The SCATT MX-02 is an electronic shooter training system that is capable of operating outdoors with live, centerfire ammunition, at distances from 25 yards to 600 yards. Tony Chow tested this product for AccurateShooter.com. As fitted to his AR-15 Service Rifle, Tony concludes this is a very useful tool that can help High Power competitors refine their technique and shoot higher scores. CLICK HERE for MX-02 3000-word Review.
How the SCATT MX-02 Works
The SCATT sensor mounted on the end of the barrel has a digital camera that recognizes the black bullseye in the target, even in broad daylight outdoors. Using the bullseye as a reference, the SCATT software tracks the movement of the muzzle relative to the center of the target. The unit can plot these movements as a continuous trace, which appears on a monitor as a squiggly, colored line. By sensing the exact moment of shot release, the SCATT can also interpolate relative shot placement (for a single shot or series of shots) — but this is not the same as an electronic target which actually records the exact shot impact location on the target.
Some time ago, we reviewed this product from the perspective of a smallbore competitive shooter. (Read Previous Review.) Here we test SCATT MX-02 again, this time on an AR-15 service rifle, in order to assess its suitability for the High Power competition community.
We put the MX-02 through its paces in all three High Power shooting positions and in various environmental conditions. We wanted to find out whether the system can reliably operate in the harsher outdoor settings and withstand the recoil of a centerfire rifle. We also wanted to assess whether it provides added values for High Power shooters over older generation of electronic trainers such as SCATT’s own venerable WS-01.
On both counts, we came away impressed. The SCATT MX-02 stood up to centerfire recoil after hundreds of shots and was able to consistently recognize the often less-than-pristine High Power target faces. Both indoors and outdoors, the MX-02 acts as SCATT should and dutifully captures useful aiming traces and other data. It does that even during outdoor live-fire sessions, where shooter performance often differs from indoor dry-firing due to the sensation of recoil and environmental factors.
SCATT Rapid Fire Results (paper target on left, screen on right).
In particular, SCATT MX-02 allows shooters to effectively troubleshoot and improve their rapid-fire performance, a service that no previous-generation trainers are capable of providing. The unit isn’t perfect — the SCATT MX-02 had some mounting issues with small-diameter barrels, but a cardboard shim provided a quick and effective solution.
Overall, performance was impressive. In most realistic training conditions that High Power shooters experience, the system performed well. We can certainly recommend SCATT MX-02 as an extremely valuable tool for High Power competitors looking to take their performance to the next level.
For more information or to order SCATT products, including the MX-02, visit ScattUSA.com or call toll-free: 1-855-57-SCATT (72288).
IBS Brings New Editor Onboard
International Benchrest Shooters is pleased to announce that Blake Wilson of Macon, Georgia is the new IBS Editor. In that role, Blake will help prepare Match Reports and short features on gear and notable competitors.
IBS President Jeff Stover reports: “We welcome Blake to our management team. He is a young and energetic long-range shooter with benchrest interest across the board. Over the past several years, he has been shooting mostly 1000-yard IBS matches with a few 600-yard competitions mixed in. He has competed at IBS ranges across the country, and calls the Hawk’s Ridge Gun Club in Ferguson, NC his home range.”
In his role as IBS Editor, Blake will work closely with AccurateShooter.com, interviewing competitors from all disciplines, communicating with match organizers, receiving match reports and equipment lists, and managing digital images. Blake will also help with some special IBS features and equipment articles, providing insights about the Benchrest shooting sports.
Blake is married with two adult children. He is a huge University of Georgia football fan who also enjoys hunting and fishing.
Philip Hemphill Wins NRA .22 Caliber Pistol Championship
Team Lapua member, Philip Hemphill, scored a 888-49X to bring home the 2019 NRA .22 Caliber Pistol Championship. Hemphill uses Lapua Center-X .22 LR Rimfire ammunition in .22 caliber disciplines such as Smallbore, PRC Silhouette, new ELR and more.
The 2019 NRA National Pistol Championships took place July 7-12 at Camp Perry, Ohio. Since 1907, the nation’s finest marksmen and women come together annually at Camp Perry to shoot a variety of handgun formats and events, both rimfire (.22 LR) and centerfire. The annual Camp Perry Championships represent the most prestigious bullseye pistol competitions in North America.
“It’s an honor to be able to come out here and test my shooting skills in one of the longest-running pistol events in the nation. My whole team, Team Zero, shoots Lapua Center-X, because we know it will outperform all other .22 Caliber [rimfire] competition ammo,” said Hemphill.
