Forum member Jim McG (aka “Hostil”) reports that Eric Wilson shot a 600-yard, four-target Score record of 198 points at the Piedmont Gun Club (Rutherfordton, NC) last week.
In sequence, scores for Eric’s four targets were: 50, 50, 50, 48. The first group was ultra-small, 1.080″ as measured with On-Target software. And the average size of all four groups combined is about 1.65″, barely over 1/4 MOA! Jim McG told us: “I don’t think [the record] will last long though, my bet is Eric will break it soon. He shoots a lot of small centered groups.”
Dasher/Tracker Combo Does It Again
Eric was shooting a 6mm Dasher Light Gun (17-lb Class) smithed by Mike Davis. Eric’s rifle featured a dual-port BAT action in a ST1000 Shehane Tracker stock. The barrel was a 1:8″ twist, 28″ Krieger .237″ bore, chambered for a no-turn-neck 6mm Dasher with .104″ freebore. Eric’s load was 32+ grains of H4895 with Danzac-coated Berger 105gr VLDs.
Dimensions of the 600-yard IBS Target are: X-Ring 1.2″; 10 Ring 2.8″; 9 Ring 5.2″; 8 Ring 7.6″.
600-yard Shooter of the Year Sam Hall says Eric is to be congratulated for this Piedmont record: “It is the man behind the rifle that counts! Eric has been doing some fantastic shooting, [as have] some other rookies. At Piedmont, with the talent and number of shooters we have each match, you have done well to place in the top 5. Results that used to win 3-4 years ago, will not even place any more!”
Gunsmith Mike Davis added: “Sam is right, the gun can’t win a match by itself. Eric has been tough since he started & continues to get better. Congratulations again, that’s very strong shooting!” (Editor’s note: Mike has a heavy work load now, but if you want to schedule a build, you can email: daviscustomrifle[at]yahoo.com.)
Cooper’s One-Shot Competition has grown into a nationally-recognized event and this year Cooper Firearms of Montana has added a second shoot to be held at the Capitol City Rifle and Pistol Club in Augusta, Maine. East Coasters can now find out why Cooper owners have returned year after year for the popular One-Shot Event in Montana.
The inaugural Eastern One-Shot Competition will be held August 19-20, 2011 in Augusta, Maine. The Rimfire event will be held on August 19 while the Centerfire competition will be August 20th. Centerfire prizes include money, paintings, and a Cooper rifle awarded to the top shooter. Note: Interested Cooper owners should register early, using the Entry Form. The event is limited to the first forty (40) registered applicants, and entry deadline is July 1, 2011. If you have questions about the event, contact Gary at babydogham[at]gmail.com or 207-629-9163; or, contact Joe at Joe[at]cooperfirearms.com or 406-777-0373.
Cooper One-Shot Competition — How It Works
The Money Shoots
The day begins at 10 am with four and eight person group competitions for cash prizes. A separate, per shot, entry fee of $5 for the eight-shooter groups and $10 for the four-shooter groups is collected with a 100% pay out to each winner. This shoot is designed to allow the competitors to familiarize themselves with the range, zero their weapons and get to know one another before the afternoon’s painting shoot.
The Main Event
Shooters get one shot at a dot the size of a pencil eraser at 150 yards. No sighters. No spotting scopes to dope the wind while other shooters succeed or fail. The closest shooter wins the target to take home to put on his wall and a chance to compete for a new rifle. What makes this competition unique is that the target is on a painting. The names of eight shooters will be assigned to each painting and written around its rim along with a number. That number indicates the order that competitors will shoot. The target will be a ¼ inch dot on a paper paster target that measures about 2 inches in diameter. This target is then taped to the painting. One at a time, competitors will get a shot at their paster. After the shooting flight is finished, the paster’s will be recovered and new ones put in their place. Shooters will be evaluated by the bullet strike relative to this target, not the symbolic target added to the painting as a reference point. The bullet hitting closest to the paster’s center will win the painting. The top two shooters on each painting will be given a chance to compete for the grand prize, a M56 Jackson Game Rifle in .264 Winchester Magnum.
