One of the most important short-range benchrest matches on the planet kicks off tomorrow. The Super Shoot, official Super Shoot 50 this year, will draw top group-shooting benchrest aces from around the world to the USA this week. The match will be held at the excellent Benchrest Rifle Club in Missouri. The match officially starts on May 20th, but the BRC was open for practice this weekend (see schedule below).
This event has been called the “premier benchrest match of the year”. The course of fire has Light Varmint and Heavy varmint group size competition at 100 yards and 200 yards. Most of the rifles will be chambered for the 6mm PPC cartridge shooting bullets under 70 grains. Every year the Super Shoot attracts top benchrest competitors from many countries around the world. Along the firing line you’ll find Hall-of-Famers and past National Champions.
This year marks a milestone for the Super Shoot — as Super Shoot 50 will be held May 20-23, 2024. Historically, the Super Shoot has been the most prestigious benchrest match in the world. This year the Super Shoot will be held at one of the premier facilities in the United States, the Benchrest Rifle Club in St Louis, Missouri. Sponsors this year include: Bartlein Barrels, BAT Machine, Bruno Shooters Supply, Krieger Barrels, MidwayUSA, MTM, PMA Tool, Redding, and Shilen Rifles.
The NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits event kicks off today in Dallas, Texas. Today we look at a fun form of rifle competition — varmint silhouette matches. Shooting steel at long range is both fun and challenging.
If you like accurate rifles and reactive targets, you’ll enjoy this 48-minute video from Shooting USA TV, which features long-range varmint silhouette competition in Texas, the Lone Star State. We have participated in these kind of matches on the West Coast — they are definitely a ton of fun. The sport combines the pure accuracy of benchrest competition with the fun of knocking down critter targets. These are smaller than standard silhouettes, so it’s quite a challenge to hit them at 300 yards and beyond.
In this episode, host John Scoutten competes with his 6.5 Creedmoor PRS rifle. He found that 1-MOA-sized steel Coyotes offered plenty of challenge at 385 meters! Most shooters use benchrest-grade rifles with premium front rests.
Full 48-Minute Episode of Shooting USA featuring Texas Varmint Silhouette:
5″x4″ Hogs — 500 Meters
Chickens (on Swingers) — 600 Yards
Pigs (on Swingers) — 750 Yards
EDITOR: We strongly recommend you take the time to watch this Shooting USA feature — it shows some top-flight benchrest rifles, and also covers the origins of benchrest varmint silhouette in Pennsylvania. There are even some AccurateShooter Forum members on screen. John Scoutten also does nice job explaining the challenges of shooting this discipline with a PRS rig. We think any benchrest or tactical shooter will really enjoy watching this video.
Travis Frazier, who created steel targets with Field & Cave Outfitters, says shooters love the reactive targets: “The most exciting thing is seeing your hits — these [targets] really go airborne”. Yep, that’s the best thing about Varmint Silhouette matches — hits deliver instant gratification. Travis designs and produces these steel targets.
This Texas match features multiple target shapes, 10 at each distance: Tiny Prairie Dogs at 200m, 3″x3″ Armadillos at 300m; 3″x5″ Coyotes at 385m; 5″x4″ Hogs at 500m; Chickens (on swingers) at 600 yards; and Pigs (on Swingers) at 750 yards. Competitors are allowed 10 rounds and 10 minutes to hit each set of targets.
The First Shot, the CMP’s archived Online magazine, has an article by Spc. Tyrel Cooper of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU). In his article, Straight to the Rear, Spc. Cooper describes proper trigger hand and finger positions and how to best “break the shot”. This well-written article will help anyone who shoots off-hand, or who uses an AR or Spacegun-type rifle with a vertical pistol grip.
Cooper explains: “Trigger control is one of the two main principles of shooting that we teach. You can have the best position in the world with perfect sight alignment, but if you have bad trigger control, you have wasted all that effort that you put into your position and sight alignment.”
Photo Credit: CMP image from 2019 CMP 1000 Aggregate at Camp Perry.