Along with receiving the Walker Trophy Plaque for winning the Championship, Hemphill also won the NRA Precision Pistol Championship (Police Division), and came in third in the .22 Caliber Slow Fire Match with a score of 194-9X.
About Lapua – Lapua produces the highest quality small caliber cartridges and components for civilian and professional use. Lapua is a part of the Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Lapua.com.
Here is an NRA-TV interview with Philip Hemphill from 2016. Hemphill has been a 10-Time NRA National Police Pistol Champion, and has won multiple National Pistol Championships:
See Photos from 2019 NRA Pistol Championships
Shooting Sports USA recently released a nice slide-show featuring 40 images from the 2019 NRA Pistol Championships at Camp Perry. SSUSA Editor John Parker noted: “A big thank you to Mr. John Rickards for his hard work on the firing line to grab the majority of these great images from the 2019 NRA Pistol Nationals at Camp Perry.”
The most accurate shooters on the planet competed in Canada last week at the 2019 World Benchrest Championship. Conducted at the beautiful Rosebud Silhouette and Benchrest Club in Alberta, Canada, this major event drew shooters from 20+ nations. After some practice days, shooters assembled with National Flags for the Opening Ceremony on the 17th. The matches ran from the 17th through Sunday the 21st. Then competitors assembled at the McPhail Center, Canada Olympic Park, for the individual and team awards. Overall, it was a great event, but with one sad loss — Faye Boyer passed away this week after being hospitalized during the match.
Don’t be deceived by some of these beautiful photos — conditions were often very tough at this event, with stormy clouds and unpredictable winds. Joel Nader mastered those difficult conditions with a strong performance, securing the overall Two-Gun Title. Congratulations to Joel Nader the 2019 Two-Gun World Champion. Bill Mitchell was second overall in the Two-Gun. Team USA C (Harvey Baker, Gary Bristow, Jeff Graves, Jack Neary) won overall Two-Gun team honors, with Team USA A (Walt Berger, Wayne Campbell, Joel Nader, Bob Scarbrough Jr.) taking second. In third place was Australia Team A (Brendan Atkinson, Darren Parsons, Ean Parsons, Steve Sori). You can find complete day-by-day results, Overall Results, and Team Results on the WBC Website.
Here is the Top 20 Equipment List (Click Image for full-size PDF):
As you might expect, the top shooters favored BAT Actions, and cut-rifled barrels from Krieger and Bartlein. Vihtavuori N133 powder was used by almost all, as were Federal 205m primers. However, shooters employed a huge variety of bullet types. Two-Gun Winner Joel Nader shot his own Nader 68-grainers. About half of the Top 20 competitors in each class (HV and LV) used tuners.
Here are some of the 83 competitors at the 2019 World Benchrest Championships in Alberta, Canada.
Sad Loss of Faye Boyer after WBC
During the course of the WBC, Fay Boyer, a respected Hall of Fame competitor, and beloved wife of benchrest legend Tony Boyer, experienced a medical emergency. She was rushed to the hospital. Sadly, her condition worsened and she passed away on July 25th. All of us in the shooting community mourn her loss, and give our condolences to Tony and the Boyer family. IBS President Jeff Stover posted: “This is terrible news. Faye was a wonderful lady, and one of the nicest persons you would ever meet. So sorry for Tony and his family.”
Faye and Tony Boyer, in younger days
Because of his wife’s medical emergency, Tony Boyer had to leave the competition. Filling in for Tony on one of the USA 4-man teams was Walt Berger (below), founder of Berger Bullets. Competing with borrowed equipment, Walt, now 90, did a great job, finishing 17th out of a field of 83 of the best in the world. On the last day, Walt concluded the event with a teen Agg at 200!
This article, in longer form, appears on the USAMU Facebook page, as part of the “Handloading Hump Day Series”. This article explores three different “Philosophies” of precision reloading. Some handloaders seek to produce ammo that yields the very tightest groups (without factoring in the wind). Other shooters load their ammo to deliver the highest safe velocity. That’s because a projectile launched at higher velocity will drift less in the wind. The theory is that even if fast ammo doesn’t produce the tightest groups in zero wind conditions, it will yield higher scores in a the real world (where the wind blows). Lastly, some handloaders favor ammo that is ultra-consistent across a wide temperature range. This last philosophy dictates selection of a powder that is temp-insensitive, even if it may not produce the very best raw accuracy (or speed).
What’s Your Handloading Philosophy?
Objectives of Reloading — Accuracy, Velocity, Temp Stability What do you, the reader, primarily value in your handloads?
