John Whidden is a 6-time National High Power Long Range Champion. He has also won major Palma matches in the USA and abroad. But John’s stellar marksmanship skills are not just limited to long range centerfire shooting. This month John added to his impressive list of shooting titles with a notable victory in the 2024 CMP Smallbore (.22 LR Rimfire) Championship match held at Camp Perry, Ohio.
In today’s Sunday GunDay story, John examines that CMP Championship match and the smallbore match rifle he used. This is a unique, one-of a kind rig, put together with a combination of premium components from multiple manufacturers. John’s ultra-accurate .22 LR rifle features a PQP 2500X action, Tec-Hro Fanatic stock, MullerWorks barrel, Uptagrafft Tuner/Bloop Tube, and Anschutz trigger. For different segments of the smallbore competition the rifle is fitted with iron sights or a Nightforce scope.
CMP Match Report — Whidden Wins Match with Final Shot
The 2024 National Smallbore Prone 6400 Aggregate Championship came down to millimeters. The event was part of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s 2024 National Matches and was the culmination of four straight days of prone competition. Tight qualification matches saw the top three places separated by one point each, with John Whidden of Nashville, GA, leading the pack on the last leg of the match.
Whidden had been consistent throughout his entire National Matches appearance, having only dropped five points in the previous 15 rounds of the competition. His confidence continued as he took each shot. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled one left — just grazing the edge line of the 10-ring. An eye opener, to be sure.
Despite the close call, he pressed on. “A Prone 6400 Match is a marathon, and this, essentially, was a photo finish,” said Brad Donoho, CMP Smallbore Manager.
Whidden took his final shot, another 10. With a sigh of relief, John packed up his gear and walked off the firing line with a perfect score of 400 and the overall Open win in the Smallbore Prone 6400 Aggregate with a score of 6395-515X. “He finished out the match really strong”, Donoho said. “To see it all come down to the last shot was really incredible.”
Winning 2024 CMP Smallbore Prone Championship at Camp Perry
Report by John Whidden
The 2024 CMP Smallbore Prone National Championships are in the history books now. On the day before the match started, the CMP held a metric Dewar match. This was a bit of a warmup match and was well attended. The course of fire was 30 shots at 50 meters and 30 shots at 100 meters. I knew the match would be exciting as I got out of the car — the wind almost took the car door out of my hands! Yes, it was that kind of day.
Usually at the range, I can read the wind acceptably well, but there are occasionally some days when it just won’t come to me. The metric Dewar session was one of those days that I just couldn’t understand the wind indicators. I finished with a score of 575-24X which was below what I’d hoped for. I was feeling slapped around at this point!
Fortunately, the first day of the prone Championships was better. While still fairly windy, I found it much easier to read and finished up with 1599-103X leading the event. We shot iron sights for the first two days, and on day 2 Levi Clark shot the highest score and made up a point on my lead.
Days 3 and 4 are both shot with scopes on the gun. Usually with these scores, we see fewer points dropped. Shane Barnhart won day 3 with a blistering 1600-149X. Going into the last day I was only 1 point ahead and behind on X count. I knew with this tough group of shooters if I shot a 9 anywhere on day 4 I probably wouldn’t win it. I shot very carefully and tried to protect my points lead even if it meant giving up a few Xs along the way.
The day went well but I had a big scare on the next to the last shot. The wind picked up and I shot a 10.0 (these electronic targets will score in decimals) which is ALMOST a 9. I gathered myself for the last shot and felt my heart beating hard. I knew it had to be a good one because second place Nick Mowrer was breathing down my neck. Thankfully the shot stayed in the 10 Ring and I knew I had won the match.
Unique Rimfire Rifle with Premium Action, Stock, Barrel, & Tuner
The rifle I used for the match had just recently been built in our shop. Since opening the rimfire ammunition test range in May of 2024 we had the chance to observe some top-quality components in testing. After noting what was shooting really well, I decided to order a PQP 2500X action, a MullerWorks barrel, and a Uptagrafft Tuner/Bloop Tube. I had already purchased a Tec-Hro Fanatic aluminum stock suitable for the project and had an Anschutz trigger set aside.
MullerWorks has a highly respected standing for their barrels, especially in the rimfire community. I chose a MullerWorks 1:16″-twist barrel and finished it at 26″ OAL. I fitted a Tuner/Bloop Tube from Uptagrafft to the muzzle. This allows me to make the sight radius longer for iron sight matches and has a tuner integrated into the design.
