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May 15th, 2012
The Firearms Industry Super Shoot, hosted at the Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio, will be held Wednesday, May 23, through Saturday, May 26th. Now in its 40th year, the Super Shoot is the biggest short-range benchrest competition on the planet, drawing upwards of 400 competitors each year. The Super Shoot attracts the top 100-yard/200-yard Benchrest shooters from throughout the world. Along with Americans, we may see competitors from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
No Rail Guns at Super Shoot — Just LV and HV
The Super Shoot is a two-class-only event, for 10.5-lb Light Varmint and 13.5-lb Heavy Varmint class rifles. Registration fees are normally $110.00 for one gun (2 days) or $240.00 for two guns (the whole event). However, after May 10, 2012, Registration Fees are $130.00 per gun — No Exceptions. Spaces are still available, so don’t hesitate to sign up. It’s not too late to enter. Here’s the schedule:
 Match Schedule:
May 23: 100 yards, 10.5-lb class
May 24: 100 yards, 13.5-lb class
May 25: 200 yards, 13.5-lb class
May 26: 200 yards, 10.5-lb class
Trophies Galore, Cash Awards, and Equipment Give-Aways
This being the 40th Anniversary of the SuperShoot, there will be a wide selection of trophies and prizes. This is a rich event — Jim Kelbly says the Overall Winner usually captures $2500.00 or more in cash. Trophies will be awarded for: all match winners, small group winners, Range Aggregates (First 3 places at 100 & 200), Grand Aggregates (Top 3), and Two-Gun Aggregates. There will be special trophies for Top Women Shooter (Grand Agg, 13.5-lb), Top 3 Husband/Wife Teams, Best Father/Son and Father/Daughter Teams, and Top First-Time SuperShoot Competitor. There are even “Aussie Aggregate” trophies for the Top 3 shooters in warm-up matches.
In addition, there will be a variety of Cash Awards for both individual matches (places 1-3) and Aggregates (1-10), and there is the popular “cash option” which can increase the payouts for competitors who participate ($50 buy-in). Gift merchandise will be distributed to competitors on a first-come first-draw basis in the 13.5-lb 100-yard Aggregate. And this year Berger Bullets will offer boxes of its new Benchrest bullets to top shooters.
For more information, email jim[at]kelbly.com or call (330) 683-4674. You can register onsite or CLICK HERE for 2012 Super Shoot Registration Form.
May 14th, 2012
Team Comp-Tac’s Randi Rogers won the Women’s Division at the 2012 IDPA European Cup held April 27-29 in Calsivano, Italy. That makes it two Euro-Cup IDPA titles in a row for the talented young shooter, who formerly competed with Team Glock. With a final time of 198.07, Rogers finished first in Stock Service Pistol (SSP) Master class, securing her second straight IDPA Ladies’ European Cup Championship. Rogers also won both stage eight and nine with times of 12.87 and 6.20 respectively.
“This year’s IDPA European Cup really centered on standard shooting requirements. Many of the stages focused on one-hand shooting as well as difficult distance shots. The training I did before the match paid off and I couldn’t be happier to bring home the High Lady title for the second year in a row,” commented Rogers. Next up for Rogers will be the Bianchi Cup, scheduled for May 23 through 26 in Columbia, MO.
International Defensive Pistol Association has had an increased popularity the past couple of years with many Italian Nationals attending matches here in the United States as well as the shooters of Calsivano, Italy hosting their own sanctioned IDPA match for the second year in a row. Comp-Tac supported the IDPA European Cup by sending two members of Team Comp-Tac as well as sponsoring a stage at the 2012 IDPA European Cup.
May 13th, 2012
 The regular, monthly 600-yard benchrest match at the Piedmont Gun Club in Rutherfordton, NC rivals a National event in terms of the quality of the shooters and the rifles. And just yesterday, a pending new IBS 600-yard, four-target Light Gun Group Aggregate Record was shot. Chad Jenkins put together a stunning 1.495″ Aggregate shooting a Light Gun with Shehane Tracker stock and Krieger barrel. Chad’s smallest group was a 1.033″. The caliber was a ‘Plain Jane’ 6mmBR. Chad’s 1.495″ Agg breaks the existing 1.6068″ record set by Sam Hall in 2011.
