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March 21st, 2008
 The CMP has finalized its 2008 rules for service rifle, service pistol and as-issued military rifles. The 12th Edition (2008) of the CMP Competition Rules is now posted on the CMP web site and can be downloaded for free. Printed copies of the 2008 rulebook can also be ordered from the CMP. DCM representative Gary Anderson reports that “just like in 2007, there are not a lot of rule changes, [and] nothing in the 2008 rules is going to substantially change any CMP courses of fire or the way competitions are conducted. There are some rule changes, however, that are designed to address issues that have come up or to respond to recommendations that were received from match sponsors and competitors.”
CLICK HERE for a Summary of all the New Rules
CLICK HERE to download CMP RULEBOOK
ECIs now Required for Rimfire AND Pistol Classes
One noteworthy change in the 2008 CMP rules is that ECIs (empty chamber indicators) confirming that firearms are unloaded and safe are now required in ALL rifles and pistols in both CMP and NRA matches at all times except during preparation and firing periods. Highpower and air rifle shooters quickly accepted the mandatory use of ECIs for centerfire rifles and CBIs (clear barrel indicators) for air rifles, but smallbore and pistol shooters resisted. Now several years of experience have demonstrated how effective these safety flags are in allowing range officers to quickly confirm that guns are cleared. Accordingly, the use of ECIs is now mandatory in all classes.
March 13th, 2008
The United States F-Class Rifle Team announced that Lapua, a division of the Nordic Nammo Group, has committed to provide world class cartridge cases for use by the U.S. Team in the 2009 World F-Class Long Range Rifle Championships.
In July 2009, 35 of America’s best F-Class shooters from across the United States will travel to England to face team competition at distances of 600 to 1000 yards in the third World F-Class Long Range Rifle Championships. The United States won the first world championships in 2002 held in Ottawa, Canada, followed by a second place finish in 2005 in South Africa.
In an effort to reclaim the world title in 2009, the team officers have created a training program designed to greatly increase their odds. “We have worked hard to modify both our team selection process and training regimen,” said Robert Bock, United States F-Class Rifle Team captain. “It brings us great pride and pleasure to have our efforts both acknowledged and supported by Lapua. We can’t thank Lapua enough for its support and dedication or our future success.” Team USA currently uses the 6.5-284 cartridge, and it is likely the team will stick with that chambering in 2009.
F-Class is shot from the prone position at distances of 300 to 1,000 yards. In Open Class Competitors may use almost any caliber rifle, a scope, and both front and rear rests. An ideal sport for both male and female competitive shooters, this shooting discipline is unique in the fact that anyone can excel in it, even with little experience. “F-Class shooting is performed with a scoped, rested rifle,” said Adam Braverman, U.S. sales and business manager for Lapua. “Men, women, teenagers, the elderly and the physically disabled are able to compete on an even playing field, making F-Class the fastest growing long-range shooting discipline in the world. It is our pleasure to support the national team and we look forward to them returning to the United States as World Champions.”
March 7th, 2008
Recently, we have been updating our Event Calendar with 2008 entries. We have a sophisticated template that allows you to easily search by keyword, date range, event type (BR, Long-Range, F-Class etc.), or location.
Submit Important Events for Calendar
Folks, please send in your events for inclusion in our calendar. We especially need info on major state, regional, and national matches, and popular “fun shoots” such as the Hickory Ground Hog Match. Be sure to include basic info on the type of competition (and classes of rifles), along with cost. It also helps to provide a link to your club website or match registration webpage. Note: While we don’t have space to include most regularly scheduled club-level events, don’t hesitate to submit info on special events (such as an annual championship) that may be of interest to a larger audience.
Send Photos and Range Maps
Our Calendar software allows us to display photos, club logos, or range maps, so you can attach those to your submissions. Please send your calendar items to: mailbox@6mmBR.com . Thanks!
We reserve the right to edit any entries.
March 5th, 2008
The folks at Sinclair International have compiled a list of major 2008 shooting events. Mark your calendars. For future reference, we’ve added these and other match dates to our searchable Event Calendar.