The parts went together well. In the stock, I modified an action adapter that was intended to fit an Anschutz 54 into the Tec-Hro stock. I placed the action as far rearward in the stock as I could to make reaching the loading port easier. A benefit of the Anschutz trigger is that the trigger shoe is more forward than the Remington-type trigger, and this was a noticeable benefit in allowing the action to be mounted far back in the stock.
Call to Action-Maker about Fitting Anschutz Trigger
These PQP 2500X actions accept Remington pattern triggers but I use Anschutz triggers on all of my other prone guns. Because of familiarity I really wanted the Anschutz trigger on the new rifle. On the day before my action was to arrive I contacted Jerry Stiller who designed the action. I asked Jerry if the tang was long enough to retrofit an Anschutz trigger onto the action (Anschutz triggers are very large). He said he didn’t think it would fit. Well, things went well and the next evening I sent him a picture of my Anschutz trigger installed on the action. It has performed marvelously.
Once the rifle was all fitted and assembled, it was time to go to the test range. I shot through all of the ELEY and Lapua ammunition that we had available. One particular lot of ELEY Tenex and one lot of Lapua Center-X stood out as the winners. I shot several groups with each one and couldn’t determine a winner. Accuracy was excellent with group sizes averaging about 13.3mm (0.52″) outside to outside at 50 meters. The next evening I shot some more of each lot of ammunition and again neither ammo type was clearly better than the other. NOTE: 13.3 mm outside to outside is .303″ center to center.
Trying to break the ammunition tie, I decided to adjust the tuner on the third evening. I worked the tuner back and forth and arrived at the best setting. Up until now, I had shot the rifle with the tuner set as it arrived in the box, in this case setting number 500. On this particular rifle moving the tuner shrunk the group diameter by 4%. On some of my other rifles, I had seen a larger effect in the 14-15% range. I wasn’t unhappy though as the rifle was shooting well and importantly it was doing so very consistently.
When dry-fire training indoors, the rifle is fitted with a device on the end of the barrel that tracks barrel movement and shot location on a special electronic target. The device and target are sold together as the SCATT USB Dry-Fire Shooter Training System.
Secrets of a Rimfire Prone Champion — Whidden Wisdom 1. Shoot a High Volume of Ammo. There is really no substitute for rounds down range. The picture shows hundreds of spent cases — just a fraction of the several thousand rounds of ammo I shot from prone before the national events this summer.
2. Recognize the Difference between Training and Practicing. Training to me means that I have a defined goal that I’d like to achieve during that session. For example I may go shoot a match for training and my goal is to shoot all of my shots in the exact same wind condition and without making a sight adjustment for wind. This would help further my ability to recognize my desired wind condition.
3. Demand Top-level Accuracy from Your Rifle and Ammo. Often shooters are not objective enough about their testing and will excuse a bad shot with “I must have pulled that one” or similar comments. To win matches one needs reliable and durable accuracy across different temperatures and environmental conditions.
Major Benefits of Extensive Rimfire Ammunition Testing
Before the Championship at Camp Perry, I did significant rimfire ammunition testing, which proved very valuable. First I shot 10-round groups of all of the available lots. Next I shot 3 more 10-round groups of the lots that looked most promising. This is the same procedure we use for customer’s rifles when we test them. The worst of the initial 10 round groups was 25.4mm (1 inch) at 50 meters and the best was 12.4mm (0.49″) at 50 meters (measured outside edge to outside edge).
I want to illustrate the value of testing right here. Among the top ammunitions available one lot shot about half the diameter of a different lot. It’s just not possible to buy ammunition at random and expect the very best accuracy that way. The ammunition I chose averaged 13.3mm (0.52″) outside edge to edge at 50m across several groups. I decided to shoot the ELEY Tenex in the end. The performance of both ammunitions was equal but another of my rifles also shoots well with this lot of Tenex so that’s a bonus. Don’t think I didn’t also grab some of that Lapua Center-X and set it back for the right occasion!
Whidden Gunworks operates a state-of-the-art ammunition testing facility. You can visit the facility or ship your rifle to be tested with different lots of rimfire ammo. The Whidden facility features two testing lanes — one for testing ELEY ammo at 50 meters and a second for testing other brands (e.g. Lapua, SK, Norma, and RWS) at both 50 meters and 100 meters simultaneously, registering results for BOTH distances. For more info, visit Whiddengunworks.com/ammunition-testing.