Sam Hall reports: “Congratulations goes out to Chad Jenkins today at Piedmont Gun Range, Rutherfordton, NC. Chad shot a 1.495″ four-target aggregate in LG this morning! The old record (1.6068″) was shot by yours truly last July. That is some kind of great shooting! Chad has been shooting great and kicking our tails for two years now. You will probabbly be hearing more from him. What I know is: he was shooting 105gr Berger VLDs (with Varget and CCI Primers) in a standard 6BR, with BAT action, ST-1000 stock, and 1:8″-twist Krieger barrel. I think it is safe to say it is a ‘hummer’!”
May 12th, 2012
Danny Biggs is one of the nation’s most successful F-Class shooters. A two-time (back to back) National Champion in F-TR Class, Danny also finished third in Open Class at the 2010 National Championships. Notably, Danny’s X-count of 67Xs, the highest of all competitors, was 10 Xs higher than 2010 F-Open winner Derek Rogers.
 Mat with ‘Donut-Hole’ Cut-Out for Rear Bag
Danny is a very savvy competitor, to say the least, and he brought some innovative gear with him to the Nationals. Along with his height-adjustable Sinclair wide-base bipod, Danny used a cleverly modified shooting pad and Edgewood rear sandbag. Danny’s “donut-hole” mat featured a cut-out in the middle, allowing him to place his rear sandbag directly on the ground. This helps stabilize the bag no matter what the ground surface or slope. With the bag sitting directly on the ground, it’s less likely to slide or rotate.
In addition, Danny’s rear bag is raised up via a thick rubber base or “foot”. The fat base, which appeared to be hard rubber, is secured via metal tabs that clamp on to the hard leather bottom of Danny’s Edgewood rear bag. The Edgewood bag has a lip around the bottom that provides a natural attachment point for the metal tabs.
Inexpensive MidwayUSA Shooting Mat
Danny uses an affordable shooting mat — the basic 67″ L x 26.75″ W MidwayUSA shooting pad that retails for $49.99. FYI, MidwayUSA’s larger Pro Series Competition Shooting Mat is on sale right now for the same $49.99 (sale price through May 31, 2012). Sized 73.5″ long x 35.5″ wide, this deluxe, khaki-colored mat rolls up into an 8.5″ Diameter “sausage” for transport or storage. The mat has rubberized elbow and knee pads; the mat is about .535″ thick at the knee and elbow pads. By comparison, the standard MidwayUSA Shooting Mat is only 0.335″ thick on the pads. Both standard and Pro Series mats have corner grommets allowing the mat to be staked down in high winds. These mats both have a carry handle and a shoulder strap.
May 11th, 2012
 Results from a recent international air rifle competition bode well for Team USA’s prospects at the 2012 London Olympic Games. In the women’s 10m Air Rifle event, a talented trio of young American lady shooters won the team silver medal at the International Shooting Competition of Hanover (Germany). Congrats to the three Hanover Silver Medalists: Amanda Furrer (393), Emily Holsopple (389), and Amy Sowash (393).
Good luck ladies on your quest for Gold in London this summer! The Olympic Games kick off Friday, July 27, 2012. Olympic shooting matches will be held 28 July through 5 August at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich. 390 shooter-athletes will take part. Rifle events will include 10m air rifle (men, women), 50m three-position rifle (men, women), and 50m rifle prone (men only).
May 9th, 2012
Forum member Ryan Pierce set a pending new F-Class Open National Long-Range record this past Sunday at a Long Range Regional Palma Match in Lodi, Wisconsin. Ryan shot a “clean” 450 with 24 Xs in a 800/900/1000 match at Winnequah Gun Club. Once certified, Ryan’s 450-24X score tops the 449-33X record set by Robert Bock in 2008. To make the story even better, Ryan smithed the gun himself, doing his own metal and stock work! Ryan’s record-setting rig is a .284 Win with BAT action, Brux barrel, and Precision Rifle & Tool (PR&T) stock. Ryan shot Berger 180gr Hybrids pushed by H4831SC and CCI BR2s. Interestingly, Ryan set the record with a ‘dirty barrel’. By the time he finished the 1000-yard stage on Sunday, he had put over 150 rounds through his barrel since its last cleaning. Ryan wasn’t just being lazy — he had noted that the vertical tightened up the more rounds he shot.