Entry fee is $165.00 for the centerfire One Shot Event. That fee covers lunch at the range and a steak & lobster dinner with an open bar at the after-shoot party. There will also be a Friday 22LR competition using IR 50/50 rules. The entry fee for the rimfire shoot is $50.00 with 100% payout and lunch is on us. CLICK HERE for 2011 Eastern One-Shot Entry Form.
We previously reported that Texan Gene Bukys won the Two-Gun Championship at the 39th Firearms Industry Super Shoot (FISS) held at Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. This was a notable performance, as Bukys started out Friday with a 1.249 LV group at 200 yards and came back (in tough weather conditions) to win the Two-Gun. Bukys’ Aggregate for 100/200 yards in both the 10.5-lb (Light Varmint) and 13.5-lb class was .2240″. Larry Costa (Florida), the 2008 Two-Gun Champion, finished a close second with a 0.2247″ Two-Gun (all yardage) Agg, while Wayne Campbell (Virginia) finished 3rd with a 0.2302″ Two-Gun (all yardage) Agg. Costa also had the best 10.5-lb class 100/200 Agg, at 0.2173, while Bukys had the best 13.5-lb class 100/200 Agg, at 0.1902. Bukys, Costa, and Campbell will all be on the USA team at the 2011 World Benchrest Championships held in France this summer.
Berger’s Stecker Nails Small Group
Notably, Berger Bullets Master Bulletsmith Eric Stecker shot the smallest group in the entire competition, a stunning 0.054″ in the 10.5-lb class at 100 yards. Yes that’s 0.054 for FIVE rounds — it appears those Berger guys do know how to make some pretty good projectiles. Andy Shifflett had an 0.084″ small group in the HV class.
In linked PDF files below, you’ll find complete results for the 2011 Super Shoot. Considered by many to be the major 100/200 yard benchrest event in the world, the Super Shoot was held May 25th through 28th. Over 250 of the top benchrest shooters from 12 countries competed in this four day, two-gun event. Conditions were tough with constantly changing wind conditions in addition to thunderstorms, intermittent rain/hail and the inevitable mud.
These Downloadable PDF Files Contain the Complete Super Shoot Results:
Two-GunGrand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. GENE BUKYS 0.2240
2. LARRY COSTA 0.2247
3. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.2302
4. JACK NEARY 0.2434
5. CHRIS HARRIS 0.2447
6. BART SAUTER 0.2485
7. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2506
8. TONY BOYER 0.2553
9. LESTER BRUNO 0.2580
10. HARLEY BAKER 0.2635
10.5-lb LV Grand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. LARRY COSTA 0.2193
2. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.227
3. LESTER BRUNO 0.2396
4. DON NIELSON 0.2474
5. TONY BOYER 0.2502
6. JACK NEARY 0.2511
7. BART SAUTER 0.2514
8. ALLEN ARNETTE 0.2533
9. GENE BUKYS 0.2578
10. L. HOTTENSTEIN 0.2605
13.5-lb HV Grand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. GENE BUKYS 0.1902
2. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2085
3. AL BLACKWELL 0.2169
4. CHRIS HARRIS 0.2186
5. JEFF GRAVES 0.2188
6. DAVE COOTS 0.2255
7. LARRY COSTA 0.2302
8. KEVIN HUFF 0.2329
9. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.2331
10. STEVE THEYE 0.2332
Each year, skilled shooters from many countries come to Camp Perry, Ohio to compete in Pistol, Smallbore Rifle, and High Power Rifle disciplines at the NRA National Matches.
With the National Rifle & Pistol Championships kicking off in month, there’s no better time to check out the 2011 NRA National Matches Program. This official guide to the NRA National Matches is available for FREE online in a digital magazine format. The National Matches Program includes a full schedule of events, an explanation of rules and courses of fire for all disciplines, a sponsor list, and other important information for Camp Perry competitors.
This video has highlights and interviews from the 2011 Tactical Bolt Rifle Challenge (TBRC) in Northern California. Some 66 shooters competed in a multi-stage event held May 27-29, 2011 by the Nor Cal Practical Precision Rifle Club (NCPPRC). You’ll see the latest tactical hardware and shooting techniques in this lengthy (35 minute) video.
