Hail to the Queen — the new Queen of 2 Miles, Lindsey Paul. This lady can shoot! The talented Texan beat a large field of top competitors, including many past KO2M Champions, all guys. We congratulate Lindsey on her outstanding performance, including 3 hits in 5 shots at the max distance, 2.0 miles (3520 yards). No other competitor had more than one hit at 3520 yards, and only four other finalists even had one hit at that distance. Lindsey was shooting an Alamo Precision Rifles .375 CheyTac rig loaded with Cutting Edge 400gr solid bullets in Peterson brass.
Here Lindsey shoots her KO2M-winning .375 CheyTac rifle. You can see it packs a punch even with that big muzzle brake. One side-note — this talented lady won the title with a borrowed bipod! Lindsey told us: “Unfortunately, for this video, I don’t have the Accu-Tac bipod I used in the match because it was borrowed. I’ve got one coming from them, but it hasn’t arrived yet.”
Winning the 2021 King of 2 Miles — My Success Story
Report by Lindsey Paul, 2021 KO2M Champion
Winning the K02M title was big surprise for me. I didn’t go into this match with much confidence. My barrel has been acting strangely, for example, after the last match I cleaned it and once I fouled it back in the barrel seemed to have suddenly lost speed. It went from 2985 fps to around 2955 fps. Unfortunately this is my first ELR gun and I didn’t know how important it was to keep up with my round count. I have no idea when this barrel will die but I’d been thinking for the past couple of months that it would be any day now. So, I panicked, added some powder to get back in the middle of where I’ve determined my node to be, adjusted my seating depth a bit and got it shooting at a moderately good level.
Day One went very well. I was hoping to finish the match in the top third, that was my goal. I wasn’t really even nervous about shooting, I was more apprehensive about spotting for my team-mate, Robert Waggoner. I hit the Cold Bore target at 1572 yards and I had a great run from there on out. I was a little bummed that I didn’t get just one more hit but I was still in 4th place at day’s end.
Day Two was nerve-racking. I had to spot for Robert and spotting has been something I have historically struggled with. I’ve spent a LOT of time on the spotter this year, working to improve my skills and become proficient at making quick, accurate calls on misses. Robert cleaned Target 1 and I thought we were going to have a great run. For some reason Target 2 really got the best of him but he finally had an impact and we moved to Target 3. This might be the thing I’m most proud of at the whole match. He missed, about six plates high, and I saw it and gave him a good call. It was then that he realized he hadn’t written down his dope for Target 3 and was using the dope for Target 4! He got right back on target and had a first round impact on Target 4. We will be checking each other’s dope from now on, lesson learned!
Securing Victory with Three Consecutive Hits at 2 Miles
I went into the finals in 9th place, almost 18,000 points behind the leader, Ryan Cheney. My goal was to finish in the Top Ten. Ryan had a solid final round with one impact on the 2-mile target. At that point few believed his score was catchable. I shot 12th in the order and I was concerned about conditions but they turned out to be great. Target 2 finally started to creep out of the shadows and the wind was not doing its normal, switchy stuff. Robert did an absolutely perfect job as my spotter (see photo above). I couldn’t ask for a better set of eyes for spotting misses and calling wind. I had three consecutive impacts on the Two Mile Target to earn enough points to overtake Ryan, and finish with the high point total for the match.
Editor: Lindsey came through spectacularly at the final 3520-yard distance. One observer noted: “Ryan had it in the bag before Lindsay got hot — three out of five at 3520 yards is HOT!”
Here are Results from the K02M Finals held Wednesday, 9/29/2021:
The rifle was built by Alamo Precision Rifles in North Richland Hills, Texas. Lindsey’s spotter, Robert Waggoner, is one of the owners. NOTE: The photo above shows the Nightforce Wedge Prism in place. This prism was used only for the two most distant Finals targets, at 3166 and 3520 yards.
Mirage Extended Picatinny Rail
Nightforce ATACR 7-36x56mm scope
Nightforce Wedge Prism
Spuhr Scope Mount
Accu-Tac HD-50 Bipod
Armageddon Gear Game Changer rear bag
Personal Drag Model is Important in ELR Game
I must mention the importance of getting a PDM (Personal Drag Model) from Applied Ballistics. They are generous enough to travel the country with their mobile lab and provide PDMs at no cost. Take advantage of this! It’s not completely plug and play, I had to true my velocity but once I did some testing and adjusting the PDM was within half-MOA of accuracy all the way out to the 3520 yard target.
Loading for the Jumbo .375 CheyTac Cartridge — You Need Quality Dies and Components
The loading process is the same with the big caliber as anything else. The trick is having quality components and dies. The Cutting Edge Lazers have proven themselves over and over. They are very consistent. The biggest challenge we’ve found with these big cartridges is finding a load that is both accurate and has good ES/SD numbers. It seems like when it shoots a single hole the SD is over 10 FPS and when the SD is great, it shoots an unacceptable sized group.