Ryan Reveals How Record Was Set
Ryan tells us: “I had actually debated using my 6BR last weekend but didn’t and used up my last box of 180 Hybrids. They are seated .025″ off the lands with 56.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831SC and a BR2 primer. This load is running 2900 fps. I had 1 1/2 min of wind on and was favoring another half minute. I had excellent pit service, 6 seconds, by Jeff Dick. I knew he was fast so I figured ‘let’s rock and roll’. I was done in 3 to 3.5 minutes. I was pretty stoked. Halfway through the relay I started shaking pretty bad. After my last shot came up a 10 I was all smiles and couldnt believe I’d shot the 450.”
Above is Ryan with his rifle and 1000-yard target. He had two (2) sighters in the 9-ring, but the rest were 10s and Xs. Jim tells us: “As the string went on Ryan started flirting with the bottom of the 10 ring. Those pasters were removed to validate that they were indeed solid 10s.” Jim adds: “I witnessed Ryan’s 900- and 1000-yard strings and had the pleasure of signing the score card on the 1000-yard string, it was amazing to watch and see Ryan so excited about accomplishing this.”
Ryan Pierce SPEAKS OUT
CLICK “PLAY” to hear Ryan TALK about setting Nat’l Record with .284 Win at Lodi. |
[haiku url=”http://accurateshooter.net/Video/pierceaudio215.mp3″ title=”Ryan Pierce Talk About F-Class Record”] |
Above you can see Ryan’s 800- and 900-yard strings on the same target. Jim See reports that: “Due to the rain delay, and some relay jockeying, Ryan ended up being the last shooter at 800 and the first shooter at 900, all on a clean target. So when [Ryan] hit the pits he took the picture, not knowing what was in his near future.” NOTE: The 800-yard stage allowed unlimited sighters, so there are a few shots out of 10 Ring. At the 900- and 1000-yard distances, two sighters were allowed at each yardage.
We congratulate Ryan for his great shooting. This was a tough record to beat. Forum member Nodak7mm says: “This was great shooting by an awesome up-and-coming shooter in the F-Class arena. Ryan is definitely a force to be reckoned with….”. Click the link below to hear Ryan talk about setting the record, and some surprising changes he made the day of the match.
Ryan Pierce .284 Win F-Open Rig Specifications
Ryan provided this info on his record-setting rifle: “The gun has a BAT ‘M’ action (Jewell trigger), Brux 32″ 1:9″ twist barrel, and a Ray Bowman (PR&T) F-Open ‘low boy’ stock with adjustable cheekpiece and adjustable buttplate. The scope is a Nightforce NXS 12-42x56mm. The barrel has 1300 rounds through it. All the metal and stock work was done by me.” Ryan’s record-setting load consisted of Berger 180gr Hybrids pushed by H4831SC and CCI BR2s at 2900 fps. This was a straight .284 Winchester.
May 8th, 2012
 The NRA National Matches at Camp Perry, first held in 1903, have become a huge, national shooting sports festival with well over 6,000 annual participants. The National Matches include the CMP National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches, CMP Games rifle events and the NRA National Pistol, Smallbore Rifle and Highpower Rifle Championships. The matches are conducted jointly by the CMP, NRA and the Ohio National Guard.
For those planning to shoot at Camp Perry this summer, we’ve assembled some valuable resources to help with your planning.
LINKS:
2012 National Matches Start Page (NRA website)
Camp Perry 2012 Home Page
Lodging Info and Rates at Camp Perry Lodging Center
Directions to Camp Perry (Port Clinton, Ohio)
National Matches Calendar 2012
You’ll also find some valuable tips from a current Camp Perry Thread in our Shooters Forum. Those who have attended in years past offer advice on lodging options:
Q: I was told the 4-person huts are very primitive. Are they really that bad?
A: FDShuster replied: “Yes, they really are that bad. Nothing more than a plywood, particle board “shelter” sitting on a concrete slab. Sitting out in the middle of an open field, in July and August, the temps in the huts will be very high. Plug-in electric outlets are available, so some bring a portable window air conditioner. If you would be able to reserve one of the newer units it would be closer to that of a motel room, a big jump up from a tent, and a whole ‘nuther world from the huts. My last times [at Camp Perry], I reserved an off-post motel room. Made the whole trip much more enjoyable, and I was actually able to sleep at night”.
