Score one for Australian shooters. After a lengthy legal battle, the New South Wales Rifle Association (NSWRA) has preserved its rights to use the historic ANZAC Range on the outskirts of Sydney.
Last week, the New South Wales Supreme Court ruled that the Commonwealth Government could not shut down NSWRA shooting operations at ANZAC Range (and sell the 100-hectare Range site) because the Commonwealth had not provided a suitable alternative facility. The Court held that, under the terms of a 2000 License Agreement, NSWRA could not be evicted from the ANZAC Range until such time as a suitable new range was provided for use by the NSWRA and affiliated shooting clubs.
The ANZAC Range, the largest rifle range in the southern hemisphere, is located on the Malabar Headland, south of Sydney. The ANZAC Range has been a revered venue for Australian marksmen for more than a century and a half. It is headquarters to the New South Wales Rifle Association (NSWRA), and hosts the annual NSW Queen’s Prize. The range is shared among various shooting associations and clubs with the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA) occupying the “southern” end of the complex. The range is also extensively used by clubs affiliated with the SSAA and NSWRA. The ANZAC range is steeped in history. It has been used for recreational shooting since the 1860s. The term “ANZAC” comes from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The early Australian Defense Corps trained at the Malabar Range, and Allied troops trained there during World War II.
In recent decades, the New South Wales Rifle Association has been embroiled in a court case against the Commonwealth Government over the Malabar Headland, the land on which the ANZAC Rifle Range is located. In July 1986 the Commonwealth Government resolved to sell the ANZAC Rifle Range. Since that time the NSW Rifle Association and the dozens of gun clubs that regularly use the ANZAC Rifle Range have been facing closure. There were a series of eviction notices and legal proceedings, culminating in a year 2000 License Agreement under which the NSWRA was allowed ongoing use of the ANZAC Rifle Range at Malabar until an alternative site became available. There were plans to open a new public range for the NSWRA at the Holsworthy Army Base. However, those plans were scrapped and the Commonwealth never acquired and built a new facility. (Under the terms of the License Agreement, the Commonwealth was to give the NSWRA part of the Holsworthy Barracks and $9 million to help it relocate there.)
Commonwealth officials assert the ANZAC Range would be converted to a National Park once shooting activities were terminated. The Range property would be deeded to the NSW State Government for Park use.
Though there were a number of lesser issues involved in the ANZAC Range litigation (including asbestos abatement and structure maintenance), the NSW Supreme Court’s decision turned on the failure of the Commonwealth to provide an alternative facility: “The Commonwealth has not given a Relocation Notice. Apparently it was decided that it was not appropriate that the Holsworthy Army Base be made available to provide a range for private shooting clubs. Although other potential rifle ranges have been identified, so far as appears, no steps have been taken, other than the carrying out of studies, to relocate the ANZAC Rifle Range.”
Under the terms of the Court’s ruling, the NSWRA can continue to use the ANZAC Range (but not necessarily forever). The Supreme Court’s ruling specifically blocks the Commonwealth from evicting the NSWRA from the ANZAC Range… for now. And likewise the Commonwealth is enjoined from selling or transferring the range property on the Malabar Headland. A range closure is still possible in the years ahead, but the Commonwealth must first provide a suitable replacement range complex.
Aussie Shooters Celebrate Legal Victory
Australian shooters are hailing this court decision as a major victory. The editor of Shooting.com.au, a leading Australian shooting sports website, tells us: “The NSWRA has won its case against the Government, thereby establishing [an important] precedent for shooters in Australia. Where previously we were trod upon without care, we now have a strong precedent with which to challenge, and hopefully prevail over, future legislative changes and government actions. It’s been a long time since Australian shooters had anything to celebrate about.” For more information, visit www.saveanzacrange.com.
Report by Lindsey J. Morgan for the NRA Blog.
The NRA Smallbore Three-Position National Championships commenced today at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio. The first event, the prone stage of the Metallic Sight Matches, got off to a rainy start Thursday morning. The prone phase consists of two 20-shot stages fired in twenty minutes each, at 50 yards with metallic sights— a total of 40 shots. A light rain started while relay one was shooting, and after about ten minutes, a cease-fire was called due to lightning threats. After about fifteen minutes, the tower announced shooting could resume with a one-minute prep period. Competitors went back to the firing line, set up their equipment and resumed shooting. The weather forecast calls for rain and scattered thunderstorms the rest of today.
