How’d you like to score a check for $25,000? That’s the winner’s pay-out for the 2018 NRA World Shooting Championship (WSC), which runs September 20-22 at the Peacemaker National Training Center in Glengary, WV. This event offers over $250,000 in cash awards and product prizes, making the WSC the richest combined shooting event in the USA (if not the world).
This unique 3-day multi-gun match tests competitors’ skills across twelve challenging stages involving nearly every major shooting discipline for rifles, shotguns, and pistols. All guns and ammo are supplied, but entry fees are steep. Both divisions are currently full, but there is a waiting list.
The 12 WSC stages encompass everything from trap to bullseye pistol to PRS-style precision rifle. There was even a cowboy action stage with Henry “Golden Boy” lever-action rifles.
All the Equipment is Supplied
“What makes this event very unique, especially to a professional shooter, is all the equipment is supplied. You have to leave your ego at home and just try to adapt as best you can to the equipment that you have supplied.” — Jerry Miculek
This major match attracts both sponsored Pros and “regular Joes”. Shooters will be split into two groups: a Professional Division for sponsored shooters, and the Amateur Division for non-sponsored competitors. All firearms, optics, and ammo will be provided by match sponsors for both divisions.
Video Shows Stages at 2017 World Shooting Championship
Cash Awards, Huge Prize Table, and Random Drawings
The NRA World Shooting Championship will offer $250,000 in cash and prizes. Along with the $25,000 winner’s pay-out, there will be fat cash prizes for second and third place overall, High Lady, and High Amateur Junior. Then there are the rich prize tables. In 2017, the Amateur prize table held $100,000 worth of prizes. And last year the WSC added Ten (10) Random Drawings worth $400 each. These drawings, held during the WSC Awards Banquet, gave every competitor a chance to win cash, no matter what their event ranking.
“The format at the NRA World Shooting Championship is unique in that you don’t know what you have to shoot until you show up, so training for the event is a little difficult. My advice is to pack some good eye and ear protection, bring an open mind, be prepared to listen to the stage descriptions, figure out the best way you can take the guns they provide, and post the best score you can. When the match supplies all the guns and ammo, all you have to do is deal with ‘the performance’. This is the most level playing field in the shooting sports — anyone from around the world can come and play.” — Bruce Piatt, 2015 NRA World Shooting Champion
One of our favorite cartridges for small varmints is the 17 HMR. Yes, the newer 17 WSM rimfire has better ballistics, but 17 HMR ammunition is considerably less expensive, and you have a much larger selection of rifles and pre-chambered aftermarket barrels. And out to 150 yards or so the 17 HMR is great on ground squirrels and prairie dogs.
If you are looking for a 17 HMR varmint rifle, one rig you should definitely consider is the Savage A17. Now that this model is offered in a nice laminated thumbhole stock, you can get a fine little 17 HMR rifle for about $450.00. We much prefer the laminated stock A17 over the basic Tupperware version.
How does an A17 shoot? That question was answered a couple seasons back by Varminter.com in a First Hunt Report. Accurate and affordable, the Savage A17 is also the first .17 HMR to feature a delayed blow-back action. Eric Mayer, Editor of Varminter.com, put the semi-auto Savage A17 through its paces.
Mayer wanted to see how the new Savage would perform, accuracy-wise, and he also wanted to see how the A17 fared in the field. Mayer achieved one-MOA accuracy with the Savage A17 using the latest CCI-brand ammo, and he demonstrated the A17 is wickedly effective on ground squirrels. Below we’ve provided highlights from Varminter.com’s Savage A17 First Hunt Report.
“I [collected] as many versions of the currently available .17 HMR ammunition as I could get my hands on. I had already picked-up and tested the new CCI A17 ammunition, so I filled up my ammo safe with other CCI ammunition, as well as Hornady and Winchester, including the lead free 15.5 grain NTX versions, also from Hornady and Winchester. After spending some time at the bench, I saw that this rifle shot the CCI A17 ammunition best, with most groups hovering right around 1″ to 1.20″ at one hundred yards, and some of the other ammo choices in the 1.25″ to 1.50″ range. This was with a warm barrel and in-between cleanings during the break-in process.”
