Our friend Sebastian Lambang, creator of the SEB Coaxial rests and the new SEB Joystick Bipod, recently visited Great Britain to participate in the European F-Class Championships. While in the UK, Seb visited the famous (infamous?) Diggle Range, as well as London Towne. Seb was hosted by Brit shooters Brian Fox and our buddy Vince Bottomley (who writes for the TargetShooter Magazine).
Shooting in the UK Report by Sebastian Lambang
After flying from Surabaya to Manchester airport, Brian Fox picked up my wife Lily and me on Oct. 26 morning. We then went straight to Diggle Hotel. Saturday I shot the 800-yard match at Diggle Range and Sunday I shot the 300m ‘Tactical’ Match.
Monday to Wednesday morning Lily and I did sight-seeing in London. Then we went to Bisley by train. I got a little practice time on Thursday then shot the individual match on Friday and Saturday. The team match was on Sunday but I didn’t shoot it since a friend took us to his house.
Bisley Was Cold and Conditions Were Hard to Read
I think I didn’t do very well in the Europeans. Probably because this was my first-ever F-class match, and the temps were too low for me. I was told also that Bisley is hard to shoot, the wind flags pointing ‘everywhere’, and I wasn’t sure what I should I watch to judge the conditions. I can’t trust the wind-flags, I couldn’t see mirage most of the time to help to determine the hold off. However I really liked the Championship event and enjoyed the shooting. Congrats to Lee Tomlinson (F-Open Winner, 459.30), Tim Stewart (F-TR Winner, 439.23) and Great Britain’s victorious F-Open and F-TR teams.
Vince Bottomley supplied a rifle for me to use at the Championships. Vince is a great guy indeed, he helped me with the rifle, the loads etc., and most of all he spent three full days with me while I was shooting the match. I can’t thank him enough.
Testing the New SEB Joystick Bipod
AccurateShooter: How did the new Joystick Bipod Work?
Seb: Unfortunately I didn’t have much time to try the bipod myself. But Thursday afternoon several Spanish shooters tried the bipod on their gun and they said that the bipod works fine and their shots went into the spot they want. I tried a few rounds with their gun but the impacts were not as expected … probably because I shot their F-TR .308 gun free recoil. [Editor: Even with ski-type bipod feet, you will usually benefit by having a pretty firm grip on the gun — not a death hold — but contact with the gun at multiple points.]
AccurateShooter: When will the bipod go on sale? Is the design finalized?
Seb: I still need to perfect the legs of the bipod, I think. I will probably make two models, one with compactness in mind and one other with the lightest legs possible. The MAX rest is in production currently, and then I’ll make another 200 NEO rests for the people on the waiting list. After that we could probably start bipod production. I do hope that the bipod can be ready for sale sometime in mid-2013. The first batch would be 100 units. If my prediction is correct, all 100 units will be sold or spoken for.
AccurateShooter: How much will the production version of the Joystick Bipod cost?
Seb: Still not sure, but it should be around $350-$400 in the USA. The most expensive part is the coaxial unit. According to Brian Fox, the bipod attracted a lot of attention/interest during the match and if I had a dozen units with me, we might have sold them all at the match.
Great Visit to the UK
I really enjoyed my visit to the UK, especially visiting with Brian Fox (he is a great guy and genuine indeed!) and meeting fellow shooters from other European countries. I learned a bit from the F-class shoot and I think the bug has bitten me. It’s also nice to see a sea of SEB rests at the Bisley range in the F-Open Class.
I send my thanks to all the people I met during my visit. It is great to make new friends, and I’m happy to be a part of this great group of shooters.
The 2012 Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup were held October 13-21, 2012. This combined event starts off with the CMP Games followed by the Creedmoor Cup competition. The CMP and Creedmoor matches, hosted at the Ben Avery Range near Phoenix, AZ, were well-attended this year. Competitors were treated to clear skies, and mostly favorable conditions. A highlight of the CMP season, the Western CMP Games includes numerous disciplines such as: M1 Garand Match, Springfield Match, Vintage Military Rifle Match, Vintage Sniper Rifle Match, M1 Carbine Match, and the Rimfire Sporter Match. The Creedmoor Cup is a High Power-type event, with team and individual competitions for both Service Rifles and Match Rifles.