Q & A with Queen of 2 Miles Lindsey Paul
Q: How satisfying was it to win the match, don the KO2M crown, and be carried in the champion’s chair?
Lindsey: I try really hard to stay grounded and humble. That said, we put everything aside and worked really hard to focus on ELR this year. This win is very satisfying because all the hard work paid off. I’m also very happy I’ve improved as a spotter. Nobody wants to be the weak half of a team.
Q: What are your training methods for Extreme Long Range?
Lindsey: We don’t often have access to long ranges to train. We had a 2000-yard range near us shut down this year so that was devastating. We did have a training day to confirm dope about two weeks before the match and I’m glad we did. I had an impact at 2 miles that day so that helped my confidence.
Q: Do you employ any special “mental prep” before shooting?
Lindsey: I did something different before the final round of KO2M that seemed to help. I sat in the truck, listened to the Rocky theme song and visualized my entire string of shots with transitions and every shot making an impact. This was something my track coach did with us in high school and I felt kind of goofy but think it helped.
Q: How has being in law enforcement made you a better shooter/competitor?
Lindsey: Yes, I think I find it easy to stay calm under pressure. I still have the ability to get rattled when things aren’t going well but for the most part, I stay focused. [Editor: Lindsey is a law enforcement officer in Texas who has worked regular duties as well as mounted (horseback) patrols.]
Q: What tips do you have for other shooters in the ELR game?
Lindsey: Stop chasing speed! These big guns hide pressure very well and you don’t need to be running on the ragged edge of pressure to get results. We learned that the easy way by ruining brass. I fear someone is going to learn it the hard, catastrophic way.
Q: What specific advice do you have for ladies who want to get involved in ELR?
Lindsey: Get a nice .22 LR (such as a Bergara) and stretch that out to 300-400 yards. It’s a great training tool to learn to make wind calls and you can see if you enjoy shooting prone at far targets without such a huge financial investment. Additionally, all you have to do is find the particular lot of factory rimfire ammo that your gun shoots well. That way you can wait to go down the “rabbit hole” that is reloading.
How Lindsey Paul Became a Champion — Talent and Dedication
Lindsey holding K02M trophy, with her Alamo Precision Rifles K02M team-mates.
I got involved with the shooting sports as a kid. My dad was a Sheriff’s Deputy so he taught me to shoot at a young age. I grew up shooting handguns a bit. My true passion is hunting so I decided to start shooting competitively to improve my rifle skills and make me a better hunter. We also shoot some .22 LR matches, a local 500-yard prone centerfire match, and I hope to make it to a few NRL Hunter matches next year. The Nightforce Steel Challenge is definitely on the calendar as well.
I initially built my ELR gun hoping to take it out to a big ranch and shoot rocks on cliff faces but after I competed with it once I was hooked. I think my police training helps me to remain calm. I’ve faced enough real-life chaos and serious situations that it’s easy for me to remember that a match is just a competition and if I have a bad day there will be another match to redeem myself.
This has been a wild year for me. We started at Clark’s Knob match and found our equipment had some flaws at the extreme distances. We regrouped, made some changes and things improved. I broke the FCSA Cold Bore world record with three consecutive shots at 2464 yards at the Spring Canyon match in August 2021 and I’ve had some solid finishes at the matches we’ve attended.
Lindsey Set a FCSA Cold Bore World Record in August 2021
Lindsey is definitely a top talent in the ELR game. Back in August 2021 she set a new FCSA Cold Bore World record at 1.5 miles (2464 yards).
If I were to start over I wouldn’t change much other than investing in a better-quality scope sooner. I am stubborn and I used an Athlon Ares ETR scope for the first couple of years, insisting that it was fine because it fit in my budget. Robert convinced me to borrow a Nightforce ATACR before the Spring Canyon match and I broke the world record so clearly the higher-quality scope with a more reliable erector system has made a difference. Lesson learned — don’t compromise on quality.
The Oklahoma CMP Games & CMP HP Rifle Matches will be held October 17-24, 2021 at the Oklahoma City Gun Club. The CMP Highpower Match schedule includes two CMP 800 Aggregate Matches followed by a 4-Man Team Match and EIC Service Rifle Match. Following the HP matches are the CMP Games events. The CMP Games Matches include Rifle Marksmanship 101 & M16 Match (formerly SAFS), GSMM Matches, Carbine Match, Rimfire Sporter Match, and Vintage Sniper Team Match. If you’re anywhere near Oklahoma City next week you might want to check out the action.
NOTE: The CMP’s Oklahoma Games are not just for seasoned competitors. There will be a Small Arms Firing School plus a New Shooter Clinic for those who have never shot a CMP Games match before. And the Rimfire Sporter match is popular with novice shooters, who can can compete with very affordable rifles.
Electronic Targets Allow Faster Relays and No Pit Duty!
