A few good men (and women) — that’s what the shooting sports need these days. We need skilled, trained personnel to serve as Range Safety Officers (RS0s). Without RSOs, there would be no shooting matches — no F-Class, no High Power, no Smallbore Matches — you get the idea. Thankfully there are now ways to get requisite RSO training without costly travel far from home.
The NRA now offers an online training course for its Range Safety Officer (RSO) program. The online course teaches the skills needs to conduct and supervise safe shooting activities and range operations. Online RSO Course students can access the electronic course materials for 90 days. You can complete the course in multiple sessions. The program will save your progress so you can return later.
• Introduction to the NRA Basic Range Safety Officer Course
• The Role of the NRA Range Safety Officer and Range Standard Operating Procedures
• Range Inspection and Range Rules
• Range Safety Briefing
• Emergency Procedures
• Firearm Stoppages and Malfunctions
Who Can Take the Course?: The Online RSO Course is available to anyone who currently possess a valid NRA Firearms Instructor certification or NRA Coach appointment. Course cost is $125.00. Individuals without a trainer rating must attend the in-person Range Safety Officer course consisting of both classroom time and practical exercises on a range.
Certification Procedure: Students must complete all six lessons and a short electronically administered test in order to become a certified Range Safety Officer. Once the test has been passed, newly certified Range Safety Officers will receive an electronic completion certificate that can be printed or saved to a computer.
The NRA RSO program was developed in response to the demand for a nationally-recognized range safety officer certification. More than 54,000 NRA Range Safety Officers are involved in aspects of target shooting, training, and range supervision around the USA.
Range Safety Officer supervises the line at Berger SW Nationals. Without dedicated RSOs, we could not have matches like these.
It’s March 17th today — St. Patrick’s Day. To help celebrate this traditional day of Irish pride, parades, and green beer, the NRA has created two (2) fun targets you can download, print, and shoot. Try out these free targets and see if you have the “luck of the Irish”. Click each Irish target photo below to open a high-rez PDF file you can download and print.
The first target features a large four-leaf clover in the middle, with 17 other smaller three-leaf shamrocks around the outside. With five black bulls-eyes in the center graphic, that gives you a total of 22 aiming points for shooting fun. For added challenge we suggest you set this target at 100 yards for rimfire rifle and 200 years for a centerfire gun.
CLICK Below for Big PDF Shamrock Target
The second target offers the legendary Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. Along with a big bullseye on the pot, there are 15 shamrocks in gold circles, plus five small gold bars with tiny bullseyes. Those smallest bulls will be a challenge even at 100 yards. You’ll need a half-MOA (or better) rifle to “clean” this target, hitting the smallest red dots.
CLICK Below for Big PDF Pot of Gold Target
Whether you’re Irish or not, these targets will hopefully bring you a bit of luck. Click each image above to open a high-rez PDF file that you can print out. Then, this St. Patty’s day, wear your green, grab your gear, and head to range for some fun shooting.
Note how men and women compete on the same firing line. Photos courtesy NRA Blog.
Starting today, St. Patrick’s Day, many of the nation’s top young shooters will be at Fort Benning, Georgia at the 2018 NRA Intercollegiate Rifle and Pistol Shooting Club Championships. Hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), the event runs March 17-25, 2018, with pistol matches first, followed by rifle competition. More than 100 marksmen (and women) from collegiate shooting programs across the USA will compete for individual and team honors.
Story based on Report in NRA Blog
The NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Championships (March 17-20), will determine the National Collegiate Individual and Team Champions in Free Pistol, Standard Pistol, Open Air Pistol, Women’s Air Pistol and Women’s Sport Pistol disciplines. Competitors have qualified based on scores fired in the annual NRA Intercollegiate Pistol Sectionals.
Once the Pistol Championships wrap up, the NRA Intercollegiate Rifle Club Championships run March 23-25. This year brings back the reigning champions of the University of Akron to defend their title. Throughout the rifle championship, all participants and coaches will also have an opportunity to participate in Smallbore Rifle and Air Rifle competitions and training summits.
