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September 14th, 2010
 Over the past five days at the Desert Sportsman’s Range in Las Vegas, the nation’s top multi-gun competitors competed for glory and serious prize money. Thursday through Sunday (Sept. 9-12), the USPSA conducted its Multi-Gun Nationals — a big event with shooters competing on twelve separate stages, some 3-gun, some 2-gun, and a few shotgun-only, pistol-only, or rifle-only. One of the USPSA stages even started off with a full-auto FNH machine-gun (provided by the match organizers). On most of the stages, most competitors blazed through the rifle and pistol segments, but many shooters struggled with their scattergun reloading. Those guys and gals who could stoke their shotguns quickly (and smoothly) enjoyed a major competitive edge.
3-Gun Nation Finals
On Monday, September 13, the Finals of the season-long 3-Gun Nation series was held at the Desert Sportsman’s range. The number of stages was reduced to four, but the scenarios were longer and tougher, with more moving and shooting, and generally more challenging scenarios. On ALL the 3-Gun Nation stages, all three guns (rifle, pistol, and shotgun) were used. To do well you need to be strong with all weapon types. The top shooters all had their serious game faces on as big money — over $40,000 in prize money — was at stake. Conditions were tough; temps were in the mid-90s, and erratic afternoon winds toyed with the shooters during the long-range rifle events.
SGT Horner Wins 3-Gun Nation Championship and $25,000 Prize
After seven hours of elimination events to select shoot-off participants, the 3-Gun Nation Final Shoot-off was held at day’s end. In this signature event, sixteen 3-Gun Nation competitors dueled in a series of one-on-one matches until just two shooters remained. These two then competed head-to-head for the Championship. The “last man standing”, SGT Daniel Horner of the USAMU, won the Grand Prize of $25,000, provided by Leupold. Runner-up Bruce Piatt took home a check for $10,000, which US P.A.L.M. supplied. David Neth finished third, winning $5,000, courtesy of Timney Triggers. Congrats to SGT Horner and all the 3-Gun Nation competitors.
September 9th, 2010
 This weekend, September 10-12, over 150 of the nation’s best rifle, shotgun and pistol shooters will compete at the U.S. Practical Shooting Association’s 2010 Multi-Gun National Championships. The event is hosted at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club , on the west side of Las Vegas, NV. Your Editor will be on hand to report on the action.
The USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals will feature 12 challenging stages involving rifle, shotgun, and pistol. The action is fast, demanding speed AND accuracy. National Titles will be decided in multiple USPSA Classes: Open, Limited, Tactical, Heavy Metal Limited, and Heavy Metal Tactical divisions. Honors will also be awarded in the categories of High Lady, Senior, Super Senior, Junior, Military & Law Enforcement.
Match Location:
Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club
12201 W. Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89135
View Larger Map
September 8th, 2010
The 2010 IBS 1000-Yard Nationals took place September 1-4 at the Gopher Rifle & Revolver Club (GRRC) in Harris, MN. There were three days of shooting for both Light Gun (LG) and Heavy Gun (HG) classes, with IBS, NBRSA and Williamsport rifles eligible. There was some rain on Thursday (Day 1) that delayed the afternoon relays, but, overall, Thursday had the best conditions. Mike Wieland of GRRC reports that winds were very strong on Friday (Day 2), while on Saturday (Day 3) “a breeze developed that provided a challenging condition and kept the groups bigger and the scores lower for most of the shooters”. The very strong winds on Day 2 also produced a number of DQs.
Bauer Wins Two-Gun and Heavy Gun; Baron Graham Wins Light Gun
The Overall Two-Gun Match Winner was Jim Bauer, who shot a 6mm Dasher in LG and a 300 Ackley in HG. Both guns were smithed by Gordy Gritters and featured Krieger Barrels, BAT actions, and Shehane stocks. In his Dasher, Jim loaded Spencer bullets with Reloder 15. For his Heavy, Jim used Berger bullets with Reloder 25. Jim’s match Aggs were 8.879 for LG and 9.694 for HG. Finishing Second Overall in Two-Gun was Jim Isaacson, followed by Jay Cutright (3rd), David Powley (4th), and John Stecik (5th).