The High Power range will be set up with Kongsberg Electronic Targets (KTS). The KTS system registers each shot and relays the location and score value to a monitor beside each shooter on the firing line. Wireless monitors are placed at each firing point so competitors can immediately view their shot placements. Scores are tallied automatically by the KTS system.
GSM New Shooter Clinic Plus M1 Maintenance Clinic
There will also be a GSM New Shooter Clinic and an M1 Maintenance Clinic held during the week. CMP Sales will be at the event with a limited supply of rifles. Ammunition and CMP memorabilia will also be available for purchase.
VINTAGE SNIPER MATCH — Wednesday, October 20th
The 2021 Oklahoma Games will include the popular Vintage Sniper Team Match. Competitors must use Korean War or earlier, as-issued military sniper rifles or replicas of those rifles. Optics must also be original issue or replica scopes from the same period. The CMP Games Rules lists the approved rifles and optics.
The course of fire is designed to reproduce the conditions under which skilled long-range military riflemen operated. Two riflemen work together as a team. During the match, each team member functions alternately as a shooter or a spotter. After one team member finishes firing, they switch roles and the other team member fires. Firing is done at distances of 300 and 600 yards from the prone position. Shooters may use either a sling or sand bag support, but not both. Wind doping is critical and firing must be done quickly; targets are exposed for each shot for only 20 seconds and then withdrawn for 20 seconds.
Pistol Competitions for Centerfire and Rimfire
There are also several pistol matches including CMP As-Issued 1911 Pistol Match, Military & Police Service Pistol Match, 40 Shot Pistol Match, EIC Service Pistol Match, CMP .22 Rimfire Pistol EIC Match and Pistol 2-Man Team Match. A Pistol Marksmanship 101 training class will also be held.
About the CMP Travel Games
The CMP Travel Games are regional competitions held in different corners of the country throughout the year, featuring exclusive CMP rifle and pistol outdoor events. A common part of the CMP schedule for the last decade, the Games are centered around recreation-oriented competition and educational activities that are designed to accommodate experienced marksmen as well as those just beginning the sport.
For more information about the Oklahoma CMP Games, email Competitions@TheCMP.org or call 888-267-0796, ext. 714.
Today Shooting USA TV features the 2021 Bianchi Cup, hosted May 24-28, 2021 at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club in Hallsville, Missouri (near Columbia). The 2020 Bianchi Cup was cancelled due to COVID. In 2021 the four stages of fire are back, but without international competitors, who were locked out due to pandemic travel restrictions. But there was still plenty of superb marksmanship.
This episode of Shooting USA airs Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific, 8:00 PM Central on the Outdoor Channel. Shooting USA is also available On Demand via Vimeo.com.
Officially, the annual competition is known as the National Championship of NRA Action Pistol. But its is generally called the Bianchi Cup — from the trophy named for one of the founders, John Bianchi. In the past 30 years the match has become the richest handgun tournament in the world, with cash and prizes for the best scores on four stages of fire.
The Bianchi Cup has been called the most prestigious pistol tournament in the world. After the cancellation of the 2020 Bianchi Cup due to COVID-19 restrictions, bringing the match back for 2021 involved challenges given health and safety protocols. In 2021 the NRA turned the organization and management of the match over to a new group from the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club. And the international competitors, who have previously made up much of field of competitors, are not able to shoot with the continuing travel restrictions for COVID-19.
Due to the high accuracy required in each stage of the Bianchi Cup, the tournament is considered one of the most difficult handgun championships on the planet. To finish on top, you have to be near-perfect. Ace shooter Carl Bernosky (shown above) explains: “To win a Bianchi Cup you’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to shoot good ALL the time… you can’t make any mistakes.”
Bianchi Cup — the Richest Handgun Match on the Planet
Over the past 30+ years the Bianchi Cup has become the richest handgun event in the world, with cash and prizes for the best scores on four stages of fire for both revolver and semi-auto pistol divisions.
Bianchi Cup — Classic Course of Fire
The Bianchi Cup is a combination of Speed and Accuracy. Competitors shoot from both standing and prone positions and are also required to shoot with both strong and weak hands at various stages. Stages may combine stationary and moving targets. As conceived by former police officer and holster-maker John Bianchi, the Bianchi Cup originated in 1979 as a Law Enforcement Training match. The Course of Fire consists of four separate matches:
The Bianchi Cup is scored on the Aggregate of the four (4) fired events: Practical, Barricade, and Moving Target, and Falling Plates. Each of the four events requires 48 shots to complete. 480 points possible on each event. Three of the four are scored on the NRA tombstone P1 target. You must hit in the 10-ring or inner X-Ring on EVERY shot to shoot a “clean” 1920.
Four Divisions in 2021 Bianchi Cup
There are now FOUR divisions at the Bianchi Cup, three traditional, and one new this year. First, the Open Division includes the guns specifically built for this competition with every enhancement possible to improve accuracy. Second, the Metallic Division includes purpose-built guns but without red dot optics, compensators and barrel shrouds. Third is the Production Division for minimally-enhanced factory guns, typically with polymer frames.
