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February 10th, 2009
 The ladies beat the gents at the 2009 Arizona Long-Range Championship at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. Nancy Tompkins (photo left) triumphed over 50 other shooters to win the main 1K event with a spectacular 600-36X, followed by Michelle Gallagher (of Berger Bullets) who shot 598-28X. Trudie Fay was the top shooter in Palma (.308) class. Way to go ladies! In this event, competitors shot prone (with sling) at 1000 yards. There were 60 rounds for record over two days, with two “any sights” stages, and one “iron sights” stage; the second “iron sights” stage was cancelled due to a sudden and severe hail storm.
Savage Tubegun Wows the Crowd at Ben Avery
Tubegun builder Gary Eliseo finished third overall with 596-27X. Gary’s performance shocked many fellow shooters … not because Gary doesn’t have the skills, but because he shot a 200-12x and a 199-6X on Day One with a Savage-actioned rifle. That’s right, Gary was shooting a prototype S1 Tubegun built with an out-of-the-box Savage Target Action with factory Accutrigger. Gary told us: “To be honest, like everybody else, I was amazed at how well that Savage shot. And I did no modifications or accurizing to the action whatsoever. All I did was lap the outside of the action to the S1 chassis for a better fit.”
German Salazar believes the Savage Tubegun is a very important development: “Here’s an affordable long-range prone rifle that can be assembled by the shooter with simple tools. Get a prefit barrel with barrel nut and you don’t even need a gunsmith. You save money, and just as importantly, you save time — no more year-long waits to get your rifle built.”
Plenty of 6mm Rifles on the Firing Line
While the match winner and runner-up were shooting 6.5-284s, the majority of the remaining Top 10 finishers were using a 6mm cartridge of some kind. Gary Eliseo finished third shooting a 6BR Improved (BRX), Randy Tesseidre finished fourth, also with a 6BRX, and German Salazar finished fifth shooting a 6XC and four of the next five finishers also shot 6mm cartridges. This may evidence a trend towards the smaller caliber over the 6.5mm. Why are we seeing more 6mm cartridges used at 1000 yards? According to German Salazar: “The answer is pretty simple — higher scores. Many (but certainly not all) shooters have found their scores increase when shooting 6mm cartridges, as opposed to the 6.5-284 or even the 7mms. The reasons are more consistent vertical and less recoil, and those two factors are related. With less recoil it’s easier to maintain the precise hold needed to shoot 10s and Xs throughout the match.” Third-place finisher Gary Eliseo also feels that some of the 6mm cartridges may be easier to tune than the 6.5-284. “I shoot the 6BRX”, Gary explained, “it’s an amazing little cartridge–easy to load for. With Berger VLDs seated into the lands it’s super-accurate and really holds tight elevation.”
More Match Results on Desert Sharpshooters Website
Complete Match Results are available on the Desert Sharpshooters website. The Top Three F-Class shooters (in order) were Jim Murphy, Larry Bartholome, and Jeff Cochran, while John Brewer was F-Class High Senior. The Palma match for .308 rifles, held on Friday, was tightly contested. Among the 48 Palma competitors in Friday’s match (not part of the championship aggregate), the top five finishers were Eddie Newman (445-26X), Gary Eliseo (444-25X), David Littlefield (444-21X), Trudie Fay (443-29X), and Steve Cunico (442-26X). Trudie was the High Women shooter while Steve was High Senior.
February 8th, 2009
 We have a friend who is a record-holding benchrest shooter. He recently decided to explore a new discipline — prone shooting with iron sights — and he has been practicing with a Suhl 150 three days a week. We gave him a copy of David Tubb’s twin-disc Modern Match Rifle instructional DVD, which contains over 4.5 hours of information and expert advice. Two days later, our friend reported: “The DVD is amazing. I watched it two times all the way through. There is so much information on those discs. It’s worth the money just to see how Tubb sets up his rifle and sling… but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve already put some of Tubb’s suggestions to work, and my scores got better.”
