NBRSA Announces Multi-Distance, Multi-Discipline 'Hall of Masters'

In the 100/200 Benchrest game, perhaps the most prestigious distinction a shooter can earn is entry into the Benchrest Hall of Fame. Now that concept has been extended to all bench disciplines and distances. The NBRSA has announced a new program — the NBRSA ‘Hall of Masters’. It will recognize all NBRSA National and Regional shoots including 100, 200, 300, 600, 1000-yard, Hunter Class and any new disciplines that are added. The program embraces Europe and any venue, worldwide, where NBRSA events are held.

‘Hall of Masters’ point accumulation will include NBRSA match performances from the past. The program will retroactive as far back as the NBRSA can obtain valid match reports. In other words, if you won an NBRSA match last year, or even ten years ago, you’ve earned ‘Hall of Masters’ points already. The point system will be similar to the existing short-range Hall of Fame except all yardages and aggregates at NBRSA nationals will be counted. You can also accumulate a maximum of three (3) points at any Regional match. Only NBRSA points will be used. (By contrast, both IBS AND NBRSA Nat’l Comp points count for the 100/200 BR Hall of Fame.)

F-Class Nationals–Robert Bock and Brad Sauve Win Titles

The F-Class National Championship (FCNC) was a very tightly-fought competition, with the final placings going down to the wire in both F-Open and F-TR (Target Rifle) classes. Robert Bock shot superbly in very switchy conditions at 1000 yards to win the Open Title, followed by Jim Kramer in second, and Jeff Cochran (2005 Open-Class Champ) in third. John Brewer, who won the event in 2004, told us: “Robert Bock was sharing my bunkhouse at the match. Rob’s a talented shooter and deserved the win. We had some tough conditions–to give you an idea, only three or four shooters in F-Open were able to shoot at the NRA ‘Master’ level based on their scores. And the switchy winds played havoc with the leaderboard. Only a few points separated first through 8th place.” In F-Open team comps, Team Berger took the 600-yard title, while Team Sierra Spindle Shooters prevailed in the 1000-yard match.

In F-TR, Brad Sauve came from behind on the last day to earn his third F-TR National Championship (2004, 2006, 2007). In second was Forum member Monte Milanuk (Congrats Monte!), followed by Darrell Buell. Brad has now captured three out of the four U.S. F-TR championships, grabbing back-to-back titles in 2006/2007. Brad also anchored the Sinclair International 4-man squad that captured the both of the F-TR team events this year, edging runner-up Team Savage. Brad provided AccurateShooter.com with this report: “My teammates on Team Sinclair this year were Paul Phillips, Warren Dean, and Derek Rodgers. This was the first FCNC for both Warren and Derek and they shot superbly on the team. We couldn’t have won without them. Paul Phillips coached our team this year. Paul was also a member of our winning team in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, when we also won, Paul unfortunately was not able to attend, but I had the good fortune that year to shoot with Shawn McKenna, Dale Carpenter (2005 FCNC FTR National Champion) and Lane Buxton (2007 US Palma team member). This year, Sinclair International graciously allowed us to use their name for our team. Three of the four team members also used Sinclair bipods during the team events.”

LARGE Sauve PHOTO | LARGE Team PHOTO

Brad added: “2007 played out exactly like 2004 and 2006 for me in the individual events. Once again I had to come back from behind on the last day. Assignment to the last relay on both Day 1 and Day 2 made it more difficult to keep up with the first match scores of some of the F-TR shooters who were placed in earlier relays when the winds were lighter, but a majority of the F-TR shooters were in the same predicament as I was. Fortunately, efforts were taken by match officials to place F-TR shooters in the same relay during Day 3. I know that in those last two days of shooting, I kept rubbing a fireman medallion that a past teammate gave me for luck many many times.”

Brad’s equipment was a key factor: “I used another BAT-actioned, MasterClass-stocked rifle this year and shot 155gr Sierra MatchKings again. The only difference really between the two rifles is the color of the stock. I was so happy with the rifle that won the 2006 FCNC that I ordered another in 2007. BAT Machine and Alex Sitman of MasterClass Stocks have to be given alot of credit for producing two fine rifles.”

Schatz Reveals Winning Formula: Krieger, RL15, and Sierra 107s

Recently, Richard Schatz, the “Duke of Dashers”, set a new IBS 600-yard Light Gun World Record, an amazing .888″ five-shot group. We had a chance to chat with Richard after his record-setting performance at the Nationals where he won the LG division Overall and LG Score title along with posting the new single-group record.