New for the 2021 Cup is the fourth category, the Production Optics Division. This includes minimally-enhanced production guns with a slide-mounted red dot optic. It was interesting to see the action with this new Production Optics class. Shown above are Glock and S&W production pistols fitted with Leupold’s new, low profile Delta-Point Red Dot Optic.
Hi-Lux Optics has created three videos of interest to across-the-course and service rifle competitors. The first video highlights the appeal of service rifle shooting, with comments from 2021 Camp Perry competitors. The second video offers five tips for new service rifle shooters. The third video focuses on the CMP matches at Camp Perry this past summer. If you have ever wanted to share the Camp Perry experience, this last video provides a great over-view of the event.
Four Reasons to Shoot Service Rifle
Service Rifle shooting is fun yet challenging. You need to develop skills with multiple positions and be able to make rapid wind calls. However, the modern AR-based service rifle is affordable and has relatively low recoil. Highly-customizable, modern service rifles can be fitted with adjustable stocks and optional magnified optics. Older military rifles, such as the M1A and M1 Garand, offer different challenges with heavier-recoiling cartridges, greater weights, and classic iron sights. Hi-Lux asked competitors at Camp Perry during CMP’s 2021 summer games what they enjoyed most about competition with service rifles and Military rifles such as the M1 Garand. The shooters’ responses had four key themes: Self-Improvement, Comradery, History (enjoying shooting rifles with heritage), and Challenge.
Five Tips for New Service Rifle Shooters
This summer at Camp Perry, Hi-Lux reporters asked competitors “What advice do you have for new shooters getting into service rifle?” The most common responses, explained below, were: Keep Learning, Don’t Quit, Stay Calm, Practice Fundamentals, and “Get Started!”. These tips will actually apply to a wide variety of shooting disciplines.
00:21 Keep Learning
Every shot you take is a learning experience. There are so many ways to learn — talk to fellow shooters, watch training videos, attend a training clinic such as those hosted at the CMP Regional Games. Don’t be afraid to ask, and never stop learning.
01:38 Don’t Quit
You may hit a performance plateau. Don’t let that stop you. The only way to get better is to continue moving forward. Persevere and continue your training off-season with dry-fire practice.
03:10 Stay Calm and Focused
Go into each shot with a clear and empty mind. While you’re up on the line, it’s just you and your rifle.
04:20 Practice Fundamentals
With the right mindset in place, practice will strengthen your fundamentals. Dry firing can reveal issues with follow-through and trigger pull that might not be noticeable under recoil. This is especially true with offhand shooting.
05:48 Get Started
You’re not too old to start a new discipline. There are many free clinics available, and many local ranges have regular service rifle competitions where you can hone your skills. Learn more about Service Rifle shooting clinics on the CMP website.
The 2021 National Matches at Camp Perry — Return of the Games
After cancellation in 2020 due to COVID, the CMP National Matches at Camp Perry returned in summer 2021 with a full selection of matches for pistol and rifle. This video showcases the unique experience that is Camp Perry — the leading venue for American marksmanship competition since 1907. The video covers different disciplines, including Service Rifle, M1 Garand matches, Vintage Sniper, and more.
History of Camp Perry
“In the year 1907 the machinery of the National Matches, now grown to immense proportions, was moved to the mammoth new range at Camp Perry.”
—James Drain, Arms and the Man, August 1911
Federal legislation originally launched the National Matches. The 1903 legislation also established the National Matches, commissioned the National Trophy and provided funding to support the Matches. The National Matches have been held at Camp Perry since 1907. The range is located along the shores of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. The site was first acquired in 1906, in response to the need for a larger facility for military training and the NRA’s shooting programs. In 1906 Gen. Ammon B. Crichfield, Adjutant General of Ohio, ordered construction of a new shooting facility on the shores of Lake Erie, 45 miles east of Toledo, Ohio. The original land for Camp Perry was purchased in 1906, and the reservation was named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the American naval commander who won the Battle of Put-in-Bay during the War of 1812.
On August 19, 1907, Cpl. L. B. Jarrett fired the first shot at the new Camp Perry Training Site. And that year, 1907, Camp Perry held its first National Pistol and Rifle Championship events. This location has hosted the annual National Matches ever since (though they were cancelled in 2020 due to COVID). Typically over 4,000 competitors attend the National Matches each year, making it the most popular shooting competition in the western hemisphere.
Janna Reeves is one of the nation’s top female 3-gun competitors. She is fast AND accurate, and she knows how to plan her stages to achieve the best results.
In a series of videos produced for Brownells, Janna talks about the 3-Gun game, reviewing the latest trends in 3-Gun firearms and gear. Janna also provides stage-planning tips, offering winning strategies to employ in competition. Though these videos, Janna hopes to help novice shooters. In particular, Jenna hopes to encourage new lady shooters to get involved in 3-gun competition, a fun and challenge sport.