IWA Show (European Shot Show)
Nurnberg, Germany
March 14 to March 17, 2008
Hog Roast Benchrest Match
Fairchange, Pennsylvania
May 3 to May 4, 2008
NRA Show and Annual Meetings
Kentucky Fair and Expo Center, Louisville, Kentucky
May 16 to May 18, 2008
Super Shoot Benchrest Match
Kelbly’s Range, North Lawrence, Ohio
May 19 to May 24, 2008
Midwest Palma Championship – 9th Annual
Lodi, Wisconsin
June 16 to June 20, 2008
East – West Benchrest Match
Benchrest Rifle Club of Saint Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
June 28 to June 29, 2008
Camp Perry National Matches
Camp Perry, Port Clinton, Ohio
July 7 to August 13, 2008
Camp Perry Match Schedule:
NRA Pistol Matches July 8 to July 13, 2008
NRA Small Bore Matches July 17 to July 24, 2008
CMP High Power Rifle Matches July 27 to August 1, 2008
CMP M1 Carbine Match July 31, 2008
Springfield/Military Bolt Rifle Match August 1, 2008
CMP Garand Match August 2, 2008
NRA Springfield Match August 3, 2008
NRA High Power Matches August 4 to August 8, 2008
NRA Long Rang Rifle Matches August 9 to August 11, 2008
NRA Palma Individual Match August 12, 2008
Palma Team Match (New) August 13, 2008
Rocky Mountain Palma Match
NRA Whittington Center
Raton, New Mexico
July 10 to July 13, 2008
Varmint Hunter Jamboree
Pierre, South Dakota
July 21 to July 25, 2008
IBS Benchrest Nationals
Kelbly’s Range, North Lawrence, Ohio
August 11 to August 16 2008
F-Class Nationals
Lodi, Wisconsin
September 30 to October 4, 2008
NBRSA Benchrest 100/200 Group Nationals
Ben Avery Range, Phoenix, Arizona
October 6 to October 11, 2008
March 4th, 2008
Lou Murdica captured the Two-Gun title at this weekend’s Cactus Classic benchrest match in Phoenix, AZ. Lou’s Two-Gun .2715 Aggregate placed him ahead of runner-up Mike Ratigan (.3177). Lou also won the Heavy Varmint (HV) Grand Agg (with a .2209), and won the HV 200 on Sunday in wicked conditions described as “horrendous” and “a tornado”. In the HV 200, Lou shot an impressive .2209. The next best score was Larry Costa’s .3457. Match Director Gary Ocock called Lou’s HV 200 performance a “Monster Blow Out Win–it was like Lou was shooting on another range.”
Mike Ratigan also did very well in Phoenix. Mike finished second in the Two-Gun, while winning the Light Varmint (LV) Grand with a .3076. Mike also won the LV 200 on Sunday with a .3976. (This was a 4-target Agg because the LV 200 match was cut short by wind and time problems). Larry Costa finished third in Two-Gun with a .3303, and won the HV 100 on Saturday with an impressive .1972 average.
Don Nielson reports: “Lou did not shoot a tuner on either of his guns. He shot a prototype, modified BAT 3-lug action in a Larson wood stock in Light Gun, and a Grizzley in a John Maxon walnut stock in HG.” Both of Lou’s rifles had Bartlein cut-rifled barrels chambered by Don Nielson. One was a 14-twist, while the other had a 1:13.5″ twist. Lou used Bart’s .790 jacket, 65gr boat-tail bullets.
As did most of the top shooters, Lou used March scopes on both his rifles. Lou ran a 40X on the HV, and a 50X on the LV. Both scopes featured a special raised reticle. This has the intersection of the crosshairs well above center. This allows Lou to see more flags in his scope while he’s aiming. Lou noted: “That reticle gives me a quick edge I think. I can see four flags in the scope. When a flag moved, I could pick that up instantly. That really helped me do well on Sunday.”
DaveB, posting on Benchrest Central, noted: “I can’t express how impressed I was with the preformance Lou put on for both Saturday and Sunday. He had time to talk with whomever wanted to ‘chat’ … and still keep his focus to shoot small in every condition imaginable. This was no turkey shoot guys. The best and toughest competitors were there. Lou not only kicked our butt, but made it look easy and was gracious about it.”
Here are Overall Match results, courtesy Gary Ocock:
| HV Grand |
LV Grand |
Two-Gun |
1. Lou Murdica .2209
2. Larry Costa .2715
3. Bart Sauter .3067
4. Herman Hefta .3242
5. Mike Ratigan .3278 |
1. Mike Ratigan .3076
2. Bill Summers .3092
3. Gary Sinclair .3190
4. Lou Murdica .3221
5. Roy Damron .3383 |
1. Lou Murdica .2715
2. Mike Ratigan .3177
3. Larry Costa .3303
4. Bill Summers .3426
5. Gary Sinclair .3431 |
Interestingly, in our Jan. 29th Bulletin, we published Lou Murdica’s advice on Benchrest shooting along with the results of Lou’s testing of turned vs. no-turn necks. Lou certainly demonstrated he’s on top of the game right now. Lou told us:
“Since 1991 when I was on the winning team at the 1st World Shoot in France, I started to experiment and shoot every weird thing I could find or build. I tried more crap, bought and built more guns and while doing this I tried to shoot every shoot I could across the country. I took Tony Boyer’s class three years back, and the first thing he told me was pick a couple of guns out of all of them and shoot 6 PPC and nothing else for the next couple years. He told me to spend my money on barrels for those guns. Well, I did as he suggested and boy, it made a difference in my shooting.
