In addition to the individual matches at the 2011 F-Class Nationals in Lodi, Wisconsin, there was a fiercely-fought team competition. Normally the team with the best combined (Aggregate) results of 600-yard and 1000-yard stages wins the Team Championship. However, this year, the 1000-yard team segment got called off due to a bad rain-storm that blew in about half way through the stage. So, as a result, the teams that won the 600-yard trophy also won the Aggregate trophy. Team Sinclair won F-TR class, while Team Long Shots won F-Open. CLICK HERE for all Team Results.
In F-TR Class, there were ten (10) teams competing. Team Sinclair finished first, scoring 771-22X. The USA Development Team (766-18X) finished second, edging third place BNX Team (766-16X) on X-count. Here’s a glamour shot of the Sinclair Team, complete with their trick Sinclair wide-base bipods.
This marks an impressive string of victories for Team Sinclair. Here’s an interesting factoid about the Team Sinclair shooters. One or more members of the current Sinclair squad have been on the winning F-TR team at every U.S. F-Class National Championships since they were first held in 2004, except for 2010 when Sinclair did not field a team. Brad Sauve has been on the winning F-TR team every year except 2010: Great Lakes Express (2004, 2005 winning team); Team Green (2006 winner); Team Sinclair (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 winner). Ray Gross and Paul Phillips were also on most of those winning squads. Team Sinclair set the F-Class Team National Records at both 600 and 1000 yards.
In F-Open Class, the winning team was a new group appropriately called the ”Long Shots”, scoring 790-36X. Jeff Cochran of Team Sierra Spindle Shooters tells us: “The Long Shots did a great job under adverse conditions and pressure from all the major, more experienced teams.” Michelle Gallagher coached the Long Shots squad to victory. Finishing second in F-Open, with a 788-32X score, was Team Grizzly, coached by Emil Praslick. In third, tallying 786-41X, was the NAS Team (Bob Mead, coach). Thirteen (13) F-Open Teams competed this year at the Nationals in Lodi.
More 2011 F-Class Championships Photos in Forum
Forum member Denys Beauchemin (aka “Bayou Shooter”) has posted more than a dozen photos from the recent Championships in our AccurateShooter Forum. To view the pictures, go to This Forum Thread, starting with the third page of the thread. CLICK HERE for PHOTOS.
The Western CMP Games/ Creedmoor Cup start very soon. From October 15-23, 2011, the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Assn. will host the 8th Western CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup at the Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, AZ. The Western CMP Games Matches run from October 15 to 18. The Creedmoor Cup Matches take place on 19-23 October. All interested shooters, from novices to High Masters, are invited to participate. All entrants should pre-register. However, walk-ons will be allowed as range capacity permits.
The Western CMP Games program includes clinics, individual rifle matches, Team Matches, Rimfire competition, and CMP rifle sales. The 8th Western CMP Games kick off with a New Shooter Clinic on 15 October followed by a 200-yard Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match that afternoon. On Sunday, 16 October, there will be an As-Issued M1 Garand EIC Match in the morning where shooters who do not have any EIC points can earn introductory “4-point legs.” That afternoon, there will be a Rimfire Sporter Match. The Rimfire Sporter Match is a low-key event that caters to all ages and skill levels.
On Monday, 17 October, there will be a second Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match that morning followed by an M1 Carbine Match that afternoon. The Western CMP Games Matches conclude on Tuesday, 18 October, with a third Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match, and Vintage Sniper Test Match. For more info on the CMP Games, contact the CMP at croguski@odcmp.com or call (888) 267-0796, ext. 1114.
Creedmoor Cup Clinic and Matches
The Creedmoor Cup matches will take place on 19-23 October, starting with a High Power Rifle Clinic offering lectures, demonstrations and dry line firing. Creedmoor Cup matches include a Zeroing Match, an EIC Match, a 2400 Aggregate Match and a Team Match. New This Year: The Creedmoor Cup will not longer be a one-day, 80-shot (800 point) match. It will not be a 240-shot (2400 point) Aggregate fired over three days. The 50-shot team match will now be fired on Sunday prior to the start of the EIC Match.For more information on the Creedmoor Cup Matches, contact Dennis DeMille at demille [at] creedmoorsports.com or call (800) 273-3366.