At the Smallbore practice session on Wednesday, well-known shooters filled the line: Tarl and Reya Kempley, last year’s 3-Position Champion Joseph Hein, and USAMU paralympic member Joshua Olson. Olson will compete at Camp Perry before heading over to London for the 2012 Olympics. The slide show below features photos by NRA Blog Editor Lars Dalseide, taken during the practice session.
Already respected for her High Power and Long-Range shooting, Nancy Tompkins added the 2012 NRA National Metric Prone Smallbore Rifle National Championship to her impressive shooting resume.
The weather was very hot and breezy for the 2012 Metric Prone National Championships conducted at the Wa-Ke’-De Rifle Range, Bristol, Indiana. Forty-two competitors were on hand for this third Annual Metric Prone Nationals. On Monday the 1200-point Iron Sights Aggregate was held, followed by the Any Sight Aggregate on Tuesday. Winds began mild and built throughout the day. The range is sheltered by high trees, but as the wind increases, it swirls, making this range a very difficult place to shoot (especially given the use of the more difficult Olympic metric targets). The 100-yard stage of each day was the determining factor!
Tompkins won the Iron Sight Aggregate with a score of 1172-55X to beat young Garrett Spurgeon by four points and Katie Bridges by 13. Kevin Nevius said: “Nancy was amazing — her 100-yard performance was some of the best shooting I have ever seen.”
Fellow Team Lapua member Kevin was shooting great himself. In the Any Sight competition, Kevin captured the National Title with an aggregate score of 1176-56X. Runner-up was Ron Wigger with 1169-54X, while Tompkins was High Woman at 1165-46X.
Tompkins’ consistency paid off as she captured the National Title with a total score of 2337-101X to narrowly defeat Spurgeon (2333-115X) and Nevius (2328-96X). “I was able to visit the new Lapua Service Center in Mesa, AZ about two weeks ago and found the perfect Lapua ammunition for my rifle,” reported Tompkins. Nancy was shooting Lapua Midas+ ammo, while Kevin Nevius competed using Lapua’s X-ACT ammunition. For additional information on the NRA Metric Smallbore Rifle National Championship visit http://www.nrahq.org/compete/nm_metric-prone.asp. To learn more about Lapua products and the Lapua Service Center contact Adam Braverman at abraverman [at] lapua.us.
National Metric Smallbore Championships Results
GRAND AGGREGATE
Nancy Tompkins: Winner, 2337-101X
Garrett Spurgeon: Second, 2333-115X
Kevin Nevius: Third, 2328-96X
Joe Farmer: High Senior, 2318-112X
Michelle Bohren: High Lady, 2310-91X
Katie Bridges: High Junior, 2320-108X
Virginia McLemore: High Senior Lady, 2306-91X
IRON AGGREGATE
Nancy Tompkins: Winner. 1172-55X
Garrett Spurgeon: 1168-60X
Dempster Christenson: 1156-50X
Katie Bridges: High Lady, 1159-55X
Joe Farmer: High Sr., 1153-47X
Amanda Luoma: High Jr., 1138-43X
Virginia McLemore: High Sr., 1148-41X
Sarah Nakata: High Jr. Lady, 1139-36X
Samantha Peterson: High School Jr., 1123-31X
ANY SIGHT AGGREGATE
Kevin Nevius: Winner, 1176-56X
Ron Wigger: Second, 1169-54X
Garrett Spurgeon: Third, 1165-55X
Nancy Tompkins: High Lady, 1165-46X
Joe Farmer: High Sr., 1165-51X
Katie Bridges: High Jr., 1161-53X
Virginia McLemore: High Sr. Lady, 1158-50X
Using a “box-stock”, 30-lb Steyr HS.50 rifle, Walter Wilkinson of Edgewood, NM, bested a field of 31 competitors (most using heavier custom rifles) to take the Hunter Class Score title at the recent Fifty Caliber Shooters Association World Championships. This event was held July 1st and 2nd at the NRA Whittington Center outside Raton, NM. This is the second year in a row that a competitor with an off-the-shelf Steyr HS.50 won the Hunter Class title. (Eduardo Abril de Fontcuberta won Hunter Class with an HS.50 last year.)
