremony, and squadded practice will also begin.
Tuesday, August 6 marks the beginning of the Team Matches. They will conclude on August 7.
Thursday, August 8 is the start of High Power Across the Course competition. They last until August 11.
Monday, August 12 is the Mid Range Team Championship, lasting until August 13.
Tuesday, August 13 is the first day of the Mid Range Individual Championship. They last until August 16.
Saturday, August 17 will be the Palma Team Match day.
Sunday, August 18 begins the Long Range Championship which continues through August 21.
Wednesday, August 21 is the registration day for the NRA Extreme Long Range Championship. The match will be fired over the next two days, finishing on August 23.
Lodging at Camp Atterbury and Nearby
Camp Atterbury offers on-base lodging — rooms and cabins will be available to all competitors 18 and over. Camp Atterbury lodging includes suites and standard rooms as well as the MWR Campground and the MWR Cabins. Lodging is controlled by the Camp Atterbury Lodging Office, not by the NRA. Entry fees DO NOT include lodging costs. There are also a number of hotels nearby, including Charwood Suites. Nearby campground Johnson County Park also offers special rates for High Power competitors.
With the CMP hosting important matches next year at Camp Perry, many rifle competitors will be “commuting” between the two venues this summers, driving 4.5 hours from Indiana to Ohio.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) has produced an excellent series of videos, which collectively cover the Basic Rifleman’s Course. If you are getting started in High Power shooting, or want to improve your position shooting skills, this series is well worth watching. And these videos are not just for service rifle shooters — even bench shooters can benefit from these videos, particularly Part 5, which explains how to estimate wind speed and direction. The lead instructor for these videos is SFC Brandon Green, the reigning National High Power Champion, and Service Rifle Champion at the 2017 CMP Trophy Matches. When SFC Green talks, you should listen.
SFC Brandon Green is a shooting superstar. Green won his third NRA National High Power Rifle Championship in 2018 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He dominated the HP Championship cycle, finishing eight points and ten Xs ahead of his nearest competitor. Brandon also won High Power National Championships in 2015 and 2013. And in 2017 he set new records at the CMP’s National Trophy Matches at Camp Perry. One of the greatest marksmen in the nation’s history, SFC Green has no weaknesses, excelling at all positions, both rapid-fire and slow-fire.
Part 5 — Wind and Weather Estimation (Very Useful for All Shooters)
Note: This video includes a hit location “target analysis” in the first 6 minutes.
Part 4 — Minute of Angle Explained
Part 3 — Ballistics and Zeroing
Part 2 — Positions, Sight Alignment, and Natural Point of Aim (Very Useful)
Part 1 — Aiming and Sight Picture
Three-time National High Power Champion SFC Brandon Green (left above) set four new National Records at Camp Perry in 2017.
Tune in to the TV tonight (7/31/19) — there’s some impressive multi-gun action on the Outdoor Channel. Shooting USA features the NRA’s World Shooting Championship (WSC), held at the Peacemaker National Training Center in West Virginia. This unique, multi-discipline Pro-Am Competition draws 300 shooters, with all firearms provided by manufacturers. Designed to find the “best at everything that goes bang”, the WSC combines scores from a dozen disciplines to select the best all-around shooting champion. What’s at stake? Glory plus over $250,000 in cash and prizes!
Shooting USA airs Wednesday, 7/31/19 at: 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 PM Central
WSC Highlight Video with Competitor Interviews:
To succeed at the WSC, competitors must be skilled with all types of firearms, bolt-action rifles, semi-auto rifles, shotguns, semi-auto pistols, and even single action six-guns. For every stage, the firearms are provided by match sponsors, so no competitor gains an advantage by using his or her own guns.
The challenges range from sporting clays, to PRS-style rifle stages, to Bianchi plate racks shot with handguns, and even a simulated Olympic Biathlon competition. That requires that competitors be fit and have a diverse skill set — you need to be outstanding with every type of firearm.
This episode also feature a history segment, a gun-building segment, and a Pro Tip from Maggie Reese. Shooting USA showcases the Crockett rifles from Tennessee that armed Andrew Jackson’s Militia on his way to stop the British in New Orleans. Then, John Scoutten finishes a JP Enterprises AR accuracy build. Lastly Maggie Reese shows how to start a pistol stage from a table with an empty gun.
Maggie Reese now shoots for Team Ruger along with Doug Koenig.
Maggie notes: “We spend a lot of time in competition working a draw from a holster position, but sometimes when you go to competition you will have to do an unloaded or loaded table start. So I want to take you through some techniques on how to maximize that first shot and get an efficient time.”
This lady can shoot! At this year’s National Trophy Individual Match (NTI) at Camp Perry, the very talented Sara Rozanski sent an all-time record for female competitors. Sara shot a stellar 496-22X, a new record score for lady shooters. That record-breaking performance won Sara the Women’s Trophy at the CMP National Matches.
