The 30th Annual Hickory Groundhog and Egg Shoot was held on April 3rd, 2010. Saturday’s competition proved a great day for the Brady family. Our friend (and Forum member) Terry Brady won the Custom Rifle division with a 99 score, setting a new record. Terry edged his son Chris, who shot a 98, matching the previous Custom Class record set by fellow North Carolinian Sam Hall. (That will teach Sam to go fishin’ on shoot day!) The threesome of Terry Brady, Chris Brady, and Greg Cooper also won the Hickory Team competition. Conditions were excellent for Saturday’s match, with calm winds. A total of 167 shooters attended the Hickory Shoot, which offered over $4000.00 in cash, coupons, and hardware.
Bill Shehane of D&B Supply was on hand for the match. Bill reports: “Chris Brady tied Samuel Hall’s all-time record of 98 points today only to have his father Terry Brady take it away with a scorching 99. Congratulations to this fine Father-Son team for a 1-2 finish in this year’s shoot. That’s a lot of loot for the Brady boys. Couldn’t happen to two better guys and I for one know just how much work it takes to finish 1st and 2nd. Terry told me when he arrived on Saturday morning that he intended to take home a Tracker stock. My Granddad always said if ya can do it — ‘It Ain’t Bragging!'” Actually, Terry didn’t get it quite right. His son Chris won the Tracker while Terry earned $300.00 plus a 50% off coupon for a Nightforce scope. Either way… it’s all in the family.
Terry Brady Busts Record with Heavy 6BR in Custom Class
Terry and Chris Brady brought two guns to the match, both chambered as 6BRs. The first was a special 38-pounder built by Mike Davis. It featured a BAT DS action, weighted Shehane Tracker stock, Krieger gain-twist barrel and Nightforce 12-42x56mm BR scope. The second gun was a 17-pounder built by Glenn Williams with a Borden action, Shehane tracker stock, Krieger 8.5-twist barrel and Nightforce 12x42x56mm BR scope.
Terry reports: “The conditions were almost perfect for shooting. Very small guests of wind with no mirage. I set the new score record with 99. Chris and Josh Duckworth tied the former record set by Sam Hall of 98. Josh was shooting a Borden 6BR as well. 17 people hit the egg at 500 yards, including myself, Chris, Chris’ girlfriend Jessica, and Josh. Chris, Jessica, Ben Yarborough and I busted 4 eggs in a row with the 38-pound rifle before Larry Willis (the Match Director) jokingly asked us to move on and leave some fun for the other guys.”
The 4-day Berger Bullets SW Nationals wrapped up Sunday. It was a successful match with over 80 shooters competing in various classes. After blustery weather on Thursday for the prone 3×600, conditions improved for the ensuing three days of Cross-the-Course events, with milder wind, temps in the low 70s and a bright blue sky.
Phil Hayes of Arizona was the overall Grand Agg winner with a 2256-76X. Congratulations Phil! Johnathan Thornton was close behind, capturing second with 2255-68X. Third overall and the top Service Rifle shooter was Alan Spiker, who shot 2250 with a remarkable eight-two (82) Xs, the high X-count among all competitors. Walt Smith was High Senior with 2231-68X, while Tyler Rico scored 2215-74X to capture the High Junior spot. John Beall was the highest-scoring Master, with a 2216-64X, while Phillip Meyers won the Expert Class scoring 2156-44X.
On Friday, Jonathan Thornton was the overall winner for the day shooting a 789-23X with his Tubb 2000 in 6XC. Jonathan’s aggregate included clean 200 scores in sitting rapid fire as well as the 600 yard slow fire prone stage. Phil Hayes and Tyler Rico were second and third in the High Master match rifle category. Justin Skaret was the top service rifle shooter at 782-27X, followed by Allen Spiker and Eric Swearingen.
A catered barbeque dinner was provided for competitors and guests and thousands of dollars of merchandise prizes were distributed on a random drawing basis. Barrels, bullets, scopes, powder, triggers and all manner of accessories were distributed and highly appreciated.
Danny Biggs, two-time F-TR National Champion, decided to shoot Open Class at this year’s 2010 F-Class National Championships in Sacramento. Danny did very well, finishing third overall in F-Open with a score of 1324-67X. Danny’s X-count, the highest of all competitors, was 10 Xs higher than F-Open winner Derek Rogers and runner-up Ken Dickerman, who both finished with 57X.