Are you looking to get started in PRS and NRL practical precision rifle competition? Or perhaps you’d like to advance your skill set so you can place higher in big matches (and get your hands on those prize table items)? Of course there is no substitute for trigger time in the field, but there ARE some great print resources. These four books can help you select the right equipment, improve your shooting skills, make better wind calls, increase your fitness, and develop a more efficient between-match training program.
1. Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals
Frank Galli, $20.50 Paperback, $15.99 Kindle
Frank Galli (aka “LowLight”) is the founder/head honcho of SnipersHide.com, the most active tactical community on the internet. Galli is also a retired USMC scout-sniper. Practical Precision Rifle shooting is one of the hottest trends in competitive shooting today. PRS and NRL matches draw big turn-outs and boast impressive prize tables. Galli’s Precision Rifle Marksmanship (#ad) book covers the fundamentals of precision marksmanship with easy-to-understand methodology. The book uses the same instruction process that Galli uses in his live marksmanship classes.
As Sniper’s Hide guru Frank Galli explains, there is no voodoo when it comes to precision rifle marksmanship, but there are techniques that, when practiced, make the difference between good marksmanship and great marksmanship. Understanding the reasons that a bullet hits or doesn’t hit its intended target at ultra-long distances is a crucial element to learning. Galli’s explanations of how to understand and compensate for wind speed and direction are excellent — great wind-reading advice.
Published in 2020, this 272-page well-illustrated book covers the latest equipment (scopes, LRFs, chassis systems, mags, bags, bipods, tripods) favored by tactical competitors in PRS/NRL type matches.
2. Long Range Shooting Handbook
Ryan Cleckner, $22.46 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook (#ad) is the best-selling modern book on practical rifle skills. A former U.S. Army sniper instructor, Cleckner is knowledgeable, and his text is well-organized and chock full of good information. You can view Sample Chapters on Amazon.com.
Ryan Cleckner’s highly-regarded Long Range Shooting Handbook is designed as an intro to important fundamental concepts such as MOA vs. Mils, External Ballistics, and Environmental Effects. Included are personal tips and advice based on Cleckner’s years of experience as a sniper instructor and special operations sniper.
The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. This book will benefit any long-range shooter, not just PRS/NRL competitors.
3. IMPACT! — Training and Preparing for Precision Rifle Matches
Rodney Maze, $14.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Impact!, by PRS competitor Rodney Maze, is an entry/intermediate level guide to preparing yourself and your equipment to compete in precision rifle type matches. It will also benefit anyone looking to learn about practical-style long range and precision shooting. We recommend you check it out for yourself — there are 20 Pages of free sample content (#ad) on Amazon. Topics covered include:
— Rifle, optic, and equipment selection
— Setting up your rifle, bags, tripods for PRS/NRL matches
— Understanding ballistics and how to record and use ballistic data
— Techniques for using holdovers for multi-target stages
— Gun skills, rapid fire techniques, clearing malfunctions
— Shooting off of barricades, and specialty stages
— Effects of wind and how to improve your wind calls
— Tips for live fire and dry fire practice
— Preparing yourself and your equipment for a match
— Mental strategies and techniques
Impact! is illustrated with plenty of photographs. Topics are divided logically, and concepts are explained in clear language. Also included is an extensive glossary of terms used in precision shooting and a list of additional resources you can use to further pursue your precision shooting knowledge. This book also includes a handy Appendix with formatted pages for recording data about your rifle, scope, and ammunition. There is also a Wind table for recording your rifle “dope” and wind hold-offs. Lastly, Impact! has a useful table of unit conversions.
4. Practical Shooter’s Guide
Marcus Blanchard, $19.99 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training) (#ad). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Find Shooting Sports Events Near You
August is National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM). This coast-to-coast celebration spotlights the fun and enjoyment of target shooting. The NSSF’s ShootingSportsMonth.org website offers a comprehensive, searchable database. This lets you search by state to find ranges, events, and sales promotions near you. Visit the NSSF online database of NSSM shooting events to find matches, clinics, training sessions, special sales — and much more.
Great FREE Targets for Fun at the Range
To promote National Shooting Sports Month, the NSSF offers 17 FREE Downloadable Targets. There are regular bullseyes, as well as Darts, Golf, and more. We really like the Billiards target and kids love the Water Balloons target. You can download all 17 targets for free, and then print them out, ideally with a color printer. Below are six of our favorite targets. Click HERE to download these six targets (3.5 mb ZIP).