Firing Hand Position and Finger Placement
“Good trigger control begins with a good firing hand position. Place your firing hand high on the pistol grip, with a good firm grip. Grip tension should be like giving someone a hand shake or holding a child’s hand while walking across a street. A good firm grip [helps you] move your trigger finger without moving your other fingers. Try this, hold out your firing hand with fingers extended; now try moving your trigger finger to the rear as if you were pulling the trigger. Unless you concentrate very hard on moving just your trigger finger, other fingers will move. Now make a fist as if you were grabbing a pistol grip, now you can move your trigger finger freely without introducing movement in the other fingers.”
“I’m sure you have heard advice to place the tip or the pad of your finger on the trigger. This is true if you have short stubby fingers and that’s where the index finger naturally rests, but if you have long fingers like myself you want more of your finger around the trigger…. By placing your finger where it naturally rests on the trigger you are ensuring that you are pulling the trigger straight to the rear, and this also allows you to get more leverage on the trigger.”
Rapid-Fire Trigger Technique
“Trigger control for the rapid-fire stage is different than it is for standing. You can actually take a little bit more time to break your shots in rapid fire because of the steadiness of a supported position. A good rapid fire shot process is: 1) drop down into position, 2) get your natural point of aim, 3) take up the first stage on your first shot, 4) break that shot smoothly and hold the trigger all the way to the rear through recoil, 4) once recoil has ceased, let the trigger out only far enough to reset the trigger (you should hear a metallic click of the trigger resetting) and continue by firing your second and succeeding shots.
By doing this, you already have most of the weight of the trigger taken up so the next shot is ready to go without having to take up all the weight of the trigger every single shot.”
Slow-Fire Prone Technique
“During the slow fire prone stage, you have even more time to break your shots, so you would use the slow–smooth method. You should have little or no hold movement at all, thus allowing you to acquire good sight alignment, a good sight picture and break the shot using slow and smooth trigger control. Again you want to hold that trigger all the way to the rear until recoil has ceased so you do not disturb the rifle, no matter what position you are shooting.”
Standing Trigger Technique
“When you are shooting standing have you noticed that the rifle never really stops moving? Well, this is where you would want fast and smooth trigger control. When I come down and start settling on the target, I take up the first stage of the trigger. Once I’m getting to the end of my firing process and the movement has slowed down, I manipulate the trigger fast, but smooth, to the rear when I see what I want to see in my sight picture. Over time, this will become a subconscious act; when your brain sees the sight picture, it will automatically tell your trigger finger to move instead of you having to tell yourself there it is, take it. Lots and lots of dry firing will help this process. To repeat, you want to be fast and smooth!”
Many notable shooters and YouTube hosts will appear at the 2024 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits being held in Dallas, Texas later this week. Among the many celebrity gun guys on hand are ace shooters Jerry Miculek and Max Michel, plus popular YouTube Content Creators 22 Plinkster, Hickok45, and Colion Noir.
If you will be attending the NRA Show in Dallas, make time on Saturday, May 18th to meet with one or more of these notable individuals. CLICK HERE for a full list of celebrities appearing during the NRA Show in Dallas. Most will appear on 5/18/24 at sponsor company booths in the Hutchinson Convention Center.
JERRY MICULEK
Smith & Wesson – Booth: 11956
Saturday, 5/18: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Jerry Miculek is an American professional speed and competition shooter on Team Smith & Wesson who holds over 100 national and world shooting titles, and multiple world records. Jerry is widely regarded as the one of the fastest shooters in the world, and the greatest wheelgun shooter in history.
MAX MICHEL
Galco Holsters – Booth: 8953
Saturday, 5/18: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
This upcoming Saturday, champion professional shooter Max Michel will be available to meet with show attendees, sign photos (provided by Galco), and take pictures with fans. One of the fastest pistol shooters on the planet, Max is a leading competitive shooter, sponsored by SIG Sauer, Cabela’s, and Galco.