While most F-Open shooters used a front pedestal rest, either a joystick design or a center column pedestal with remote-adjustable windage top, Danny used a wide-base bipod, as he had done at past Nationals in the F-TR class. But Danny’s bipod was very special. It is a prototype, modified Sinclair design with height adjustment via a central, vertical-axis knob. As you can see from the pictures below, the left and right bipod legs are attached to a T-shaped silver (aluminum) bracket. This bracket moves up and down as the silver knob is turned clockwise or counter-clockwise. As the knob turns, its threads pull the T-shaped bracket up and down relative to a center block of aluminum bolted to the bipod’s attachment to the rifle’s forearm accessory rail. With this system, Danny can easily reach forward and make precise adjustments in elevation. Note that the Sinclair bipod’s secure rail attachment is retained and Danny can still adjust rifle cant (tilt), using the rear push-button handle. This rear handle functions like a Pod-lock allowing the rifle to be tilted a few degrees to one side or the other to compensate for side-sloping terrain.
We watched Danny shoot with this heigh-adjustable bipod, and it worked superbly. With its wide foot-print, the bipod is ultra-stable. During recoil, the ski-type feet slide evenly straight back. Danny was able to quickly dial in a little vertical, as needed, during his string of fire. This gave him more precise control over elevation than other bipod shooters who had to slide their guns forward or backward or pinch the ears of their rear bags to make small changes in rifle elevation.
Production Plans Not Yet Certain
Wondering “Where can I get one?” Unfortunately, the Biggs Bipod adjuster is not in production yet, and we don’t know for sure if this design (or something like it) will be added to the Sinclair Int’l F-Class Bipod in the future. But Danny Biggs certainly demonstrated that the concept works superbly. We expect micro-adjusting vertical controls to appear on other F-Class bipods at future matches.
Want to become a pro shooter? Here’s your chance. Smith & Wesson is now soliciting new shooters interested in joining Team Smith & Wesson for the 2010-2011 competitive season. Applications, which will be accepted until April 30, 2010, are available online at Champions.smith-wesson.com. The selection process is open to all shooters interested in becoming a part of a winning team. You must have the “right stuff” of course.
To evaluate each applicant, Smith & Wesson has developed a cumulative point system to award sponsorships to prospective S&W Team members. Selection criteria includes, but is not limited to, match level, performance, experience and exposure. Over the course of last year’s season, the 20 members of Team Smith & Wesson won a total of 28 state, 31 regional, 9 national, 5 international and 18 world championship titles.
Julie Goloski — Captain of Team Smith & Wesson Womens’ Team.
Tom Kelly, Vice President of Marketing for Smith & Wesson states: “By becoming a member of Team Smith & Wesson, you will have the opportunity to showcase your skills in matches across the country while serving as a representative to one of the largest and most prestigious firearms manufacturers in America.” For more information regarding Team Smith & Wesson, including team member bios, match recaps and to access an application, visit www.smith-wesson.com and click on the Champions Icon on the left side of the homepage.
We just got the complete F-Class Nationals match results from Jim O’Connell of the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center. Jim provided two (2) MS-Word documents, one for F-Open and the other for F-TR. Jim added: “Thanks to the California Grizzlies (target pullers) for all their work and helping to make the Saturday and Sunday shoots more enjoyable. Thank you all for your support of the Folsom Shooting Club and we hope to see you at future matches.”
The Hickory Groundhog Shoot, the nation’s most popular groundhog shooting competition, will be held Saturday, April 3rd in Vale, North Carolina. Now in its 30th year, this is the biggest Varmint competition on the East Coast, with over $4000.00 worth of prizes awarded each year, including $1000.00 in cash.
You can compete individually or as part of 3-man teams. The entry fee is $25 per gun, plus (optional) $10 per team. There will also be a 500-yard Egg Shoot with a $2.00 entry fee.
Custom or Factory Classes — Simple Rules — Valuable Prizes
There are two classes, custom and factory, and the rules are pretty basic. You can run pretty much anything but a rail gun in custom class, and you can use any kind of front rest (including one-piece rests). A “factory” gun must be “bone stock” as purchased and you are limited to bipod, sandbags, or basic pedestal style front rest. The only modifications allowed for factory class are: 1) bedding job; and 2) trigger tuning (without replacement parts). Competitors may enter one gun in each class, but the fee is $25.00 per gun.
This year, ALL targets will be at known distances: 100, 300, and 500 yards. That should be a cake walk for you 1000-yard shooters. In the past, 6BRs, 6BR Improveds and the mid-size 6mms have been the calibers to beat. To see what it takes to win, read this article about Harold Seagroves’ Spencer-built 6BR (below), which has won the Hickory Shoot multiple times.
The range will be open for practice Monday through Friday the week preceding the match. The practice range is open ’til 6:00 pm Tu-Thurs, but will close at 1:00 pm on Friday. The match will start 8 o’clock sharp Saturday morning, April 3rd. If you have any questions call Larry Willis, Bulls Eye Sporting Goods, (704) 462-1948, or visit www.BullseyeLarry.com. To find the actual range using online maps or your GPS, use this address: 8216 Will Hudson Road, Lawndale, NC 28090.