In this action-oriented video, Janna walks through a 3-Gun course, explaining how to plan shots, movements, and reloads. Janna shares tips, tricks, and strategies that can improve your hit percentage and shave seconds off stage times. Janna offers specific advice on target transitions, loading on the move, and stage planning.
In this hardware-centric video, Janna explains how she set up her guns for competition and why she selects specific components and accessories. If you are just getting started in 3-Gun competition, this will help you choose firearms, holsters, ammo caddies, optics and accessories. Janna’s advice helps you get the most “bang for your buck” when assembling your
Editor’s Note: This story was first published many seasons ago. In the interceding years, equipment has evolved — actions, optics, front rests and so on. But this rifle remains very competitive in the 600-yard silhouette game, and it remains a wicked weapon for long-range varminting.
The 6-284 may well be the “ultimate” 6mm cartridge, if speed AND accuracy are considered. While it burns a lot more powder than a 6mmBR or 6 Dasher, it also delivers a lot more velocity. Our friend John Southwick, owner of this week’s featured 6-284, can push 107gr SMKs past 3400 fps — velocities no 6BR, 6BRA, or 6 Dasher can touch. He normally dials that back to 3200 fps or so, but that’s still well beyond the limit of a 6 Dasher even a 6mm Creedmoor. John’s gun is more than a speed demon of course — it’s a hyper-accurate match rifle that has claimed many Varmint Silhouette wins. At his club, when John and the Black Borden come out to play, everyone else is usually competing for second place.
Building the Borden Black Beauty
John tells us: “I chose the 6-284 mainly because it appeared in the winning equipment lists of 1K BR matches, and it was becoming very popular with long-range varminters. Skip Talbot had also used a 6-284 to set an IBS 1000-yard record (subsequently lowered in the last decade). Norma and Lapua offered quality 6.5-284 brass, so case-forming would be easy. I wanted a fairly light-recoiling rifle, and after much research I came to the conclusion that a high-BC 6mm bullet driven at 3200+ fps would meet my needs.
I was looking for a very high performance long-range target/bench rifle, primarily to use in 600-yard matches at my local club (Ojai Valley Gun Club), and possibly 1000-yard bench matches, plus occasional varmint hunting. I wanted to have a rifle that was built by a prominent gunsmith. I chose to work with Jim Borden of Borden Rifles for several reasons: his rifles had set world records, his reputation was excellent, and his rifles often showed up in the winning equipment lists of IBS and NBRSA sanctioned shoots. Also I had decided that I wanted a Nesika-actioned gun. I was impressed that Jim had designed one of the Nesika’s key features – Borden Bumps. Likewise, I liked the Bald Eagle front rest, and found out that Jim contributed to its design as well. This gave me confidence that Jim understood every element that goes into precision rifle performance.
Loading for Accuracy
My match load consists of Norma 6.5-284 brass, 51.0 grains of Alliant Reloder 22, Fed 210m primers, and Sierra moly-coated 107gr MKs, seated about .010″ into the lands. This runs about 3250 fps from the 28″ barrel. Case necks are turned to .0133″ wall thickness for a .270″ loaded neck diameter. I use a .268 or .269 bushing, and bump the shoulders back each time. I set the “bump” so that, with firing pin removed, I can just feel the case in the chamber when closing the bolt. My loaded rounds typically show no more than .0015″ runout on a NECO concentricity gauge. I credit the low run-out in large part to the custom inline seating die and shoulder-bump neck-bushing die Jim made for me.
How the 6-284 Shoots
The rifle has fulfilled all my expectations. It is a superbly precise and accurate rifle, as long as I do my part in steering the gun and feeding it consistent, quality ammo. I haven’t done a lot of 100-yard group shooting, just enough to test loads. Typically the rifle easily puts five shots into half-MOA or less at 600 yards. I’ve logged several 3-shot groups between 1.06″ and 2.2″ at 600 yards. I’ve been told that kind of accuracy would be competitive in a 600-yard BR match. But most importantly, I have confidence the gun will hit where I aim. Our Ojai club uses half-size silhouette targets. This gun’s ability to pick off the relatively small steel targets, even in some of the worst conditions imaginable, is nothing short of amazing. At times it seems I’m launching 107gr silhouette-seeking guided missiles.”
Borden 6mm-284 SPEC SHEET
Borden Long-Range Rifle, 16.5 lbs
Nesika ‘K’ Action, 1.70″ diam., Right Bolt, Left Port.
Hart 28″, 1:9″ twist, .920″ at muzzle, cryo’d with .272″ neck diam. and 1.5° throat.
McMillan MBR stock, Borden texture finished, pillar-bedded, with action also glued in.
Nightforce 12-42x NXS,
NP-R2 reticle, 20 MOA ramped scope base, Leupold Mark IV rings.