Visit the NRA Blog and Shooting Sports USA for coverage of the NRA Intercollegiate Pistol and Rifle Club Championships. To learn more about the NRA’s Collegiate programs, visit Collegiate.NRA.org.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
1. Sportsman’s Guide — Savage 10 GRS .308 Win for $1049.99
This GRS-stocked Savage can get you into the F-TR game for around a grand (Buyer’s Club price is $999.47). Add a 26-28″ premium, aftermarket Krieger barrel and we bet this Savage could compete with some custom F-TR rifles costing twice as much. Use the original fluted 20″ .308 Win barrel for hunting or tac comps. The GRS Berserk stock is great (at least for right-handers). The grip is very comfortable and you can instantly adjust Cheekpiece Height and Length of Pull (LOP) with the push of a button. This GRS stock is plenty strong — it won’t flex when shooting from bipod. This is a very good deal. The same .308 Win Savage Model 10 rifle sells for $1299.99 on Cabelas.com.
2. Grafs.com — Lyman Pro-Touch Digital Scale, $44.99 (42% Off)
We like this little Lyman Pro-Touch scale for the price — $44.99. No this compact digital scale won’t compete with a $700 Force Restoration balance that can measure a half-kernel. But this little Lyman is good enough for range loading, and for other tasks, such as sorting bullets and brass by weight. Graf’s $44.99 price is a genuine bargain. Lyman says the scale has “accuracy to 1/10th grain with anti-drift technology”. It can run with supplied AC adapter or three AAA batteries. This very same scale sells for $79.59 right now on Amazon. You can save over 40% by buying from Grafs.com this week.
3. Bullets.com — Super Liquidation Prices, Some Items Below Cost
This is big news. Bullets.com, a leading vendor of components, reloading supplies, and tools, is closing up shop. Some of the product lines will still be carried by Grizzly.com, but bullets, brass, powder, and ammo inventories are being liquidated along with many reloading products and gunsmithing tools. You’ll find huge discounts on many top-tier products — such as Lapua brass, Berger bullets, and Hodgdon powder. Some big-name items are selling now below cost. Our Forum members have been grabbing up brass and bullets, but there are still deals to be had. Every serious shooter should visit Bullets.com right now to take advantage of these one-time super savings. We’re very sad to see Bullets.com close up shop, but their loss is your gain. Jump on these deals while you can.
4. Whittaker Guns — Howa 1500 Mini Action 6.5 Grendel, $349.99
With this deal you can get a complete 6.5 Grendel Howa 1500 rifle (Mini Action) with HACT 2-Stage Trigger for just $349.99. That’s $57.00 less than the price of a Howa 1500 barreled action by itself without the nice green stock! ($407.00 at Brownells). This is a no-frills rifle, but its hard to beat the $349.99 price for a solid, multi-purpose rifle. Use “As-Is” for hunting or drop it into a modular stock for tactical/practical games. These are smooth-running actions. NOTE: This Howa 1500 Mini Action rifle is also available in .223 Rem for $349.99.
5. Sportsman’s Guide — Federal .22 LR Ammo, 525 Rds $23.99
Here’s a GREAT deal on name-brand .22 LR Plinking ammo — 525 rounds for $23.99. That’s just 4.5 cents per round (and the Members price is even lower — just $22.79). We’ve tried this copper-nosed .22 LR rimfire ammo in pistols, boat-action rifles, and semi-auto rifles and it functioned fine. Hard to beat this price — $23.99 for 525 rounds with no limit on the amount you can purchase. This Federal Value Pack contains 525 rounds of reliable .22 LR rimfire ammo loaded with 36-grain hollow-point bullets, suitable for target shooting and plinking. Item: # WX2-77445 NOTE: This ammo also qualifies for FREE Products if you spend at least $75.00.