In his DVD, 11-time National High Power Champ David Tubb explains across-the-course positions (and the Approach Method in Offhand) and how to set-up the rifle for each position. He also also covers targets, set-up and use of aperture sights/diopters, and how to best place and use spotting Scopes. The DVD includes bonus footage of David shooting strings in all of the across-the-course positions. If you shoot Service Rifle, High Power, or prone, you can benefit from watching David’s DVD. The full 2-disc DVD is available for $49.95 from Creedmoor Sports or Superior Shooting Systems.
David has included highlights from that DVD in a shorter promo video, linked below. View the video and you’ll learn a great deal just by watching how David shoulders his rifle, and how he adjusts and maintains his shooting position. David demonstrates prone, sitting, and standing positions.
February 6th, 2009
The Ben Avery Shooting Facility hosts the Arizona Long-Range Championship this weekend, February 7-8, 2009. This event will draw many of the top 1000-yard shooters from the Western states. Prior to the Long-Range Championships, a individual Palma match will be held today, Feb. 6th. The Palma match will have 15 shots for record at EACH of three distances: 800, 900, and 1000 yards.
 
Photos courtesy AZ Desert Sharpshooters.
On Saturday the 7th there will be two (2) Any-rifle, Any-sight 1000-yard matches (20 record rounds per match), followed by a 4-man team match with two shooters per realy. On Sunday the 8th, there will be two more Any-rifle, Any-sight 1000-yard matches (20 record rounds per match). The Championship will be determined based on combined Saturday and Sunday Aggregates.
CLICK HERE for Match Program and Schedule.
Member of the U.S. F-Class Open Team have been “working out” this week at Ben Avery, tuning their 6.5-284 rifles and working on team strategies. Many members of the Team will participate in the AZ Long-Range Championship this weekend. If you are in the Phoenix area, this is your chance to come out and meet team members and see some of America’s top long-range shooters in action.
January 28th, 2009
 The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has just released its latest 2009 sales catalog. This includes surplus military rifles (Garand, M1 Carbine, m1903 Springfield), plus .22LR training rifles, and “special-edition” new-production air rifles offered by the CMP.
In addition to rifle sales, the CMP Catalog offers ammo (e.g. 30-06 ammo for Garands), shooting coats, slings, tools, and many other accessories. If you are a classic rifle collector, Service Rifle competitor, or enjoy shooting rimfires and air rifles, you should definitely check out the CMP Catalog. There are some great deals inside. The 2009 CMP Catalog is FREE. If you want a hard copy of the catalog, CLICK HERE to fill in the Mail Request Form. Or, just click the link below to download the CMP 2009 Catalog as an Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) file.
CLICK HERE to Download Complete CMP 2009 Catalog (.pdf file).
January 27th, 2009
The NRA National Indoor Championships is a unique event for both adults and juniors. At different locations throughout the country, multi-discipline smallbore and air rifle regional (aka “sectional”) matches are held. The scores from all the sectionals are collected and compared, and the NRA announces National Champions based on the scores. This is a great way for your local club to have its members involved in a national program. There is still time for clubs to request to sponsor a Sectional in their area.
Indoor Championship Junior Program | Indoor Championship Open Program
First Matches held in January
The National Indoor Championships commenced on January 1, 2009, with the first sectional tournament being shot January 3. These championships will continue through March for Open Adults and through April for Juniors. Both the Open and the Junior Sectionals are now being conducted throughout the country. Open Sectionals are available for NRA 3-Position, NRA Conventional 4-Position, International Air Rifle, and International Smallbore Rifle. Junior Sectionals are being conducted in NRA 3-Position, NRA 4-Position, International Air Rifle, 3-Position Sporter Air Rifle, and 3-Position Precision Air Rifle.
NRA Postal Matches
The NRA also offers a wide variety of Postal Matches in 2009. A Postal Match is an event in which competitors fire on their home ranges using targets which have been marked for identification. The fired targets are then sent to NRA for scoring and ranking for awards. The NRA conducts various postal matches, many of which are in cooperation with national and fraternal organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, 4-H Clubs, FFA, and JROTC. Like the National Indoor Championships, Postal Matches allow local clubs to participate in a nation-wide program.