22PLINKSTER
The Kinetic Group- Booth: 8644
Saturday, 5/18: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
At booth #8644 on Saturday May 18th, YouTube host and trick shooter 22Plinkster will be in the CCI booth talking about shooting skills, amazing trick shots and how he fell in love with the world of rimfire shooting. 22Plinkster’s YouTube Channel, with 941,000 subscribers, is the most popular online video resource for rimfire firearms.
HICKOK45
Silencer Central – Booth: 10731
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Hickok45 is an avid firearms enthusiast with extensive knowledge of popular pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Hickok45’s hugely popular Youtube channel has 2700+ videos testing a huge variety of both contemporary and classic firearms. His comparison tests, shot on his own private shooting range, are very informative. His YouTube Channel now has 7.68 million subscribers!
COLION NOIR
Nosler – Booth: 9548
Saturday, 5/18: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
On Saturday you can meet Nosler Pro-Staffer Colion Noir, a well-known Second Amendment advocate. His very popular YouTube Channel, with 2.83 million subscribers, covers shooting sports, gun safety, and the importance of the Second Amendment. An attorney by trade, Noir provides valuable legal perspective to discussions related to the Second Amendment and has become a respected spokesperson for the shooting-sports community.
MAP for Hutchison Convention Center Area in Dallas
Today’s Sunday GunDay story features Corbin Shell’s remarkable, record-setting .416 Barrett. With a 40″ Krieger barrel secured in a massive barrel block, this is definitely a big boomer!
Back in 2019, Forum member Corbin Shell set an Extreme Long Range (ELR) record. With no sighters or warm-up shots, Corbin put three (3) shots on a 36″ x 36″ steel plate at 2118 yards, establishing a Cold Bore ELR World Record (the best at the time). The range was verified with three rangefinders and the string was witnessed by 20+ shooters. In 2019 Applied Ballistics reported: “There is a new official ELR World Record. 2118 yards. 3 for 3 cold bore.” This was also recognized as a record by the FCSA (Fifty Caliber Shooting Association). NOTE: The ELR record has been bettered in more recent years, including a 2298-yard, 3-shot performance in 2020 by Randy Newton.*
This record was set at the ELR Southeast Shootout held at the Arena Training Facility in Blakely, Georgia, on March 2, 2019. The World Record attempt was made in compliance with all ELR Central Rules.
Corbin Shell (on right) stands next to Joe Burdick, match director. That’s three hits on 36″ x 36″ plate.
ELR Ain’t Cheap — $6.55 Cost per Shot
In 2019 Corbin told us: “Each round fired cost approximately $6.55. The breakdown is as follows: bullet $3.05, powder $0.80, primer $0.50, cartridge case $1.00 (based on five firings), barrel wear $1.20 per shot based on 1000 rounds of barrel life. Hitting steel at distance: PRICELESS!”
Editor’s NOTE: With the significant inflation we’ve seen in the past 5 years, with major increases in the cost of powder and primers, we bet today’s cost per shot would be closer to $9.00 per round fired with the same formula including barrel cost.
ELR Record .416 Barrett Rifle Components
Action: BAT .50 caliber EX, multi-flat, with hard coat finish, extra CheyTac bolt. Barrel: Krieger cut-rifled, .416 caliber, 40″ finish length, 1:9″ twist. Barrel Block: Doyle Anglin Dixie Gunworks, integral Picatinny rail. Muzzle Brake: Ryan Pierce 5-port magnum. Stock: Designed and fabricated by Doyle Anglin, Dixie Gunworks. Obeche laminate, Indian Blanket color scheme. 48″ long excluding butt hardware. Butt and Cheekpiece Hardware: Master Class/Alex Sitman, extended rods. Scope: Sightron SIII 6-24x50mm MOA reticle item #25127. 100 MOA elevation/windage. Bipod: Duplin Rifles by Clint Cooper. Weight: One pound, 2 ounces. Gunsmith: Rifle builder was Doyle Anglin, Dixie Gunworks, Winder, GA.
If you want to learn more about this record-setting rifle, Corbin has prepared a 6-page project history describing all the components and explaining how the rifle was constructed. This Build Document also contains a wealth of information about loading for the .416 Barrett cartridge.
