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May 22nd, 2007
 The 29th NRA National Action Pistol Championship/Bianchi Cup will take place May 23-26, near Columbia, Missouri. Even if you’re not a pistol shooter, you would enjoy watching–this is the “Formula 1″ of action hand-gun shooting, with major prize money and exotic, custom pistols and revolvers. The prestigious Bianchi Cup draws competitors from around the globe–Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway and United States.
The Course of Fire consists of four separate matches: Practical Event (timed shooting from 10 yards to 50 yards); Barricade Event (timed shooting from “cover”); Falling Plate Event (timed fire at banks of six, 8″ plates); and the Moving Target Event (target travels and is exposed for just 6 seconds). Click HERE for more information. The Match is hosted at the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club’s Chapman Academy Range, in Hallsville, MO, (573) 696-5544. Click HERE for complete 69-page, Bianchi Cup Program Guide.
May 21st, 2007
Featured Contributor Larry Medler has created nice plotting sheets for both standard and F-Class targets. Larry notes: “Here is the sheet I use to plot my shots at 600 yards. The sheet is printed on 8.5 x 11 inch paper (landscape orientation) which makes it larger than most plotting sheets. However, it is easier to use. I also graph my results later (after shooting) just to review the day and better understand how well or not so well things went. The sheet is made using Excel. I also print my sheets on 28 lb. paper using a laser printer. Laser-printed sheets are more water-proof than inkjet-printed sheets. I added the F-Class sized target plot for 300, 500, 600, and 1000 Yards to the Excel Workbook.” Click HERE to visit Larry’s web page where you can download either sheet as an MS Excel file.
May 20th, 2007
 Dealing with the wind is probably the biggest challenge in shooting. “Anyone who has ever fired a shot outdoors realizes, sooner or later, that doping the wind tends quickly to separate the winners form the ‘also-rans’. From benchrest competition to long-range prarie dog blasting, understanding the way the wind affects the shooter, the target and the bullet is vital if one wishes to hit the target.” (Phil Johnston, GunWeek.) Many of our readers have asked, “What’s a good book or video on reading the wind?”
You’ll find some great material in Nancy Tompkins recent book, Prone and Long-Range Rifle Shooting, and Mike Ratigan offers excellent wind-reading advice for 100/200 yard BR in his new Extreme Rifle Accuracy book. But for those seeking a single, dedicated resource on wind reading, we recommend Winning in the Wind, an interactive DVD by Lanny Bassham and Lones Wigger, both World shooting champions. Winning in the Wind covers mirage and the strategies for shooting in different wind conditions. The DVD has over 100 digital graphics, photos, and ilustrations, plus a complete interactive shot chart showing wind effects. The DVD also offers helpful hints for staying positive and mentally focused when dealing with fickle and erratic winds. This CD-Rom is available for $35.00 from Champion’s Choice, or directly from the Lanny Basham website, MentalManagement.com.
May 17th, 2007
The Firearm Industry Super Shoot (FISS), the largest short-range benchrest match in North America, runs May 23-26, 2007 at the Kelbly range in Ohio. The Super Shoot attracts 320 or more shooters every year. For more information, go to www.benchrest.com/fiss/index.shtml, or click the links below. The competition is limited to 420 shooters. But it’s not too late to register. The Kelblys tell us “there are still places available if you get your registration in soon.” Note: after May 10, 2007, registration fees are $110.00 per gun. No exceptions.
Location:
7222 Dalton Fox Lake Road
North Lawrence, OH 44666
Phone: (330) 683-4674
Registration Form (.pdf file)
Registration Form (MS Word doc)
General Information
Map to Range
May 12th, 2007
New Englanders, head up to Woodcock, MA for some fun shooting on May 27th. Roy Bertalotto tells us: “Get them varmint and target rifles out and join us to scramble some eggs at 100, 200 and 300 yds. Savage Arms has donated a 50% off gift certificate for the winner of the 200-yard factory rifle class. Lots of other door prizes to be given away. There are even rimfire class for the youngsters. The range is located in Southeastern Massachusetts, 30 minutes from Cape Cod. One hour south of Boston. Bring the “other half”! A number of women shoot in this event. And there is great outlet shopping within 10-15 minutes plus a Whaling Museum. Click HERE for directions to the Woodcock range.
Want more info?
— Here Roy explains “What the heck is an Egg Shoot“.
— Find your questions answered on the Egg Shoot Q & A Page.
Roy reports: “Rebarreled, custom varmint rifles are quite popular now. But any Savage or Remington 700 / 40X with a fine tuned handload can hold it’s own. Remember, factory barrels shoot against factory barrels, aftermarket barrels against aftermarket barrels. Here are some hints–Bring two guns, or only shoot at one distance. If you shoot 200 yards and tie but then resight your gun for 300 yards you will need to resight for 200 to compete in the sudden death. I’ve seen guys really blow it messing around with those scope turrets.”
May 8th, 2007
Jason Baney, our 1000-yard Editor, offers this report of the first 1000-yard match of the season at the Williamsport Club: “The weather for Williamsport Match 1 this past weekend was gorgeous, but mirage and wind remained to make it tough. From the very beginning mirage was horrendous! Even at 20x magnification it was hard to deal with, and at 42x it looked like we were shooting through water–the target danced around constantly. Wind was fairly light to start, but was increasing from the start. In the group shootoff on Saturday, shooting a borrowed 300WSM with 210 Bergers, I needed a solid 7 MOA to get in the middle of the target. Sunday was even worse with some of the worst results in the club’s 40 year history. Lots of people are already out of the Heavy Gun 10-Match Aggregate unfortunately.” For more info about the Williamsport Club, and for complete match results, log on to www.PA1000yard.com.