Richard attributes much of his success to his choice of bullets and some recent equipment upgrades: “I recently ordered three Kriegers and had Dan Dowling chamber them. These are all 4-grooves with a .236 land dimension. My gun’s been on fire ever since I put on that new Krieger. I’ve been doing really well at matches and this gun has delivered great accuracy AND consistency. And I can’t say enough about the bullets–the new Sierra 107s. The combination of a new Krieger and the Sierra 107s has been amazing.

In late 2006, Rich Machholz at Sierra gave me a call and said I should try the latest batch of 107s. He said they were some of the best they’ve ever made. I was a little skeptical as I had been using another brand. But I bought 500 of the new 107s and tested them against three bullet types. When I tested them head to head with the other bullets I had, the Sierras were just awesome. Flyers just didn’t happen. I consider this batch of Sierra 107s better than great–the equivalent of a ‘hummer’ barrel. They measure exactly .24300 in diameter and seem ideally suited for the Krieger.”

Richard explained his load development process: “First I shoot multiple groups with different bullets to get a sense which has the best potential. I pick the most promising bullet, then experiment with seating depth. Using a Stoney Point tool, I get a baseline OAL with the bullet at the zero position, just touching the lands. Then I’ll seat them long and start testing .020″ into the lands. (I prefer starting in the lands because I don’t want to soot up the throat first–something that can happen when you’re jumping the bullets.) So, starting at .020″ in the lands, I work backwards in .005″ increments, doing .015, .010, .005 and so on. Then I will try the jumping the bullets, going from .005″ to .020″ out. With the Sierra 107s, I found they shot best .005″ into the lands–a bit less jam than I run with Bergers or Lapua Scenars.”

As to powder, Richard remains a fan of Alliant Reloader 15: “I shoot a load of 32.5 to 33.0 grains of RL15 with the 107s, CCI 450s, and Lapua brass. This runs 3015 fps in a 26″ barrel and 3020-3030 fps in my 27″ barrels. I’ve tried other powders and RL15 still seems to provide the best combination of accuracy and velocity in my Dashers.”

Richard’s record-setting 6mm Dasher was smithed by Dan Dowling, and features a .272″ neck with 0.104″ freebore. Here are the components:

Action: Nesika K, RBLP, right micro-port eject, Jewell trigger
Stock: Shehane Baby Tracker Stock, Sierra color scheme
Barrel: 27″ Krieger HV taper 8-twist, 4-groove with .236″ land
Optics: Nightforce NXS 12×42 NPDD, Burris Sig Zee 30mm rings, Nesika 20 moa base
Rest: Sinclair front pedestal with Farley mini-joystick control, Sinclair top, Protektor rear bag

USA Teams and Ratigan Dominate World Benchrest Championships

American teams topped the field at the recent World Benchrest Shooting Federation (WBSF) Championship, hosted in Hölles, Austria. USA Team 3 (Ed Adams, Darrel Loker, Tim Oltersdorf, and Mike Ratigan) took the Team Gold Medal, followed by USA 2 (Silver), and USA 1 (Bronze). American Mike Ratigan was the top individual shooter, winning the Two Gun (.2188 MOA 2-gun Agg), the Heavy Varmint Grand Agg, and the Light Varmint Grand Agg. Mike also added Silver and Bronze medals in the 200m and 100m LV matches, adding to his haul. Wow. Way to go Mike! I guess it’s high time for all of us to read Mike’s Benchrest treatise, Extreme Rifle Accuracy. Giantonio Quaglino from Italy finished second in Two-Gun, with France’s Jean Louis Espinet placing third. Complete match results are found on the WBSF Website.

Italy’s Giantonio Quaglino, New Zealander Ian Owen, and American Larry Costa all had strong individual showings, each winning multiple medals. Ian won silver in the HV Grand Agg and Bronze in the HV 200m. Giantonio grabbed Gold in the Light Varmint 200m and finished Second Overall (in Two-Gun), behind Ratigan. Larry Costa also won two medals–Gold in the HV 200m and Bronze in the HV Grand Agg.

There were many other notable team and individual efforts and we congratulate all the shooters. After the three American Teams, Canada Team 2 (.3085 MOA), Italy Team 1 (.3092 MOA), and France Team 1 (.3113 MOA), were tightly clustered–proving the quality of the competition. While the USA Teams prevailed, international shooters proved their mettle. Three of the Top Five Shooters were from outside the United States. Here are individual Two-Gun results:

IBS 600-Yd Nationals Results — Schatz Sets Record

Under the able direction of the Varmint Hunters Association (VHA), the 2007 IBS 600-yard Nationals were held this past week in Pierre, SD at the VHA Range. The match drew competitors from around the country. The big winner was Glen Sterling, who captured the Two-Gun title, and finished first in both Heavy Gun Group and Score, shooting a 300 Win Mag in HG (Glen shot a 6mm Wildcat in Light Gun).