The video shows bolt guns being shot from a variety of positions: prone, kneeling, sitting, standing, and off barricades. Match Director Vu Pham explains some of the more interesting courses of fire in the match. There are also interviews with many of the competitors. If you The last 10 minutes or so of the video covers the awards ceremony at the end of the match. If your time is limited, you may want to skip that section.
In the Daily Bulletin, we recently covered the NRA Junior Pistol and Smallbore Rifle Camps being held at Camp Perry this summer. But what about training opportunities for adults? As it turns out, the NRA offers a variety of instructional sessions at Camp Perry this summer.
First, the NRA Training Dept. offers a Range Safety Officer (RSO) Course. This is for those looking to learn how to run a firing line or simply learn more about proper range operations. Two RSO courses will be held, the first on July 18th and the second on July 29th. To register or to learn more about the courses, visit www.nrainstructors.org or contact Sean Thornton at sthornton@nrahq.org.
The NRA also offers coaching courses. If you’re interested in helping others hone their shooting skills, you can sign up for one of the NRA’s Coach Schools. The Coach Education Program is offering a Level 1 Pistol Coach School on July 13-15. This will be followed by a Level 3 Air Rifle/Smallbore Coaching Clinic from July 25-27. To register for these coaching classes, or learn more about the lesson plan, contact NRA National Coach Trainer Marcus Raab at mraab@nrahq.org.
In addition to the Camp Perry programs, there are adult training courses and coach schools conducted across the country. Check www.nrainstructors.org for training opportunities in your area or the Coach School listing to find the right coaching course for you.
The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) hosts its annual Spring Shoot from Saturday, June 11 through Sunday, June 19. The 9-day gathering will take place at the 600-acre NMLRA facility in Friendship, Indiana, with shooting events at the Walter Cline Range. Events will include daily black powder shooting competitions, early American living history demonstrations, special museum displays, youth activities, vendors’ displays, gunmaker demonstrations and much more.
Competitive shooting with muzzle-loaders is the focus of the NMLRA Spring Shoot. Matches include competition for every kind of front-loading firearm: rifles, pistols, shotguns, slug guns and chunk guns. As in recent years, the NRA National Muzzle Loading Championships will be held in conjunction with the NMLRA event at Friendship’s expansive Walter Cline Range.
The NMLRA National Firearms Museum located in the historic Rand House (circa 1876) will host special museum displays throughout the event. The exhibit will feature numerous Civil War-era carbines. In addition, the NMLRA Gunmaker’s Hall will be open daily during the week, exhibiting some of the finest examples of modern gun building by today’s master craftsmen.
Highlighting this year’s event will be the dedication and grand opening of the NMLRA Education Building, a project that has been years in the making. The new NMLRA Education Building includes an auditorium, several shops, classrooms, a kitchen, machine- and wood-working shop, and library/museum.
The NMLRA Complex in Friendship, Indiana
As the historic national center of muzzleloader shooting, education and competition in the U.S., the NMLRA headquarters and range complex are located on nearly 600 acres in rural and scenic southeastern Indiana. The Friendship facilities are an easy drive from nearby Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as the metropolitan areas of Louisville, Kentucky and Indianapolis, Indiana.
Photos courtesy National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, all rights reserved by NMLRA.
The latest edition of the CMP’s ‘On the Mark’ newsletter for young competitive shooters has been released as a FREE, downloadable PDF file. In this Spring 2011 edition, you’ll find many items of interest including an excellent instructional article by Gary Anderson, Director of Civilian Marksmanship-Emeritus. The 4-page story is entitled: Three-Position Shooting — Teaching the First Steps. Here’s a sample from the story, Anderson’s discussion of target shooting order:
Target Bull Firing Order
Anderson writes: “When firing starts, each shooter should have a plan for the order in which the sighter and record bulls are fired. Each record bull is numbered from one to ten, but the bulls do not need to be fired in that order. Indeed, to shoot them in numerical order is one of the least efficient ways to do this. The firing order should be designed to minimize movements from one record bull to the next. The illustration (on right) shows one recommended firing order that begins with the lower sighter bull, continues to the upper sighter bull and then proceeds around the target in a counter-clockwise direction.”