Western CMP Games Results
The interim Western CMP Games results are found at the link below. It appears these results are incomplete, and we are still awaiting verification of the final scores (for all days). Check back here Monday and we should have the final, confirmed winner list.
Creedmoor Cup Results
In 4-Man Team Competition, the CA Killer Rabbits & One Grizzly Team won the Service rifle event with a 1895-56X score, while the Remington Roxburgh team won the 4-Man Match Rifle Competition with a 1965-73X combined score. Top Individual Match Rifle Shooter was Nick Mowrer (2376-103X) followed by Nathaniel Guernsey with 2361-89X. Scoring 2338-64X, Joel Sylvia won the Service Rifle Division, while Sagen Maddalena finished second with 2330-80X. Sagen was also High Junior (Server Rifle).
Watch 2012 Western CMP Games Slide Show (Steve Cooper Photos)
Tips for Capturing Great Images of Your CMP Match, by Steve Cooper
Photography is a lot like rifle and pistol shooting. For both disciplines you want each shot to be a winner. Here are a few tips to keep in mind next time you’re snapping photos of a match:
Get Involved – Though shooting is a pretty static sport, there’s a lot happening on the firing line. First off, let shooters know you’re there so they aren’t surprised when you walk up on their firing point. Make small talk and set the shooter’s mind at ease. When you do that you’ll be surprised how many smiling faces and enjoyment will show up in your photos.
Solid Position – Just like shooting, regardless of the type of camera you use, maintain balance and stable footing – that way you won’t bounce around and blur a good shot. Get close to the subject, whether it’s with a zoom lens or if you need to step closer, remaining in a safe position.
Anticipate – Don’t just snap random photos of a group of shooters and call it good. If you’re reading this, you’re most likely a shooter, so you know what to expect. If there’s action involved, you know what’s coming next, so be ready for it and snap the shutter when it happens or just beforehand. Wait for a reaction or catch the shooter concentrating, making equipment adjustments or maybe even catch that empty shell casing flying out of the chamber. If you’re taking snaps of a sniper match, catch the guys discussing the shot, calling wind – yelling at each other!
Be Smart – You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to capture good images, but it pays to consider the environment you’re shooting in. A cloudy bright day is perfect for photography. Harsh sun or super shady periods like early morning or dusk can be challenging. Unless a flash will disturb the shooter, using a flash most of the time is a great practice when shooting close-up photos. A flash will fill in the shadows and many times put a little needed light on the subject to improve color and tone. Don’t shoot into direct sunlight. Don’t stand so far away from the subject that you can’t identify the shooter.
Be an Artist – So what if your elementary school sculpture of your mom looked like the Creature from the Black Lagoon? That doesn’t mean your creativity hasn’t evolved. If there’s a sports photograph you really like, try to duplicate it with your camera. Try unusual angles, extreme close-us with a zoom lens – photos that show the shooter’s character, his/her ammo box, scorebook, shooting glasses – the possibilities are endless.
Shoot 10s and Xs with your gun AND your camera. With a little thought and determination, your shots will be impressive!
Gary Eliseo’s Tubegun chassis kits, long favored by High Power and prone sling-shooters, are now being used in increasing numbers by F-Class shooters, particularly F-TR competitors shooting from bipod. Here’s good news for the F-TR crew. Gary Eliseo has announced that his B1 and R1 Competition Shooting Stuff (CSS) Chassis kits will now be available with DUAL PORTS, by special order. This allows a right-handed F-TR shooter to load with left hand, with the fired case ejecting on the right. For more information visit www.GotXRing.com or call Gary at (714) 630-5734.
The European F-Class Championship (and British Championship) kick off this weekend (November 2-4) at the legendary Bisley Range in the UK. With 185 entrants, this event should be the largest F-Class competition of the year outside of North America. The Championship matches commence tomorrow, but competitors have already arrived at Bisley and they are getting their F-Class rifles warmed up during practice sessions. Here are some photos from the F-TR Ireland Facebook Page.