Conditions During Record:
Corbin tells us: “This was shot in Blakely, Georgia at the Arena Training Facility in good Ole dense Southern air. Here are the atmospheric conditions when I shot: 70 degree temperature, 29.70-29.80 inches of mercury, 82% humidity, 1211 Density Altitude (DA).”
Corbin noted that the unique barrel block with rail helps with ELR Optics: “This custom-made barrel block is drilled length wise to reduce weight. It incorporates an integral Picatinny rail which… facilitates mounting of … the Tacom Charlie/Delta TARAC prism system, without the need to bridge mount.” Charlie/Delta TARAC units effectively offset the view that comes into the scope, providing up to 625 MOA elevation.
ELR Cold Bore Shot Record Rules
Congratulations to Corbin Shell for setting an ELR World Record in 2019. This record was shot under a very specific set of rules established by ELR Central and industry leaders. For more ELR record information, go to ELR Central Facebook Page. There you will see more recent ELR Record rifles.
* Prior to Corbin Shell’s performance with his monster .416 Barrett, David Tubb shot a 2200-yard, 3-shot group that has been recognized as a FCSA record. However, because David had made a same-day attempt, within minutes, with a different rifle, this did not comply with the ELR Central Rules. So, officially Corbin Shell was recognized as the ELR Central World Record Holder.
Left to Right, Sherri Jo Gallagher, Mother Nancy Tompkins, and Michelle Gallagher — All Champions.
Happy Mother’s Day
Today we want to wish Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms around the world. All of us must remember that we literally owe our lives and our well-being to our mothers, who brought us into the world. Without the love, support, caring, and nurturing of our mothers, none of us would be here. So to mothers everywhere, we say:
“Thank you. Bless you. May your lives be filled with happiness today and everyday.”
At the top is a cherished photograph of the one of the greatest moms in the shooting community, Nancy Tompkins, along with her two little girls (who both turned into pretty darn good shooters themselves). On Nancy’s right is Michelle Gallagher, multi-time National Long-Range Championship. On the left is Sherri Jo Gallagher, who was the second woman in history to capture the NRA National High Power Championship at Camp Perry. Who was the first woman ever to accomplish that feat? You guessed it — Nancy Tompkins, Sherri’s mom, was the first-ever female High Power Champion. Nancy is married to another great shooter, Mid Tompkins. This is truly America’s “First Family of shooting”.
Nancy Tompkins is one of the greatest long-range shooters in American history. She has won the National Long Range Championship 5 times (1986, 1997, 1999, 2003, and 2015), the across-the-course National High Power Championship (1998), the Metric Smallbore Nationals (2012), and the Fullbore Nationals (2012). She has also been the Wimbledon Cup winner (1993) and a 7-time Leech Cup winner (1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2011 and 2012). She has won both team and individual medals in the World Championships and has been on 8 Palma Teams (as both a shooter and a coach).
Tompkins’ treatise, Prone and Long Range Rifle Shooting, is a must-read for serious Palma, F-Class, and High Power shooters. The revised Second Edition includes F-Class equipment and techniques, and newly updated information. Topics include Mental and Physical training, Reading Wind and Mirage Shooting Fundamentals, International Competition, and Loading for Long Range.
While AccurateShooter.com focuses primarily on rifle disciplines, we know that most of our regular readers also own handguns. It’s fun to shoot pistols, both outdoors and indoors. With a short site radius, and the snap of pistol recoil, handguns can be challenging — but that’s part of the fun. We enjoy shooting revolvers and semi-auto pistols at distances from 25 feet to 50 yards. Here are some fun targets you can download and print for FREE. These should provide a fun challenge for your next handgun sessions.
1. Patriotic Stars Target with Three Score Values
Here’s a fun Patriotic Stars Target created by the NSSF. This would be a great target to shoot on the 4th of July. Aim for the stars. The red stars are worth 3 points, the blue stars are 5 points, and the smallest white stars are worth 10 points. After aiming for the one-color stars, try to hit the center red, white, and blue star for added fun. You can also use this target with rifles at longer ranges.