A familiar name, Richard Schatz, piloted his 6mm Dasher to victory in the Light Gun division, posting both Small Group and Best Score. Richard, the “Duke of Dashers“, added another record to his collection, shooting a 5-round group of .888″ according to initial reports. This may be a new IBS world record. Congratulations to Glen and Richard for their impressive shooting.

Full match results should be available on the VHA Website, within a few days. Thanks to Donovan Moran for this report. Donovan, who chatted with Glen after the match, tells us: “Glen Sterling really shot some phenomenal small groups and very high scores. The first 6 targets and scores he shot are amazingly consistent — SMALL and centered up for high scores (from what I heard, Targets 7 & 8 were shot in down pouring rain and wind).” Here are Glen’s Heavy Gun results, producing a 2.3915″ Aggregate with 379-6X score total for eight 5-shot groups:

Target 1 = 1.886″ / 50-3X | Target 2 = 2.460″ / 48

Target 3 = 2.325″ / 50-1X | Target 4 = 1.592″ / 49-1X

Target 5 = 1.473″ / 47-1X | Target 6 = 1.413″ / 47

Target 7 = 4.590″ / 41 | Target 8 = 3.414″ / 47

Phoenix Hosts CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup in October

The 2007 Western CMP Games will take place at the Ben Avery Shooting Center north of Phoenix, Arizona on 20-23 October. The 2007 Western Creedmoor Cup Matches will also take place at the Ben Avery Range on 24-28 October. Together, these back-to-back competitions comprise one of the major West Coast events of the year for Highpower and position shooters, and there’s still time to REGISTER.

MATCH INFO SHEET | BEN AVERY Facilities MAP

These combined matches offer activities for virtually every highpower rifle shooter–from clinics for beginning shooters to less formal Garand, Springfield and Military Rifle Matches to CMP Excellence-in-Competition Matches to NRA Registered Service and Match Rifle Highpower events. The official program is posted at www.ODCMP.com/Competitions/WesternGames.htm. You can sign-up on-line for any of the Western CMP Games or Creedmoor Cup matches at this REGISTRATION PAGE. Just fill in your contact info and select the matches you want to shoot. All data is sent via the web so you don’t even need a postage stamp.

Frazier Wins IBS 1000-yd Nationals. Bower Breaks HG Group Record.

Results are in from the 2007 IBS 1000-yard Nationals, hosted at Quantico, Virginia. With over 100 competitors in both Light Gun and Heavy Gun classes, the match was a resounding success, producing impressive scores and at least one new world record, Phil Bower’s 3.391″ HG 10-shot group. CLICK HERE for photos from the Nationals by Rich DeSimone.

Dan Frazier, shooting a 300 WSM (in at least one class), was the Two-Gun Overall Champion. Dan had a 46 Rank Aggregate, edging runner-up Eric Springman by 12 points. The next three finishers in the Two-Gun were John Buhay, Shannon Ammerman, and Clay Earhart.

Shannon also won the Light Gun Overall, followed by Clay Earhart and Lori King. Jay Cutright captured the Heavy Gun Overall, ahead of Eric Springman, and Dan Frazier. Regan Green, always a tough competitor, placed first in HG group, with a 5.797″ Agg (3 groups, 10 shots per group). Regan edged out Phil Bower (6.131″), and Matt Dienes (6.212″).

Bower Sets a Record
Phil Bower dazzled the field in his second Heavy Gun stage, nailing a phenomenal 3.391″ 10-shot group. This should be a new IBS Heavy Gun group record, edging Lee Fischer’s one-year-old 3.427″ mark. Congratulations to Phil–that’s mighty impressive shooting.

Small 6mms Hold Their Own
Shooting a 6-6.5×47 smithed by Mark King, Jeffrey Mottern shot consistently small groups to win Light Gun Group with an impressive 4.185″ Agg, based on 4.010″, 5.667″, and 4.767″ 5-shot groups. That proves that this new cartridge has serious potential in the 1K game. In another strong performance for a 6mm, Ray Carly’s little 6BR delivered a 2.691″ five-shot group — the LG small group for the match. Matt Dienes reports: “The 6mms did very well so did the 6.5s, but the Two-Gun was won shooting a 300 WSM. Ray Carley shot a 2.691″ with a 6mm BR and a lot of three-inchers were shot with 6mm Dashers.”

