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July 20th, 2013
 Would you like to help lead the fight for gun rights in the Golden State? Then read on. The California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) is now seeking a full-time Field Rep with a salary of $45,000 per year. With 42,000 members statewide, the CRPA is the largest and oldest pro-Second Amendment/Pro-Hunting organization headquartered in California.
The Field Representative job is an exciting, challenging position that takes you out of the office. You’ll get paid to travel all around California spreading the “good news” about the CRPA at shooting competitions, gun shows, sporting goods stores, and ranges. The Field Rep holds a key position. You will be the primary “point man” for the CRPA at many events statewide.
CRPA Protects and Defends Second Amendment and Hunting Rights in California. Since its founding in 1875, the CRPA has been the guiding force in the development and coordination of statewide shooting championships. In addition, the CRPA serves as the official state affiliate of the National Rifle Association. The CRPA coordinates an aggressive legislative advocacy and effective litigation programs.
Position Title: Field Representative
Location: CALIFORNIA (Extensive ongoing travel, throughout the state)
Salary: $45,000 Annually, plus company vehicle, benefits, expense reimbursement, lap top computer, and cell phone.
Education – An A.A., A.S., or higher degree in public relations, communications, political science, business or public administration, criminal justice or a related field is desirable.
Position Key Characteristics: Under the general direction of the Executive Director, incumbent serves as the sole Field Rep. for the CRPA. Incumbent’s primary focus is membership development and making the CRPA name, goals, and objectives widely known by the public. Incumbent must possess a strong knowledge of shooting sports, firearms, and hunting activities. This position requires frequent ongoing travel and working days, unusual hours, evenings, and most weekends. This position will write a monthly column in our publication and provide staff support to the CRPA Volunteer Development Committee and the CRPA Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Committee. Incumbent must be mature, professional, and possess excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing.
To Apply: Call CRPA at 1-800-305-2772 or email contact@crpa.org and ask for the CRPA application packet, including supplemental questions, emailed to you. Recruitment Closing Date: THE COMPLETED CRPA APPLICATION PACKET MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, August 13, 2013 – 4:00 PM (No postmarks).
NOTE: This is an “at will” position and only one year of funding for this position has been secured at this time. Future funding will be based on the contribution this position makes to the CRPA.
July 19th, 2013
Breaking News: SPC Hall Wins Camp Perry 3-P Championship
Port Clinton, Ohio – With a final score of 2383-171x, Specialist Joseph Hall of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit captured the 2013 NRA Smallbore 3-Position Rifle title in Camp Perry, Ohio. Besting fellow U.S. Army Marksmanship teammate Jason Parker by a total of three points, this is Hall’s first overall title at the National Championships.
The Smallbore 3-Position Championships consists of two separate phases — Metallic Sights and Any Sights. During each phase, shooters fire their smallbore rifles from the standing, kneeling, and prone positions. Out of a possible 2,400 points, Hall dropped a mere 17 points.
Story based on report by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog
The first match this Friday (19 July) at the NRA National Smallbore 3-Position Championships in Camp Perry was one for the history books. The first match, shot prone with “any sights”, ended in three-way perfection. For not only were three shooters tied for first, they were tied with a perfect score of 400-40X (“X” is a bullseye).
“Not something you see every year,” said Match Director H.Q. Moody. “Not something you see for a lot of years.” Perfect scores meant there was a chance to chase the National Record. All you have to do is keep hitting bulls until you miss. Nothing like carving your name into a little bit of NRA history, aye? For one of these three shooters — Reya Kempley, Joseph Hall (of the USAMU), and Michael McPhail — immortality was in reach.
 But the weather gods intervened. As Kempley, Hall and McPhail got ready for the the shoot-off — lightning struck, quite literally. As lightning flashed and thunder roared, the shoot-off was delayed. With officials calling for a fifteen minute break, rangemasters, spectators and staff scattered for shelter. When the match resumed (Kempley barely made it to the line in time), the three competitors went at it. All three had early misses (nines instead of tens), so there would be no new record. Kemply was off her game, finishing third, but the two men finished with identical 199-19X scores — just one shot off perfect.
Hall was awarded the match by application of an NRA tie-breaker rule — on the basis that Hall’s one “miss” (i.e. not scoring a bullseye 10X) occurred earlier in the shoot-off’s record string than did the single “miss” by McPhail. The thinking behind this rule is that it is more difficult to shoot consecutive 10Xs later in the match.