Match Two-Gun Winner Jim Bauer also won the Heavy Gun Division with his Gritters-built 300 Ackley. Close behind were runner-up Steve Sabo shooting a 300 WSM (Broughton barrel, BAT action), and third-place Jay Cutright shooting a Bartlein-barreled big 7mm wildcat. Fourth and fifth in HG, respectively, were Tod Soeby (300 WSM), and James Isaacson (6.5×47 Lapua). Though there were quite a few 6mms used in HG class, the big boomers dominated the top positions.
Baron Graham shot very impressively to win the Light Gun Division. Baron shot a big 30 wildcat (300 Atlas), built by Leonard Baity. In his Krieger-barreled 300 Atlas, Baron shot used Berger Bullets with Reloder 25 powder. Second in LG was Jon Ammerman shooting a 6XC, followed by David Powley (3rd, 6-6.5×47), James Isaacson (4th, 6.5×47), and Gordy Mitchell (5th, 6mmBR). Though Baron’s big 30 won LG overall, the mid-size 6mm and 6.5mm cartridges did very well. Though a Dasher didn’t crack the Top Five in Light Gun, there were a bunch of Dashers on the line. This little cartridge, an improved version of the 6mmBR case, is really coming into its own in 1K competition, as is the 6.5×47 Lapua.
The Gopher Rifle & Revolver Club crew did an excellent job running the firing line, working the pits, handling targets, as well as doing the scoring and information gathering. Mike Wieland of GRRC says: “Thank you to all the volunteers, the sponsors and the shooters who made this a success!”
September 7th, 2010
 Vince Bottomley, an ace shooter from the United Kingdom, also operates the excellent Precision Rifle website. On Vince’s handsome, informative site, you’ll find gear reviews, gunsmithing tips, competition reports, and in-depth features on interesting rifles.
Vince, who competes successfully in a variety of shooting disciplines from 100 yards to 1000 yards, has also authored articles explaining how to set up your equipment for optimal accuracy and best performance. One such feature is Choosing and Using the Machine Front Rest. Whether you’re a novice shooter, or a seasoned competitor, this article is worth reading. Vince reviews a number of the premium front rests, including the Farley Coax, and the SEB Co-axial rest.
In this feature, Vince explains how to adapt a heavy BR front rest for F-Class use in the field. He also explains how to optimize a front rest on the bench and how to use the windage and elevation controls.
Vince’s article on front rests is definitely worth reading. Plus, on the same page, you’ll find other informative features including a discussion of Case Prep, and an interesting article on barrel cleaning.
CLICK HERE to read Vince Bottomley’s Articles on Accuracy.
Photos copyright Vince Bottomley, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
September 6th, 2010
 Applied Ballistics, run by top Palma shooter Bryan Litz, now offers extremely high-quality loaded match ammunition for .308 Fullbore (Palma) shooters. The new Applied Ballistics “FULLBORE” ammo, priced at $38.00/box, is unlike anything on the market. It features the best available components, with individually-weighed charges. Independent testing shows this ammo offers extremely low ES and SD with accuracy comparable to precision hand-loaded cartridges.
Bryan Litz tells us: “Applied Ballistics’ FULLBORE ammunition is not just another ‘factory ammo’ option. This ammo is loaded specifically for the rifles and chambers commonly used in international-style Palma and Fullbore shooting.” Bryan cited the important qualities which make his FULLBORE ammo unique:
- AB FULLBORE is the only .308 Win Ammo with Individually-Weighed Charges.
- AB FULLBORE is the only .308 Win Ammo with Berger Bullets AND Lapua Brass.
- AB FULLBORE is the only .308 Win Ammo Optimized for Int’l Fullbore Competition.
- AB FULLBORE is the only .308 Win Ammo with Independently-Verified Single-Digit SD.
What Makes Applied Ballistics’ FULLBORE Ammo Special
Unlike most factory ammo, AB FULLBORE powder charges are carefully weighed, not metered, which helps to minimize muzzle velocity variation. Velocity averages over 3000 fps from 30″ barrels with Standard Deviation (SD) typically under 10 fps. Components are the best available, according to Bryan: “The ammo is loaded with Berger 155.5 grain bullets and Lapua brass. These are the same components I’ve had success with for years. The brass preparation, loading techniques, and QC steps that I’ve implemented for larger-scale production insure this ammo is good enough to win at the highest levels.”
Applied Ballistics FULLBORE Ammo Already Proven in Competition
Can this pre-loaded FULLBORE ammo really rival handloads in competition? Yes it can, according to Bryan: “I’ve been prototyping and testing ammo this past year and have had very good results. One notable achievement was a 150-15X fired at 900 yards during a coached team match in Lodi, WI during the Midwest Palma Tournament.”