Multi-Distance Rifle Match with Electronic Targets at Area 52 in Texas

Sophisticated electronic scoring systems with acoustic targets are used in Olympic and ISSF competition. Many such advanced systems have been installed at shooting ranges in Europe. The U.S. Army has also installed a full set of acoustic targets at Ft. Benning, Georgia, but that range is restricted to military use except for a few special matches.

VIDEO Explaining How Electronic Targets Work:
DOWNLOAD 18mb Video | STREAM Video

Where can a civilian try out this new electronic target technology in the United States? Right now there’s just one facility with a full electronic target system that offers regular access to civilians, 12 months a year: AREA 52. In West Central Texas, southwest of Abilene, Spindler Arms LLC operates the modern AREA 52 Long Range Shooting facility. AREA 52 offers high-tech acoustic targets at four distances: 300m, 600m, 800m, and 1000 meters. Every shooter has his/her own target monitor for scoring. All target bays are on separate lines of sight, and shooters are spaced on a single line, so there is no conflict between 300m shooters and those shooting the longer distances.

Along with training and recreational shooting, AREA 52 hosts regular competitions. On September 29, 2007, AREA 52 will host a multi-distance Long Range Competition using electronic targets. The Course of Fire consists of 3 sighters and 15 record shots at each of the four metric distances (300m, 600m, 800m, 1000m). The 9/29 Match is limited to 50 participants on first-come, first-serve basis. Max caliber is .338 Lapua Magnum.

AREA 52 has also pioneered a new kind of high-tech international postal match — the Trans Oceanic Shooting Sports Competition (TOSS). In cooperation with European clubs that possess similar acoustic targets and remote monitors, AREA 52’s American squad (The Thunderbird Competition Team), competes against teams in Europe. The matches take place on the same day, with results exchanged via digital data transfer over the internet. The most recent “trans-oceanic” match was held on September 1st, 2007, with the Thunderbird (AREA 52) Team competing against three teams from Sweden (Shedhill Team, Veterans Team, and Long Range Team). The Swedes have even created a website, http://toss.svensktskytte.se/, where you can view results and even see actual data feeds from the Sept. 1st match (target photos below).

To learn more about Area 52 and the upcoming (Sept. 29) Long-Range Match, visit SpindlerArms.com, or contact Wilhelm Spindler, AREA 52, Robert Lee, TX 76945, phone: (325) 453-9166, email: info [at] spindlerarms.com. Below is a map to the facility.

NASCAR for Benchrest–Should There Be a True One-Design Class?

Is it time to develop a true one-design class for Benchrest competition? The idea would be to have a single, affordable design that could shoot a variety of matches in its own class. Rifle specs would be tightly controlled so that shooters would not have to constantly upgrade equipment, or purchase $2000 scopes to remain competitive. Chamber/barrel dimensions would be clearly defined so that any competent gunsmith could set up the rifle.

Imagine being able to shoot one rifle that would be class-competitive at all Benchrest distances: 100, 200, 300, 600, and 1000 yards. And you could shoot the same rifle in Club and Varmint matches at other distances such as 300m, 400 yards, 500 yards, 500m. If enough shooters got involved, economies of scale would drive down the cost of components (actions, stocks, triggers etc.). In Europe, for example, over 100,000 shooters shoot in target rifle matches with essentially identical, one-design equipment. Parts are very affordable.

Illustration only. One-Design Rifle would have different components.

We’ve discussed the concept of a one-design Benchrest Rifle, i.e. NASCAR for benchrest, in our Shooters’ Forum. READ this FORUM Thread. There are strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Many people see the potential and favor the idea because it would encourage new shooters and keep things affordable. With one gun certified for multiple distances, shooters could get more “bang for their buck.” Many readers from overseas liked the idea of a gun costing under $1500.00 complete (less scope), that would be universally approved for matches at any distance–yards or meters, 100-1000.

Other folks think “NASCAR for Benchrest” is a bad concept. They remark that we already have enough classes in the shooting sports, and that one-design shooting is already offered in Service Rifle and Garand Matches. Some readers feel that Americans are too enamored with customization–nobody wants a rifle that is exactly like the one on the next bench. Many active short-range BR shooters were concerned that adopting a new class would “pollute their matches” with unskilled shooters and lessen the glory associated with garnering Hall of Fame points.

CLICK GRAPHIC to view actual poll:

What are YOUR views on the subject?
You can let us know two ways.

First, go to the home page, and vote on our current Readers’ Poll. (Right now the voting is pretty even–58% support the one-design concept, while 42% are opposed.) Second, you can post a comment on the subject by clicking on “Comments”, right below this paragraph.