Wilkinson, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces sergeant major and current Gunsite Academy instructor, ran up a two-day Aggregate score of 274-6X out of a possible 300, beating his next closest competitor, .50 Cal legend Lee Rasmussen, by two Xs. The Hunter Class is a 1,000-yard course of fire consisting of six, five-shot strings, with three strings shot on the first day, and three strings shot on the second day. Due to the wildly varying winds on this range, competitors who shot in the morning of the first day were required to shoot in the afternoon of the second day, and vice versa, to equal the playing field.
Slotted in the first afternoon’s fourth relay, Wilkinson’s consistency, solid wind-doping and holding skills paid off as the winds made an especially tricky display with a 180-degree shift as thunderheads came over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Heading into his morning relay on the second day, Wilkinson found himself in second place with nothing to do but hammer the 10-ring to work his way into the championship title.
Wilkinson’s .50 Delivered Quarter-MOA Groups During Load Testing
Wilkinson said the Steyr .50-Cal has shown outstanding accuracy: “As I was working up a load for the HS.50, I shot groups that amazed me. I was getting groups of .214 MOA at 220 yards, and I didn’t know what to think. All the bullets were going in the same hole, and it was like ‘Wow, I’ve really got a rifle that can shoot here’. They were the best groups that I have ever shot in my life — and they were with the .50 BMG!” That surprised Wilkinson: “With my [military] experience with the performance of the same cartridge overseas, I didn’t expect that kind of accuracy out of it.”
Wilkinson Was Also Member of Winning .50 Cal Team
Along with his individual Hunter Class Title, Wilkinson earned team honors as a Ten-X team member. The Ten-X team won the Team World Championship with an aggregate score of 1081-24X combined with an average group size of 14.549 inches. Each team had four shooters with one from each of the four classes represented at the .50 Caliber Championships: Light, Heavy, Unlimited, and Hunter.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has just released the latest, 8th Edition of the CMP Guide to Rimfire Sporter Shooting. This FREE, 50-page digital publication covers equipment, positions, course of fire, rules, scoring and much more. You’ll find helpful “how-to” sections on aiming, sight picture, hold control, and trigger control. Reading these sections can benefit any prone or three-position shooter.
The National Rimfire Sporter Match will be held next Sunday, July 22nd, at Camp Perry (Port Clinton, Ohio). It is still possible to sign up for this fun event — which draws more shooters than any other competition at the annual National Matches. Register today at www.cmp.org/NM.html.
Rimfire Sporter Match Basics
The CMP Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match is an inexpensive, fun-oriented competition using .22 caliber sporter rifles (plinking and small game rifles) commonly owned by most gun enthusiasts. To compete, all you need is a basic rifle, safety gear, and ammunition. No fancy, high-dollar rifles are required.
The event is shot with standard sporter-type, rimfire rifles that can weigh no more than 7 ½ pounds, with sights and sling. Rifles may be manually operated or semi-automatic; shooters with manually operated actions are given extra time in rapid-fire to compensate for the difference.
There are three classes of competition — the standard “O Class” for open-sighted rifles, “T-Class” for telescope sighted and rear aperture sighted rifles and “Tactical Rimfire” class, which is a .22 caliber A4 or AR15 style rifle. Firing for all classes is done at 50 and 25 yards on a target with a 1.78″ ten-ring and an 18″ outer one-ring. Even new shooters can get hits on this target, but it’s still tough enough that no one yet has fired a perfect 600×600 score.
Brian Zins won his 11th NRA National Pistol Championship this weekend. Zins finished with a 2649-142X Aggregate, three points ahead of the USAMU’s SFC James Henderson (a two-time past champion). John Zurek finished third. At the awards ceremony, ‘Gunny’ Zins received the National Pistol Champion trophy plaque, a gold plated National Championship medallion, a $500 Visa gift card, and a Nighthawk Custom pistol with Centennial Gold 1911 Coins, provided by Universal Coin and Bullion.