6. Bushnell 30% Off Optics — Scopes, LRFs, Spotters, Binoculars
This may be the best optics rebate you’ll see all year. Now through March 30, 2018, Bushnell will rebate thirty percent (30%) of the purchase price of a qualifying Bushnell optics product. This 30 for 30 Promotion applies to select Bushnell binoculars, riflescopes, laser rangefinders, or spotting scopes. After purchase, submit the rebate form and you’ll receive 30% of your purchase price back in the form of a Bushnell Visa Prepaid Card. You can save a bundle with this rebate. NOTE: Offer excludes Bushnell Golf, Bushnell BackTrack GPS, Bushnell Trail Cameras, Bushnell Elite Tactical Riflescopes, and Bushnell TRS-25 products. GET REBATE FORM.
7. Grafs.com — Magnetospeed Sporter $178.99
If you have been waiting to get a Magnetospeed… wait no longer. Priced at just $178.99 at Grafs.com, the Magnetospeed Sporter model costs less than half as much as Magnetospeed’s V3 models. This chronograph attaches directly to your barrel so you don’t have to go downrange to position tripods and set up skyscreens. For most people the Sporter Model contains all the features they need. Using Magnetospeed’s XFR adapter (sold separately), data can be transferred easily from the display module to your mobile device. READ Magnetospeed Sporter Review.
8. Midsouth — MTM Ammo Rack with Four 50rd Boxes, $14.42
MTM’s innovative new Ammo Rack holds four 50-round ammo boxes, which are supplied with the Rack. This is a good deal at $14.42 for rack AND 4 ammo boxes. Made from high impact polypropylene, MTM Ammo Racks can be stored standing, stacked flat, or hung on a wall to save space and keep your ammunition handy. The Rack’s internal shelves are adjustable for different combinations and four holes are molded into the back for secure mounting to a wall. This MTM ARRS-model Ammo Rack comes with four RS-50 blue ammo boxes that will each hold fifty round of .221 Fireball, .223 Rem, 204 Ruger, or 6×47 Lapua ammunition.
These Six-inch “splatter” targets display a bright yellow ring around each bullet hole. We like these adhesive Glow Shot targets for practice at 300-600 yards. The neon yellow on black provides high contrast so you can easily see 6mm bullet impacts at 600 yards. The 6″-diameter is one-MOA at 600 yards — a good aiming center size. Priced at just $14.99 for a sixty-count package, these are a good value compared to the larger Birchwood Casey Splatter Targets. Note: This Glow Shot target is also available in a Red Circle version, and Tri-Color version (red, yellow, and green).
Good news for fans of vintage military rifles. The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has received roughly 99,000 M1 Garand rifles from the Philippines and Turkey. These former U.S. Allies had received the rifles from the USA via long-term loans decades ago. Now they are finally coming home.
Gina Johnson, CMP’s general manager, told Guns.com that: “We have roughly 86,000 rifles from the Philippines and roughly 13,000 rifles from Turkey in our possession”. The M1 Garands have been arriving by the container-load over the past month, and the CMP has been moving the rifles into warehouses (see below):
The CMP Moves Tens of Thousands of M1 Garands into CMP Warehouses:
Rifles will Be Inspected, Repaired, Graded and Test-Fired
Over the next few months, the CMP will be “processing” the rifles. Each of the M1s will have to be cleaned, inspected, potentially repaired or rebuilt, and then test fired. Afterward, the M1 Garands will be sorted and graded, which ultimately determines each rifle’s sale price.
“We’ve already begun on the Turkish rifles,” CMP Chief Operating Officer Mark Johnson said in an interview with the NRA. “They’re already filtering into the system and there are some on the racks for sale now.” Apparently neither country added any marks on the rifles, so the repatriated guns are not distinguishable from any other M1 Garand, Johnson said.
While we’ve known about the Philippine Garands for quite some time, Guns.com reports that collectors were surprised to learn about the Turkish Garands: “The Philippino guns have been on the radar for months while CMP has kept the news on the Turkish M1s closer to the vest. The influx of vintage rifles…is one of the biggest stockpiles the [CMP] has received in recent years.”