The 2024 F-Class Mid-Range and Long Range National Championships were held August 10-17 at the Winnequah Gun Club in Lodi, Wisconsin. The match was a success, drawing 145 competitors in F-Open and 67 shooters in F-TR. Shooters tell us the Long-Range match was tough, with challenging weather conditions. The entire competition — Mid-Range and Long Range — was shot using a ShotMarker Electronic Target System. Each target frame had sensors that locate shot placement (and score) with great precision. This system provides instant score access, and eliminates the burdens of pit duty.
We congratulate the new 2024 Long Range National Champions: Alan Kulcak (F-Open) and Randy Littleton (F-TR). These men both showed great shooting skills and impressive wind-reading abilities — there were some tough conditions in Lodi this year.
F-Open champ Alan Kulcak shot a great match to win with 1390-71X, four points ahead of second-place Peter Johns (1386-72X) and third-place Robert Sebold (1386-60X). F-TR Long Range National Champion Randy Littleton fought a tight battle to the very end. The F-TR LR match went down to the final target with Littleton (1376-54X) edging runner-up Mike Plunkett (1375-56X) by a single point. Now that’s close competition!
Credit AccurateShooter Forum member Turbulent Turtle for all the images in this story. You can see over 340 photos from the match, thanks to Turbulent Turtle and his camera. CLICK HERE to see 2024 F-Class Nationals Photo Archive.
Here are the Long Range Top 10 for F-Open and F-TR:
F-Open LR Top 10
1 Kulcak, Alan (HM) 1390-71X
2 Johns, Peter (HM) 1386-72X
3 Sebold, Robert (HM) 1386-60X
4 Dileva, Dan (HM) 1384-73X
5 Skogman, Doug (HM) 1384-72X
6 Fairley, Joseph (HM) 1383-67X
7 Nettesheim, Brian (HM) 1382-73X
8 Basalla, Matthew (HM) 1382-67X
9 Kolodziej, William (HM) 1382-63X
10 Mitchell, Ryan (HM) 1382-62X
F-TR LR Top 10
1 Littleton, Randy (HM) 1376-54X
2 Plunkett, Mike (MA) 1375-56X
3 Trapp, Keith (HM) 1373-57X
4 Hubbard, Tom (HM) 1373-50X
5 Hogg, Tracy (HM) 1370-51X
6 Strasovich, Todd (MA) 1367-44X
7 Lucy, Dale (MA) 1363-41X
8 Klemm, Ian (HM) 1362-55X
9 Casale, Lou (MA) 1362-53X
10 Faloon, Christopher (HM) 1360-46X
Long Range F-Class Nationals Team Competition
In F-Open Long-Range team competition, Team Bayou Boyz won the F-Open Team title followed by Team Lapua-Brux-Borden (Second) and Team Vihtavuori (Third). It was a close match, with the Bayou Boyz (1590-83X) edging Team Lapua-Brux-Borden by a slim 2-point margin (1588-83X) with the same X-count. Congrats to Team Bayou Boyz members: Joseph Fairley, Johnny Ingram, Peter Johns, and Alan Kulcak.
Team Bayou Boyz won both the Long Range and Mid-Range F-Open Team events.
In F-TR LR Team competition, Team Vortex (1583-80X) finished first, followed by Team USA White and Team USA Red. Team Vortex recorded an impressive victory, winning by 20 points over runner-up squad Team USA White (1563-54X). Congrats to Team Vortex members: Tracy Hogg, Ian Klemm, Brad Sauve, and Keith Trapp.
Team Vortex recorded an impressive 20-point win in the F-TR Long Range Team Match.
The Mid-Range F-Open event saw tight competition. We congratulate new Mid-Range Champ Johnny Ingram who edged second-place Jim Fowler by two points. The top five F-Open finishers were separated by just five points and third-place finisher Matt Basalla had the highest X-Count with an impressive 99X. In the F-TR division, 2024 Mid-Range Champion Tom Hubbard put on a dominant performance, winning by ten points with the highest X-Count (87X) among all F-TR competitors.