Brian adds: “This ammo is the perfect option for someone who doesn’t enjoy handloading but still wants the accuracy, consistency and performance of handloaded ammunition. It’s also a good option for beginners who haven’t learned how to reload and/or don’t yet have the equipment but want to train and compete with quality ammunition.”
Tierney Tests New FULLBORE Ammo and Rates It Highly
Jerry Tierney, past NBRSA 600-yard and 1000-yard Champion and skilled Palma shooter, has tested the new ammo extensively. In comparison tests with Jerry’s own .308 Win handloads, the Applied Ballistics FULLBORE ammo shot great. Jerry concluded: “The Applied Ballistics 155.5 grain FULLBORE loads matched the best I can do hand loading. They fit the new 2011 fullbore chamber very well. I would not hesitate to use this FULLBORE ammo in any match anywhere.”
Notably, the Applied Ballistics ammo had a lower ES and SD than Jerry’s handloads. One five-shot group of the FULLBORE ammo had an ES of 7 fps and SD of 2 fps — that’s remarkably low. Four groups shot with Tierney’s handloads at 300 yards averaged 0.449 MOA, vs. 0.498 MOA for two groups of the Applied Ballistics ammo, so the accuracy is very close to the best precision handloads.
Click Here for complete Jerry Tierney Applied Ballistics Ammo Test Results (PDF file).
Coming Next — Applied Ballistics Tactical .308 Win and .338 Lapua Magnum Ammo
Applied Ballistics plans to release more types of high-quality loaded ammo in the months ahead. Bryan reports: “Future plans include a .308 load optimized for tactical applications. This will be a magazine-length round probably with a 175 grain bullet with favorable transonic stability. Eventually I’d like to offer a .338 Lapua Magnum tactical/hunting round loaded with Berger’s 300 grain Hybrid bullet.”
Bryan explains that he is developing .308 Win tactical ammo, because the FULLBORE product is made specifically for Palma work: “The fact that the FULLBORE ammo is optimized for the target application means it’s not necessarily ideal for other uses. For example, the rounds are too long to feed through standard-length magazines so they’re not of much use for tactical shooters. Also the seating depth is optimized for the chambers typically used in custom target rifles so it’s not the best option for factory (SAAMI) chambers.”
To order Applied Ballistics’ .308 Win FULLBORE ammo, visit Bryan’s AppliedBallisticsLLC.com website, which features secure online ordering. Currently, .308 Win FULLBORE ammo is priced at $38.00 per 20-round box (shipping extra).
September 3rd, 2010
by Lorne Cooper
This past weekend at Quantico MCB Range 4, the Quantico Shooting Club hosted its 3rd NRA Registered Tournament for 2010. This was a match for the ages, with a total of seven (7) pending National Records set in Individual and Team Competition. The 34 competitors in this 2-day match had to cope with hot, 95° weather, but otherwise conditions were generally mild — helping the marksmen record some spectacular scores.
300-Yard F-TR and Service Rifle Records Broken
Match One consisted of the 300-yard, 15-shot Individual Prone Course. In the F-TR Class, Brian Santucci fired a 150-7X to break the 149-8X record set by Joseph Sturtevant and GySgt Daniel Borowiecki fired a 141-5X to set a new record for the Service category. In the F-Open Class (Senior), David Dye fired a 150-10X to tie the record set by Jim Murphy. On the High Power side, Nathaniel Guernsey placed 1st with a 149-8X.
 New National F-TR Team Record: 1744-61X
Match 2 was a 4-man team fire of the Mid Range Prone Course (45 shots per member), 15 shots each at 300, 500 and 600 yards. In F-TR, the winning Camp Butner F‐Troop team set a new National Agg Record of 1744-61X. The team consisted of Joseph Conley (436-15X), James Croft (438-11X), Phil Kelley (426-13X), and Jeff Rorer (444-22X).
New Iron Sights Team Records
For High Power Metallic Sight, Team VFEMI set a new record with an aggregate score of 1767-82X. Team members were Carl Lindezweig (432-20X), John Badger (444-18X), Nathaniel Guernsey (447-28X) and Jack McKinney (444-16X). The USMC Gold team also set a new National Record in the Service Category with a score of 1765-76X. The team members are: Sgt Sean Morris (442-16X), GySgt James Otto (440-14X), and Sgt Joshua Peterson (435-17X), and Sgt Emily Windmassinger (448-39X). The Long Range Palma Course of Fire (Match 3) was shot on Sunday. GySgt Daniel Borowiechi broke the record he set back in June in the F-TR Service category with a 399-5X.