2. Red Center Pistol Target
Here’s a NRA-type target for pistol shooting. The bright red center helps when shooting indoors because well-placed bullet holes are much more visible. This target includes data entry boxes to record gun type, score, and load data. This Red Center Target is one of many good free targets available at Targets4free.com.
3. NSSF Billiards Table Target
This Billiards Table Target offers 15 brightly-colored numbered balls with the cue ball at the bottom. Aim for the numbers, shooting 1-15 in sequence, or alternate between stripes and solids. You can also draw an “X” on the white cue ball (or attach a paster), and use that to set your zero. This target is fun for shooting outdoors with rifles at 50 or 100 yards or indoors with pistols.
4. Poker Target — Get the Best Hand
With this playing card-themed target, each shooter takes five shots and the one with the highest hand wins. With the Poker Game Target you can also shoot for 4-of-a-kind, against the clock, fastest four (without a mistake) wins.
5. Tic-Tac-Toe Fun Game Target
This Tic-Tac-Toe Shooting Game Target lets you challenge your shooting buddies at the range. One player can shoot the red triangles, while the other shoots the white zones, taking turns. You proceed just like a regular Tic-Tac-Toe game, alternating shots, with the goal of getting three of the same color in a row. This is a fun game for a parent and a young family member. You’ll find other fun targets on Targets4free.com.
CMP Awards Over $300,000 in Scholarships to Marksmanship Athletes for 2024-2025
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Scholarship Committee has presented 142 scholarships to outstanding junior marksmen and women for the 2024-2025 school year. Along with a generous $30,000 contribution from the Garand Collectors Association (GCA), the CMP Scholarship Program awarded $308,000 in new and recurring scholarships: 76 one-time $1,000 scholarships, 17 one-time $3,000 scholarships, and 24 one-time $5,000 scholarships, and Repeat $5000 (4-time) scholarships. CLICK HERE for list of all 2024-25 CMP Scholarship winners.
Four-Year Scholarships
The CMP granted four new repeat $5,000 scholarships, totaling $20,000 over four years for each recipient. These will support the candidates throughout their 4-year college careers. Earning four-year recurring scholarships ($20k per person) are:
Harry Sieben Scholarship: Claudia Muzik (Green Springs, OH)
Carolyn Hines Scholarship: Danjela Jordan de Jesus (Woodbine, GA)
Jon Bengston Scholarship: Natalie Bean (Sour Lake, TX)
Judith Legerski Scholarship: Meredith Stuart (Comfort, TX)
One-time $5000 Scholarship Winners:
Students receiving the $5,000 one-time scholarships are:
Jordyn Allen (AL)
Susan Carter (GA)
Rory Claussen (NM)
Grace Corbett (VA)
Colter Cornwell (MT)
Gracie Dinh (AR)
Riley Dunn (PA)
Ena Gibson (CO)
Nicolette Hoffman (SD)
Megan Jaros (MN)
Katie McCall (MO)
Mallory Johnson (TN)
Evan Langerak (MN)
David LePage (NY)
Elizabeth Probst (TX)
Chloe Shannon (OK)
Donald Simpson (OH)
Hailey Singleton (OH)
Emma Sjodin (TX)
Judson Terry (GA)
Logan Tucker (AR)
Carlee Valenta (PA)
Micah Vawter (WA)
Emme Walrath (WI).
Special Community Scholarship Program
An additional $5,000 from the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama was donated towards CMP’s Community Scholarship – reserved for students in districts surrounding the CMP facilities in Anniston/Talladega, Alabama, and Port Clinton (Camp Perry), Ohio. This year’s $5,000 Superspeedway donation went to Peyton Whitelaw (Oxford, AL). A total of 16 other $1,000 Community Scholarships were awarded, marking $21,000 overall for CMP’s support of neighboring areas.