F-TR Ireland reports: “Here are photos taken during today’s Practice Day at Bisley on Stickledown Range at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. [We had] a great day’s shooting and excellent camaraderie amongst the team-mates.” The bottom photo shows the 900-yard Firing Line during Practice Day.
Two new mixed team events will be part of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games Program, while the total number of quotas will remain unchanged.
The International Olympic Committed (IOC) has approved the Shooting program for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. The program includes the previously approved individual events, 10m Air Rifle Men, 10m Air Rifle Women, 10m Air Pistol Men and 10m Air Pistol Women plus two new events, 10m Air Rifle Mixed Teams and 10m Air Pistol Mixed Teams.
The number of participation quotas for the individual events remains the same (20 quotas per 4 events, for a total of 80 quotas). Athletes who compete in the individual events will also form two-person mixed teams (one male, one female) according to their place finishes in the individual events. No additional athlete quotas were allocated for those events.
All teams will be composed of one male and one female athlete based on their final rankings in the individual Air Rifle and Air Pistol Men and Women events.
Mixed Team events will take place over 2 days, following the 4 days of individual competitions. In the team duels, the two members of each team will fire one shot on command. The scores of the two team-members will be combined and compared with the combined score of the other team. The team with the higher total will score one point. The paired teams will continue to fire single shots on command until one team scores ten points to win that round of competition. Detailed technical rules for the YOG Mixed Team events will be provided after the ISSF Administrative Council meeting in November 2012.
Tonight’s Episode of Shooting USA TV features the 2012 International Revolver Championship (IRC) from the Hogue Action Shooting Range in Morrow Bay, California. You can see another winning performance by Jerry Miculek, considered by many the greatest living revolver shooter.
The IRC, held in June, was the highlight of the 2012 revolver shooting season. More than 240 of the world’s top revolver shooters negotiated their way through 12 stages of fire putting more than 70,000 rounds down range.
Impossible Shots Tonight
Also tonight, Shooting USA’s “Impossible Shots” TV Show features more wheelgun action. Cisko puts a new twist on an old favorite, the El Presidente, but doing it with two six-guns. The challenge is to turn, fire twelve rounds, six double taps, with a gun exchange, in less than six seconds. Plus Jerry Miculek shows what he can do with two guns at the same time.
Shooting USA airs at 3:30 pm, 8:30 pm, 12:00 Midnight Eastern Time on the Outdoor Channel.
Impossible Shots airs at 3:00 PM, 10:30 PM, 2:00 AM Eastern time on the Outdoor Channel
Last month, the Montana Rifle and Pistol Association (MRPA) hosted the 3rd Annual Northern Rockies Long Range and F-Class Regional at the Deep Creek Range near Missoula, Montana. The match was a sell-out for the third straight year, and three competitors set pending NRA Long Range and F-Class National Records. If the pending records are recognized by the NRA, that will make a total of eight (8) NRA National records set at Deep Creek over the last three years.
This year, the forest fires and resultant smoke conditions in the Intermountain West cast a ominous haze over the event. However, the haze did not prevent outstanding performances by many shooters in both F-class and sling divisions.
All National Guard Shooter, SSG John Coggshall
SSG Coggshall is a member of the Connecticut Army National Guard’s 1-102 Infantry battalion and a member of the All National Guard marksmanship unit. Coggshall used an Eliseo Tubegun set up as a Palma rifle and used factory-loaded ammunition. Coggshall shot great, finishing with a 1091-59X out of a possible 1100 points. This should be a new national record for the Long Range Regional Aggregate in the Service Category. The previous record was set in Missoula by Allen Spiker, former member of the All National Guard team. While Coggshall is new to the Palma game, he has a lot of experience shooting smallbore as well as service rifle. He has been on a winning Whistler Boy team, and has been the High Junior during the President’s 100 at Camp Perry. His Team Coach described him as a hard-holder who can hold half the X-Ring with his iron-sighted Palma rifle.