Here are the Mid-Range Top 10 for F-Open and F-TR:
F-Open Mid-Range Top 10
1 Ingram, Johnny (HM) 1783-95X
2 Fowler, Jim (HM) 1781-82X
3 Basalla, Matthew (HM) 1779-99X
4 Waite, Boe (HM) 1779-92X
5 Brooks, David (HM) 1778-88X
6 Kulcak, Alan (HM) 1777-78X
7 Thomas, Jamie (MA) 1777-71X
8 Stob, James (HM) 1776-86X
9 Basalla, Gwen (HM) 1776-70X
10 Zwahr, Brandon (HM) 1775-86X
F-TR Mid-Range Top 10
1 Hubbard, Tom (HM) 1770-87X
2 Gavrock, Gabriel (HM) 1760-68X
3 Crofts, James (HM) 1759-78X
4 Conrad, Keith (HM) 1756-73X
5 Retzloff, Robin (EX) 1755-62X
6 Faloon, Christopher (HM) 1749-63X
7 Brindle, Jerry (HM) 1749-55X
8 Wiens, Gerry (HM) 1746-62X
9 Sowa, Mike (EX) 1743-58X
10 Dixon, Richard (HM) 1739-59X
Mid-Range F-Class Nationals Team Competition
In Mid-Range Team Competition, Team Bayou Boyz (1598-115X) won the F-Open Division while Team USA White (1585-87X) won the F-TR Division. Congrats to the Mid-Range Bayou Boyz (Johnny Ingram, Peter Johns, Alan Kulkak, and Pat Wood) and to USA White (Keith Conrad, Christopher Faloon, Dale Lucy, Mike Plunkett). There were 17 teams competing in F-Open, and 10 Teams competing in F-TR.
CLICK HERE for 2024 F-Class Nationals Program and Match Rules. NOTE: This official program incorrectly states that Silver Mountain electronic targets are used. Instead the ShotMarker system was used.
While some shooting disciplines have moved to electronic targets, most shooting matches still use paper targets, which must have precise dimensions for the particular distance and discipline. If you need correctly-sized targets for specific shooting disciplines (such as NRA Smallbore, F-Class, and 1K Benchrest) check out the links in this article. 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.
On some internet shooting forums, self-declared “experts” advise new rifle shooters to stick to low-end factory rifles. These “experts” (many of whom don’t own a single really accurate rifle), claim that it will take years for a new shooter to learn how to shoot a rifle accurately. So, the argument goes, the accuracy offered by a precision-chambered rifle, with a custom barrel, is “wasted” on a new shooter.
We disagree with that viewpoint, at least when it comes to rifles shot from a rest. We’ve seen relatively new shooters, with help from a skilled mentor, do remarkably well with precision rifles right from the start. With a good bench gun, many new shooters can shoot well under 1 MOA on the first day. Certainly it takes time for a complete novice to learn how to handle the gun and to work the trigger smoothly. However, this editor has personally seen some inexperienced shooters try their hand at benchrest shooting, and within few month they are doing very well indeed at club shoots.
Accurate Rifles Reward Progress As Novices Build Skills
For bench shooting, we think a highly accurate rifle is a much better training device for a new shooter than a typical, cheap factory sporter. With a gun capable of 1.5-2.0 MOA at best, you can never really determine if a “flyer” is you or the gun. Conversely, when a novice shoots a gun that can put 5 shots through one ragged hole, if a shot goes way high or low, the shooter knows his aim, trigger control, or gun-handling is to blame. He (or she) can then correct the problem. And when the shooter does everything right, he or she will see a nice tight group on the target. The accurate rifle provides more meaningful feedback and it rewards progress. That helps the novice become a better shooter in a shorter period of time.
A while back, Forum Member Preacher and his “bunny hugger” niece from California proved this point. The young lady, with almost no shooting experience, took Preacher’s 6-6.5×47 and shot a sub-quarter-MOA, 3-shot group at 350 yards. Don’t tell her she needs to stick to a cheap factory rifle. Preacher reports: “My niece flew in from the west coast and came up to visit. When she saw a few of my full-blown varmint rifles, she wanted to shoot one. She did a super job even if she IS a ‘bunny hugger’. She pulled the 1.5 ounce Jewell on a few fired cases to check out the trigger pull and then got in behind the gun and put three shots into a 350-yard target with a one-inch circle.” We measured her group at 0.822″ (0.224 MOA). Don’t tell Preacher that accuracy is “wasted” on novices. He joked: “I sure don’t want her shooting at me ….”