CLICK HERE for Postal Match Information.
For more information on the NRA Indoor Championships call Dian Bullock, (703) 267-1482, or email dbullock [at] nrahq.org. To learn about the NRA Postal Match program, email postals [at] nrahq.org.
January 26th, 2009
In mid-2008, Sinclair Int’l released an all-new, super-wide bipod system for F-Class, Tactical, and Varmint shooters. Initially priced at $165.00, the Sinclair F-Class bipod was (then) a steal. The price is now up to $199.95, still a good deal in our opinion. And now you can get the bipod in either a silver (aluminum color) or matte black finish. On a tactical rifle, the low-gloss black looks great.
New Wider, More Versatile Design
Sinclair’s previous F-Class bipod was popular but shooters wanted a wider “wheelbase” and the ability to work with 3″-wide forearms. Sinclair’s new unit offers these features and much more. The new bipod is lower, lighter (36 oz.), and easier to mount than the previous model. The new unit attaches via a captured pin system that works fast and can’t get lost. After engaging the pin, two adjusting knobs then clamp the fore-arm onto a felt-lined bracket for a secure fit. The bipod will accommodate up to 3″-wide forearms (and even 3 3/8″ without canting adjustment).
Adjusts for Height and Cant Angle
The new Sinclair bipod features a large rotating lever that allows you to adjust rifle cant angle easily. Vertical height adjusts from 5.5″ to 10.25″, and the leg heights are independently adjustable — an important feature when shooting on uneven ground.
The folks at Sinclair did their homework. This is a completely redesigned system that offers an easily-adjustable, highly stable platform in the field. The unit is well-built, with all the adjustments you want and need. Given the quality of the design and materials, we think it reamains a good value, though the price has gone up since this “second generation” Sinclair F-Class bipod was introduced last year.
January 24th, 2009
The First Shot, the CMP’s online magazine, features a well-written article on Prone Shooting Technique by SPC Matthew Sigrist of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). The article covers all the major points of gun hold and body position: hand position, elbow position, stock weld, buttstock placement, and sling position/tension.
SPC Matt Sigrist of the USAMU breaks down the prone position into “fundamentals” and explains how you put each element together to create a stable body position: “The fundamentals are the building blocks of a position. Much like the framework of a house, a correct application of the fundamentals ensures a solid and stable structure. Since each person’s position will depend on their particular body build and shape, there is no ‘perfect position’ that applies to everyone. Experience, practice and knowledge of the correct fundamentals will dictate the best position for you.”
SPC Sigrist also demonstrates the two basic variations of the leg position when shooting prone: open/spread legged, and bent-legged.
For any service rifle, highpower, cross-course, or prone shooter, this helpful article can improve your performance in the prone position.
January 18th, 2009
Anschütz, the legendary German arms-maker, harvested a ton of Gold Medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with its latest match rifles (both rimfire arms and air rifles/pistols). In addition to its state-of-the-art bullseye target rifles, Anschutz produces Biathlon rifles and hunting rifles. At SHOT Show 2009, company President Jochen Anschütz was on hand to show his company’s latest wares, including the designs that won gold in Beijing. Jason Baney met with Jochen and got this exclusive Video Interview:
CLICK HERE to watch full-width VIDEO in Higher Quality
In the interview, Jochen noted that Anschütz has introduced a new Model 1770 hunting rifle, chambered in .223 Remington. This features a new six-lug action — the first all-new action design from Anschütz in 30 years. Below, Jochen holds the top-of-the-line Anschütz biathlon rifle. Designed for Olympic-caliber biathletes, this gun has a straight-pull Fortner action that can be cycled nearly as rapidly as a semi-auto.
High-Tech Aluminum-stocked Position Rifle
Among the Anschütz designs on display at Shot Show was the new Anschütz model 1913 position rifle with a gorgeous “1918 ALU Precise” brushed aluminum stock. It looked like it had been crafted in an aircraft plant.
