|
|
October 19th, 2007
Team Glock’s Jessie Abbate is the new Ladies USPSA Multi-Gun National Champion. Bringing a new level of grace, speed, and accuracy to the Multi-Gun discipline, Jessie took top honors among women in the recent USPSA Multi-Gun National Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The three-gun match consisted of 12 stages. 3 stages were shot with a pistol, 3 with a rifle, 3 utilized a shotgun, and 3 were multi-gun. Each stage presented different levels of difficulty such as swinging shotgun and rifle targets, multiple moving pistol targets and long range rifle shots past 300 yards. Other stages were designed for speed which allowed shooters to employ all three of their guns. Jessie used an MSTN AR-15 type carbine in the rifle stages, a 12 gauge for the shotgun segments, and a Glock 34 for the pistol stages.
Jessie reports: “I started the match off Friday morning with a great shotgun stage followed by exceptional rifle and pistol stages. But as I was shooting with multiple guns, I began to tire and made small mistakes that cost me some points. With the long-range rifle stage at the end of the day, I just wanted to survive it so I could move on and put it behind me.” Jessie began the second day with a fresh outlook and shot smoothly and consistently. Abbate wrapped up the last day of competition with a 200-point victory and the Ladies Multi-Gun National Championship.
 The lovely Jessie is now one of America’s top action shooters. Jessie began shooting by going to the range with her father. With the training she received from her father, a world champion cowboy action shooter, and help from her husband Billy, a USPSA Grandmaster, Jessie’s pistol shooting skills continue to grow. She now competes in practical and steel shooting sports with Glock pistols. Jessie was welcomed to Team Glock in the summer of 2006. Jessie balances a busy schedule with her job in the family business in Georgia, going to school for a business degree and training on the shooting range.
Photos courtesy Glock Inc., and Team Glock.
October 14th, 2007
Late-breaking news: The stars aligned on Saturday at the Piedmont Range in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. With many of the best shooters in the 600-yard game on the firing line, multiple IBS 600-yard records were set. We still don’t have all the details, but we’re told that at least four IBS records were set, maybe more.
Mark Schronce (below), shooting a 6mm BRX with Berger 105gr VLDs, set a new Light Gun 5-shot group record of 0.749″. We believe this is the smallest group ever shot, in any class, with any gun, in registered 600-yard competition. Great job Mark.
Mark noted: “this is a great group of guys to shoot with, and most can ‘Clean your Clock’ in any given match. I have shot a lot of small four-shot clusters with one out this year. I finely got one to come together.” Larry Isenhour (who finished 4th for both LG and HG Score on Saturday) reports: “I was shooting beside Mark all day and when he shot that group it wasn’t the best of times to shoot. He shot fast and and we looked at each other and gave a ‘thumbs-up’ and neither of us knew what the target looked like.”
Terry Brady was on fire in Heavy Gun Class, ending up with a 1.5708″ Heavy Gun 20-shot group Aggregate. That is second only to Terry’s own 1.505″ Agg shot earlier this July, also at Piedmont. Both Aggs by Brady have been submitted to the IBS for certification. One way or the other, he’s going to have that record.
Sam Hall had an impressive 1.8053″ Agg. in Heavy Gun class and broke a couple of 2006 records in the process. Larry Isenhour reports: “Samuel Hall ended up being the Piedmont ‘Shooter of the Year’. He had almost twice as many points as Buster Long who finished second. Sam has had a great year of shooting and is very much in the mix for IBS Shooter of the Year. [Sam] has broken several records this year.”
Tommy Willliams and his crew at Piedmont Gun Club did a great job running the match. To indicate the quality of competition at this match, the top five Heavy Gun Aggs were all under 2.6 inches:
1) Terry Brady 1.570
2) Samuel Hall 1.805
3) Rodney Wagner 2.058
4) Jim Morgan 2.533
5) Paul Wagner (R) JR 2.585
October 8th, 2007
The CMP webzine, The First Shot, currently features an excellent article for any rifleman (hunter or competitor) who employs the standing position. Authored by USAMU Team member Sgt. Brandon Green, the story covers rifle hold, body positioning, and trigger control. Sgt. Green writes: “We’ve all been there—on the two hundred yard line and in our three-minute prep period. As you stand there looking through your sights, you just can’t seem to make them stay in the center of your target or even close for that matter. You know that your three minutes are running out quickly, so what are you going to do? This is the time when a lot of shooters start to come unraveled….We all know how to stand up, but it’s the standing still part that gives us trouble most of the time.”