Ken Nelson
Ken Nelson also had a record setting performance. Nelson fired a very impressive 1096-71X, as he dropped only four points to smash previous national record in the Senior Category. With this score he not only established a new NRA national record, he squeezed out the tournament win over second place finisher Allen Spiker. Both shooters fired 1096s, but Nelson surpassed Spiker by X-count. Nelson reported that he received some advice from his friend, German Salazar, before the match, and Nelson took that advice to heart. He noted that his thought process between shots really helped him on the line. Nelson splits his time between his native British Columbia and Phoenix, AZ where he shoots at Ben Avery. Nelson only began shooting long range four years ago, after many seasons as a smallbore shooter.
LTC Donald Erpenbach – Montana ARNG
LTC Erpenbach set two pending F-TR records at the match. Erpenbach shot exceedingly well on day one of the tournament. In the first day’s Palma course Erpenbach shot a 442-14X besting the previous record held by USAMU shooter Sherri Gallagher. Erpenbach was on a roll and in the separate 1000-yard match he fired a 194-7X, edging ahead of the previous record. Erpenbach really put things together well for this match.
SGT Micheal Palagi – Montana ARNG
SGT Palagi received the MRPA’s new “Top M-24” shooter award. This award recognizes Montana Soldiers who shoot an issued sniper rifle with issued M118LR ammo. Palagi’s recent performance was outstanding and he is deserving recipient of the first Top M-24 award.
Deep Creek Range
The Deep Creek Range in Missoula, MT is one of the nicest places to shoot in the Intermountain West region. The range is located in the mountains within a few minutes drive of Missoula, and there is camping on-site. When conditions are good at Deep Creek, records get broken. The MRPA host 3 weekends of shooting there every year. To learn more about shooting at Deep Creek, contact Jamey Williams at jameydan[at]gmail.com.
The MRPA wishes to thank the 2012 Northern Rockies Sponsors:
Barnes Bullets
Berger Bullets
Sierra Bullets
BAT Actions
Bruno’s Shooter Supply
Carl Boettger Scope Mounts
Creedmoor Sports
Competition Machine – Gary Eliseo
USTacticalSupply.com
Houle Bloop Tube (Sight Extension) Gear Reviewby Robert Whitley
As a competitive shooter and a builder of custom AR-15 accuracy competition uppers, one of the frequent requests I have from shooters is for a recommendation for a good bloop tube. What people want is a bloop tube that is light and strong, one that has no detrimental effect on accuracy, one that works well with many of the existing front sights, and can be removed and re-attached quickly and easily with no loss of zero. For years finding a bloop tube that fulfills all these requirements has been a somewhat elusive exercise. I am pleased to report that I have found the Houle Bloop Tube to meet all my requirements. In my opinion, this is the best bloop tube on the market, by far. You can order a Houle tube from Norm’s Website, TopGunRI.com or e-mail Norm at topgunngh [at] verizon.net.
Bloop Tubes Designed by a National Champion
Norm Houle is a High Power and long-range shooter who has used these tubes to win National High Power Rifle Championships multiple times in past years. This past summer at Camp Perry, Norm’s bloop tubes were used by top “podium level” shooters in various events, including David Tubb, who won the National Long Range Championship using one of Norm’s tubes. Rodrigo Rosa also used Houle tubes this year to place second in the National High Power Rifle Championship and third in the Long Range National Championship.
I have a couple of Norm Houle’s bloop tubes that I have used with a couple of rifle projects. Here are some of my thoughts on installation and use of the Houle Bloop Tubes:
Accuracy with the tubes in place is excellent!
The tube assemblies are two piece clamp-on tube assemblies, and the bloop tubes can be removed and re-attached with no loss of zero (and I mean no loss of zero). This is a big one! Over the years I have had quite a few clamp on tubes, but few of them repeated like these.
The tubes are very light but also very strong and low profile. Some of the clamp-on bloop tubes I have had over the years were huge, heavy and provided a large side profile (crosswind sail factor for offhand, etc.).