2010 F-Open Class Champion Derek Rodgers, a young shooter from Albuquerque, New Mexico, proved that youth and skill can triumph over age and experience. Though Derek had placed third in F-TR class at the 2009 Nationals, this was Derek’s very first year competing in Open Class at the Nationals, and his NRA Classification was “Sharpshooter”. Derek’s win was a great victory for an unheralded newcomer. On the last day of the competition, Derek put together three superb 1000-yard matches, out-shooting High Masters and past National Champions to secure the Open Class title. Derek finished with 1330-57X, five points ahead of runner-up Ken Dickerman (1325-57X).
Ironically, Derek only decided to shoot in Open Class only because his favorite F-TR rifle is currently being upgraded by his gunsmith, and so the rifle wasn’t ready for the Nationals. (We suspect some F-Open competitors wish that gunsmith had finished Derek’s F-TR rifle a bit sooner).
Derek brought a 300 WSM to the Nationals, a “big boomer” by F-Class standards. A fan of “heavy bullets”, Derek loads his 300 WSM with high-BC, 210gr JLK bullets. In Derek’s home state of New Mexico, strong winds are the norm. Shooting in those conditions has shown Derek the effectiveness of heavy 30-caliber bullets at long range. Derek’s load certainly shot well in the windy conditions during the final 1000-yard match on Sunday. While some of Derek’s success can be attributed to his wind-bucking WSM (built by Score High Gunsmithing in New Mexico), he also is a careful reloader who “goes the whole nine yards” to produce the best possible ammo. Derek anneals, weight-sorts and neck-turns his Remington brass. He weight-sorts and ogive-sorts his 210gr JLK bullets, and he points up the tips for uniformity. He spared no effort in loading for the Nationals because he knew “those other guys are really, really good.”
The Sierra Cup (at left) is presented each year to the U.S. F-Open Class National Champion. This year Derek Rodgers’ name will be placed on the trophy alongside other F-Open Champions including John Brewer (2004), Jeff Cochran (2005), Eric Bair (2006), Robert Bock (2007), and Charles Ballard (2008, 2009).
The 2010 U.S. F-Class Nationals concluded yesterday. It was a big success, drawing nearly 120 individual competitors and 18 teams. Young Derek Rodgers (Sharpshooter Class, 1330-57X) from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the new Open Class Champion, and Californian Lane Buxton (1302-42X) won the F-TR division using a .308 Win Palma Rifle with Sierra #2156 bullets. Forum member Ken Dickerman finished second in F-Open posting a 1325-57X. Past multi-time F-TR Champ Danny Biggs shot F-Open this year, finishing third with a 1324-67X. While we are still waiting to receive ALL the final official results, it appears Danny set the high X-count for the match, while shooting with a Sinclair bipod equipped with a vertical adjustment knob. (The Open-class guns work amazingly well off the wide-base bipods.) Charles Ballard, the reigning (back to back) F-Open champ, finished seventh in F-Open.
New F-Open Champ Derek Rodgers was shooting a 300 WSM with 210-grain bullets. This heavy bullet/short magnum combo performed well in the windy afternoon conditions during Sunday’s afternoon matches. Most of the other top F-Open competitors were shooting a .284 Win or some other 7mm. Charles Ballard told us told us: “with so many guys shooting 7mms this year, the competition is tougher than ever. If I had a caliber advantage before… that’s gone. With the winds we had in the afternoons, I’m not surprised Derek Rogers did well with his 300 WSM and the heavy bullets. I want to congratulate Derek on his well-deserved win.”
The team event was hotly contested, with 18 teams on the line, most of which were in F-TR Class. In Open Class, the North American Shooters Team, coached by Bryan Litz won the Berger Trophy for the 600 + 1000-yard combined Aggregate, as well as the 1000-yard Team Match. The Sierra Spindle Shooters team took first place in the 600-yard Team Match. In F-TR Team shooting, Savage Shooters pulled off a clean sweep, winning the 600-yard match, the 1000-yard match, AND the Team Aggregate. Congrats to Savage Shooters!
NAS Team shooters (left to right): David Mann, Dean Morris, Bryan Litz (coach), Rick Jenson, Larry Tait.
F-Open Class Results
Winner: Derek Rodgers (Sharpshooter) – 1330-57X Nat’l Champion
Second: Ken Dickerman (High Master) – 1325-57X
Third: Danny Biggs – 1324-67X – High X Count?
