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August 31st, 2007
In cooperation with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and MyOutdoorTV.com, the popular television show ShootingUSA is offering streaming video of USAMU “Top Guns” in action. The video of Steel Challenge Winner Max Michel in our 8/21 Bulletin was extremely popular. If you thought that was good, check out the clip of his USAMU teammate, PFC K.C. Eusebio. When young K.C. is on his game, he may be the fastest semi-auto handgun shooter in the world. An amazing prodigy, K.C. won the 2003 Steel Challenge at age 15! And K.C. holds many speed records. This editor has seen him shoot, and he performs the cleanest target transitions I’ve ever seen — no wasted motion whatsoever.
CLICK HERE to Load Video. (Fast Connection Required)
In the lead video, K.C. explains how to divide multiple targets into zones (like pie slices) to speed up transitions and lessen the chances of a miss. “Sectioning your targets” is a technique that will benefit action rifle shooters, and 3-Gun competitors as well. By grouping your targets in zones, keeping 2 or 3 targets in the same aiming field, you minimize body and head movement, allowing you to sight and fire more quickly.
Editor’s Note: As someone who has produced a few shooting videos, I can tell you that ShootingUSA’s video of K.C. is particularly well done from a technical standpoint. At least 8 different camera angles are used, including shooter’s POV taken from a head-mounted camera. Sound editing is dead on–you hear the hits as they happen. The video is enhanced by clear computerized graphics and K.C.’s helpful commentary. In addition to this video, there are five other USAMU streaming videos covering pistol, rifle, and shotgun techniques.
Screen Captures from ShootingUSA Videos © 2007 ShootingUSA, used by permission.
August 27th, 2007
Larry Isenhour became the third man to go “sub-inch” at 600 yards in sanctioned competition, setting two new IBS Light Gun records in the process. Larry’s 0.943″ 50-3X group was an impressive accomplishment on the new, smaller target adopted this season. Fellow shooter Sam Hall reports: “Congratulations to Larry Isenhour. At Oak Ridge, TN this weekend (8/25/07), I got to witness Larry break the IBS 600-yard single target Light Gun group record with a 0.943″ inch group. All were in the 10 ring for a perfect 50 score — which will also be a new IBS 600-yard single target LG score record. That will be hard to beat! Conditions were not ‘perfect’ either. Switchy winds of 5-15 mph. There were several large groups shot over the day. It could not have happened to a more deserving fellow. Larry is a great guy and a great competitor.”
Here’s the target and the gun that shot it. Larry’s rifle (smithed by Mike Davis) features a Stolle Panda action, and 25.5″ Lilja 3-groove 8-twist barrel with 2500 rounds on it. The stock is a one-off custom built by Larry’s brother Robert. It’s walnut with a layer of Curly Maple in the middle. Note how the wood layers are stacked vertically rather than the more conventional horizontal lamination. The barrel is a bit on the short side because it started out as a .243 Ackley and then was re-chambered as a BRX (after 200 rounds), losing some length in the process. Larry believes that “You don’t need a super-long barrel. 25-26″ is plenty for the 600-yard game”. CLICK for LARGE PHOTO.
Larry was shooting a 6 BRX with 32.8gr of Varget powder, along with the Lot 559 Berger 105gr VLD bullets. NOTE: Lot 559 included the first 105s produced with Berger’s new die, and some shooters were concerned that the bullet diameters were smaller than previous 105s. Addressing those concerns, Berger polished the die, with the result that current 105 VLDs are very slightly larger in diameter than lot 559 bullets. Just shows you that maybe the new die VLDs were pretty good right from the start. Larry told us that “The lot 559 105s have shot like lasers through this barrel.”
Larry shoots a mild load, running about 2910 fps, with a .272″ no-turn neck. The record-setting brass was two and a half years old and had been reloaded 15-18 times without annealing. He neck-sizes first then resizes the whole body with a .308 die (this is longer than a 6BR body die so it sizes the longer BRX case from top to bottom). Larry’s shooting style is “modified free recoil”. He places his thumb behind the tang and one finger on the pistol grip very lightly, “just to index the trigger consistently”, according to Larry. He’ll let the stock touch his shoulder lightly. He shoots as fast as reasonably possible under the conditions. “Once I’ve got the gun indexed and the point of aim set right, I’ll touch her off–I don’t wait around”, Larry observed.