The arrival of these 99,000 M1 Garands is great news for rifle collectors. Garands have been in short supply in recent years, as the Obama administration opposed repatriation of surplus military rifles from overseas allies. Garands were getting harder to acquire from the CMP. In fact, over the past two years, many common Garand varients have been “sold out” on the CMP site.
If you are looking to obtain an authentic, safe-to-shoot M1 Garand, the CMP is your best bet. Each M1 Garand rifle sold by the CMP is an genuine U.S. Government rifle that has been inspected, head-spaced, repaired if necessary, and test fired for function. Each rifle is shipped with safety manual, one 8-round clip, and chamber safety flag. CMP operations, warehousing, inspection & repair, test firing, sales order processing and distribution activities are headquartered in Anniston, Alabama.
How to Order an M1 Garand from the CMP
To purchase an M1 Garand through the CMP, you must be an adult U.S. Citizen, and a member of an affiliated organization who has participated in a “Marksmanship Activity”. This basically meas you need to join a a gun club and participate in a clinic or match. Proof of club membership and citizenship is mandatory for all ages. However, the marksmanship requirement is waived for those over 60 years. Garands must be ordered by mail or through official CMP Auctions. CLICK HERE to Start Order.
M1 Garands at CMP Retail Store in Anniston, Alabama.
This story, from our Gun of the Week Archives, offers a good intro to the 30 BR cartridge, which is still the leading chambering for short-range Score Benchrest.
What’s better than one custom-built 30 BR with gorgeous wood and top-shelf components? A matching pair of course. Just ask Australian shooter Greg Roche (“Caduceus” in our Forum). A decade ago, Greg spent two years living and working in the USA. While in America, he commissioned two matched custom rifles to bring back to Australia for Hunter Class BR matches. Though the look-alike rigs are both chambered in 30 BR, one is designed for the Australian “Traditional” centerfire Hunter Class (10-lb limit), while the other is purpose-built for the “Custom” centerfire Hunter Class (14-lb limit). The 10-lb Traditional rifle features a fully-functioning two-round magazine and a 6-power scope. In contrast the Custom Class rifle is a single-shot action, with a 45X Leupold scope. The Custom weighs 13.5 pounds so it can also be used in traditional Heavy Varmint Benchrest matches if desired.
Tale of Two Rifles Story and Photos by Greg Roche (“Caduceus”)
The USA boasts some of the finest precision rifle-builders and Benchrest parts suppliers in the world. Before returning to Australia after two years in the States, I decided to have two special BR rifles built using American components and skilled labor. I wanted a matched pair–twin guns that would be as handsome as they were accurate. The heavier gun of the pair, the 13.5-lb Custom Class rifle, features top-of-the-line (but well-proven) technologies and components. With the 10.5-lb Traditional Class rifle, we had to develop new solutions to allow the 30 BR cartridge to feed from a functional two-round magazine. Here is my saga of how my twin 30 BRs were conceived and built, and how they have performed in competition.
BACKGROUND — The 30 BR for Score Competition
The 30 BR is a wildcat cartridge based on a necked-up version of the 6mmBR Norma case. It originated in U.S. Benchrest circles where it found its niche in Varmint For Score (VFS) matches. Unlike traditional Benchrest, where group size determines the winner, VFS matches are shot on a target with multiple, concentric-ringed bullseyes. Point total is based on “best edge” shot location (one shot per bull). In score competition, the 30 BR’s “supersized” .308-diameter hole offers an advantage over the 6mm hole created by a 6 PPC, the dominant group BR chambering.
The starting point for loading the 30 BR wildcat is Lapua 6mmBR brass. These are necked up as a single-step operation using a .30 caliber tapered expander ball (or dedicated expander mandrel). This will leave a bulge in the neck, so the expanded case neck is normally turned to bring the thickness down to the correct dimension for the chamber. I turned these necks down to .010″ wall thickness using a Stiller neck-turning tool. It features an eccentric mandrel similar to the Nielson “Pumpkin”. Loaded rounds measure .328″ neck diameter. This gives minimum clearance in my .330″ neck chamber, so very little neck resizing is needed after firing. Cases are trimmed to 1.500″ prior to turning to ensure consistency since the Stiller tool indexes the length of cut off the case mouth. Other than that, cases are just chamfered, loaded and made ready to shoot. No special fire-forming is required.