The IBS 600-Yard Nationals was held this past weekend at the Midwest Benchrest Range in Yukon, Missouri. There was a good turn-out for the match, with 70 Light Gun (LG) entries and 68 Heavy Gun (HG) entries from all over the USA. Despite tough conditions (high winds on Friday, wicked mirage on Saturday), the top shooters turned in some impressive performances, including a 16-target average group size of 2.327 inches by overall Two-Gun Winner Sam Hall of North Carolina. No one was surprised to see Sam, a multi-time 600-yard Champ, come out on top. When he’s on his game, Sam’s hard to beat.
But the big story of the match was the superb shooting of Ryan Hunt from Missouri, a relative newcomer to the 600-yard benchrest game. Ryan finished second overall in the Two-Gun after finishing second in Light Gun (LG) group, third in LG score, and third in Heavy Gun (HG) group. Ryan’s average group size, for the entire match (both LG and HG) was 2.629 inches. That’s amazing marksmanship for a rookie… using a borrowed rifle!
Hunt Makes the Most of “Loaner” Rifle
What makes Hunt’s runner-up finish even more impressive is that, in both LG and HG, he used a borrowed gun, a 6mm Dasher in a new, 5″-wide Precision Rifle & Tools stock. Now get this — the very first time Ryan shot that gun was the day before the Nationals! Ryan told us the 5″-wide stock really tracked well, allowing him to shoot fast and accurately. Will we see more extra-wide stocks in Light Gun in the future? Ryan Hunt thinks so: “I think 5″ is the way to go. That’s all I’ll be shooting next year. The extra width really makes a difference in the way the gun tracks. You don’t have to worry about rolling or hopping. Just pull the trigger, slide her back and you’re on target. The biggest benefit from these 5″ stocks is that a Light Gun’s going to track like a Heavy Gun. When the mirage picks up, instead of following the dot, you can just trust the gun, the way it’s tracking. It really paid off last weekend.” It’s worth noting that Ryan did not use the old standby powders, Reloder 15 or Varget. In his Dasher, Ryan loads IMR 8208 XBR powder with Spencer bullets.
Sam Hall with his Heavy Gun
Match Winner Sam Hall, like most of the top performers at the 2011 Nationals, shot a 6mm Dasher in both classes. But unlike Ryan Hunt, Sam used a “true heavy” in HG class. Sam’s mammoth Heavy Gun, dubbed “Black Max”, is featured in a Gun of the Week Article in our archives. You can see Sam practicing with this rig above. Sam hauls out his “heavy artillery” once a year for the Nationals: “This rig won’t see daylight again until the next Nationals.” In Light Gun, Sam used the same 17-pounder he’s used to win previous championships. It features a BAT action, Krieger Barrel and Shehane ST-1000 fiberglass Tracker stock. Sam shoots Berger bullets with Alliant Reloder 15 powder.
Tough Conditions Both Friday and Saturday
Sam told us: “All eight LG targets were shot Friday. And the Heavy class shot all eight on Saturday. Friday had winds of 13 to 18 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Saturday was less windy, but was switchy. Mirage was some of the worst I’ve ever encountered. These conditions caused vertical groups.”
We asked Sam if he had any special strategies for the match: “My only strategy was to make sure I got my sighters right. Last year I misjudged some sighters on a gong. I thought I was centered but I was actually way high and right. I ended up shooting a small group, but the score was really bad. This year I made sure I knew where the sighters were actually hitting.” You can learn more about Sam and his rifles in a Gun of the Week Article from our archives.
Dashers and Cut-Rifled Barrels A quick glance at the above equipment list for the Top 10 Two-Gun finishers, reveals the winning formula: 6mm Dasher in a cut-rifled barrel. Eight of the Top 10 competitors shot 6 Dashers in both classes, while another shot a 6 Dasher in HG and a 6 BRX in LG. That’s “Dasher Dominance” for sure. Among the barrels, cut-rifled tubes from Bartlein, Brux, and Krieger were favored by most of the top shooters. It’s hard to argue with success.