Editor’s Note: Larry is definitely a deserving record-holder. He truly is one of the “founding fathers” of this web site. Way back in May/June of 2004, before we even launched 6mmBR.com, Larry provided a ton of information that eventually went into our initial FAQ and competition pages. We want to thank Larry for all his assistance.
August 27th, 2007
 On its website, the Great Britain Palma Team is offering daily updates from the World Long-Range Championships at the Connaught Ranges in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. On the team’s Home Page, you’ll find a full score-sheet and day-by-day reports of conditions and match results. The team has also posted a nice gallery from Connaught. CLICK HERE to view the latest images from the event.
 The World Championship kicked off immediately after the Canadian Championship wrapped up on the 25th. In Significant results from the Canadian Championship, Team Great Britain won the Canada Match with a record score of 1199.183, and also eged Team USA to win the Commonwealth Match by 4 points from the USA. Brit Toby Raincock (photo right) won the Grand Aggregate by 3 points. And American Thomas Whitaker (below) won the Governor’s Cup with a 297-31X.
Photos © Great Britain Palma Team, All Rights Reserved
August 26th, 2007
Though he is busy shooting with the U.S. Palma Team in Canada this week, recently crowned NRA Long-Range Champion John Whidden emailed us this exclusive commentary on his recent achievements. We asked John about the stresses and mental challenges involved in a big match such as the National LR Championship. We also requested details about the rifles John shot at Camp Perry. Read John’s comments below.
Winning Camp Perry and the Mental Game
Winning the National Championship is a long time goal realized. For me, being the National Champion was the single biggest shooting goal I had. I’m not sure exactly what will be my next shooting goal yet.
If I had to summarize the mental game at this level of competition in one word, I would probably choose the word “Confidence”. You have to have the highest level of confidence in your skills, your rifle, and your ammo. There can’t be even a shadow of a doubt that all of your equipment is the best there is. No detail can be left undone.
Confidence is a far reaching idea. It includes little things like making sure you have all of your equipment with you through the use of a checklist. Anything you can do to give yourself a higher level of confidence is worth doing.
Long-Range Hardware
In NRA Long Range, we shoot “Any Sight Rifles” and Palma rifles. The Palma rifles have to be .308s and they have to use Iron sights. The Any Rifles are used at different times with iron sights or scopes. They are also fairly unrestricted, as long as they are safe, .35 cal or under, and have no muzzle brake.
For the Any Rifle matches, I shot rifles chambered in .243 Win. My iron sight gun is a Winchester M70 action, Broughton 1-8 twist 5C barrel, Anschutz trigger, Robertson Original stock, and Warner rear sight. My scope gun is a Stolle Panda action with an Anschutz trigger, Broughton 1-8 twist 5C barrel, Roberston Composites Original stock, and a Nightforce 8-32x BR scope. All of my rifles are proud products of the Whidden Gunworks custom shop. I shoot the same load in each: Berger moly coated 105 grain VLDs, Vihtavuori N160, Lapua brass, and PMC (Russian) primers.
My Palma rifle is the same one I used to win the Palma Team Tryouts back in 2005 (Gun of the Week #59). It’s much like the aforementioned sight gun, except that the barrel is a Broughton 10-twist 5C. I shot the Berger 185 grain VLDs using Varget for powder, Lapua brass, and PMC (Russian) primers. The barrel is getting a little long in the tooth and I plan to replace it this winter.
The accuracy of these guns is simply amazing. The benchrest shooters pioneered this kind of technology, but their accuracy isn’t as far ahead of the rest of us as they think.
August 25th, 2007
From August 26 through September 2, the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA) will host the World Long-Range Championship at the Connaught Ranges near Ottawa, Ontario. This follows immediately after the 2007 Canadian Fullbore Rifle Championship which concludes August 25th.