A Special Brand of Silhouette Shooting
John’s rifle is a purpose-built gun, optimized for one task — hitting little half-size silhouettes at very long distances, at a shooting venue that demands serious wind wizardry. At Ojai, even though matches commence early in the morning, it’s not unusual to have a 10 mph wind blowing left to right at the firing line, no wind at the mid-course flag, and a swirling variable wind at the targets. To make matters worse, the little critters sit on top a ramped berm. When the wind switches to 6 o’clock, it can rise right in front of the target, sending shots high. Despite the often-wicked conditions, John and his Black Borden have excelled at the varmint matches — he’s the “smart-money” bet to win on any given weekend.
John reports: “The rifle has really proven itself at the 600-yard silhouette match at my local club. We shoot ten targets per match, usually three “matches” or relays per day. Targets are half-size NRA Hunter Pistol metallic silhouettes: 1 Ram, 2 Turkeys, 3 Pigs, and 4 Chickens (note, these are larger than the mini-silhouettes in the above photo). The Ram counts one point, Turkey two points, Pig three points and the Chicken counts four points. The Chickens have a “hit zone” roughly .6 MOA at 600 yards–about 3.6″. Trust me, that can be challenging, particularly in shifting winds. Unlike conventional silhouette matches, we shoot F-class fashion from the ground, using bipods or pedestal rests. That’s easier than shooting off your hind legs of course, but our targets are much smaller than standard high-power silhouettes.”
The Black Borden was the rifle to beat at Ojai for many years. John held the record for the most “cleans” (no misses) for the event, and he was the annual Champion for many years, including five years in a row. One year he won the championship in the very last match. John noted: “Thankfully, the gun was humming and I made the right wind calls. I picked up enough points in the final shoot to win the series for the year.” Yes, John’s flat-shooting Borden 6-284 had done its job once again.
Long-Range Silhouette Match Strategy and Techniques
In competition, John says watching the conditions, and minimizing mental mistakes is key: “I keep things pretty basic. Our varmint silhouette matches allow 20 minutes for sighters and 10 shots on target (one per animal). We usually get in three “matches” or relays per event. I try to wait for a favorable condition, then take a few sighters and adjust the scope as needed. If the condition holds steady, I’ll try to run my targets before the wind changes.
At the Ojai range, it is vital to watch the wind flags and heed your spotters’ calls. I’ve seen the wind go from 7mph right to 10mph left from one target to the next. That’s nearly a foot and a half of horizontal change for my gun. If there is a major change, I will try to wait it out. If the shift is small, I may hold off a bit. Scope corrections are a last resort; while you’re dialing, the wind may switch again.”
Technical Report from Jim Borden, Gunsmith
We set up John’s 6-284 as we would for 1000-yard Light Gun competition. We’ve also built some of these rifles in 6MM BR for use in 600-yard competition. For John, we used a Borden/Nesika Model K 1.70″ diameter action as the beginning basis of the rifle. The timing and cocking-piece system for this rifle has the Borden improvements to improve firing pin energy and lock time. The action was pillar-bedded and glued into a McMillan Tooley MBR pattern stock. The stock blank was gel-coated and then epoxy-finished with a texture.
About the Muzzle Brake — We normally blend the brakes into the barrel to make the transition smooth and unseen. John preferred to have the brake larger than the barrel so that it could also be used on future barrels.
9-Twist Barrel — The barrel is a 1:9″-twist Hart HV pattern 28 7/8 inches long. Our 6×284 reamer has a .272″ neck diameter. It is throated with a tight cylindrical section followed by the 1 ½ degree throat. Chambering of the barrel was done utilizing our proven Benchrest chambering techniques. The method of chambering ensures that the body, neck and throat of the chamber align concentrically with the bore and grooves of the barrel. [Editor: With a 6BR or 6 Dasher, we’d definitely recommend an 8-twist barrel to shoot 105-107 grain match bullets. However, with the extra velocity of the 6-284, the 9-twist Hart worked great for John.]
NOTE: Borden Accuracy (BordenRifles.com) now produces its own excellent Borden Custom Actions, which have won National Championships and set World Records. Borden offers precision bolt action receivers for competition, ELR, hunting, varmint, PRS, and other shooting applications.
Situated in the Coastal Mountains behind Ventura, California, the Ojai Valley Gun Club is a beautiful place to shoot. And the Hwy 33 route up to the range offers stunning views.
Need targets — not just any old targets, but the correctly-sized targets for specific shooting disciplines (such as NRA Smallbore, F-Class, and 1K Benchrest)? Well you won’t find them at your neighborhood gun store. Precise, dimensionally-correct competition targets are produced by a half-dozen specialty printers. In this article we provide links to the leading target sellers, with a chart showing “who’s got what”. Look for your particular discipline and the vendors will be specified.