Shiraz Balolia has recently been appointed as Captain of the U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team. Balolia served as Vice Captain of the previous team and was one of eight American shooters at the last World Championship held in England in 2009. He was also one of four shooters in the International Team matches in England where Team USA won the Gold Medal. The step up from Vice Captain to Captain brings new responsibilities, but Balolia told us he accepts his new role “with honor and a fierce passion to lead the team to gold in the 2013 World Championship”.
USA Will Host 2013 F-Class World Championship
With the 2013 F-Class Championship being hosted by the United States for the first time ever, Balolia and the U.S. team are determined to win the Gold Medal on home soil. Team tryouts commenced in 2010 and will continue until the complete Development Team is selected in early 2012, from which the main 2013 team will be chosen. Balolia added: “I am excited to have been given the opportunity to lead this team into the next World Championship. The shooters we have are absolutely incredible, and everyone has a single goal in mind… and that is to Win!”
2013 F-Class World Championship | Raton, New Mexico (USA) | August 23-27, 2013
The next F-Class World Championship will be held in Raton, New Mexico, from August 23 to 27, 2013. This will be the fourth F-Class World Championship and first time it is being held in the United States. Previous F-Class World Championship venues were:
2002 – Ottawa, Canada. Won by the USA.
2005 – Bloemfontein, South Africa. Won by South Africa.
2009 – Bisley, England. Won by Great Britain.
As you can see, historically, home teams have won in the past two events. This bodes well for Team USA’s chances in 2013.
U.S. F-Class Championships Will Precede Worlds at Raton
Preceding the World Championship, the 2013 US F-Class National Championship will be held from August 18 to 22, 2013. All F-classers are welcome to register. With the U.S. and World Championships scheduled back-to-back, August 2013 should offer the most memorable 10 days of F-Class competition ever conducted in North America.
To learn more about the US F-Class Open Team, visit www.usfclass.com.
The 2011 F-Class National Championships in Lodi, Wisconsin are now history. Hail the new Champions: Jim Murphy, F-Open (1331-55X) and Jeff Rorer, F-TR (1315-41X). Hosted by the Winnequah Gun Club, the Nationals were well-attended, with 61 F-TR competitors and 90 F-Open shooters. The F-Open race was incredibly tight, with just four (4) points separating first through fifth positions. In F-TR, runner-up John Weil shot incredibly well in the crazy conditions on Friday. John made up a bunch of points, but it wasn’t enough to grab victory from Rorer, who shoot well all three days. CLICK HERE for Complete Match Results. Sorry, we don’t have an equipment list at this time.
Final Results for F-Open (TOP 10):
1. JIM MURPHY: 1331-55X
2. DON J NAGEL: 1330-46X
3. DAVID GOSNELL: 1329-61X
4. JOHN BREWER: 1328-62X
5. ROBERT BOCK: 1327-64X
6. RICK JENSEN: 1326-62X
7. DAVID MANN: 1326-57X
8. CHARLES BALLARD: 1325-59X
9. DANNY J BIGGS: 1324-62X
10. BOB PASTOR: 1324-47X
Final Results for F-T/R (TOP 10):
1. JEFF RORER: 1315-41X
2. JOHN H WEIL: 1308-42X
3. LAURA PERRY: 1307-39X
4. CHRIS OZOLINS: 1305-34X
5. JOHN CHILTON: 1303-39X
6. DARRELL BUELL: 1300-49X
7. IAN KLEMM: 1300-43X
8. DANIEL POHLABEL: 1296-43X
9. MARK HOUSEMAN: 1296-35X
10. MICHELLE GALLAGHER: 1292-35X
Forum member Darrell Buell provided Match Reports for our Shooter’s Forum. Darrell, who finished sixth in F-TR Class at this year’s Nationals, explained that conditions were erratic throughout the week — changing from one day to the next:
“The first day in Lodi was the 600-Yard stage. The winds were relatively light, no more than two minutes, but they had some tricky pick-ups and let-offs, and some vertical thrown into the mix. The weather was excellent, temps in the mid 60s, with rain threatening most of the day, but only producing a few sprinkles for the last two (of six) relays. Day two saw the Shooters move back to the 1000-Yard line. The weather was beautiful, temps in the mid to high 60s, with partly sunny skies. Winds were stronger than they were at 600 the day before, and there was a good deal of vertical noticed by the competitors.