July 19th, 2013
At its scenic Bloomfield, New York facility, Crosman hosted the largest regional competition sanctioned by the American Field Target Association (AFTA) and the 2013 edition of the Northeast Regional Field Target Championship (NRFTC). Over one hundred competitors (and three international teams) participated in the two-day rifle match, single day pistol match, and Quigley Bucket Challenge.
The big draw was Team USA as they prepare to attend the World Field Target Federation Championship in Germany in August. Nine members of the 15-member team were on hand including past NRFTC champions Hector Medina, Greg Sauve and Harold Rushton. They were joined by five shooters of Team Venezuela and when a few Canadian participants formed Team Canada, the international side match was on. Scores were based on the team aggregate and after Day 1 it was Team USA (41.33) leading Team Canada (38.83) and Team Venezuela (36.80). Anchored by Rushton, Sauve, and Ray Apelles, Team USA took the weekend with an aggregate score of 88.66. Team Canada finished with 78.66, and Team Venezuela posted a 72.60.
CLICK HERE for complete Team and Individual Match Results.
Quigley Bucket Challenge
Always a favorite pre-event competition, the Quigley Bucket Challenge is a re-creation of the dramatic scene in the film Quigley Down Under in which Tom Selleck’s character must shoot a bucket at 700 yards. Scaled for airguns, this equates to a 1.75″ target placed at 55 yards. Shooters must use a 6.5 ft-lb. rifle using only open / iron / non-magnified sights. The Quigley had 45 shooters try five shots apiece. Just eight hit the bucket and after two over-times, Greg Sauve was the only shooter to repeat the feat, thereby winning the Challenge.
Tech Talk: Why the Big Side-Wheels on the Scopes?
Field Target rifles shoot pellets propelled by compressed air. These light-weight, low-BC projectiles drop very quickly, with a looping trajectory. In order to hit targets at distances out to 50 yards or so, you have to adjust your scope to compensate for pellet drop. But you can’t set the scope correctly without knowing the precise range to the target. This is the function of the big wheels on the side of the scope. Field Target Competitors use the parallax adjustment on high-magnification scopes to determine target range. The big wheel allows quick, yet precise parallax adjustment. Markings on the wheel show the shooter the scope settings required for the distance “dialed-in” via the over-size parallax wheel.
See More Photos at Crosman Flickr.com Photo Archive
Photos courtesy Crosman Corp., All Rights Reserved
July 17th, 2013
Report based on story by Kyle Jillson for NRABlog
This past weekend, as the NRA National Pistol Championship were wrapping up and Camp Perry was preparing for the NRA National Smallbore 3-Position Championships, some smallbore shooters got an early taste of the summer championship season with the NRA Metric Championship.
Kemply Wins 3-Position Event While Bridges Wins Prone Title
In the Metric Position Championship, Tarl Kempley, 2013’s NRA National Smallbore 3-Position champion, took first with a 2296-101X out of a potential 2400. Katie Bridges placed second, shooting a 2250-79X and Mark Matheny took third with a 2237-61X. Katie Bridges captured the Metric Prone Championship with a 2357-130X, followed by Michelle Bohren’s 2356-125X and Mike O’Connor’s 2352-121X.
About the NRA Metric Championship
Begun in 2010, the Metric Championship is held at the Wa-Ke-‘Da Rifle Range in Bristol, Indiana and is seen by many as a fun ramp up to the national championships. Only three hours away from the Remington/NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championships in Camp Perry, Ohio, many metric shooters pack up on the last day and head straight to Lake Erie for another week and a half of matches.
“The NRA National Metric Championship is one of the most enjoyable NRA Tournaments I work with,” said H.Q. Moody, NRA’s Rifle Manager and the match’s director. “The facility’s high quality is matched only by the level of competition.”
July 17th, 2013
The Ruger® Guide Gun has been awarded a 2013 “Best of the Best” Award from Field & Stream magazine. The current Ruger Guide Gun combines features of several of Ruger’s most popular rifles in a versatile, general-purpose hunting rifle.
The Guide Gun features a stainless action and barrel, removable muzzle brake, safari-style iron sights, adjustable length-of-pull (with three 1/2″ spacers), barrel band sling swivel, and a Green Mountain laminated wood stock. The new Ruger Guide Gun is available in .30-06 Spr, .300 Win Mag, .338 Win Mag, .300 RCM, .338 RCM, and .375 Ruger. A left-handed configuration is available in .375 Ruger.