Sources for Official Shooting Competition Targets:
AccurateShooter.com offers dozens of FREE, printable targets for target practice, load development, and fun shooting. We also offer a few of the most popular NRA Bullseye targets. One or more of these printable targets should work for most training purposes. However, some readers have asked: “Where can we get the real targets… exactly like the ones used in NRA, IBS, and NBRSA shooting matches?”
All these vendors carry nearly all the NRA High Power and Smallbore targets, including the smaller F-Class targets. National Target has the F-Class and High Power targets, including 100-yard reductions of the 200, 300, and 600-yard military targets.
Here are some of the air rifle, smallbore, and High Power targets at Creedmoor Sports:
Orrville Printing currently sells IBS targets for rimfire (50 yard) benchrest, short-range centerfire Benchrest (100, 200, 300 yards), Hunter BR Rifle (100, 200, 300 yards), plus the official 600-yard and 1000-yard IBS targets. National Target Company also has most of the IBS targets. NBRSA short-range, 600-yard, and 1000-yard benchrest targets are available directly from the NBRSA Business Office. Send an email to nbrsa@icloud.com or call (434) 993-9201.
Good Source for Specialty Targets and Target Stands
Need Steel, Cardboard Silhouettes or specialty targets? ALCO Target Company in Duarte, California is the USA’s leading producer of the full spectrum of shooting targets including paper targets, cardboard targets, steel targets, and target stands.
This lady can shoot! Lindsey Paul is now officially the top ELR ace on the planet. The talented Texan beat a large field of competitors, including many past KO2M Champions, all guys. We congratulate Lindsey on her outstanding performance, including 3 hits in 5 shots at the max distance, 2.0 miles (3520 yards). No other competitor had more than one hit at 3520 yards, and only four other finalists even had one hit at that distance. Lindsey was shooting a .375 CheyTac cartridge with Cutting Edge 400gr solids.
K02M runner-up Ryan Cheney was leading the field most of the event, being the only shooter to hit ALL his targets (without a miss) at 1692, 2097, and 2376 yards, along with 4 of 5 at 2727 — the best at that distance. But Lindsey came through spectacularly at the final 3520-yard distance. One observer noted: “Ryan had it in the bag before Lindsay got hot — three out of five at 3520 yards is HOT!”
This was an impressive year, proving that the ELR game continues to evolve, with ever-greater overall performances by the ranks of talented shooters. Match Directors posted: “Every year we get more hits at Two Miles and this has been the best ever — 3 of 5 from Lindsey and five shooters hitting the 2 mile target: Lindsey Paul, Ryan Cheney, Jay Dvorsky, Peter Renwick, and Curtis Roman”.
Here are Results from the K02M Finals held Wednesday, 9/29/2021:
FINAL RESULTS FROM 2021 KO2M
NRA Whittington Center, Raton, New Mexico
27-29 September, 2021
Congratulations to all shooters, spotters and teams that drove to Raton from all over the USA and even more to those that hit the targets. Special thanks to the sponsors that made the prize table possible.
A special mention to the King (Queen) of 2 Miles 2021 Lindsay Paul, along with Rei Hoang, and Jaclyn Bryan. [They] proved that women can be as good or better shooters than men. I hope that each year we have more and more women shooters.
Congratulations too for Ryan Cheney who shot so well that he nearly made it to King.
A special mention to all the spotters that drove their shooters to the targets and are always there in their shadow. They all deserve an applause.
We have proven the point, once again, that hits at 2 Miles are possible and not just luck.
Thanks to all for being at KO2M
King of 2 Miles Team
The Queen of 2 Miles Thanks Her Team and Sponsors
Here is Lindsey’s Report on her Achievement — being the first woman ever to win the King, oops, make that QUEEN of 2 Miles Competition.
“I don’t even know where to start! What a wild ride this year this has been. First and foremost thank you to my amazing guy Robert for being the best spotter I could ask for. He is responsible for making most of this happen with his great wind calls, corrections and support. Thank you to the rest of my team.
Jeff had tough conditions with shade on targets for his final round making spotting misses impossible but still finished with a super-respectable 6th place. Shane has come a long way in a short time and did great as well with a 19th place finish, just below the cutoff for the finals. I’m really proud of my performance as Robert’s spotter. He forgot to write down his dope for target 3 and I still managed to help him get on target and he finished in 26th. Jay we missed the hell out of you and hope you are back to 100% soon!
My Applied Ballistics PDM (Personal Drag Model) was nearly spot on out to two miles. Your contribution to shooting sports is beyond remarkable. We couldn’t do what we do without your support.
I was concerned about switching to an Accu-Tac bipod right before this match but I’m dang sure a believer now! I picked up a Nightforce scope of the prize table which was just what I needed as I was borrowing one. Thank you to them and all of the other sponsors who stepped up to support this match and the shooting community.