Viewpoint ONE: Accuracy Trumps Everything
Some shooters prize consistent, excellent medium/long range accuracy enough that they’re willing to give up some extra velocity (and reduced wind deflection) to obtain that. Their underlying philosophy could be stated: “Superior accuracy is present for every shot, but the wind isn’t”. One’s ability to hold well, aim well and read the wind are all factors in making this type decision. The photo below shows stellar raw accuracy. This is an 0.67″, 10-shot group at 300-yards fired from a text fixture. The group measures just 0.67″. (This shows the USAMU’s 600-yard load with 75gr bullets).
Viewpoint TWO: Load to Highest Safe Velocity for Less Wind Drift
Some shooters value obtaining the highest safe velocity, even if one’s pure, consistent mechanical accuracy at medium/long range isn’t quite as brilliant. The theory here seems to be that a really good hold extracts as much mechanical accuracy from the rifle/ammo as possible, and faster bullets equal occasional “bonus” points snatched from the jaws of wind.
[For example] one of the USAMU’s many Service Rifle National Champions revealed his philosophy. It can be stated thus: a super-accurate, but [relatively] “slow” load “required him to have a Ph.D. in wind reading for every shot, while a faster, but less accurate load netted him more points.”
Note — this was not mere speculation; his score book data backed up his claims, due to less wind effects. Remember, however, this fellow has a consistent, National Championship-level hold, and other Champions on the same team would have opted differently.
Viewpoint THREE: Temperature Stability Is Key
Still another approach is to place heavy emphasis on fine accuracy with absolute stability in changing temperatures. When this writer was actively earning his Distinguished Rifleman badge, that was his goal. The reason? Sighting shots are not allowed in EIC (“Leg”) matches. The first shot out of the barrel was for score. It had to be 100% consistent, with very reliable, predictable elevation and wind deflection regardless of the ambient temperature — even if it wasn’t the lowest wind deflection possible.
Naturally, selecting a powder that is insensitive to temperature changes is a key element here. Elevation zeros and wind effects HAD to be consistent every time. Hunters and military snipers might be among those who fall into this camp, as well as those in pursuit of their Distinguished Rifleman badges.
Contrast that with a traditional High Power shooter who gets two sighter shots before each event (offhand, sitting rapid, prone rapid, prone slow fire.) If there is a zero change on any given day, he/she can correct during sighters. This writer well remembers talking with another very high-level Service Rifle competitor who was happy to have high temperatures boost the velocities of his ammunition above their usual level… As far as this SR competitor was concerned, 60-80 fps more velocity -– even if only due to high ambient temperatures -– meant less wind deflection, and he was mighty happy to have it.
Particularly in the summer, with hot daily conditions, you need to be concerned about temperature stability. Loads worked up in winter may not work in the summer time.
This article has been confined to NRA High Power Rifle competition, which has relatively generous 10-ring dimensions in relation to the accuracy of well-built competition rifles. Hopefully, it will provide food for thought. For some, this might be an opportunity to ensure that one’s load development approach helps them attain their desired results.
Our friend (and fellow Californian) Dennis Santiago recently drove across the country, all the way to Ohio. His mission? To attend the CMP National Matches at Camp Perry. This has become an annual pilgrimage for Dennis, who writes: “My goal is to spend time with as many of my friends as possible — the friends I’ve known and hang out with throughout the year, the ones I only see once a year at Camp Perry, and the many I’ve only conversed with on social media and will meet in person for the first time. More than anything, Camp Perry is where I come home to my shooting family. My mission is to celebrate my love of this sport with them.”
Here are some photos of Santiago’s successful journey across the USA to Ohio. He’s done the road-work, now it’s time to buckle down and shoot 10s and Xs across the course.
“Get your kicks on Route 66 — in Manuelito, New Mexico.” — Dennis Santiago
“The heartland is an ocean of corn. It is an amazing thing to see how much food we make.” — Dennis
“Arrived and I’m hungry… at Camp Perry National Rifle Competition, Port Clinton, Ohio.” — Dennis
Advice for First-Time Visitors to Camp Perry
Dennis first competed at Camp Perry in 2016, writing about the experience in his Dennis Talks Guns Blog. Here are some of Santiago’s tips for first-time Perry competitors:
1. Walk the Base. Do not drive around. Get used to walking. Walk from your hut to everything. Walk to the administration buildings. Walk to the ranges. Walk to commercial row. Walk to the CMP North Store. Walk to the CMP or Army trailer to have the triggers of your rifles(s) weighed. Walk. This is your primary mode of transportation while on base.