In an interview with the NRA Blog, 2012 Champion Zins stated: “It is truly an honor to win. It is actually awesome.” Zins revealed he believed he was out of the race after the .45 Caliber slow-fire match. However, Zins did not give up and “just knuckled down.”
Zins advised future Camp Perry competitors: “Don’t be surprised if you don’t shoot your personal best here. This is not the place to do it.” Zins explained: “Camp Perry is a different animal … [there is] a mystery about this place that makes it really hard to perform at your best. All you can do is do better then everybody else.” Brian Zins does not expect to stop at his 11th Pistol Championship and is looking for number 12 next year: “Absolutely, I want to make it a dozen. That’ll be a nice number.”
The National Pistol Championships are comprised of three separate matches; .22 Caliber Pistol, Center Fire Pistol and .45 Caliber Pistol. Each of those matches are broken down into four different events; Rapid Fire, Slow Fire, National Match Course and Timed Fire. Last year’s winner, Philip Hemphill, clinched the High Police title with a final tally of 2616-124X. Ohio State’s Joseph Totts was both High Junior and High Collegian. Judy Tant won the High Woman title for the fifth year in a row.
John Zurek captured the .22-Caliber Pistol Championship on July 12. On the final day of rimfire competition, John Zurek surged ahead to win the .22 Caliber Championship with an Aggregate score of 893-35X. Brian Zins finished second with an Aggregate score of 887-57X.
July 15 Update: John Zurek also won the .45 Caliber Pistol Title, Scoring 886-43X vs. 883-46X for runner-up ‘Gunny’ Brian Zins. Gunny Zins did win the overall title NRA Pistol Championships — the 11th in his career. Read More on NRA Blog.
.22 Cal. Championship
1. John Zurek: 893-35X
2. Brian Zins: 887-57X
3. James Henderson: 887-44X
4. Gregory Wilson: 884-39X
5. Greg Markowski: 883-42x
Profile: John Zurek
Story based on report by Lindsey Morgan in the NRA Blog
Zurek grew up hunting with guns. Then he joined the USMC and became a member of the Marine Corps Pistol Team. Later he joined the Marine Corps Reserve Pistol Team. After leaving the sport to pursue business interests for a few years, Zurek came back to competitive shooting in 2001.
Zurek’s primary focus as a shooter is Olympic style pistol shooting — air pistol and free pistol. The precision events are his specialty. While he did not make the U.S. Olympic Team this year, the skills he developed for international-style shooting served him well at Camp Perry. “That’s why this is easy for me,” Zurek explained. “That’s why I’ve had such wonderful successes this year from training for free pistol. By practicing free pistol it allows you to work on your focus and concentration by bringing everything in smaller and smaller and smaller.” NOTE: Olympic free pistol uses a smaller bullseye target than the targets at the NRA Pistol Championships.
Zurek’s Shooting Tips: Practice for Long Periods, Use SCATT Training System
If you can’t spend time on the range, then just stay home. That’s a truth that Zurek discovered through his years and years of training. “Most shooters only get 15 minutes here, or 30 minutes there to go and train — and that’s fine when just dry firing,” Zurek explained. “I wouldn’t even go to a range unless you have a four-hour period of time to spend. If you just have a short period of time to train, it’s just better to stay at home and dry fire against the wall. Work on building up your concentration and making each shot perfect.”
Another tool Zurek uses is the SCATT Shooter Training System. SCATT, Zurek believes, gives a shooter great feedback with immediate results. SCATT Training Systems employ an infrared optical device attached to the gun. The shooter aims at an electronic target. The muzzle movement is tracked and displayed as a continuous trace on a ‘real-time’ display screen. When the shooter pulls the gun’s trigger, the point of impact is also plotted. By analyzing the displayed muzzle movement, a shooter can see any flaws in his hold and perfect his technique. CLICK HERE to learn more about SCATT training.
Product Preview by Boyd Allen Marsh Industries LLC of Cave Creek, Arizona, has just started production of its new “Saguaro” benchrest action. (Saguaro is the distinctive tall cactus plant found in the Southwest.) If the Saguaro action looks familiar, that’s by design. The idea was to produce a Panda-type action with 1 1/16″ removed from the middle to allow for reduced weight, and importantly, shorter bolt “draw” during cycling. In addition, Marsh Industries wanted smoother function and optimal accuracy. In that quest, Marsh crafted a state-of-the art striker assembly, configured specifically for short cartridges typically used for 100- and 200-yard benchrest matches.