Lindsay added praise for her competitors: “Congratulations to all the shooters, NRA Whittington Center is my favorite place to shoot but it can sure be challenging. Ryan Cheney made me work for it, congratulations man, you shot excellent! Rei and Jaclyn how awesome was it to have three ladies in the finals?! Congratulations to both of you!”
Lindsey Set a FCSA Cold Bore World Record in August 2021
Lindsey is definitely a top talent in the ELR game. Back in August 2021 she set a new FCSA Cold Bore World record at 1.5 miles (2464 yards). Lindsey posted: “WHAT A DAY! I set a new cold bore world record with 3 impacts at 2464 yds! I’m so thankful for an awesome team and my damn fine Alamo Precision Rifles .375 CheyTac. The 400gr Cutting Edge Lazers shined as usual!”
This weekend, October 1-3, 2021, the 2021 GAP Grind Pro/Am takes place at the K&M Precision Shooting Complex in Tennessee. The 3-day event, the largest and most popular PRS Pro-Am Tactical match, includes professional and “amateur” classes with both individual and team competition. Match organizers expect nearly 400 competitors, who, collectively, will send 80,000+ rounds downrange. And there will be LOTS of prizes — the prize table boasts “hundreds of thousands of dollars in gear” provided by scores of sponsors. And 20+ companies are setting up booths on-site to showcase and sell their products.
Dozens of sponsors make for one of the richest prize tables in all the shooting sports.
The GAP Grind is held at the impressive K&M Shooting Complex in Tennessee:
Lots of Action, with 20+ Stages
The GAP Grind is a challenging, “high tempo” match with minimal down-time between stages. Over the course of 20+ stages, competitors will fire 200+ shots at a variety of steel, paper, moving, and reactive targets out to 1,200 yards. Targets vary in size/difficulty based on the shooter’s position, distance, and time allotted. Most stages include “stressors” — i.e. time limits or required movement(s).
The 2021 GAP Grind will have nearly 400 competitors — half experienced shooters and the other half newcomers to the sport. The key to growing the shooting sports is attracting new shooters. The best way to bring in “new blood” seems to be the Pro-Am type format. At the GAP Grind, experienced shooters share their knowledge and guide the new shooters through the competition.
Great K&M Complex video — overhead and action shots — Click II pause button to halt:
GAP Grind Hardware
You’ll find the latest and greatest PRS hardware at the GAP Grind. Notable in recent seasons was the fact that many top competitors moved down from the 6.5/6mm Creedmoor to the smaller, more efficient 6mm Dasher, 6BRA, 6GT and other 6mm cartridges. The 6mm Dasher offers excellent accuracy with less recoil than the 6.5 Creedmoor. New magazine designs allow very reliable feeding with the shorter cartridges.
You probably know by now that the NRA 2021 Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston was cancelled at the last minute. The big event, originally slated for September 3-5, 2021, was called off because of health concerns related to the COVID Delta Variant.
What you probably did NOT know, was that the NRA has rescheduled its official Annual Members’ Meeting for Saturday, October 2, 2021 in North Carolina. The rescheduled event is now set for a single day at the Sheraton/Le Meridien Hotel Complex in Charlotte, NC. Space is limited, but it appears registration is still possible for NRA members (with their membership number).
How to Register Online (NRA Membership Number Required)
To register for the event, you must first go to the NRA Annual Members’ Meeting Page, then click the blue button labeled “REGISTER NOW”.
Next, on the eTix Registration Start page that appears when you click REGISTER NOW, you must scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, until you see a green tab labeled “Register”. Warning — this may be blocked by the cookie permission pop-up. On most browsers the green tab was NOT visible until the cookie warning was removed.
WARNING: Do NOT click on the blue link at the top of the page labeled “NRA Annual Member’s Meeting”. That will take you to an eTix dead-end that says “No Tickets Available”.
IMPORTANT: You must Scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of the page. Look for the “Number of Registrants” and GREEN button labeled “Register”. It looks like this on a large screen:
or like this on mobile devices:
Then select the number of tickets and click the green bar. You will be prompted to insert your NRA membership number(s) for the tickets you want. This should be a NINE digit number per member (do NOT use the first three zeros that may appear on some NRA communications).
If you do everything right, you should see this page:
Janna Reeves is one of the nation’s top female 3-gun competitors. She is fast AND accurate, and she knows how to plan her stages to achieve the best results.
Building the Borden Black Beauty
Loading for Accuracy
Long-Range Silhouette Match Strategy and Techniques
We set up John’s 6-284 as we would for 1000-yard Light Gun competition. We’ve also built some of these rifles in 6MM BR for use in 600-yard competition. For John, we used a Borden/Nesika Model K 1.70″ diameter action as the beginning basis of the rifle. The timing and cocking-piece system for this rifle has the Borden improvements to improve firing pin energy and lock time. The action was pillar-bedded and glued into a McMillan Tooley MBR pattern stock. The stock blank was gel-coated and then epoxy-finished with a texture.