What I’m trying to say to all the guys that have been shooting benchrest for a while and are starting to travel to the bigger matches is, stick with proven goods that have dominated for years, like the 6 PPC, with turned necks. You can try the weird stuff in practice.”
February 27th, 2008
Many readers will be driving across multiple states this spring and summer to attend competitions. Other shooters will be heading out of state for a game hunt or to spend a week in the prairie dog fields. For $12.95 you can purchase a state-by-state Traveler’s Guide to firearms laws. Written by a lawyer, and updated for 2008, this 68-page guide covers all firearms types and all 50 states. It even has information for Canada and Mexico.
CLICK HERE for Sample Page.
 The Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States has sold more than 600,000 copies since it was first released in 1996. The book’s author, Attorney J. Scott Kappas, has written numerous magazine articles and has appeared on television, explaining the unexpected pitfalls that shooters may encounter when traveling with firearms. Along with being an attorney, Mr. Kappas serves as a director on the Board of the Kentucky Firearms Foundation, and Kappas is a Class III firearms dealer.
The Traveler’s Guide has proven especially useful for shooters traveling in RVs and motorhomes. One reader from Texas noted: “”I used to think that my RV was the same as my home when it came to gun carry….the Traveler’s Guide set me straight. Now I know my motorhome is subject to the same laws as any vehicle when it comes to guns”
February 26th, 2008
Top air rifle and air pistol shooters from around the United States will compete for spots on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team at the Olympic Shooting Team Trials, February 29 to March 3, which will be conducted at the U.S. Olympic Shooting Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials is a collaborative partnership between the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Shooting, the national governing body for Olympic shooting sports in the United States.
 There are a total of five slots available for air rifle and air pistol on the U.S. Olympic team. There are two slots for Men’s Air Rifle and one slot each for Women’s Air Rifle, Men’s Air Pistol and Women’s Air Pistol. Competing for a spot on the Olympic Team in Men’s Air Rifle will be 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Matthew Emmons, who has already secured spots on the U.S. Olympic Team in Men’s Prone Rifle and Men’s Three Position Rifle. Emmons will try for his third berth to the U.S. Olympic Team and is looking to bring home three medals from China, in August.
Also competing for an Olympic team slot in air rifle will be two-time Olympian Sgt. 1st Class Jason A. Parker of the USAMU and 2007 Pan-American Games Gold Medalist. Matthew Rawlings of Wharton, Texas, the 2007 Pan-Am Silver Medalist, along with 2005 Munich World Cup Gold Medalist Ryan Tanoue of Honolulu, Hawaii, are also top contenders looking to make the Olympic Team in Men’s Air Rifle.
CLICK HERE to download Nat’l 3-P Air Rifle Rules
CLICK HERE for info on ANSCHÜTZ Competition Air Rifles.
February 26th, 2008
Recent visitors to the AccurateShooter.com site may not know that we have an entire set of FREE TARGETS. There are sight-in targets, load development targets, Benchrest Targets, NRA Highpower targets, Scope Testing Targets, even a special set of Fun Targets.
Most of the targets come bundled in .zip archives, so you can easily download multiple targets with one click. The targets are saved in .pdf format, so they are easy to print and the scale is correct no matter what your screen resolution.
Here Forum member FireMedic shows some fine shootin’ with our basic Accuracy Target. With small, red diamonds and extended black lines, this target allows very precise aiming at 100 and 200 yards. The gray dot on top provides a reference point for a 200-yard zero. FireMedic reports: “My 30″, 12 twist, 3 groove does pretty good for an old Savage chambered in .308 Win.” With an average group size of 0.208 inches we’d have to agree. Great Shootin’ FireMedic!
Here are two fun targets you might enjoy. The Atomic Target was originally created as a contest for our readers. The design is by Michael Forester of Auckland, New Zealand. Hit the bigger green and red neutrons, then try your luck with the smaller electrons. In the center, go for true “bug-holes” with our Fly Shoot Target. Watch out for the bio-hazard rings!