Sgt. Green continues: “We will start our position rebuild at the feet. You normally want your feet about shoulder width apart and perpendicular to the target. Some shooters like to keep their weight evenly distributed between the heels and balls of their feet, but this may not be the best position for you. I normally try to find a place on the firing line where my toes are just slightly higher than my heels, maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 inch higher. With my toes slightly higher, I feel a little more of the pressure on the balls of my feet. This usually helps me eliminate some of the back and forth movement in my position by inducing a little tension in my calf muscles.
At this point I will check for excess tension in other parts of my legs. I notice that excess tension in my upper legs can also cause me to sway back and forth more than usual. By rotating each foot in or out, I can usually find a position that will eliminate this excess tension and help my legs feel more relaxed. I then check the tension in my knees. I don’t shoot with my knees locked, but they aren’t exactly bent either. I find where they are comfortable and stick with it. Now that my legs are at a good starting point, I move up to my hips and waist. I normally shoot with my hips perpendicular to the target and twist at the waist slightly. This is more of an international style rifle position than a traditional highpower position, but it is very comfortable and relaxed for me. With my waist only slightly twisted, I can rest my forward arm almost directly on my hip bone instead of bringing it around and resting it on my ribs.” [Continued…].
READ COMPLETE ARTICLE.
Photos and text ©2007 CMP and USAMU, used by permission.
October 8th, 2007
 The Western CMP Games, hosted at the Ben Avery range in Phoenix, Arizona, begin with a clinic on Saturday, 20 October, followed by two days of Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches and conclude with an “as-issued” M1 Garand EIC Match on 23 October.
The Creedmoor Cup Matches begin on Wednesday, 24 October, with an advanced clinic. The Creedmoor Cup Matches include a Practice Match, an EIC Match, the 80-shot Creedmoor Cup Match and a team match. Both events feature special hospitality events and prize awards. To download the Match Program for the Western CMP Games-Creedmoor Cup Matches: CLICK HERE.
October 7th, 2007
A detailed, 13-page event calendar covering all NRA shooting disciplines is available free from the NRA. This includes all sanctioned NRA matches from October 2007 through December 2008. The “Coming Events” document covers High Power Rifle, Silhouette Rifle, Black-Powder Cartridge Rifle, Smallbore Rifle, Air Rifle, plus a wide variety of pistol disciplines. This handy resource provides match dates, locations, and contact information well into 2008. You’ll find all the major national events, plus state championships and most regional competitions.
CLICK HERE to download the 13-page (1.5 megabyte) Adobe Acrobat file. You can also find updated info on NRA-sanctioned matches at the Shooting Sports USA website.
October 6th, 2007
The Australians have their own, indigenous form of precision target shooting–the Fly Shoot. It’s a form of score shooting at 500 meters (with bonus points added for group size). The course of fire is 5 shots on the Fly target plus up to 3 sighting shots at steel or paper. There are two classes, Heavy Gun and Light Gun. Light Guns are limited to 17 pounds (similar to IBS and NBRSA Light Gun), while Unlimiteds have no weight restriction. There is no dominant caliber, though the Aussies seem to favor the larger calibers–big 30s and even .338s.
You are allowed to shoot any chambering under .50 caliber. Barrel Blocks and tuners are legal. Any stock configuration and any scope is allowed, and Competitors may spot for each other. It’s a game of few rules–and lots of fun.
 The Federal Cup is the main Fly Shoot event of the year and is shot on a Holiday weekend in March each year. The “Fly Shoot” originated in Canberra in 1990. It was set up by Jim McKinley and John Rawson. A wide variety of cartridges are used in all calibres from 22 to 338. But given the heavy mirage that is often present, to be sure of seeing the shots one needs to shoot a larger calibre and have good optics (such as Nightforce scopes). The Federal Cup held in March has four major sponsors, Federal Cartridge Co, Westfire, ADI and Lightforce. In the center of the target is a “Fly”. It represents a March Fly and is the ultimate in fly shooting. A special Fly Patch (left) is awarded for hits on the fly.
The photo below shows the target system used at Canberra for the 500m Fly Shoot. The official Fly target is on top with a metal sighter plate (“splash plate”) below. These “splash plates”, made from heavy-duty Bisaloy 360 steel, can swing from hangers thereby absorbing the shock of even the heaviest magnums. Sighter shots on the plate show up as large dark spots. This way at least the sighters can be seen in heavy mirage. Shots are counted for score and bonus points are awarded for group size. The maximum points available per target is 60.
CLICK HERE for more information on 500m Fly Shoots. You can view photos of Forum member Wild Bill’s very trick 6mm Dasher Fly Gun in THIS THREAD. It features metal rails in the front and a Stiller barrel tuner.