World Long-Range Championship General Information
Long-Range Championship Event Schedule (.pdf file)
World Championship Daily Schedule (Course of Fire)
The World Long Range Championship is a quadrennial event. It commences on August 26th with The World Teams Championships for Veterans, Under 25 and Under 21 Int’l Teams. This is followed by the Individual Long Range Championship events (27th through 30th). The Team World Championship, also known as the Palma Trophy Match, runs from August 31st through September 2nd. Countries that have competed include the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Argentina, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Natal and Rhodesia.
In Team competition, the United States has won 13 of the 27 Palma competitions that have been conducted since the championship started in 1876. There are 17 firing members (16 plus one alternate) and five coaches (four plus one alternate) on the U.S. Palma Team (below). The selection process required each shooter to fire four 15-shot, 1,000-yard matches a day for four days.
The Palma Trophy Match is shot in three stages of slow fire in the prone position using an iron-sight .308-caliber rifle with a 155-grain bullet. Competitors aim for targets that have a 20-inch bull’s eye at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards away.
Connaught is located on the Ottawa River approximately 20 minutes west of Parliament Hill on the municipal boundary separating the cities of Nepean and Kanata. Connaught has been the site of military training and research for over 75 years. The DND property covers 2,600 acres (1,058 hectares) with a waterfront of approx five kilometres. It has been a crown game sanctuary since 1929.
August 24th, 2007
The 2007 IBS Score Nationals last weekend (August 18-19), in Canastota, NY, was a hard-fought battle that went down to the wire. Bradley Niese won the Varmint for Score Grand Aggregate, with a 500-32X combined score, just one “X” ahead of Danny Hensley (500-31X) and Dave Short (500-31X). Bradley was shooting a 30BR with a BAT Action, Bartlein barrel, smithed by Dwight Scott and stocked by Scoville. His winning load consisted of BIB 118gr bullets, pushed by 34.5 grains of H4198 powder and Fed 205m primers.
A very skilled and competitive field of shooters–with superbly accurate rifles–graced the firing line at Canastota. The first 13 finishers in Grand Agg rankings all had perfect 500 scores. In the 100-yard Varmint for Score Match, Ken Alfredo, Ken Wood, and Ricky Read tied at 250-21X (ranking third through fifth), and the next five shooters had identical 250-20X scores. That’s tight competition.
Al Kogoy Sr. dominated the Varmint Hunter class, winning both the 100-yard match (250-19X) and 200-yard match (248-4X). Al’s 30BR was smithed by B. Green, and featured a BAT action and Hart barrel. Gary Long was “top dog” in Hunter class, winning the 100-yard stage (250-16X) and finishing second at 200 (248-4X), just behind Frank McKee (249-3X). Gary was shooting the 30 Aardvark wildcat with Euber 112s and Vihtavuori N130. Gary smithed his own rifle which had a Hart action and Krieger barrel. For complete match results and competitors’ equipment lists, go to the IBS website, and click on “Match Results” in the left navigation column.
August 22nd, 2007
 The final results of the NRA Rifle and Pistol National Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio are now available online at the NRA Website. As reported earlier in our Daily Bulletin, John Whidden of Nashville, GA, won his first NRA High Power Long Range National Championship with a score of 1241-68X out of a possible 1250-125X, edging defending LR champion Kent Reeve by 5 points and 3 Xs. The competition, held August 11 – 14, marked the conclusion of the Camp Perry’s Centennial (100th anniversary) National Match program.
Whidden overcame a one-point deficit heading into the final day of competition, winning the Palma Individual Trophy Match with a score of 446-25X to claim the overall title. Reeve finished second overall with a score of 1236-65X, and SFC Lance Hopper of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) finished third with a score of 1233-64X.
Shooting in the second of four relays from the 1,000-yard line in the Palma Match, Whidden was unsure if his score would hold up for the win, especially with SPC Tyrel Cooper of the USAMU, the tournament leader at the time, and Reeve yet to shoot.