2. Go Shopping. It’s called Commercial Row. It is the best shopping mall for competitive shooters ever. The sale prices here are Black Friday quality. You stock up on supplies. You can buy elusive powders in quantity with the same lot number. Same with bullets and primers. I stocked up. Everything you need to keep making your pet loads — except brass. This is a service rifle tournament. Pretty much everyone is using LC or WCC cases.
3. Learn about the Perils of Perry. It rains at Camp Perry. Sometimes that rain comes with lightning. When that happens range controls issues an evacuation order. Depending on where you are and how much time you have, you either grab your stuff and make for a sheltered structure or leave your stuff under whatever rain cover you have and leave it there until the storm cell passes.
Coming Soon — The President’s 100 Match
In past years, Dennis has competed in the historic National President’s 100 Match, which takes place on Monday, July 29th this year. This is a huge event — in recent years there were over 1100 ranked competitors from throughout the nation, making this one of the biggest High Power events of the year.
Twelve athletes, including six 2016 Paralympians, have been named to the 2019 Parapan American Games USA Shooting Team. These rifle and pistol shooters will compete at the first-ever Parapan American Games, to be held in Lima, Peru, August 23-September 1, 2019.
The rifle roster includes 2016 Paralympic bronze medalist McKenna Dah along with Jazmin Almlie-Ryan and John Joss. Dahl earned her medal in Mixed Air Rifle event at the 2016 Games in Rio becoming the first U.S. woman to medal in shooting at the Paralympic Games. Joss is the lone athlete to have secured a Paralympic quota to date in R6 event (50-meter Prone Rifle) by virtue of a second-place finish at the 2018 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup.
Other top USA rifle shooters are Taylor Farmer, Stetson Bardfield, and Kevin Nguyen. These three athletes have proven themselves in competition since 2016 and will look to kick-start their runs for the 2020 Paralympic Team. Taylor Farmer was 2018 Paralympic Athlete of the Year for USA Shooting.
Highlights of 2018 World Para Sport Shooting Championships in South Korea
Team USA’s pistol squad is strong with 2016 Paralympic Pistol Team members Tricia Downing, Mike Tagliapietra, and Marco De La Rosa. In Paralympic pistol action at Nationals, De La Rosa earned a bronze medal in Air Pistol while Tagliapietra earned two bronze medals in Sport and Free Pistol, respectively.
2019 Parapan American Games
USA RIFLE TEAM
McKenna Dahl
Taylor Farmer
Len Esparza
Jazmin Almlie-Ryan
Stetson Bardfield
John Joss
Kevin Nguyen
Nick Beach
2019 Parapan American Games
USA PISTOL TEAM
Aaron Causey
Tricia Downing
Mike Tagliapietra
Marco De La Rosa
For the first time ever, a Civilian Team (from North Carolina) won the Pistol NTT at Camp Perry.
“Civilian teams are not supposed to win the Gold Cup”, said Christopher “Neil” Roberts, a member of the North Carolina Rifle & Pistol Association (NCRPA) team that achieved an historic win at Camp Perry. The NCRPA squad was the first civilian team in history to win the National Trophy Team (NTT) Pistol Match.
The Gold Cup is awarded to the top scoring team in the NTT Match held as part of the CMP’s National Trophy Pistol Matches. Every year since 1920, the prestigious NTT Gold Cup has been won by military teams — that is, until this year.
Breaking the near 100-year history of the event, Roberts, along with teammates Cecil Rhodes, Jon Shue, and Tom Willats, claimed the overall spot and the accompanying Gold Cup after out-shooting all other civilian and military teams, with a combined score of 1109-30X.
Civilians and military shooters competed together at the 2019 NTT Pistol Match.
The NC shooters have known each other for many years, especially from the Eastern CMP Travel Games at Camp Butner in North Carolina. At that event, Shue and Willats have won the Pistol Team Match together in the past. All four team members have earned Distinguished Service Pistol Badges.
Jon Shue Tops Field — Winning Individual Trophies
Leading his team to victory was pistol ace Jon Shue, 38. Shue won individual honors along with sharing the Team’s Gold Cup Trophy and the Oglethorpe Trophy. Shue won numerous awards, including the Military Police Corps Trophy as the highest scoring individual in the NTT. Shue also won the CMP EIC Pistol Match, and the National Trophy Individual (NTI) event. Shue took home the Citizen Military Pistol Trophy as the High Civilian in the NTI and the Anheuser Busch Trophy as the High Civilian in the NTI-NTT Aggregate.