17-Twist Barrels for Both Rifles
Texan gunsmith Mike Bryant chambered both barrels. Mike also polished both barrels to a high-gloss to match the receivers. In this game, barrels are consumables, much like powder and primers, so most owners wouldn’t bother to polish their barrels. However a 30 BR barrel can provide up to 5000 rounds of accurate life (unlike a 6PPC barrel which might be tossed after 800-1000 rounds.) So, these barrels are likely to be on the rifles for many seasons. Given the high-gloss finish of the Grizzly actions and the beauty of the Red Cedar stocks, it would have been an injustice to leave a dull finish on the barrels.
The chambers were both cut with the same reamer supplied by Dave Kiff of Pacific Tool and Gauge. Randy Robinett, one of the originators of the 30 BR wildcat, specified the reamer dimensions. Randy’s 118gr, 10-ogive custom BIB bullets and the 30 BR cartridge enjoy a winning track record in the USA. The 30 BR Robinette reamer has zero free-bore and a .330″ neck, and is optimized for the BIB 118s. The bullets perform best when seated far enough out to jam firmly into the rifling as the bolt is closed. The long ogive means the bullet’s bearing surface is very short.
Slow Twists for Maximum Accuracy
You may note the unusually slow twist rate of both barrels. In most .30-caliber chamberings, the barrel twist rate is 1:11 or 1:12 to stabilize 150gr to 200gr bullets. The 30 BR is optimized for 115gr to 118gr flat-base bullets and 1:17 provides sufficient stability at muzzle velocities around 2900-3000 fps. In competitive Benchrest, where every thousandth of an inch counts, over-stabilization of projectiles can hurt accuracy, so “just stable enough” is the goal; hence the 1:17 twist.
Case Forming, Case Prep, and Reloading Methods
A Sinclair case neck micrometer indicates neck thickness of 0.010″ after neck turning.
30 BR dies are readily available from a number of manufacturers. I personally use Wilson neck and seating dies with a Sinclair Arbor press, but Redding and Forster both supply high-quality threaded dies for use in a conventional press. For under $100.00 US, custom full-length dies can be obtained from Hornady and CH Tool & Die by sending them reamer prints or a couple of fired cases. Harrell’s Precision offers “semi-custom” dies. Just send them some fired cases and they select a pre-made CNC-cut die that ideally fits your chamber. You can ask the Harrell brothers for a die that’s tighter at the shoulder or base, or otherwise customized to your preferences.
Load Development and Accuracy Testing
With cases formed and bullets selected, load development is simply a matter of choosing the right primer, powder and charge weight, and loading the most consistent ammunition possible. The Lapua BR cases use a small rifle primer. The choice here was Federal 205 Match primers vs. CCI BR4 Benchrest primers. Some shooters have also had success using CCI 450 Magnum primers but it is very unlikely the small case needs this much spark to light off regular extruded powders. In my case, I selected Federal primers because availability tends to be better in Australia.
The relatively large bore-to-capacity ratio of the 30 BR case means that fast burning powders are the order of the day. Once again, US experience suggests H4198 (the Hodgdon equivalent of ADI AR2207) is the choice of match winners. The fact that H4198/AR2207 is an Australian-made product is an added bonus. So, I loaded up test rounds with AR2207 from 32.5 grains to 35.0 grains in approximately 0.3 grain increments. All bullets were seated to jam +0.010″ into the lands. This places the bullet base about two-thirds of the way down the neck and well short of the neck-shoulder junction.
How would you like to represent the United States in top-level International Shooting competitions? Well, if F-Class is your game, here is your opportunity. F-Class Team USA will be conducting try-outs for the United States squads who will represent our country in F-TR and F-Open divisions (plus Under-25) at the 2021 World Championships. The try-outs are open to any competitive shooter with a class-compliant rifle and the will to win. Team leadership expressly welcomes newcomers.