The Saguaro action is like a Stolle Panda with 1 1/16″ removed from the middle.
Design and Testing of New Saguaro Action
After spending some time with “Doc” Marsh, (the owner of Marsh Industries), I must say that I am impressed with his new product. After learning what has gone into the design and production of these actions, and hearing how well Saguaro prototypes shot, this is one action I want to add to my collection.
Beneath the shiny exterior, the heart of any benchrest action is the striker assembly. Its specifications and adherence to tolerance are a formula that ultimately determines the potential of the action. Striker fall, weight, and spring rate, all work together to put the sharpest edge on accuracy, or if they are not right, result in run of the mill (for a benchrest action) accuracy, even if all the other details are perfectly executed. Rather than leave these details to the expertise of one person, several big names in the benchrest community were consulted about this part of the design. Intelligent input was received, and the design was improved from one prototype to the next. The final result is impressive to say the least. When the late prototype Saguaro was tested in a very good tunnel, using a rail-gun, the results were unequivocally outstanding. (Editor: This means the Saguaro action shot small enough groups to be “more than competitive” with any other hardware on the market.)
Saguaro Actions Can Use Barrels And Stocks Now Fitted to Pandas
The truth is that no one can quite put his finger on what makes the difference between a good action and a great action. Designs are created, actions built, they become parts of rifles, and only then is the truth revealed. Whether you believe that it was skill or luck, it would seem that the details that comprise this new action just happen to have the exact right stuff. For many of you, who already know how your barrels shoot on your rifles that have Panda actions, for the first time, a direct comparison is available. This is because Panda barrels fit Saguaro actions. So current Panda owners can remove one of their barrels, place it on a Saguaro-actioned rig, and see if the barrel shoots as good or better. That allows direct testing of one action vs. another.
You can use that closet full of barrels, on your new action, without modification, (and have a couple of more ounces toward that tuner that you have been waiting to try). For that matter, other than having to do a little filling in at the front of the action, you can replace your Panda with a Saguaro, and keep using the same stock. That offers a significant savings on a new build.
Saguaro Actions Start at $1050.00
For serious benchresters, an action that comes out of the box a potential winner is almost priceless. Saguaro actions will cost $1,200.00 polished, or $1,050.00 with a 400 grit finish. That’s reasonable given the build quality and performance. While you could pay a bit less for some other actions, if you are in the game to win, a less-than-competitive action isn’t worth owning (even if it is inexpensive).
Marsh Industries, LLC
7040 E. Lone Mt. Rd. North
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
Email: info [at] marshindustriesllc.com
Phone: 480-699-2902 | Fax: 480-699-2397
And so there you have it — Part One of my report on a brand new action. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, I will have a chance to do more than just cycle the bolt (felt good) and actually shoot a rifle built around one. Until then, I will have to content myself with trying out some of Bergers new Column bullets, and doing some more work with the slower but otherwise identical brother to the yet to be released Accurate LT 32 powder, some of that Canadian 2015, as soon as the temperatures get out of the triple digits on a day when the wind is suitable.
Smallbore competitors — mark your calendars for July 13 through July 17. That’s when the 2012 NRA National Metric Smallbore Championships will be held at the Wa-Ke’-De Range in Bristol, Indiana. Practice Relays will be held on the 13th and the afternoon of the 15th. With Position shooting scheduled for July 13-15 and Prone for July 15-17, this event is a great way to tune up your marksmanship skills prior to the Smallbore Championships at Camp Perry which commence July 18, 2012. Due to range capacity, the championships are limited to 200 shooters for both Position and Prone.
The NRA Blog reports that: “Despite being so close to the National Matches, the championship ends just before Camp Perry’s smallbore practice begins on July 18. Bristol is also a short drive from Camp Perry and many shooters compete at both places, using the Metric Championship as some last minute practice before the big show.” The Jameson Inn in Elkhart, Indiana is the host hotel. Mention the National Metric Championships to receive a special rate.