“I really didn’t know if my score would hold up because I know those guys can score well at any time,” Whidden said. “I had a real good 1000-yard string, but I just didn’t know if that was good enough to win.” Swirling wind conditions made shooting a high score in the Palma Match extremely difficult, resulting in Cooper firing a 435-21X and Reeve a 442-23X. “We had a fishtailing wind from behind and it was easy to get caught up in big changes,” said Whidden. “I just tried to shoot safe shots. There were lots of opportunities for danger.”
“I knew it’s a long race and at a lot of points the lead would change hands,” added Whidden, who lurked near the top of the leader board throughout until grabbing the lead at the end. “But I knew it’d be decided at today’s 1,000-yard line.”
Joe Sopko of Macungie, Pa., shot a score of 1190-29X to win the High Service Rifle title. Nancy Tompkins of Prescott, Ariz., posted a score of 1226-65X to win the Women’s National Championship. The High Junior was Nick Mowrer of Ramsay, Mont., who posted a score of 1193-34X. The High Senior was Jon Rhynard of Haughton, La. Haughton fired a score of 1232-51X. Samuel Garee of Canton, Ohio, was named High Grand Senior with a score of 1211-48X.
In addition, the open-sight Leech Cup and the any-sight Wimbledon Cup, two of the oldest trophies awarded at the National Matches, were won by Cooper and fellow USAMU shooter SGT Brandon Green, respectively, during Long Range competition. The USAMU also swept the team matches fired at the event, winning both the Roumanian and Herrick Trophies. Approximately 350 competitors competed in the Long Range matches, shooting at distances ranging from 800 to 1,000 yards.
For more info about the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Championships at Camp Perry and other competitive shooting events or programs, contact the NRA Competitive Shooting Division. An article covering the history of the Camp Perry matches, written by Philip Schreier, Senior Curator, National Firearms Museum, is on the NRA’s National Rifleman website. Click the graphic below to read the article.
August 21st, 2007
 Every year, many of the world’s top speed-shooters flock to the Int’l Shootists Institute in Piru, California to compete for top honors in the Steel Challenge, one of the world’s most competitive action shooting events. Don’t be fooled by the bucolic setting on private ranchland — when the Steel Challenge rolls into town, Piru becomes the center of the action shooting world. With events for Centerfire Pistol, Rimfire Rifle and Pistol, Shotgun, and Cowboy Lever Gun, the Steel Challenge boasts 150+ sponsors and over $370,000 worth of prizes and gun give-aways.
For the past three years, SigArms and the Outdoor Channel have offered a $30,000 prize for the first pistol shooter to break 80 seconds in the new, 8-stage pistol course of fire. The stages bear colorful (and somewhat intimidating) names: Showdown, Smoke & Hope, Outer Limits, Speed Option, The Pendulum, 5 To Go , Roundabout, and Accelerator.
At this year’s Challenge (held August 16-19th) three shooters broke the 80-second mark: Max Michel Jr., B.J. Norris and K.C. Eusebio. 2005 Steel Challenge winner Michel of the USAMU was the first to accomplish the feat. Max was immediately followed by his Army Marksmanship Unit teammate, K.C. Eusebio, winner of the 2003 Steel Challenge. Eighteen-year-old B.J. Norris from Texas finished third. As the fastest man of the three and the first to break the record, Max Michel earned the $30,000 check, and the title of the Fastest Shooter in the World.
A rising star in the shooting world, Max Michel Jr. is a 4-time winner of the USPSA Open Nationals, including the 2007 USPSA Championship. At 15, he was the youngest Grand Master (GM) in the history of USPSA shooting. Below is a YouTube clip of Max setting a record at the USPSA Nationals:
The 2007 Steel Challenge will be featured later this season on the Outdoor Channel TV show Shooting Gallery with Michael Bane. As a preview, here is a Steel Challenge VIDEO CLIP with action footage from previous years’ matches. The Shooting Gallery airs Wednesdays at 4:30 and 8:30 PM EST, plus Thursday at 12:30 AM EST.