Initial and primary tryouts are planned during the 2018 U.S. National Championships in Raton, NM, and the 2019 SW Nationals in Phoenix, AZ. There may also be an early 2019 tryout date at Butner, NC.
Dan Bramley Invites Shooters to Team USA F-Class Try-Outs
Official Invitation to Team USA F-Class Try-Outs To the F-Class Community–
On behalf of Team USA 2021, we are pleased to invite the best of USA F-class to consider joining our effort for the 2021 World Championships in Bloemfontein, South Africa. We are reaching out with this invitation to provide some general information on our plans for 2021 and for upcoming try-out dates for the unified Team USA: F-TR, F-Open, and Under 25.
We are moving forward with F-Open, F-TR, and Under 25 unified as one USA F-class 2021 Team. This will allow us to take advantage of each team’s strengths and provide needed purchasing power and coordination for event and logistic costs. We also believe this will help encourage and grow our sport. We will share ideas, event/facility dates and best practices within this unified team, however, individual team segments will make their own decisions. Therefore, please direct your responses and inquiries to the appropriate team leadership.
Being part of Team USA is a major commitment of time and resources. We do have wonderful and sizable sponsorship partners who we thank and rely on for moderating individual team member costs. However, due to the location of this World Championship effort, one can expect to help cover a commensurate level of the costs.
We are now moving into the USA “development team” stage of the process. This team is open to newcomers… there are many newer names showing up on the top of leader-boards and many new teams that are making positive impacts. If you are interested in being part of Team USA, please consider making that commitment. We would like to hear from you by March 23, 2018.
Team Time Expectations
Attendance at SWN and US Nationals will be expected for 2019 and 2020. We will also likely expect the final team to attend the Berger SWN in 2021 or have an alternative site for a final practice prior to our trip. We will try to have afternoon or evening team sessions during these events however we may have team days just prior or after these events to maximize the use of individual travel dollars and time. We will also likely have additional team training dates in 2019 and 2020, likely on east coast ranges to facilitate best availability for all.
Shooting/Coaching Position Opportunities
We are equally passionate about developing coaching/shooting teams for winning gold medal efforts in both the Richardson Cup (8-man) and Rutland Cup (4-man) World Championship Events. Obtaining a shooting or coaching spot on one of these teams is an absolute gauntlet of a commitment and consistent strong results will be required as the USA is blessed with wonderful depth. We encourage all, with proven success in our sport, to test themselves at this highest of levels.
Team Try-Out Dates and Locations
Initial and primary tryouts are planned during the 2018 US National Championships in Raton, NM and the 2019 SW Nationals in Phoenix, AZ. There may also be an early 2019 tryout date at Butner, NC.
If you are interested in further information, please contact our Team USA leadership:
Dan Bramley, Captain USA F-Open
usrifleteam2021fopen [at] gmail.com
Phil Kelley, Jr., Captain USA F-TR
usarifle2021 [at] gmail.com
Rick Jensen, Captain USA U25
U25USAFclass [at] gmail.com
Forty-Nine Major PRS Matches — Thousands of Participants
The Precision Rifle Series (PRS) for tactical-style rifles, remains one of the fastest-growing forms of rifle competition. For 2018, there will be more matches, in more venues around the country. This year’s PRS will include 43 Bolt Gun Series matches and six (6) Gas Gun Series matches. The bolt gun matches average 120 to 150 shooters while the gas gun matches typically draw 70 to 100 shooters. In addition to the Pro Series, there’s the PRS Club Series, which is estimated to have 2,000 to 3,000 participants.
The GAP Grind is always one of the most popular PRS matches of the year.
Many of our readers are thinking of trying out PRS-type competition. Along with F-Class, tactical/practical disciplines are the fastest-growing forms of competitive rifle shooting. Rich Emmons, one of the founders of the Precision Rifle Series (PRS), has written an article about getting started in PRS. this Getting Started article will help PRS novices pick the right equipment and understand the game. You may also want to read the PRS FAQ Page.