 Removable Muzzle Brake/Weight
The Ruger Guide Gun includes a removable, radial-port muzzle brake that significantly reduces felt recoil. If you don’t need the brake, it may be replaced by a dynamically-matched muzzle weight, provided as part of the system. Ruger claims that: “switching between the brake and the weight will not change the bullet’s point of impact. The included thread protector may be used if neither the brake nor the weight is desired.”
Video Explains Ruger Guide Gun Features
The Ruger Guide Gun has Mauser-type controlled feeding (with claw extractor), three-position safety, and Ruger scope rings that install on the integral mounts. All Ruger Guide Guns feature windage adjustable shallow “V” notch rear sights and large white bead front sights for instant sight alignment.
Guide Gun May Be Rugged and Versatile, but Accuracy is Disappointing
The Guide Gun tested by Field & Stream had a heavy trigger and mediocre accuracy, but the Magazine’s editors still praised its hunting capabilities: “On our .375 Ruger test rifle, the trigger broke at 4 pounds, 8 ounces with a very slight creep. The mechanism is an open design that will not collect water or debris. Our groups averaged 1.40 inch at 100 yards, fine for a rifle of this type. The removable muzzle brake does a good job of suppressing recoil, but if you don’t care for the noise it can be removed and replaced with an unported dummy brake of identical weight that allows you to keep your zero.”
Editor’s Comment: Field & Stream may be satisfied with a one-and-a-half MOA rifle for hunting purposes, but frankly, we expect better accuracy from a gun with an $1199.00 MSRP. Is this really “Best of the Best”? At that price, we don’t think so. The Guide Gun does have some interesting features, but you’ll pay a premium for that trick muzzle brake and the safari sights.
July 17th, 2013
Brownells is helping a new gunsmith training program get started in Iowa. Brownells is sponsoring the Iowa Valley Community College District’s newly-created Gunsmith Technology Program, conducted at the Iowa Valley Grinnell (IVG) satelllite campus. Last week, Brownells’ CEO Pete Brownell (right) presented a check for $75,000 to MaryAnne Nickle, (left) Dean of Iowa Valley Grinnell (IVG), and Gunsmithing Instructor Dave Bennetts, (center) a former Brownells Gun Tech. The money will be used to purchase machinery and equipment for the program’s workshop.
“We proudly support a number of educational institutions and programs across the country,” said Brownell. “Our involvement with Iowa Valley is extra special because it’s right in our own backyard, and pairs our support of education with our longtime passion for helping gunsmiths. It’s also great to see a Brownells Gun Tech, Dave Bennetts, move on to fulfill his lifelong dream of teaching others his craft. We wish everyone at Iowa Valley the very best.”
“This is a major donation,” said Nickle. “It would’ve taken much longer to get this program up and running without it. It’s very nice to align our program with an industry leader like Brownells.”
Iowa Valley Community College’s Gunsmith Technology program still has openings available for its classes beginning August 26, 2013. IMPORTANT: The registration deadline for the fall 2013 program is July 26, 2013. To learn more about Iowa Valley’s new gunsmithing program, visit the IVCCD website.
CLICK HERE for Gunsmith Technology Program Admission Requirements
CLICK HERE for Iowa Valley Grinnell (IVG) Gunsmith Tech Application Form
July 16th, 2013
This weekend, at Kelbly’s Rifle Range, the crew at Kelbly’s will be hosting a Savage Demo shoot. Come out to the range in North Lawrence, Ohio, and have some fun — guns and ammo are provided. Ian Kelbly tells us: “It is all free, so come check out Savage rifles and get to shoot them!” The demo shoot runs from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, July 20th. The Demo Day is open to the public and admission is free. Visit Kelbly.com for more information and directions. Shooting slots are limited, so please RSVP to ian [at] kelbly.com.
July 14th, 2013
Report by Samuel Hall (AccurateShooter.com Field Editor)
July 13th was a great day for breaking records. Three shooters have potentially broken four IBS 600-yard records (pending final approval) at the Piedmont Range in Rutherfordton, NC. Conditions were excellent and three shooters had outstanding multi-target performances. Mike Hanes, Chad Jenkins, and Randy Peele were tuned in and took advantage of the great weather. The entire day was overcast with a slight 3-5 MPH breeze, misting rain at times. It was one of the only days I can remember we could see bullet holes all day!