August 20th, 2007
Zak Smith and other 6.5×47 shooters are starting to turn heads in tactical competition. The compact new round is proving itself capable of finishing at the top of the podium. Zak Smith has been working with our 6.5×47 Lapua project rifle. This features an Accuracy Int’l action and chassis, and a Satern 25.3″ barrel. The gun has performed well with 139, 130, and 123 grain bullets. In recent matches, Zak has been shooting 123gr Lapua Scenar bullets at 2930 fps with RL15 powder and CCI BR4s. Accuracy is well under half-moa, and Zack said “the gun has performed flawlessly with this load.”
Zak Smith took top honors at the CMG Camp Guernsey Invitational Multi-Gun Match shooting his 6.5×47 Lapua (with 123gr Scenars) in the rifle segment of the 3-gun match. This was a rifle, carbine, and pistol event with rifle targets out to 700 and carbine targets out to about 330 yards. Thirty-eight shooters competed through seven stages over two days. With his 6.5×47, Zak completely dominated the rifle field on one of the hardest sniper stages, beating the next closest shooter by 35%. Zak reports: “On the other hard sniper stage, Henning Walgren and I were within 2% (he was ahead), but the rest were at least 10% down. My overall margin was 56 match points ahead of 2nd place over the 7 stages.”
LINK TO: Full Story on the Multi-Gun Match
Zak reports: “I shot the 6.5×47 at the regular monthly Sporting Rifle Match on August 5th in Raton, NM, on August 5th. After the main match, two 6.5×47 Lapua shooters, John Sternberg (photo below) and myself, were tied for second. John edged me in the shootoff, so I ended up 3rd overall. FYI, John was using the 130 Cauterucio bullets, driving them about 2970 fps with Reloader 15.” This shows that one can definitely achieve 260 Rem class ballistics with the smaller 6.5×47 cartridge. The winner of the match was running a 260 Rem, and just edged Zack and the other 6.5×47 shooter by three points on the end of the main match.
August 14th, 2007
Major Benchrest and long-range rifle matches are slated for the next few weeks around the country. Our top shooters will be busy. Here are some of the most important events set for the next month:
IBS Score Nationals: August 18 – 19
Canastota Conservation Club, Warners Road, Canastota, New York. Pre-Register by contacting Ward Tarasek, (315) 348 4366, P.O. Box 152, Turin, NY 13473. Info/Registration form.
World Benchrest Championships: August 26 – Sept. 1
The 9th World Benchrest Championships (WBC9) will be held in Austria, at the benchrest range in Hölles, about 20km (13 miles) south of Vienna.
 Top shooters from around the world (as far as Japan and South Africa) will compete. Official Training sessions commence on the 26th, and matches begin on the 28th. CLICK HERE for range photos and lodging info. You can also download a List of Competitors.
IBS 1000-Yard Nationals: September 1 – 2
Virginia 1000 Yard Club, Quantico, Virginia. Utilizing Range #4 U.S.M.C. Base, Quantico Virginia. Take Exit #148 from Interstate 95. Registration Form.
IBS 600 Yard Nationals: September 6 – 8
Co-sponsored by the Varmint Hunters Association. Hosted at the VHA Range, 28050 US Hwy 14/34, 6 Miles west of Ft. Pierre, South Dakota. Match Information Page | Map.
NRA Nat’l Fullbore Rifle Champs (SOA): Sept. 9 – 12
NRA Nat’l F-Class Championship: September 13 – 15
Events hosted at the NRA Whittington Center, Raton, New Mexico. The Spirit of America Fullbore event will be followed immediately by the U.S. F-Class Championship. For more info on both championship matches at Raton, contact Al Coots, P.O. Box 52024, Mesa, AZ 85208. Here are links for Whittington Range Information and Housing and Camping.
NBRSA Group Benchrest Nationals: September 17-22
Major event for LV, HV and Sporter Class Rifles. The NBRSA Nationals will be hosted at the Kelbly Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. Map to Range.
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