John Buhay won the Light Gun shoot-off with his 6mm Dasher. Shooting his 6BR, Jason had small group of the day at 5.851″ (for ten shots), and Diane Hoover had High Score at 97, shooting a 6.5-284. Below is Jason’s excellent target:
May 3rd, 2007
 April 28 was a day for the record-books at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. Multiple new NRA records were set at the Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club Registered 500-yard prone match (pending NRA certification).
Berger Bullets’ Michelle Gallagher topped the field with a 200-17X in Stage 1, shooting a .308 Win. That mark sets three new records–Open, Civilian, and Women. Not far behind was Middleton Tompkins with a 199-12x, a new Grand Senior mark for shooters 70 years and older. (Mid reportedly was shooting the new 6.5×47 Lapua). Young Nate Silverman steered his .223 Remington to a 191-4X, which is a new NRA Junior class record.
German Salazar reports: “We had very hot and windy conditions on the 28th at Ben Avery for the 500-Yard Prone match. Temperature into the 90s and wind speed of 20 mph with some gusts above that. The wind was often from 6 o’clock and fishtailing fast, but you could keep up with it with some attention to detail.” Given those challenging conditions, the setting of new records is even more impressive. Congratulations to Michelle, Middleton, and Nate for their impressive performances in the desert heat.
May 2nd, 2007
 The Eastern CMP Games begin with a clinic on Saturday, 5 May, followed by two days of Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Rifle Matches and conclude with an “as-issued” M1 Garand EIC Match on 8 May. The Creedmoor Cup Matches, for Service Rifle and Match Rifle classes, begin on Wednesday, 9 May, with an advanced training clinic. This free shooting clinic will be conducted by members of the U. S. Army Service Rifle Team and former Camp Perry Winner Dennis DeMille from Creedmoor Sports. The clinic features lecture, demonstration and dry-fire activities with lots of hands-on coaching. The Creedmoor Cup Matches include a Practice Match, a Long Range Match, the 80-shot Creedmoor Cup Match, and a team match.
Both the CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup events feature hospitality events and prize awards. A New Bushmaster DCM-XR Competition Rifle will be awarded to both the High Senior Shooter and the High Junior. Black Hills will award 1000 rounds of .223 to the High Junior, and 500 rounds of .308 to the High .308 shooter. The Creedmoor Match Overall winner receives a $1,955 Kowa TSM 881 spotting scope, and $4,000 worth of other Kowa optics will be awarded as door prizes.
Click this LINK for complete information on the Eastern CMP Games and Creedmore Cup, with rules, event schedule, contact info, and Online Match registration. Click HERE for a map of the Camp Butner area in Stem, NC 27581. A limited number of bunks in the barracks and tent space are available at Camp Butner. Contact Mike Halsey at nowind0@triad.rr.com for more info and to make lodging reservations. Competitors who plan to stay overnight near Camp Butner should stay in the Butner or Raleigh, NC areas.
May 2nd, 2007
At my club’s recent 7-gun shoot (see report below), this editor had a chance to try out a high-end Air Rifle shooting .177 Pellets. I came away very impressed. Dead-quiet and very accurate, a match-grade air rifle allows one to train in the backyard, or even indoors with a bullet trap. If you’re looking for a great deal on a premium-grade air rifle, the Civilian Marksmanship Program offers the Anschütz Model 8002. This is a full-size club rifle fitted with the superb, fully-adjustable Anschütz 9003 trigger and Anschütz 6834 sight set. The ambidextrous stock (for both right- and left-handed shooters), boasts an adjustable cheekpiece and butt-plate. The CMP logo is engraved on the right side of each stock. The rifle is supplied with normal accessories including air cylinder, additional carrier bolts (longer), refill adapter, 5 Allen wrenches, extra set of O-rings, barrel weight, instruction booklet, and original test group. The large compressed-air cylinder allows 300 shots of .177 pellets per charge.
If you are looking for a high-quality, ultra-quiet short-range training rifle, the $1195.00 CMP model 8002 is hard to beat. You should easily pay nearly as much just for equivalent sights, trigger and stock. Sales are available to CMP clubs and individuals who belong to CMP clubs (must provide membership card or have card on file). If you don’t have your CMP card yet, it is relatively easy to qualify by shooting a match at a CMP-affiliated club.
RESOURCES:
Air Gun Shooting — A Primer, from AirGun Express
Air Rifle Basics and Competition, from NRAHQ.org
Official 10 meter Air Rifle Targets, from Pistoleer.com
April 27th, 2007
Californian Joe Friedrich recently shot a perfect 2500 score on the ARA rimfire target. We are working on a feature story about Joe, who is the ARA 2006 Aggregate Overall Champion. If you’ve never seen how a tuned, 17-lb “full-race” custom 22LR rifle performs on a one-piece rest, check out this Shooting Video. (Right click and “save as” to download, or left click if you have the Windows Media Player plug-in.) Note that the gun only recoils about half an inch. You may have to watch very carefully to see the gun move at all. If you look at the back of the action, however, you can see the rear of the bolt snap forward as Joe pulls the trigger, set at about two ounces. When conditions are good, and the barrel is warmed up, Joe can shoot one-ragged-hole 5-shot groups with this gun at 50 yards. Joe uses red box Eley EPS Ultimate ammo in his Bill Myers-built rifle. The rest is a Miller Uni-Rest with a Fudd sand-bag top.
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