This Video Shows Highlights from a Major PRS Match
Hornady Commits to $50,000 Sponsorship
One of the reasons for the success of the PRS is the support of major sponsors such as Armalite, Bushnell, Nightforce, and now Hornady. Nebraska-based Hornady Manufacturing has become a sponsor of the 2018 Precision Rifle Series at the $50,000/year Patriot Level. Mollie Tobias, PRS Sponsorship director, explained the importance of sponsors such as Hornady. “Hornady, being one of the most respected brands in reloading components, is the perfect fit to help us appeal to and educate our shooters,” she said. “Hornady’s name recognition and brand reputation are a huge help to our series and communicate to the members that we are a premier series working with premier brands.”
We are pleased to see Hornady as a sponsor. Hornady produces loaded ammo as well as brass and bullets. According to PRS surveys of its members, many of those shooters are interested in reloading, and reloading supplies (bullets, brass, and powder) are among the most requested items for match prize tables.
Pick your passion — High Power, F-Class, Silhouette, Smallbore, Air Rifle, Pistol, Black Powder. The NRA runs National Championships for all these disciplines and more. Attending a National Championship event is a big commitment, but it’s worth it. You can meet new friends, test your mettle against the nation’s best, and record memories that can last a lifetime.
Mark your calendars boys and girls — here is the complete 2018 NRA National Match schedule. This includes the National High Power Championship, National F-Class Championship, Fullbore (Palma) Championship, and a 15 more major national events. The date and location are included for each listing. Click the link for each championship to go directly to the official NRA championship page for that particular discipline to get more information or to register. To get more information, visit compete.nra.org or send email to: comphelp@nrahq.org.
Earlier this month the Ben Avery Range in Phoenix hosted America’s top long-range shooters at the Berger SW Nationals. This upcoming week, 1000 cowboys and cowgirls take over Ben Avery during Winter Range, the SASS National Championship for Cowboy Action Shooting. Winter Range, which runs February 19-25, 2018, is the second largest Cowboy Action event of the year, after End of Trail, the annual Single Action Shooting Society World Championship held each year in Edgewood, New Mexico.
This video, produced a few seasons back by the Arizona Fish and Game Commission, covers the full Winter Range experience, including the main shooting competitions, the side matches, the Western costumes, the socializing, and more. Worth watching if you like action shooting or are just a fan of the Wild West.
Hundreds of cowboy action shooters, ages 12-80, will compete in multiple classifications based on age, and type/caliber of firearms. In addition, this year the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association and the SASS Mounted Shooters held the exciting Winter Championship in nearby Queen Creek, Arizona. The 3-day event, held February 14-17, drew more than 100 competitors mounted on horses. You’ll see this kind of action:
Cowboy Action Shooting requires that contestants compete with firearms typical of those used in the taming of the Old West: single-action revolvers, lever-action rifles, and period shotguns. Participants each have a registered cowboy shooting alias (such as “Deadeye Dave”), used in SASS events. Competitors, organized in “Posses”, shoot a series of multi-gun stages. This is a fun shooting sport that draws multiple generations of the same family. In addition to the primary competitions, Winter Range 2018 will feature displays of period militaria, exhibitions of western skills and crafts, a fast-draw contest, and nearly 100 vendors selling vintage-style clothing and “sundries”.
The Online RSO Course consists of SIX LESSONS:
Certification Procedure: Students must complete all six lessons and a short electronically administered test in order to become a certified Range Safety Officer. Once the test has been passed, newly certified Range Safety Officers will receive an electronic completion certificate that can be printed or saved to a computer.
30 BR dies are readily available from a number of manufacturers. I personally use Wilson neck and seating dies with a Sinclair Arbor press, but Redding and Forster both supply high-quality threaded dies for use in a conventional press. For under $100.00 US, custom full-length dies can be obtained from 
Being part of Team USA is a major commitment of time and resources. We do have wonderful and sizable sponsorship partners who we thank and rely on for moderating individual team member costs. However, due to the location of this World Championship effort, one can expect to help cover a commensurate level of the costs.