February 25th, 2008
 With the price of ultra-premium 22LR match ammo edging past $20 for fifty rounds, some dedicated bench shooters are turning to airgun technology to expand their shooting options. A tin of five hundred (500) RWS or JSB match pellets costs just $4 to $14. Compare that to spending $50 or more to shoot three 25-round target sheets with premium Eley or Lapua rimfire ammo.
While airguns are popular in prone, three-position, and Field Target disciplines, air rifle benchrest is a relatively new mode of competition. Joe Friedrich, 2007 ARA Aggregate Rimfire Champion, recently supervised the first air rifle benchrest match at his Open Grove range in Southern California. Joe reports: “After spending some time with everyone at the match, it appears there is a lot of interest, which is great. I had a wonderful time, and look forward to adding more matches to our schedule. We had 5 shooters show up despite the atypical cold, windy and rainy weather. We even had a guest from Alberta, Canada.”
Equipment list:
Glen R.– Walther 300 LG ALUTEC 10m .177
Dave L.–1ZH46M Russian Pistol .177
Doug M.–FWB P70 Modified Field Target .177
Brian D.–Air Arms SL 400 Field target .177
David R.–Theoben Rapid Field Target .177
 Shown above is Doug’s ultra-high tech FWB Field Target Rifle. (Be sure to click the large photo link to view the exotic hardware in detail.) Joe observed: “Doug’s FWB was one of the best looking rifles I have seen, and Doug can flat-out shoot. It was interesting to see how well these field target rifles perform. The two pellet types we’re using in the Field Target rifles are the 10.2gr JSB Exact Diablo Heavy, a round-nose design, and the Crosman Premier. These are both available from PyramidAir.com.”
Writing in Benchrest Central’s new AirGun Forum, Don M. explains: “The lack of recoil makes free recoil a non-issue. The springer class isn’t quite the same but the springer guys know this. The big wheel on the parallax adjustment of the scope [is used] as a range finder in the Field Target game. The wheel is calibrated in yards and when focused, will tell the distance to the target. With good balistic data, you can click in the elevation needed to hit your mark.”
Joe added: “Kudos goes to Dave shooting his little pistol at 340 fps. Dave did well, even though it seemed like it took awhile for the pellet to reach the target.”
February 24th, 2008
 Many match directors have told us that, in the past 18 months, match attendance is down, particularly at regional and national events which require long drives. The main reason is fuel cost. With the price of gasoline soaring above $3.00/gallon, many shooters have decided to cut costs by attending fewer matches, or sticking to competitions closer to home.
While not traveling to a distant match will certainly save on gas (not to mention hotel bills etc.), we’d think there’s a compromise solution. We’ve observed that 95% of competitors at matches arrive solo — one to a vehicle. And, typically, most shooters drive big pick-up trucks or SUVs that may get less than 20 mpg on the freeway.
PROPOSAL: Car Pool to your next shooting match, and/or drive a vehicle with better mileage.
Whenever possible, this editor tries to “share my ride” with other shooters attending a match. I also drive an 8-year-old station wagon that gets an honest 29 mpg on the highway. Though it’s cheap to run, my vehicle has plenty of space for all the guns and gear 2 or 3 shooters would ever need.
Here is a chart showing how much you can save by carpooling and by driving a vehicle with better mileage. If you drive 5000 miles a year to shooting matches, a car getting 27 mpg will burn $349 less fuel than a vehicle getting 17 mpg. And even if you stick with your 17 mpg truck or SUV, ride-sharing with one other shooter can save you over $470 per year (if you drive 5000 miles to matches).
| MPG |
Miles Driven |
Fuel Cost
@ $3.20/gallon |
Ride-Share Savings |
| 27 mpg |
3000 |
$355.56 |
$177.79 |
| 22 mpg |
3000 |
$436.36 |
$218.18 |
| 17 mpg |
3000 |
$564.70 |
$282.35 |
| 27 mpg |
5000 |
$592.59 |
$296.30 |
| 22 mpg |
5000 |
$727.27 |
$363.64 |
| 17 mpg |
5000 |
$941.18 |
$470.59 |
Subaru 4WD Outback Wagon — 26 MPG on Highway
If you want to replace an older, gas-guzzling vehicle, check out the Subaru Outback. We’ve tested one and came away very impressed. It’s roomy inside and has good ground clearance outside. It has a 5-Star crash rating and gets 26 MPG on the highway. Base models start at under $22K.
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