Fourth: Jeff Cochran – 1324-28X
Fifth: Jeff Traylor – 1323-51X
High Woman: Brenda Hill – 1302-31X
High Senior: Larry Bartholome – 1321-51X
High Grand Senior: Danny Biggs – 1324-67X
F-TR Class Results
Winner: Lane Buxton – 1302-42X – National Champion
Second: Robert Lach – 1297-36X
Third: John Hayhurst – 1293-37X
Fourth: Jeffery Rorer – 1293-28X
High Senior: Robert Lach – 1297-36X
High Grand Senior: Peter Church – 1279-31X
Complete Results for Download
Check the attachments for all the scores. FCNAT2010OPEN.doc has all the F Open scores and FCNAT2010TR.doc has all the F-TR scores.
Team SIG shooter Max Michel won the IPSC Double Tap Championship for a fifth time this past week in Wichita Falls, Texas. This 6th Annual Double Tap Championship drew nearly 350 contestants, making it the second largest IPSC match of the year. A dominant force in IPSC competition, Max previously won the Double Tap in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005. (In 2009 Max had a scheduling conflict with the US Steel National Championship.)
“Winning the Double Tap Championship this year after missing the 2009 match is great,” Max declared. “The competition is first-class and this event draws the best in talent, as proven by the large number of competitors this year.” To see “top gun” Max Michel in action, watch the video below. Max demonstrates his speed shooting techniques and provides valuable tips on shooting fundamentals: Gun Grip and Shooting Stance.
Max Michel — From the USAMU to Team SIG — 10 years of Excellence
Max Michel first gained prominence in the competitive shooting arena with five USPSA® National Championships beginning in 2004 and three World Speed Shooting Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2009. As a representative of the United States, Max has competed in the last three International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Shoots, returning home with team gold medals. Max was a top recruit for the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) from 1999 to 2009 and served as the military Coach of the Action Pistol Team. Max Michel is currently the SIG SAUER Manager of Competitive Shooting Activities. Max will be competing this weekend, March 24-29 at the US Steel National Championship in Titusville, Florida. To follow Max Michel and Team SIG, visit the Sig Sauer Website, or log on to www.MaxMichel.com.
The 2010 U.S. F-Class Nationals kick off tomorrow, March 25th in Sacramento. Match dates are: March 25, 26, 27, and 28. The venue is the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center range in Sloughhouse, California, just east of Sacramento. The F-Class National Championship is one of the biggest long-range shooting events of the year. Match organizers expect upwards of 150 competitors from the USA and other nations including Great Britain, Canada, Australia and (possibly) South Africa.
If you have questions about the range facilities or driving directions, call Sac Valley Shooting Center at (916) 354-9668. The Center is located approximately 15 miles South/East of the city of Sacramento. To navigate to the range, take a look at the map above. The Sac Valley staff cautions: “Do not use GPS or Map Quest to get to the range. On the Dillard Road side is an unpaved, nearly impassible rock road. Use Ione Road to approach Meiss Road [from the east]“. You can also get detailed, turn by turn directions (from main approach highways), on the Sac Valley Shooting Center website.
UNITED STATES F–CLASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2010
DATES: March 25, 26, 27, 28, 2010
LOCATION:
Sacramento Valley Shooting Center
P.O. Box 1407
15501 Meiss Road
Sloughhouse, California
Ph. 916-354-9668
The 4-day Berger Bullets SW Nationals wrapped up Sunday. It was a successful match with over 80 shooters competing in various classes. After blustery weather on Thursday for the prone 3×600, conditions improved for the ensuing three days of Cross-the-Course events, with milder wind, temps in the low 70s and a bright blue sky.
Danny Biggs, two-time F-TR National Champion, decided to shoot Open Class at this year’s 2010 F-Class National Championships in Sacramento. Danny did very well, finishing third overall in F-Open with a score of 1324-67X. Danny’s X-count, the highest of all competitors, was 10 Xs higher than F-Open winner Derek Rogers and runner-up Ken Dickerman, who both finished with 57X.
We just got the complete F-Class Nationals match results from Jim O’Connell of the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center. Jim provided two (2) MS-Word documents, one for F-Open and the other for F-TR. Jim added: “Thanks to the California Grizzlies (target pullers) for all their work and helping to make the Saturday and Sunday shoots more enjoyable. Thank you all for your support of the Folsom Shooting Club and we hope to see you at future matches.”
Derek brought a 300 WSM to the Nationals, a “big boomer” by F-Class standards. A fan of “heavy bullets”, Derek loads his 300 WSM with high-BC, 210gr 
Team SIG shooter Max Michel won the IPSC Double Tap Championship for a fifth time this past week in Wichita Falls, Texas. This 6th Annual Double Tap Championship drew nearly 350 contestants, making it the second largest IPSC match of the year. A dominant force in IPSC competition, Max previously won the Double Tap in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005. (In 2009 Max had a scheduling conflict with the US Steel National Championship.)