The 2012 NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championships at Camp Perry begin today with the traditional First Shot Ceremony. Following a military band concert, the First Shot Ceremony began at 10:00 AM. Hundreds of shooters, volunteers, employees and spectators were gathered at Camp Perry’s Memorial Monument. This year’s First Shot Speaker, Lieutenant General William E. Ingram Jr., Director Army National Guard, has the honor of firing the First Shot to officially open the 2012 National Matches. Highlights included a color guard, a military band and a National Guard combat maneuver. Dignitaries from the National Rifle Association, CMP, National Guard, all branches of the armed forces and local government representatives were recognized during the ceremony.
Complete day-by-day coverage of the NRA National Championships will be provided by the NRA Blog, which will have a team of reporters on site at Camp Perry throughout the next few weeks. Starting July 10, the NRA Blog will deliver competition updates, with match standings, photos, and video clips.
Pistol Shooters Lead the Way Pistoleros take the stage for the first phase of the National Championships. After today’s Pistol Small Arms Firing School and SFAS M9 Pistol EIC Match, the NRA National Pistol Championships commence tomorrow, July 10, and run through July 14 (with National Trophy Matches on the 15th). The Pistol Championships should be hotly contested this year. Legendary handgunner (and Top Shot Season 2 Runner-Up) Brian ‘Gunny’ Zins (USMC retired) returns to Perry with the goal of securing his his eleventh pistol title. Standing in his way will be 2011 Pistol Champion Philip Hemphill along with of James Henderson, John Zurek and others.
2012 CMP National Trophy Matches
9 July: First Shot Ceremony
9 July: Pistol Small Arms Firing School
9 July-4 August: NM Air Gun Events
10 July: Warm-up Pistol Match
15 July: National Trophy Pistol Matches
22 July: National Rimfire Sporter Match
27-29 July: Rifle Small Arms Firing School
2012 NRA Rifle and Pistol Championships
10-14 July: NRA National Pistol Championship
18-26 July: NRA Nat’l Smallbore Rifle Championships
5-15 August: NRA Nat’l High Power Rifle Championships
Score one for Australian shooters. After a lengthy legal battle, the New South Wales Rifle Association (NSWRA) has preserved its rights to use the historic ANZAC Range on the outskirts of Sydney.
Commonwealth officials assert the ANZAC Range would be converted to a National Park once shooting activities were terminated. The Range property would be deeded to the NSW State Government for Park use.
Already respected for her High Power and Long-Range shooting, Nancy Tompkins added the 2012 NRA National Metric Prone Smallbore Rifle National Championship to her impressive shooting resume.
Using a “box-stock”, 30-lb 
The 
The event is shot with standard sporter-type, rimfire rifles that can weigh no more than 7 ½ pounds, with sights and sling. Rifles may be manually operated or semi-automatic; shooters with manually operated actions are given extra time in rapid-fire to compensate for the difference.
In an interview with the 
.22 Cal. Championship
The 2012 NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championships at Camp Perry begin today with the traditional First Shot Ceremony. Following a military band concert, the First Shot Ceremony began at 10:00 AM. Hundreds of shooters, volunteers, employees and spectators were gathered at Camp Perry’s Memorial Monument. This year’s First Shot Speaker, Lieutenant General William E. Ingram Jr., Director Army National Guard, has the honor of firing the First Shot to officially open the 2012 National Matches. Highlights included a color guard, a military band and a National Guard combat maneuver. Dignitaries from the National Rifle Association, CMP, National Guard, all branches of the armed forces and local government representatives were recognized during the ceremony.
Pistoleros take the stage for the first phase of the National Championships. After today’s Pistol Small Arms Firing School and SFAS M9 Pistol EIC Match, the NRA National Pistol Championships commence tomorrow, July 10, and run through July 14 (with National Trophy Matches on the 15th). The Pistol Championships should be hotly contested this year. Legendary handgunner (and Top Shot Season 2 Runner-Up) Brian ‘Gunny’ Zins (USMC retired) returns to Perry with the goal of securing his his eleventh pistol title. Standing in his way will be 2011 Pistol Champion Philip Hemphill along with of James Henderson, John Zurek and others.