Rifle Features BAT Action, Krieger Barrel, and Russo Laminated Stock:
For those who are interested, Preacher’s rifle features a BAT 3-lug action, 30″ Krieger 7.5-twist heavy contour barrel, and Russo stock (with clear coat by Preacher). Chambered in 6-6.5×47 Lapua, this gun “shoots the 108gr Bergers very well” according to Preacher. Yep, we agree with that — even when a novice “bunny-hugger” does the trigger-pulling.
At the CMP’s 2024 National Trophy Pistol Matches, John Bickar of Menlo Park, CA, became only the third competitor in history to earn back-to-back wins in the President’s Pistol Match. John captured his second straight title shooting a 1911 pistol used by his mother, who passed in 2003. After a two-decade long hiatus, Bickar returned to the National Matches in 2023, using his mom’s cherished 1911 pistol. He won the President’s Match in 2023 and now has won a second year in a row with his 2024 victory.
John Bickar won his second consecutive President’s Pistol Match at the 2024 National Matches.
As Bickar packed his gear and waited for others to finish the President’s Match, the USAMU’s SSG Christopher Hudock told John, “That’s the highest score I’ve seen so far.” Bickar then thought: “I might’ve won this again.” Indeed he had won again, and was proud to do it with his mother’s 1911 pistol. “Glad to carry on the tradition,” Bickar said.
The President’s Pistol Match, a staple of the century-old National Matches since 1981, had 414 competitors this year. Bickar fired an overall score of 384-17X over the day — just one point above the second and third place finishers. John noted that the conditions on the day of the President’s Match were nearly ideal.
John Learned Pistol Marksmanship from his Mother and Father
Originally from Canton, Ohio, John competed at the National Matches as a junior. He comes from a line of pistol enthusiasts – with his mom, Judy, a competitor until her passing in 2003, and his dad, John, the president of the Canton McKinley Rifle and Pistol Club for 17 years before his passing in 1994.
John, with his parents’ guidance, earned his Distinguished Pistol Badge in 1993 at the age of 16 — the youngest at the time – and went on to compete in college as well as internationally attending World Championships and Pan American Games. He also trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. He earned his Distinguished International Badge in 2001 and his Distinguished Rifleman Badge in 2018.
Other Notable Performances at the National Trophy Pistol Matches
Finding second behind Bickar was 1LT Lisa Emmert Traciak of Colorado Springs, who claimed the High Woman honor in the President’s Pistol event. She went on to also earn the National Woman’s Trophy as the top scoring woman in the National Trophy Individual Match (NTI), garnering a score of 280-14X, and the Rose Krelstein Trophy as the highest scoring woman in the President’s/NTI Aggregate.
Jonathan Shue of Liberty, NC, was the top overall competitor of the National Trophy Individual (NTI) event with a score of 293-15X. It was Shue’s second time earning his name on the General Custer Trophy, having previously won back in 2019. He also claimed the High Civilian title with his win and took the Anheuser Busch Trophy as the leading competitor in the NTI/NTT Individual Aggregate, with a score of 584-24X. Shue is the current national record holder in the Aggregate event.
What’s a “Wallet Group”? It’s a singularly spectacular proof target that entitles its bearer to bragging rights. The wallet group may or may not have been shot in competition, and, by definition, it may not be repeatable. But it exists as incontrovertible proof that, at least once, the stars aligned, and the wind gods smiled on the shooter.
Five Shots in 0.178 MOA at 1000 Yards
A few years ago, Forum member and F-Class shooter Gary Wood was testing his 6.5-284 rifle at the 1000-yard range in Coalinga, California, getting ready for an upcoming long range match. In practice, Gary nailed a witnessed 1.859″ five-shot group, with four of the five shots well under an inch. Use this as proof to win those club-house arguments about whether it is possible to shoot “in the ones” at 1000 yards. Gary’s group worked out to 0.178 MOA!
Gary reports: “I was load testing with 5-shot groups. Each group was shot on a new F-Class center and pulled by Ret. Master Chief Jerry Pullens and spotted by an other long-range shooter. The second 5-shot load group looked really small … by our reckoning four out of five shots measured under an inch. I was amazed. What’s more, when I shot the group, the 4th shot blew the spindle out of the 3rd shot. My spotter saw that in his scope and Jerry Pullens told me about it afterwards”.