The final day of the Nationals saw wild conditions, with unpredictable gusty full value winds. Congratulations go to John Weil for a superb performance in difficult conditions Friday. Thanks go to the Liebetrau clan for running another Nationals.”
Results are in from the inaugural IDPA World Championship held September 21-24, at the Universal Shooting Academy in Frostproof, Florida. There were 387 competitors from 18 different countries. Triple-digit temps, high humidity, rain, and muddy conditions made the 22 challenging stages even more difficult.
Champions were named in each of IDPA’s five divisions, based on elapsed time and penalties for “points dropped”. Robert Vogel topped the field of Standard Service Pistol (SSP) shooters, with a superb 248.29 score — the best score for the match and over 40 points better than any other SSP shooter. Robert was also the High Scoring Law Enforcement competitor. In the video below, Robert demonstrates the skills that carried him to victory in Florida.
In other classes, James McGinty became the first-ever World Champion in the Enhanced Service Pistol (ESP) Division by scoring 283.31 with his STI 2011 9mm. Glenn Shelby, with a score of 299.48, took the Custom Defensive Pistol (CDP) Division shooting his Wilson CQB. Among the wheelgunners, Jerry Miculek shot a modified .45 ACP S&W Model 625 to win the Enhanced Service Revolver (ESR) Division. Miculek hammered through the tough stages during the monsoon-like weather, scoring 411.79. In Standard Service Revolver (SSR) Division, Craig Buckland led the way with a 426.9, using his S&W Model 19. Other notable competitors were: James Myers (Most Accurate Shooter); Tom Yost (Top Senior); and Tierrani Hendrix (High Lady).
Pala, California Multi-Stage Varmint Silhouette Shoot 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. The first Sunday of every month, shooters come to Pala for the Varmint Silhouette Match. 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.
There’s a North County Shootist Association Varmint Silhouette match this Sunday, October 2, 2011. You’ll need an accurate rifle, and 80-100 rounds of ammo. You can shoot either rested prone (F-Class style), from bipod, or from a portable bench with front pedestal and rear bag. Any rifle 6.5 caliber or under is allowed, with no weight restrictions. Muzzle brakes are permitted. There’s a one-hour sight-in period starting at 8:00 am, and the match starts at 9:00 am sharp. 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. (Then if you want… head over to the Pala Casino for gambling fun, or a spa treatment.) CLICK HERE for Match Info. Your Editor has shot with the folks at Pala, so I can assure any first-time participants that this event is well worth attending. The Fun Factor is very high.
The best action pistol shooters on the globe are heading to Philippsburg, Germany next September. Germany was chosen to host the 2012 World Action Pistol Championship (WAPC). This event takes place every other year — Australia hosted the last WAPC in 2010. Phillipsburg, site of Germany’s largest indoor/outdoor Shooting Range, is roughly 23 miles from Heidelberg. The Schiessanlage (shooting range) Philippsburg has previously hosted IPSC German and European Championships.
Shooting Range Philippsburg
76661 Philippsburg, Am Schießstand 1 (Prolongation of Street “Mittlerer Weg“)
Phone: +49 7256 9243889
E-Mail: info@sapb.de
Web: http://www.schiessanlage-philippsburg.de
The format of the World Championship is very similar to that of the Bianchi Cup; everything from the courses of fire to the evening activities. Each year, the host country determines how many shooters will represent each country from the various divisions (Production, Open, Metallic). Once that has been decided, scores from the two previous Bianchi Cups will determine who represents the United States. Competitors can also receive an invitation to be part of a Ladies, Senior, or Junior team.