Chad Jenkins Shoots a 199 Four-target Score at 600 Yards
In Light Gun, Chad Jenkins posted a 199 Score Agg, just one point shy of a perfect 200 score for four targets. Consider this — at 600 yards, Chad put 19 out of 20 shots into a circle 2.8″ in diameter, dropping just one shot out of the 10-Ring on four consecutive targets. That’s impressive. We believe this is the highest 4-target Score Agg ever shot with any rifle. (In Light Gun, Stephen Hall posted a 198 in 2012, and in Heavy Gun class Eric Wilson had a 198 in 2011). Chad took advantage of the good conditions to post his 199 score (with 1.954″ group size tie breaker). Chad was shooting a standard (not improved) 6mmBR with no-turn necks. Chad’s Light Gun features a BAT MB dual-port action, Shehane ST-1000 stock, Krieger 1:8″ twist barrel, and Leupold 45X scope. Chad has several hundred rounds on this rifle and has one other record with it. Chad has done a lot of winning the last couple of years with his 6BR. He shoots Berger 105gr Target VLDs in blue box Lapua brass, pushed by 30.3 grains of Varget and CCI 450 primers. Chad shoots with a modestly-priced Caldwell joystick front rest. Chad proved that you don’t need the most exotic equipment to set records.
Mike Hanes Sets New Light Gun and Two-Gun Group Agg Records
Mike potentially broke the Light Gun (LG) four-target group aggregate record with a 1.496 Agg, bettering the old record of 1.5009 shot by Chad Jenkins in 2012. Mike also potentially broke the eight-target, Two-Gun (LG and HG) Group Agg record with a 1.7885 Aggregate. The old record was 1.8120 shot by Charlie Macke in 2012. In LG Mike was shooting a no-turn-neck 6 Dasher with a Brux 1:8″ twist barrel and Shehane ST-1000 stock. On his Light Gun, Mike was using one of the new Nightforce 15-55x52mm Competition scopes. I looked through it and I will have to say it is great glass! Mike’s load was: Berger 105 VLDs, with 32.7 grains of Reloder 15 powder sparked by CCI 450s. In Heavy Gun class, Mike shot a 6mm Dasher in a true heavy chassis — a 55-pound aluminum Gary Alvey stock formerly owned by Mike Davis. (See this beast below. This same stock had set a record in the hands of Mike Davis.)
Randy Peele Ties Heavy Gun 4-Target Score Record
Later in the afternoon in the Heavy Gun division, Randy Peele was on fire. Randy posted a first in group (1.894″) and a first in 4-target score (198) against some fierce competition. This ties the HG score record and is just off the tie-breaker group by a few thousandths. It will be submitted to the IBS Record Committee also. Congratulations of some fine shooting guys!
July 12th, 2013
Story based on report by Kyle Jillson for NRABlog
NRA Competitive Shooting’s big event of the year, the National Matches, has commenced. The Remington/NRA National Rifle and Pistol Matches are considered the World Series of the shooting sports. Here you will find the nation’s top pistol, smallbore and high power rifle shooters (and many elite shooters from overseas as well). The six NRA championships, Pistol, Smallbore Position, Smallbore Prone, High Power Rifle, High Power Rifle Mid-Range, and High Power Rifle Long Range are broken up into five legs with High Power and Midrange held simultaneously.
This week’s Pistol Championship sees competitors jockeying for the coveted Harrison Trophy, the aggregate of a Preliminary Pistol Championship, .22 Caliber, Centerfire, and .45 Caliber championships. The all-time winningest shooter of the National Pistol Championship, with 11 titles, is Brian “Gunny” Zins, a featured contestant on the History Channel’s Top Shot All-Stars TV show.
Thunderstorm Halts Preliminary Pistol Event
With the Preliminary Pistol Championship (PPC) cancelled due to a tremendous thunderstorm, the national championship’s standings (thus far) are based on the .22 Caliber Championship completed on July 11th. Leading the way at this stage in the Pistol Championships is Chad Ranton with a 879-42X. There’s still plenty of shooting left to do as Friday (July 12) ushers in the Centerfire Championship and Saturday (July 13) brings the .45 Caliber Championship.
Photos courtesy GOnraMedia. See more photos from the NRA National Championships at the GOnraMedia Photo Archive.
July 12th, 2013
 If you’re wondering what is happening when at the NRA National Rifle and Pistol championships, here is a calendar of all the scheduled events. The pistol matches kicked off earlier this week. Smallbore (rimfire) events start July 16th, while the High Power events commence on July 26th. Click the calendar image below to see a large size version (that’s easier to read). You can also download a PDF file with the complete National Matches Event schedule for 2013 AND 2014.
CLICK to DOWNLOAD 2013 and 2014 National Match Calendars
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