As measured with the OnTarget Software, using a scan of the target, Gary plotted the group size at 1.859″ total for five shots, or 0.178 MOA. Gary noted: “I had everyone sign the target which I saved and photographed.” Yes, Gary, this may be the wallet group to end all wallet groups. You should have that target framed.
Gary’s Load and 6.5-284 Rifle Specs
Gary was running a stout load of Hodgdon H4350 and CCI BR-2 primers, pushing moly-coated 142gr Sierra MKs, in Lapua 6.5-284 brass. The rifle features an F-Class, single-shot Surgeon action with a Bartlein 5R barrel chambered with a no-turn neck. Gary says “The barrel only has 70 rounds through it… yep, I think it will shoot.” Gary did all of the gunsmithing and barrel work himself.
Did Gary have any special reloading tricks? Apparently not: “Other than weighing the cases and the powder very carefully, there really were no magical reloading secrets used. The Sierra 142s were moly-coated straight from the box of 500, but they were not weighed or checked for bearing surface. The powder was dropped with a RCBS ChargeMaster then checked with an Acculab scale (to under a tenth). The Lapua cases were not neck-turned, but I did weight-sort them. The five cases for the small group weighed: 195.05, 195.03, 195.03, 195.03, 195.01.”
This custom war wagon hauls varmint hunters around the Longmeadow Game Resort in Colorado. Bottom image by Forum member Randful, Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming.
Will you be heading to the varmint fields this summer? Proper planning is key to a safe, satisfying, and productive varmint holiday. Bring a variety of rifles if possible — you’ll need to switch off as one barrel gets hot, and the chambering that works best for your close shots may not be ideal for those longer shots out past 400 yards. Here’s one tip that can help you shoot more effectively on your varmint hunt — at your shooting station, put a strip of surveyor’s tape on a tall stake to show the wind direction. Then align to the wind direction, so that it is a direct headwind or tailwind. This will minimize the effect of cross-winds.
For fans of varmint hunting, we’ve assembled eight videos for this Saturday at the Movies Feature. You’ll see a variety of rifles being used in classic American varmint country — Montana, Oregon, and the Dakotas. We’ve also included an interesting video from South Africa.
Extreme Outer Limits — Oregon Adventure with .22 Creedmoor
This varmint safari video features the Extreme Outer Limits squad in Central Oregon. The host is shooting the .22 Creedmoor cartridge from a 22″ Benchmark barrel. The shooters benefit from a great operation, with elevated mobile shooting stations and benches. Watching this video made this Editor want to travel up to Oregon this summer, and try out a .22 Dasher that’s been sitting in the safe.
This video has plenty of action, with hits on small varmints (mostly ground squirrels) out to considerable distances. You can see the effectiveness of the .22 Creedmoor cartridge — it basically vaporizes some of the critters.
.22-250 Nails Ground Squirrels and Rock Hyraxes in South Africa
Here’s an interesting video from South Africa. The video maker starts with shots on ground squirrels. His .22-250 blasts them into little pieces. They he switches to more distant targets, a furry ground-hog size animal called the Rock Hyrax, Cape Hyrax, or Dassie. Mature Rock Hyraxes weigh 4-5 kilograms and have short ears and tail. These Rock Hyraxes are found at higher elevations in habitats with rock crevices, allowing them to escape from predators (but not skilled varmint hunters).
1125-Yard Rockchuck Hit with Extreme Outer Limits
Here a team from Extreme Outer Limits tests their skills at Extreme Long Range Varminting. The group set up benches and aim their rifles at a distant hillside over 1100 yards away. You can see a successful first-shot rockchuck hit at the 5:15 time-mark. On this episode of Extreme Outer Limits, Bob Beck, Tim Titus, and some MOA Rifles clients to put the .22 Creedmoor and other MOA-brand rifles to the test. At these long distances, Rockchucks are relatively small targets providing plenty of challenge.
Long Range Rockchuck Adventure with Gunwerks Crew
This Gunwerks video showcases varmint hunting in the Western USA. In this video Aaron Davidson and the Gunwerks crew try out some new rifles on some rockchucks. Most of the the rifles were suppressed but the host said the rockchucks took cover after the first shot, so this required good coordination among shooters and spotters. A 6XC varminter is featured at 2:44 and there’s some nice drone footage starting at 2:00.