At the most recent (2010) WAPC in Australia, Team USA dominated the competition. Amazingly, Americans Doug Koenig (1920-188X), Carl Bernosky (1920-181X), and Bruce Piatt (1920-177X) all shot “perfect” 1920 scores to finish first/second/third. We know the Europeans have been training hard, and we expect tough competition for the Americans next September in Philippsburg.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) will host the 2011 Champion of Champions International Rifle and Pistol Match Sept. 24-30, 2011, at Fort Benning, Georgia. Shooting will be done on electronic targets at the Pool Range Complex and Phillips Range.
The Olympic-style match is a USA Shooting-sanctioned event and qualifies as a performance standard average (PSA) match. Additionally, USA Shooting may use these match scores as a partial tryout for 2012 World Cups. Qualifying PSA scores must be achieved before an athlete may travel with the U.S. Shooting Team to selected international competitions. Champion of Champions Match Awards will be given in the Open and Junior Categories. If you have questions, contact match director Michael Behnke, Michael.behnke [at] usaac.army.mil, or Fax: (706) 545-6252.
Ace Shooters Prepare for 2012 Olympics
USAMU and U.S. National Team members SFC Eric Uptagrafft, SFC Jason Parker, SSG Michael McPhail, SGT Joe Hein, and CPL Matt Rawlings are among the slew of competitors in the field. Uptagrafft has already been nominated for the 2012 Olympic team and will be competing in rifle matches. This is the final match of 2011 prior to the Olympic Trial matches which will determine Team USA spots for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Mark your calendars, gents. The IBS 600-yard Nationals are slated for the weekend of September 30th through October 2nd. The event will be held at the Midwest Benchrest Range in Yukon, Missouri. The 2011 600-yard Nationals consist of an 8-target Aggregate match in Light Gun (LG), plus an 8-target Aggregate match in Heavy Gun (HG). There will be a total (LG + HG) of 16 record targets (5 record shots each [80 total]). After a safety meeting, the match begins at 9:00 am on FRIDAY September 30th, and continues on SATURDAY, October 1st. Sunday October 2nd is a reserve day if needed due to weather delays.
Sight-In and Practice Times on Thursday
Thursday, September 29 will be the last day to register. The range is also open on Thursday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm for sight-in and set-up. NOTE: Due to the nature of this event, practice/sight-in will not be available on match days (9/30 – 10/2) prior to the start of the matches.
The Western CMP Games/ Creedmoor Cup start very soon. From October 15-23, 2011, the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Assn. will host the 
The Western CMP Games program includes clinics, individual rifle matches, Team Matches, Rimfire competition, and CMP rifle sales. The 8th Western CMP Games kick off with a New Shooter Clinic on 15 October followed by a 200-yard Garand-Springfield-Vintage Military Rifle Match that afternoon. On Sunday, 16 October, there will be an As-Issued M1 Garand EIC Match in the morning where shooters who do not have any EIC points can earn introductory “4-point legs.” That afternoon, there will be a Rimfire Sporter Match. The 
The IBS 600-Yard Nationals was held this past weekend at the 
A quick glance at the above equipment list for the Top 10 Two-Gun finishers, reveals the winning formula: 6mm Dasher in a cut-rifled barrel. Eight of the Top 10 competitors shot 6 Dashers in both classes, while another shot a 6 Dasher in HG and a 6 BRX in LG. That’s “Dasher Dominance” for sure. Among the barrels, cut-rifled tubes from Bartlein, Brux, and Krieger were favored by most of the top shooters. It’s hard to argue with success.
Shiraz Balolia has recently been appointed as Captain of the 
Results are in from the inaugural 
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. The first Sunday of every month, shooters come to Pala for the 
The best action pistol shooters on the globe are heading to Philippsburg, Germany next September. Germany was chosen to host the 2012 
The 
Mark your calendars, gents. The 