Here are standings for 2007 Fly Shooter of the Year. Jaegen Peet leads the field, followed by Trevor Bent, Ian Davis, and Peter Van Meurs. The image below shows Peter with his record target shot in 2002, five shots in .960″ (24.4mm) at 500m. The 4-shot cluster measures roughly about 0.4″. That’s spectacular. This was the first sub-inch group at 500m.
CLICK HERE for the official rules for 500m Fly Shooting. We particularly like Rule Number 10: “Any competitor found not enjoying themselves will be disqualified.”
October 5th, 2007
The U.S. Military Shooting Team will leave Monday for India to compete in the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) Military World Games (MWG). Ten shooters from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit of Fort Benning, GA, as well as one from the Navy, one Army Reservist, one from the Navy Reserve and one Marine, will represent the USA at the 4th Military World Games in Hyderabad, India, October 12 to 21.
Team USA is expected to compete against hundreds of shooters from approximately 30 countries from around the world. Countries expected to participate include Argentina, Belarus, Botswana, Canada, Czech, Central African, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Luxembourg, Nambia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States of America, Uzbekistan and Zambia.
 The CISM shooting championships consist of men’s and women’s rifle and pistol competitions. Rifle shooters compete with standard rifles at 300 meters in the prone, kneeling and standing positions in both rapid- and slow-fire matches. The pistol team will shoot centerfire and military rapid-fire championships. Only the men’s teams’ scores count in the overall “Best Nation” awards; the women’s teams only compete for their own individual and team awards. Match Results will be posted on the Military World Games website, www.MWG2007.org. Other MWG events will include Boxing, Wrestling, Modern Pentathlon, Triathlon, Swimming, Sailing, Polo, Judo, Handball, Soccer, and Volleyball.
On the Finnish Military Rifle Team website, you can learn more about CISM rifle and pistol shooting. You’ll find many photos of CISM rifle and pistol events, including the 2006 CISM Championships in Rena, Norway, and the 2005 CISM Championships in Thun, Switzerland, shown below.
October 4th, 2007
On October 20th, Pennsylvannia’s St. Thomas Sportsman Assn. will host a GroundHog Shoot with major prizes. There will be a drawing for a new Savage .223 Rem model 12 Precision Varminter, and $1000 in cash. The first shooter lucky enough to shoot a perfect 150/150 score will receive $300 in cash and a one ounce gold piece valued at almost $800. That’s $1100 for the first perfect score!
Barry Schmidt reports: “There will be free breakfast, lunch and stuff for all competitors. There will lots of extra drawings for shooting stuff. Non-shooters can sign up and get a chance to be eligible for the drawings. The $1000.00 in cash will be given away in $100 and $50 increments.” For more info, visit the St. Thomas GroundHog Shoot webpage, or click these links for MATCH RULES and DIRECTIONS to the club.
October 1st, 2007
 America’s top short-range benchrest shooters competed September 17-22 at the 2007 NBRSA 100/200 Nationals, held at the Kelbly’s Range in Ohio.
Some familiar names came out on top. Mike Ratigan, on the heels of his dominant performance at the World Benchrest Championships, won the 4-Gun Aggregate, with Allan Tucker and Larry Costa tieing for 2nd place. Living legend Tony Boyer won the 3-Gun title. (Tony already ranks first in Hall of Fame points by a large margin). Tony’s wife Faye, the “nicest lady in Benchrest” according to Shelly Davidson, won the HV 200 Agg plus the HV Grand Aggregate. Jim Carmichael captured top 2-Gun honors, while Larry Costa won the Grand Agg in Unlimited Class. Charles Huckeba won LV Grand Agg. Don Nielson, who attended the event, said the match was tightly fought and all the winners can be very proud of their performances in such tough competition.
September 27th, 2007
 The 2007 USPSA Multi-gun National Championship will be held October 4-7 at the U.S. Shooting Academy (USSA) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Nationals will include 12 stages (3 pistol, 3 rifle, 3 shotgun, 3 multigun). Match info, including stage descriptions, is found on the USSA website. You can also call (918) 592-5553 or email kellyraglin [at] usshootingacademy.com. CLICK HERE for a video showing the impressive 93-acre USSA facility just outside Tulsa, one of the best action shooting venues in the world.
With stages for Action Pistol, Shotgun, and Carbine, multi-gun competition is an exciting and challenging sport. All of the three main stages, even the shotgun, involve “run and gun” scenarios. (Some multi-gun matches offer a fourth discipline–long-range precision rifle). This sport requires quick reflexes and good physical fitness levels. Guns must be ultra-reliable as well as very accurate. You’re on the clock so every second counts. To learn more about USPSA Multi-Gun competition, download the USPSA 3-Gun Supplement, a 14-page illustrated guide covering all aspects of the sport. You’ll also find Shooting Tips, Match Calendars, and photos from past Nationals at www.3gunrules.com.
|