Special thanks go to GySgt Chris Stephens for running a smooth and efficient Line! Our next match will be a Fullbore match to be held on September 25th & 26th. Come out to Quantico for what is expected to be another fantastic weekend!
Note: The National Records reported here are based upon the latest information available and are still subject to verification. Photos courtesy of Doug Hurst.
August 29th, 2010
 The 2010 World Muzzle-Loading Championships were held August 15-22 in Fervenca, Portugal. 383 competitors, representing 24 countries, vied for top honors with original and replica black powder firearms. Over 30 events for rifles, pistols, and shotguns were conducted at the World Championships, with arms ranging from the matchlocks of the 16th century to the percussion target arms of the 19th century. Original and replica arms compete in separate categories within the mens’ and women’s divisions.
Germany Dominates Event, But Americans Fare Well
Overall, shooters from the powerful European teams (particularly Germany) dominated the medal lists this year, but there were some good showings by Americans. CLICK HERE for MLAIC World Championships results and Medal Counts.
 The U.S. International Muzzle-Loading Team captured the Bronze Medal in the Grand Prix de Versailles, the combined smoothbore and rifle-musket Aggregate. There were many strong individual performances by Americans. Betty Peloquin from Florida swept to victory in the original division of the “Walkyrie” ladies’ 100-meter prone rifle match. Shooting a percussion target rifle made over 150 years ago, Peloquin posted a 95 score for a decisive 3-point victory. New Yorker Shannon Boyce won the Silver Medal in the replica division of the “Whitworth” prone percussion rifle event. Tim Thorne, of Maryland, conned his nearly 200-year-old flintlock rifle to a Bronze medal in the original division of the “Pennsylvania” 50 meter offhand flintlock rifle match.
The next World Muzzle-Loading Championships will be held in August 2012 in Pforzheim, Germany. The World Championships are organized by the Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee (MLAIC).
August 26th, 2010
 Multi-Gun Competition is fast and exciting. With plenty of action and lots of fire-power, multi-gun matches are crowd-pleasing events that play well on television. The 3-Gun Nation TV show has been a popular addition to the Versus Channel this year. 3-Gun Nation culminates its inaugural season on September 13 with the 3GN Championship at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club in North Las Vegas, where the top 3-gunners in the country will battle for $40,000 in cash prizes.
Immediately preceding the 3-Gun Nation Champsionship, the 4-day USPSA Multi-Gun World Championships will be held September 9-12 at the same Desert Sportsman’s Club Range. Shooters will compete in five divisions: Standard, Standard Tactical, Open, Heavy Metal Standard, and Heavy Metal Tactical. AccurateShooter.com will be on hand to cover the action.
Ozarks 3-Gun Match in Missouri — Watch the Video
Just a few days after the Vegas Multi-Gun Comps, the Adams Arms Ozark 3-Gun Championship will be held September 24-26, 2010, near the Lake of Ozarks in the heart of Missouri. Check out the very cool video below for a preview of the action. (You may want to turn down your speakers at work.)
Nearly 230 shooters will compete during this 3-day competition with nine stages of fire. Stages feature the natural terrain and hills of the Ozark Mountains on 1,000 acres of land. “We like to be challenging, but fun,” said Match Director Kirk Broyles. “We want to make sure the most experienced shooters are challenged and enjoy the match, but that new shooters can compete and won’t be overwhelmed.” Run by the Adams Arms Shooting Team, the Ozark 3-Gun Championship held its first competition just last year. The match gained NRA-sanctioning in 2010.
August 24th, 2010
A Texas shooter put together a great video covering the East Texas Championship Benchrest Shootout, held August 20-21 in Huntsville, TX. This match, the first at the new Huntsville Range, was co-sponsored by the Pine Valley Benchrest Shooters Association and S&S Precision Rifles of Argyle, TX. On the Friday before the main match, there was also a 500-yard Egg Shoot.