About the CMP Scholarship Program:
The CMP is proud to provide support to junior marksmen in their continuing education. Through these scholarships, the CMP is able to uphold its goal of awarding those who present exceptional talent, determination and citizenship within the field of marksmanship. CMP Scholarships are available to graduating high school JROTC, 4-H, and other junior shooting club members. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, show good moral character, and be a scholar marksman.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. To learn more about the CMP and its programs, visit TheCMP.org
Want to show off some groups you’ve shot? Or keep a handy pack of mini-targets in your range kit? Then check out this unique product from stockmaker Bell & Carlson. Shoot’n Aces cards feature a 1-inch black square aiming box with a 1/2-inch inner square. These cards are normal poker-playing-card size, 3.5″ high x 2.5″ wide (89 × 64 mm). Shoot’n Aces cards come 56 to a pack. Carry a few extras in your wallet or a pack in your vehicle glove compartment and you’ll always have a precision target to shoot at the range. Cards can be stapled or taped to target stands.
Sniper Central says these cards work well as targets: “The bold square is easy to pick up with the inner white portion making a nice aiming point. The material of the cards is the same as normal playing cards and the bullets make a very nice hole when passing through.” The sharp edges of the bullet holes makes it easy to measure group sizes with precision.
Each pack of Shoot’n Aces contains 56 premium-quality target cards. If you want some, order Bell & Carlson item SA-2006. This is a set of four (4) card-packs with 56 cards per pack (224 cards total) priced at $20.00 (i.e. $5.00 per pack).
When you’re on a varmint expedition in the Western states you can bet, sooner or later, you’ll encounter serious winds. Here’s some advice on how to minimize the effects of cross-winds on your shooting, and easily improve your percentage of hits. In essence, you want to use your ability to change shooting positions and angles to put the wind behind you.
A benchrest or High Power shooter must operate from a designated shooting position. He must stay put and deal with the wind as it moves across the course, from whatever direction it blows.
Put the Wind at Your Back
By contrast, a varmint hunter can move around and choose the spot that provides the most favorable wind direction. In most cases you’ll get the best results by moving your shooting position so the wind is at your back. This will minimize horizontal wind drift. Once you’re in position, use wind flags to direct your fire in line with the prevailing winds. A varminter who calls himself “Catshooter” explains:
The String of Death
I remember the first time I was on a dog town in the Conata Basin, in the Badlands area of southwestern South Dakota. Along with two other guys, I drove out for 21 days of shooting, and I never saw wind like that before. If all four tires of our vehicle were on the ground, the weather man said these were “mild wind conditions”.
After the first four or five days, we got smart. We would park the truck on the up-wind side of the town so the wind was at our back. Then we took a piece of string on a 3-foot stick, and set it in front of the shooters, and let the string point at the mounds that we were going to shoot.
For the rest of the trip, we didn’t have to deal with wind drift at all. We just shot the dogs that the string pointed to. We started calling our simple wind pointer the “String of Death”.
We were hitting dogs at distances that I would not repeat here (with benchrest grade rifles). After the first time out, I always took a wind rig like that.
Benefits of Swivel Benches
In a large varmint field, you’ll want to orient your shooting position to put the wind at your back if possible. If you have a rotating bench such as this, you can further adjust your shooting orientation to work with the wind, not against it. You may also want to position simple flags (posts with colored tape) downrange to alert you to wind changes you may not notice from your shooting positions. If you can’t get a “wind at back” orientation, the next best set-up is with the wind coming straight at you — that also minimizes the wind drift on your shots.
Happy Mother’s Day
Nancy Tompkins is one of the greatest long-range shooters in American history. She has won the National Long Range Championship 5 times (1986, 1997, 1999, 2003, and 2015), the across-the-course National High Power Championship (1998), the Metric Smallbore Nationals (2012), and the Fullbore Nationals (2012). She has also been the Wimbledon Cup winner (1993) and a 7-time Leech Cup winner (1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2011 and 2012). She has won both team and individual medals in the World Championships and has been on 8 Palma Teams (as both a shooter and a coach).
A benchrest or High Power shooter must operate from a designated shooting position. He must stay put and deal with the wind as it moves across the course, from whatever direction it blows.
Benefits of Swivel Benches