In addition to the Gary Anderson article, this month’s edition of On the Mark features extensive coverage of Collegiate shooting events, and the National Junior ROTC Championships.
If you or someone you know is a young shooter looking to mix some top-notch coaching with summer fun, then look no further than the NRA Junior Shooting Camps. Each summer, the NRA offers a Junior Pistol Camp and a Junior Smallbore Rifle Camp at Camp Perry in Northern Ohio. The slideshow below shows the 2010 Junior Smallbore Rifle Camp.
Both Pistol and Rifle programs are conducted as five-day camps offering expert instruction by NRA Certified Coaches. Both camps are geared towards intermediate shooters, but beginners are accepted on a space-available basis. Open to youths 12-18 years of age, these camps provide young people with the chance to improve their shooting skills under the guidance and supervision of experienced coaches.
The Junior Pistol Camp will be held July 12-16 and the Junior Smallbore Rifle Camp will be held July 23-27, both in conjunction with the National Matches at Camp Perry. The Junior Pistol Camp is limited to 50 shooters and will focus on conventional and international pistol shooting, while the Junior Smallbore Rifle Camp is limited to 72 shooters and centers on 3 and 4-position rifle shooting.
Advanced registration (by June 15) is just $200.00, standard registration (after June 15) is $225.00. This includes training materials and administrative fees, but does not cover travel or lodging costs. First-time campers for the Junior Pistol Camp only are eligible for tuition and travel reimbursement of up to $500.00 per individual thanks to the generous support of the Ohio Gun Collectors Association.
Information packets and registration forms for both camps can be downloaded online, or call 703-267-1411 for more information. You can also view the new Junior Pistol Camp brochure online. If you know a junior who would like to attend a shooting camp, submit an application right away!
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) now has its own CMP Facebook Page. There you’ll find the latest match results, links to interesting stories, and info on special rifle and ammo sales. The Facebook format actually works really well for the CMP — visitors can quickly find the latest new items and stories of interest. For example, here’s a cool article about two Virginia High School Girls who shot in the first official CMP Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match on 10 May, at Camp Butner, NC: High-Schoolers at Butner.
New CMP Rulebook Released
New for 2011, the 15th edition of the CMP Competition Rules is now available. The CMP is the national governing body for Service Rifle, Service Pistol and CMP Games shooting events and the CMP Competition Rules is the official rulebook for these events that are a popular and important part of the national competitive shooting scene. The 15th Edition Rulebook also provides all the rule changes for Service Rifle, as well as the governing rules for the new Vintage Sniper Rifle Competition. The new rulebook, in PDF format, can be downloaded from the CMP website at: http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/Rulebook.pdf.
CMP Scoring App Now Available for Android Smart-Phones
Also, the CMP Scoring App, which has been available for iPhones since September 2010, is now available for Android OS smartphones in the Android App Marketplace. This $4.99 CMP App features an easy-to-use interface that allows for quick recording of your score after each string. The CMP App calculates your shooting percentages automatically to let you know how you are doing throughout the event. You can also enter notes and record conditions. The CMP App was recently updated so it can be utilized with all shooting disciplines. This application is sponsored and endorsed by the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
Forum member Jim McG (aka “Hostil”) reports that Eric Wilson shot a 600-yard, four-target Score record of 198 points at the Piedmont Gun Club (Rutherfordton, NC) last week.
Cooper’s One-Shot Competition has grown into a nationally-recognized event and this year 
This video has highlights and interviews from the 2011 
In the Daily Bulletin, we recently covered the 
The National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) hosts its annual Spring Shoot from Saturday, June 11 through Sunday, June 19. The 9-day gathering will take place at the 600-acre NMLRA facility in Friendship, Indiana, with shooting events at the Walter Cline Range. Events will include daily black powder shooting competitions, early American living history demonstrations, special museum displays, youth activities, vendors’ displays, gunmaker demonstrations and much more.
The latest edition of the CMP’s 
Target Bull Firing Order
New CMP Rulebook Released
CMP Scoring App Now Available for Android Smart-Phones