Norm offers 2″, 4″, and 6″ bloop tube lengths. The tubes are made to work with a .750″ dia. muzzle turn down and both of the ones I have work perfectly with a minimum turndown of 1.625″ long which provides enough “front-back” distance to permit the locating ring and bloop tube to be properly mounted on the barrel at the same time and work as they should. The tubes are also set up to use front sights set up to mount on a .750″ diameter mounting.
Each tube assembly has a clamp-on locating ring plus a clamp-on bloop tube that positively indexes off a tapered pin that protrudes from the locating ring. The locating ring is light but very strong and absolutely stays put when you clamp it on the barrel end (clamps on with one screw using a common 7/64″ Allen wrench). The bloop tube part of the assembly has two clamp-on screws (use a common 7/64″ Allen to put on, mount and take off).
Using Different-Length Tubes for Different Applications You can buy one tube with two or more locating rings and set multiple rifles up so you can move your bloop tube (with front sight attached) from rifle to rifle. You can also use two different bloop tubes to mate up with one locating ring on the same rifle. Norm uses a 2″ tube (with a front sight attached) for offhand and rapid sitting at 200 yards (short tube minimizes crosswind sail factor). For 300-yard rapid prone and 600-yard slow prone, Norm takes off the 2″ tube and mounts a 6″ tube on the rifle (with a front sight attached to it). Norm switches back and forth as needed from match to match (a 4″ tube is also offered). Norm noted that Rodrigo Rosa also used the same Houle bloop tube set-up with two different tubes this year at Perry to take second overall.
The price of a Houle bloop tube assembly with locating ring is $125.00. That’s more than some other brands, but a good value considering the design, features, and high-quality construction of Norm’s bloop tubes. Just as with all sights and optics… you get what you pay for.
Four-time USA Olympian SFC Jason Parker won the ISSF World Cup Final, finishing ahead of Han Jinseop of South Korea and Olympic finalist Ole Krsitian Bryhn of Norway. Parker, a soldier serving with the USAMU, claimed the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final trophy in the Men’s Three-Position Rifle event Thursday in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ranked ninth in the world, Parker earned his invitation to Bangkok after winning the Milan World Cup earlier this season. The 38-year-old Parker, no stranger to the World Cup Finals after six previous visits, made it to the final round with a head-start of four points after shooting an 1,171. Scoring 95.5 points during the final stage, Parker won gold with an overall score of 1266.5 points. Parker added. “”I have been competing in World Cup Finals since 1998, and dreaming of a gold medal since then. It’s finally around my neck, and it feels great!”
Three points behind him, Korea’s Han Jinseop pocketed the silver medal with an overall score of 1263.5 points. Making it to the final with 1166, Han overtook Norway’s Ole Kristian Bryhn to finish on the second step of the podium with a final score of 97.5 points. Bryhn landed in third, securing the Bronze medal with a total score of 1263.0 (1167+96.0) points.
Parker’s Olympic and USAMU teammate SFC Eric Uptagrafft took fourth in the World Cup Final Wednesday in the Men’s Prone Rifle event. (He finished .6 points away from second place). In other ISSF World Cup events in Bangkok, USAMU shotgunners did well. Josh Richmond earned the gold medal in Men’s Double Trap while Vincent Hancock shot his way to a silver medal in Men’s Skeet.
Elite Field for ISSF World Cup
Starting with the London World Cup in April and then passing through Milan and Munich, the 2012 ISSF World Cup Series finished in Bangkok. Only the sport’s top performers were invited to compete in the World Cup Finals. Ninety (90) shooters from 34 countries, including Olympic medalists and past World Cup title holders, competed at the Thailand ISSF World Cup Match this year. (Shown at right is SFC Parker competing at the Milan World Cup.)
Last week we posted an essay by Randi Rogers, one of the top female speed-shooters in the world. Randi wrote about the strategies she uses to mentally prepare for a big match. Apparently Randi’s methods for success really do work — Randi just won not one but TWO titles at the recent 2012 USPSA Championships held in Las Vegas. Shooting for Team Comp-Tac, Randi won BOTH the Ladies Production and Ladies Limited-10 titles at the 2012 USPSA Nationals. Rogers’ dual victories represent the second time in her career that she has won both major national titles at the USPSA Nationals.