RonD added: “The huts were made to house German WW II POWs. Take a sheet of plywood 1/2 or 3/4″ the size of the military bunks, or you’ll be sleeping on the floor( spring sag). I took a sleeping bag that I placed on top of the mattress, and put my sheets inside. Take your own pillow. You’ll need screw-in fuses for the outside exposed fuse block. Take 15-20-25-30 amp so you’ll have a variety. There is one light bulb in the center of the ceiling. Take a few spare bulbs. I took a box fan, cooler, card table, clothes line and clothes hangars, duct tape.”
Q: What about staying in the Modules or the Barracks?
A: The newer Modules, we’re told, are not available this summer. But the modern Barracks provide a good alternative. KenO writes: “They built new Barracks recently, and some of the shooters stayed in them last year and said they were real nice. Four beds to a room, and air conditioned. Same price as the huts.” KenO added: “I’ve stayed in the huts many times, but since they built the RV park, I have been staying there.”
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CMP Resources for National Matches
To help serve those shooters, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has a web page dedicated to the National Matches at Camp Perry. The CMP’s National Match Page offers easy-to-use links to Registration Forms, Match Schedules, Rules, and event photo galleries. It’s very handy to have all these links in one place. If you are thinking of visiting Camp Perry this year, whether as a shooter or a spectator, you should bookmark this page. |
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CMP No Longer Issuing Ammo at CMP Matches
The CMP will no longer issue ammunition to competitors for the Garand, Springfield, As-Issued Garand, Carbine or any other CMP matches. This includes the National Matches and all Regional Games Events (Eastern/Western Games, Oklahoma Games, Georgia Games, etc.). Competitors may purchase ammunition at the match or bring their own. Ammunition will be for sale at all CMP National Matches at a special discounted match price. For the 2012 National Rimfire Sporter Match, Lapua will donate 50 rounds of .22LR ammunition to every competitor.
May 8th, 2012
 We like rifle matches that include reactive targets. As the huge success of the Top Shot TV show proves, it’s fun for both shooters and spectators alike to see targets that break or explode when they are hit. This also provides immediate feedback to competitors, which can help develop good gun handling and aiming.
The 4R Rifle Club of Alex, Oklahoma has a fun match each spring that employs a variety of reactive targets set from 100 yards to 500 yards. This year 36 competitors turned out for the May 5th Spring Shoot. The course of fire consisted of four (4) mini clay pigeons at 100 and 250 yards and four 4″ balloons at 400 and 500 yards. Each competitor was allowed 18 rounds at the bench to break the 16 targets within a 15-minute limit. After the initial go-round, the top six shooters return for a shoot-off.
Dean Morris, Mark Deluia, and Matt Hohnstein all hit every target for “clean” scores of 420, securing spots in the shoot-off. B.J. Baily and Rick Jensen had the 4th and 5th highest scores, but the remaining sixth shoot-off spot required a tie-breaker — a single shot closest to center at 250 yards. Adam Roberts drilled a nearly perfect shot to win the tie-breaker over Tim Mulrine.
The shoot-off proved to be a tight battle between Adam Roberts and Dean Morris. Both men shot perfect scores so the targets were reset again — only this time Adam and Dean were allowed just 9 rounds to score as many hits as possible. When the dust settled, Adam Roberts was the new 2012 Champion and the first repeat winner of this eight-year-old event. Congrats to Adam! Mark Deluia was the Two-Gun Champion, Don Johnston won the Factory Class, and Ross Reeves was top Junior shooter.
Equipment Lists for Top Shooters
Adam and Dean both had rifles smithed by Jon Beanland. Adam’s gun was a 6.5 CM with Savage action, Krieger barrel, McMillan stock, and S&B scope. He loaded Berger bullets in Hornady brass with Hodgdon H4350 powder. Runner-up Dean Morris shot a 7mm RSAUM with Kelbly action, Bartlein barrel, PR&T stock, and Nightforce scope. He was shooting Berger bullets with H4350 in Norma brass. Interestingly, the next two shooters also shot 7mm rifles. B.J. Baily ran a straight .284 Winchester, while Rick Jensen had another 7mm RSAUM.
May 3rd, 2012
 The Dolphin Gun Company, based in the United Kingdom, has developed a very stable, yet lightweight wide-base bipod, ideal for F-TR shooters. We expect Dolphin’s new Trakker bipod will also be popular with varmint hunters and some tactical shooters.
Trakker bipods are available in two confirgurations, “Standard” and “Long”. Perhaps they would be better named “Wide” and “Extra-Wide” — the “Long” version has extended legs which can provide a wider base and/or extra elevation. Both versions provide a very stable platform for prone shooting, and both versions are available with either Sling-swivel or rail attachments (see photos below).