In the video you can see Don ‘Stick’ Starks of S&S piloting a 6.5×47 Lapua long-range varminter he built on a candy-red Robertson Composites ‘Speedy’ F-Class stock. Stick and other competitors were shooting at large (120mm), medium (90mm), and small (60mm) clay birds at 400 yards. Over the course of the day, competitors fired 50 record rounds at the targets. Each shooter came to the line five times to shoot 10 rounds per stage in seven minutes or less. The ‘top shot’ who nailed the most birds took home $600.00 in cash. There was also a team challenge with a $430.00 winning payout.
Thirty-six competitors attended this fun match with $1300.00 in total prize pay-outs for the top four bird-busters. Jason Leavelle won the $600 first-place prize with an 810 score, while Dr. Darrel Martin earned $400 for his second-place finish, 50 points behind Leavelle. Tymn Combest was third, earning $200, and Arthur McMeans took home $100 for fourth place. Pudge Morris was the Junior Division winner. We congratulate all the money winners — it wasn’t easy. According to Mike Cockcroft, who helped run the match, “it was 100 degrees, the winds were strong, and the mirage heavy.” The only wind indicators are range flags at the targets and a couple of standard benchrest flags out at about 100 yards.
Match Winner Used a 6.5×284
Forum member Joe Duke reports: “Jason Leavelle shot a nice 810 out of 1000 (possible) points. He is the winningest shooter on our circuit (fondly known as the ‘Redneck Circuit’) and is always tough to beat. He shoots a 6.5-284 crafted by Sam Duke. Jason’s rifle is built on a Stainless Steel Viper action and sports a Krieger 8.5-twist barrel. I can’t think of one of our shoots that was won with anything other than a 6.5-284 in the last three or four years.”
Rules were fairly “wide-open” for the Saturday Shoot-Out, so you saw everything on the line from varmint rifles to 40-pounders. Most guns are custom bench rigs weighing 17 to 30 pounds. All shooters competed in the same class with these basic rules:
- NO RAIL GUNS OR RETURN TO BATTERY GUNS
- 40 POUND MAX WEIGHT LIMIT
- NO SIGHT OR SCOPE RESTRICTIONS
- NO CALIBER OVER .30
- NO ONE-PIECE RESTS OR GUN-VISES
- NO Shooter-Supplied WIND FLAGS
- NO SPOTTING EXCEPT DURING SITE-IN ROUND
- NO TANK OR CLAM TYPE MUZZLE BRAKES
You should definitely watch the video. It is extremely well made and there are some seriously nice rifles on display. Plus it sure looks like the new Huntsville facility is a beautiful range (even if the Texas winds did blow in the afternoons). CLICK HERE to download Match Rankings and Scores (PDF File).
August 24th, 2010
 by Lars Dalseide, NRA Blog
Bob Gustin of Cameron Park, California, didn’t set out to establish a new record at the 2010 NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships in Camp Perry, Ohio — so he set two. One as part of a team and one all on his own. “Guess it was my time,” Gustin mused. “After 46 years of shooting here at Camp Perry, I should have set a record at something.”
First on the agenda was the Palma Individual title. That’s fifteen shots from 800, 900, and 1000 yards. And how many times did Bob drop out of the ten ring? Not once. “I cleaned it,” said Gustin. “I’ve shot a perfect round before, but never with this many Xs.”
Bob’s 450-33X score beat the old Camp Perry National Championship mark by six Xs. The previous record of 450-27X was held by Bob’s Palma teammate Nancy Tompkins-Gallagher. Just to show there were no hard feelings, Nancy and her daughter Michelle Gallagher joined Bob along with Bryan Litz to set a new Palma Team Match record of 1796-119x.
Gustin Sets Camp Perry Record After Decades in the Sport
Bob started shooting on the smallbore range. Then, in 1980, he switched to reserve shooting with the service rifle section until ultimately moving to High Power in 1990. Now, twenty years later, he’s perfected the shot and found more time for the range. After retiring from a 31-year stint on the California Highway Patrol, Bob now gets to do what he really loves.
“I shoot,” Gustin laughed. “Well, I also drive my wife around in our motor home. Last place we saw was Shipshewana, Indiana. There’s a nice Amish community there that she likes to visit for the quilting, the food and the people.” But Bob always finds a time for practice: “I just like shooting. It’s fun and you meet a lot of interesting people. Especially here at Perry.”
Historical Note: Bob’s 450-35x is a record for the Palma match at the Camp Perry National Championships. However, the absolute National Record for any American Palma Match still belongs to John Corning. John fired a 450-39x at Forbes Range, Colonie, NY in 2007.
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