January 18th, 2009
Some months ago, AccurateShooter.com ran a feature story on the new Rimfire Tactical discipline that has become hugely popular on the West Coast. A Rimfire Tactical comp is a challenging “fun match” using both bolt-action and semi-auto 22LR rifles at distances from 20 to 200 yards. You engage a wide variety of static and reactive targets, shooting from prone, kneeling, and standing positions. It’s fun, challenging, and affordable. Competing in Rimfire Tactical matches is also a great way to develop skills that carry over to centerfire shooting. By “cross-training” with rimfire 22s you get more “trigger time” and improve your wind-reading skills without spending a fortune on ammo or burning out your centerfire barrels.
As the Rimfire Tactical discipline evolves with more matches, and more participants, we’re learning what kind of hardware it takes to win. Thus far all sorts of rifles have turned in winning performances — Savage Mark IIs, CZs, “Souped-up” Ruger 10/22s, even Anschütz Silhouette and Biathlon rifles. What will prove to be the “Ultimate” Rimfire Tactical rifle? It just might be the impressive “Fusion” from Volquartsen Custom.
The Volquartsen Fusion has the right components for Rimfire Tactical. There’s a stiff, free-floating tubular shroud (like an AR15 spacegun). This provides a rigid support for the bipod, and works well when shooting from barriers. The action features an integrated Picatinny rail so you can easily swap optics from your centerfire tactical rifle to the Fusion. The trigger is clean and crisp — WAY better than the standard trigger on a Ruger 10/22. The rear stock section has a near-vertical style grip and a high comb that work great when shooting prone. An integral comp on the barrel allows quick and precise follow-up shots, which is important because many Rimfire Tactical “scenarios” are on the clock.
What’s also really cool about the Fusion is that you can swap barrels in under a minute with no special tools. So, you can shoot 22LR ammo in a tactical match, then switch to a 17 Mach 2 barrel to shoot varmints with the same rifle. (There is also a .17 HMR/.22 WMR model.) The switch-barrel design also allows the rifle to be broken down quickly and easily for compact storage. Watch the Video below. The last minute of the 3.5 minute video shows how easy it is to remove and swap barrels.
Fusion Take-Down VIDEO. Barrel Removal Starts at 2:25.
How much? The Fusion semi-auto, with BOTH .22LR and 17 Mach 2 Barrels, retails for $1,807.00. For more info, visit Volquartsen.com.
January 14th, 2009
The NRA has officially embraced the popular multi-gun or ‘three-gun’ competition discipline. The first NRA-sanctioned, multi-gun match will be the Larue Tactical 3-Gun Match held in Waco, Texas, March 28-29, 2009. This event was recently expanded to 160 entrants (after “selling out” the first 120 places), so it is still possible to register.
A ceremony marking the NRA’s official sanctioning of Multi-Gun Competition will take place at this year’s SHOT Show in Orlando, FL. “Three-gun competitors are a welcome addition to an already outstanding group of competitive shooters,” said Kayne Robinson, Executive VP of NRA’s General Operations.
Three other 2009 multi-Gun matches have been sanctioned by the NRA:
 Sabre Defense Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Match, April 24-26, 2009
Johnson 3-Gun Match, June 27-28, 2009
Rocky Mountain 3-Gun Match, NRA Wittington Center, Raton, NM August 6-8, 2009.
Over the next few months, the NRA will work with multi-gun event organizers to develop uniform rules and approved courses of fire. Mike Krei, NRA Competitive Shooting Division Director, explains: “The Special Committee on Multi-Gun Competitions will assist the NRA in developing rules for the competition, developing the stages of fire necessary to run an NRA-sanctioned competition, and training NRA staff to better serve three-gun competitors.”
For more information on the LaRue Tactical Three-Gun Match, or future three-gun competitions, contact Janet Raab in the NRA Competitive Shooting Division by email, jraab@nrahq.org or by phone at (703) 267-1479. To learn more about the NRA’s Competitive Shooting Division or sponsorship of three-gun matches visit www.nrahq.org/compete.
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