Here’s the great news — these Trakker bipods are very light, yet sturdy. The standard version weighs just 21.2 ounces (600 grams), while the long version tips the scales at 24.7 ounces (700 grams). This will help shooters “make weight” in F-TR class even if they have a very long barrel, or jumbo-sized scope. Trakker bipods are offered with multiple color choices: natural (silver) alloy, matte black powder coat, or other powder coat color of the customers’ choice (extra charge may apply for custom colors).
Dolphin’s Trakker bipods have been extensively tested by top F-TR shooters in Europe and we have heard that these bipods work extremely well. They are stable yet easy to adjust, and they are quite a bit lighter than most wide-base bipods on the market. Retail price in the UK is £165.00, which translates to $267.00 US Dollars, but this does not include overseas shipping or possible customs charges. Americans can order direct from Dolphin at this time and Dolphin will ship to the states. (Dolphin is currently in discussions with a US-based company that would produce the Trakker bipod for the North American market, under license). For more information, visit DolphinGunCompany.co.uk or email mik [at] mikdolphin.demon.co.uk. NOTE: The Dolphin Gun Company website is pretty slow. You may have to try multiple times to load the pages.
About Dolphin Gun Company
Dolphin Gun Company was formed several years ago by Mik Maksimovic and Pete Hobson, two active, competitive F-Class shooters. Both Mik and Peter come from engineering backgrounds. They first set up Dolphin Gun Company to build their own competitive shooting gear. From hobby gunsmithing and preparing their own rifles and equipment, Mik and Pete quickly progressed to building rifles for other shooters and creating top-of-the-line shooting accessories such as the Trakker bipod.
Product Tip from Boyd Allen. We welcome reader submissions.
May 3rd, 2012
About 24 miles east of Oceanside, California (near the Camp Pendleton Marine base) is the Pala Reservation. On that Native American land you’ll find a Casino Resort, plus an excellent shooting range. Each month, shooters come to Pala for the Varmint Silhouette Match hosted by the North County Shootist Association. Normally there is one match, held on the first Sunday of even month. But in May, you can “double your fun” because there will be TWO (2) matches. The first will be held this Sunday, May 6th, 2012. The second match takes place on Sunday, May 20th. On both match days, gates open at 7:30 am with practice from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. On Friday, May 4th, the range will be open for practice 9:00 am – 1:00 pm, while on Friday, May 18th, the range opens at 10:30 am.
Course of Fire: Five Yardages, 50 Critters
At five different yardages, ten steel “critter” targets are set as follows: 200 Meters – Field Mice (“pikas”); 300 meters – Crows; 385 meters – Ground Squirrels; 500 meters – Jack Rabbits; 600 yards – Prairie Dogs. The folks at Pala run a tight ship, cycling multiple relays efficiently, so everybody gets to shoot 50 targets (10 each at five different yardages), and the show is usually completed by 1:00 pm. There’s a one-hour sight-in period starting at 8:00 am, and the match starts at 9:00 am sharp. Newcomers should definitely arrive no later than 7:45 am, because you may need that full sight-in period to acquire solid zeros at all five yardages. CLICK HERE for full match INFO.
What to bring to Pala
 You’ll need an accurate rifle, plus at least 80 rounds of ammo (bring 100 rounds if you have no idea about your come-ups at these distances). You can shoot either rested prone (F-Class style), from bipod, or from a portable bench with front pedestal and rear bag. Most guys shoot from benches. Any rifle 6.5 caliber or under is allowed, with no weight restrictions. Any good varmint rifle can be competitive. Muzzle brakes are permitted. Spotter assistants are allowed, so bring a friend along — he/she can shoot in a different relay. Bring cleaning gear if your rifle can’t run 80+ rounds without losing accuracy. Pastry snacks are often provided, but bring water, a sandwich and your preferred non-alcoholic beverage. You’ll spend some time in the sun helping to set targets, so bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Fun Weekend for the Whole Family
 There is a deluxe Indian Casino/Spa a half-mile from the range. So don’t hesitate to bring the wife. If she’s not a shooter, she can enjoy a fancy brunch or spa treatment while you’re having fun mowing down metal critters. Pala is a 30 minutes from the Pacific Ocean and beautiful beaches, so you can make this a weekend holiday for the whole family — kids love sand and surf.
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