The U.S. Practical Shooting Association’s (USPSA) Production/Limited/Revolver Nationals took place October 14-16, followed by the the USPSA’s Open/Limited-10 Nationals October 18-20. Both events were hosted at the Desert Sportsmen’s Club in Las Vegas. In the Production championship Rogers posted a record finish to win the Ladies title by 124 points. It was the third time Rogers has won the USPSA Ladies Production National Championship. Rogers then went on to take the Ladies Limited-10 title by 115 points. This was also the third time that Rogers has won the Ladies Limited-10 national title.
“Shooting USPSA is a high-adrenaline, intense shooting sport with lots of physical, mental, and shooting challenges. This year’s matches were particularly challenging with a large number of moving targets, and four standards stages in each match. After six long days of intense competition, I couldn’t be happier with the results,” said Rogers. Though she competes mostly with pistols, Randi also excels with carbines and shotguns, having won the Cowboy Action Ladies’ World Championship multiple times.
Video of Randi at USPSA Nationals (Stage 5, Production Division)
Our friend Sebastian Lambang, creator of the SEB Coaxial rests and the new SEB Joystick Bipod, recently visited Great Britain to participate in the European F-Class Championships. While in the UK, Seb visited the famous (infamous?) Diggle Range, as well as London Towne. Seb was hosted by Brit shooters Brian Fox and our buddy Vince Bottomley (who writes for the TargetShooter Magazine).
Seb: I still need to perfect the legs of the bipod, I think. I will probably make two models, one with compactness in mind and one other with the lightest legs possible. The MAX rest is in production currently, and then I’ll make another 200 NEO rests for the people on the waiting list. After that we could probably start bipod production. I do hope that the bipod can be ready for sale sometime in mid-2013. The first batch would be 100 units. If my prediction is correct, all 100 units will be sold or spoken for.Great Visit to the UK
Anticipate – Don’t just snap random photos of a group of shooters and call it good. If you’re reading this, you’re most likely a shooter, so you know what to expect. If there’s action involved, you know what’s coming next, so be ready for it and snap the shutter when it happens or just beforehand. Wait for a reaction or catch the shooter concentrating, making equipment adjustments or maybe even catch that empty shell casing flying out of the chamber. If you’re taking snaps of a sniper match, catch the guys discussing the shot, calling wind – yelling at each other!
Two new mixed team events will be part of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games Program, while the total number of quotas will remain unchanged.
All teams will be composed of one male and one female athlete based on their final rankings in the individual Air Rifle and Air Pistol Men and Women events.
Tonight’s Episode of 
Ken Nelson
LTC Donald Erpenbach – Montana ARNG
Bloop Tubes Designed by a National Champion
You can buy one tube with two or more locating rings and set multiple rifles up so you can move your bloop tube (with front sight attached) from rifle to rifle. You can also use two different bloop tubes to mate up with one locating ring on the same rifle. Norm uses a 2″ tube (with a front sight attached) for offhand and rapid sitting at 200 yards (short tube minimizes crosswind sail factor). For 300-yard rapid prone and 600-yard slow prone, Norm takes off the 2″ tube and mounts a 6″ tube on the rifle (with a front sight attached to it). Norm switches back and forth as needed from match to match (a 4″ tube is also offered). Norm noted that Rodrigo Rosa also used the same Houle bloop tube set-up with two different tubes this year at Perry to take second overall. 
Four-time USA Olympian SFC Jason Parker won the ISSF World Cup Final, finishing ahead of Han Jinseop of South Korea and Olympic finalist Ole Krsitian Bryhn of Norway. Parker, a soldier serving with the USAMU, claimed the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final trophy in the Men’s Three-Position Rifle event Thursday in Bangkok, Thailand.
Elite Field for ISSF World Cup
Last week we posted an 