Varminter.com — Great Resource for Varmint Hunters
Varminter.com is a great resource for serious varmint hunters. This site regularly reviews rifles, optics, and varmint ammunition. In addition, the site’s founder, Eric Mayer, often ventures out in the backcountry to film his varmint adventures.
Varminting with .17 HMR Savage A17 and Custom .17 WSM AR
On varmint excursions, we like to have a .17 rimfire for the closer shots, inside 150 yards. This video shows a successful Prairie Dog hunt with a .17 HMR. Watch and you’ll see hits out to 160 yards (00:50), proving the effective range of the .17 HMR cartridge. The host is shooting a Savage A17 semi-auto 17 HMR rifle in a Boyds laminated stock.
Varminters now enjoy three .17-caliber rimfire options. The .17 Mach 2, .17 HMR, and .17 WSM are all good choices, with the 17 Mach 2 being the cheapest and the .17 WSM the most powerful. With a rimfire you save on ammo costs and you don’t waste precious centerfire barrel life. Also the noise is reduced so you don’t spook the critters so much. We have shot ground squirrels with both the 17 HM2 and .17 HMR. And with a 3000 fps MV, the .17 WSM has some really impressive ballistics. As you can see, the .17 WSM has a much flatter trajectory than both the .17 HMR and .22 WMR:
Last but certainly not least, this video from Eric Mayer, founder of Varminter.com and AR15Hunter.com. This video features an innovative AR-platform rifle chambered for the potent .17 Winchester Super Magnum (aka .17 WSM) cartridge. Eric was able to have instant kills out to 200 yards. This rifle features a Franklin Armory F-17 V4 upper with a Franklin Armory 10-rd magazine. Eric was very impressed with the .17 WSM and he believes the 20gr bullet with 3000 fps MV will be very effective for most of his small varmint hunting out to considerable distances.
KILL Shots — BONUS Age-Restricted Videos
Linked below are a couple very good varminting videos that show explosive hits. However, YouTube has decided these can’t be posted on third-party websites so you’ll have to click the links below to see the Prairie Dogs going airborne. In the first video, the lady shooter nails THREE P-Dogs with one shot!
1. Eastman’s Hunting Journals. Great Video from Eastern Montana. This has nice Aerial Footage and an amazing shot with three P-dogs (in line) dropped with a single shot (at time-mark 9:28). One shot — THREE prairie dogs down! This prairie dog hunt features slow-motion kill shots, digiscope close-ups, and a rare prairie dog triple kill. A group of hunters works to remove prairie dog pests from private grazing lands in this episode of Beyond the Grid by Eastmans’ creators of Eastmans’ Hunting TV. You’ll have to CLICK HERE to watch this video. See Also Eastman’s Prairie Dog Armageddon video.
+ONE Program to Encourage New Shooters
August is National Shooting Sports Month. As part of this effort, the NSSF encourages firearms owners to take one novice to the range this one. This +ONE Movement will help strengthen the ranks of shooters, which, in turn, can help protect our Second Amendment freedoms. The NSSF states: “If just one in three of America’s recreational shooters adds one new person to the shooting sports, we’ll secure a strong future for generations to come. So be the one. For all the thrills and excitement recreational shooting has given you, join the +ONE movement and invite someone to the range today. Share your experience on social media.”
As part of the +ONE Movement, the NSSF encourages all participants to practice gun safety and proper firearms handling and storage practices. This video covers basic gun safety procedures:
This second video highlights the +One program, inspiring experienced shooters to invite novices to try shooting at the range this summer:
The NSSF has created a list of TEN Rules of Firearms Safety. While you’re at the shooting range or anywhere you handle a firearm, safety ALWAYS comes first. Here are the 10 Key Rules of Firearms Safety. NOTE: The first four rules are the most important.
Whidden had been consistent throughout his entire National Matches appearance, having only dropped five points in the previous 15 rounds of the competition. His confidence continued as he took each shot. Then, unexpectedly, he pulled one left — just grazing the edge line of the 10-ring. An eye opener, to be sure.
Five Shots in 0.178 MOA at 1000 Yards
This varmint safari video features the Extreme Outer Limits squad in Central Oregon. The host is shooting the .22 Creedmoor cartridge from a 22″ Benchmark barrel. The shooters benefit from a great operation, with elevated mobile shooting stations and benches. Watching this video made this Editor want to travel up to Oregon this summer, and try out a .22 Dasher that’s been sitting in the safe.
+ONE Program to Encourage New Shooters