Dramatic Opening Day 2019 at Camp Perry
The 2019 First Shot Ceremony at the Camp Perry CMP National Matches featured former U.S. Army Golden Knights skydiver, SFC (R) Dana Bowman. SFC Bowman lost both of his legs an in-air collision. SFC Bowman descended with a giant 60-foot-long American flag.
Today, July 20, 2019, a Guardian Long Range Competition will be held in Lake City, Michigan. This one-day shooting event is part of a national Guadian series that raises money for foster children and orphans. One hundred percent of the proceeds generated from Guardian events help support orphan and foster care programs. Since 2014, the Guardian events have raised over $750,000 for child placement and family assistance. For more information, visit GuardianLongRange.com.
The Lake City match will follow the general format of Guardian full-day precision shooting events held around the country. Competitors will engage targets at known distances from 100 to 1000 yards. Calibers are restricted to .300 Win Mag and smaller to preserve the steel targets. Guardian matches follow a modest tempo with minimal breaks between stages. Shooters often have 90 seconds to engage a target. Most stages will include “stressors”– either time and/or short movements to the shooting stage area.
The Guardian course of fire combines aspects of law enforcement, military, and practical marksman disciplines. The competition format varies based on the host facility, but usually require anywhere from 80 to 120 rounds to complete several stages. Target size will vary in difficulty based on the shooter’s position, distance, and stage time allotted.
How the Guardian Program Supports Needy Kids
Guardian Match proceeds go toward helping foster children, orphans, and the families who care for those kids in need. Since 2014, the Guardian has raised over $750,000 in this effort. To date all of the proceeds raised by this competition will help reduce the orphan crisis by helping offset the financial cost for parents considering adoption or foster care.
McMillan Fiberglass Stocks will be a leading sponsor of the Lake City Guardian match. McMillan manufactures custom rifle stocks and accessories. Product areas include Tactical, Competition, Benchrest, Hunting & Sport, and Ultralight.
Here’s our friend Jim See, who won the 2015 Heatstroke Open, topping 120 other shooters.
The 2019 Heatstroke Open will be held July 19-21 near Camargo in NW Oklahoma. This major PRS match should attract 120+ competitors. The event schedule includes check-in and sight-in beginning at noon on Friday, July 19, followed by side matches. The two-day match begins on Saturday and concludes at the end of the shooting session on Sunday. An awards ceremony in town will conclude the event.
The Heatstroke Open is one of the longest-running Practical Precision matches in the country. This match venue is a natural terrain field with just a few man-made props. Many targets are tough while other are more-than-generous. Stage time-limits are enough to get all rounds off on each stage. No matter what the shooter’s experience level, this match should be challenging and rewarding. But note, wind reading is critical — conditions have been known to be pretty brutal. Here are three videos covering the last three Heatstroke Open Events in Oklahoma:
2017 Heatstroke Open
2016 Heatstroke Open
2015 Heatstroke Open
McMillan — Heatstroke Open Key Sponsor McMillan Fiberglass Stocks is sponsoring this year’s Heatstroke Open as well as other events on the National Rifle League’s event roster. Through sponsorship, McMillan works to promote the NRL’s mission to encourage the growth and education of precision rifle shooting. CLICK HERE for complete listing of 2019 NRL-sanctioned matches.
Remaining Major 2019 NRL matches, and Match Directors: Heatstroke Open – Camargo, Oklahoma, July 20-21, 2019 | Matt Clem, B.J. Bailey Rock Lake NRL Steel Challenge – Cheney, Washington. Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2019 | Doug Glorfield Monster Lake Mayhem – Cody, Wyoming, September 27-28, 2019 | Phillip Velayo, Caylen Wojcik West Coast Showdown – Pala, California, October 19-20, 2019 | Jorge Ortiz, Scott Satterlee 2019 NRL Championship – Navasota, Texas December 6 – 8, 2019 | Dave Ferguson, Prentice Wink
IBS Brings New Editor Onboard
The 2019 NRA National Pistol Championships took place July 7-12 at Camp Perry, Ohio. Since 1907, the nation’s finest marksmen and women come together annually at Camp Perry to shoot a variety of handgun formats and events, both rimfire (.22 LR) and centerfire. The annual Camp Perry Championships represent the most prestigious bullseye pistol competitions in North America.
1. Walk the Base. Do not drive around. Get used to walking. Walk from your hut to everything. Walk to the administration buildings. Walk to the ranges. Walk to commercial row. Walk to the CMP North Store. Walk to the CMP or Army trailer to have the triggers of your rifles(s) weighed. Walk. This is your primary mode of transportation while on base.