Mayer found the A17 was easy to maintain: “I was very impressed by the ease of pulling the rifle apart for cleaning out in the field. Even with the scope mounted, I was able to quickly and easily remove the parts needed to give me complete access to the barrel through the breach, so cleaning was a breeze.”
A17 Reliability Lessons — Seat Those Rotary Magazines Correctly Folks
Some early A17 purchasers have noted occasional failures to feed. We believe this is because the magazine was not fully seated (and locked in place) in the firearm. The experience of Varminter.com’s Editor seems to confirm this. Mayer reports “As I began to shoot the rifle, I experienced what a few others have reported, with the magazine falling out while shooting. I quickly realized that I was not snapping the magazine into place every time. I found that popping in the magazine while the bolt was pulled, or locked back, resolved the issue. I did have a few failures to feed, but only on some of the older ammunition I was shooting, namely the first year Hornady ammo and the lead free ammo (which is about 3-4 years old). The newer ammo did not have any issues and functioned well, even while shooting some 10-round ‘mag-dumps’. The trigger is on the heavy side.”
A17 Reliability Shown in Video
The Savage A17 went through a very thorough manufacturer’s testing process before it was released to the market. In fact Savage put over 500,000 test rounds through A17 prototypes. When AccurateShooter.com tested the A17 at Media Day — it worked flawlessly, so long as you make sure the magazine is fully seated. We had zero issues, making us think that reported issues may be related to “driver error”; specifically not seating the magazine properly. Watch AccurateShooter.com video with rapid fire sequence.
Serious competitive shooters and hunters often travel across state lines to pursue their hobbies. And many of those same firearms owners have pistol carry permits for their home state. Now wouldn’t it be great if you could obtain a permit package that is recognized in 32 states? Believe it or not, that IS possible. If you obtain BOTH the Utah (UT) and Virginia (VA) Non-Resident Carry Permits, your carry privileges will be honored in 32 states, as shown in this map from USACarry.com.
So how do you get the UT/VA Permits that covers you in 32 States? Well one of the simplest ways is to attend a Carry Permit Class that specifically covers all the requirements. One such course will be offered at the NRA Carry Guard EXPO in Richmond, Virgina, September 14-16, 2018.
This $65.00 course covers the entire process for obtaining the Utah Non-Resident Carry Permit, as well as the VA Non-Resident Permit. (It also covers the VA Resident permit for Virginians who don’t already have a VA permit). This course includes completion of the applications for both Utah and Virginia, required course instruction, fingerprints and photos. Yes, this course includes fingerprinting AND passport photos! That’s all included in the $65.00 price*.
Do you neck-turn hundreds of cases annually? Then you deserve this outstanding tool. This innovative neck-turning system is truly a game-changer. The 21st Century Shooting Powered Neck-Turning Lathe is quite simply the best system ever created for quickly and precisely uniforming (and reducing) the neckwall thickness of cartridge brass. We have the original manual 21st Century neck-turning lathe, and can attest that it works great. But with the new powered system you can turn necks faster and more efficiently, with less effort. This is like going from a stick shift to an automatic transmission. The cases feed very smoothly and the results are beautiful. Once you’ve tried the Powered Neck-Turning Lathe you won’t want to use anything else. Watch this video to see how it works:
Power is activated by the red button on the end of the blue, horizontal feed handle:
Click the Speaker Button on video frame to play with sound (audio).
The Powered Neck-Turning lathe is a modular system. Swing the bar from right to left to feed the case. The power head (with case holder) glides on stainless steel rails for smooth movement. This allows very precise feed rate. Power is supplied via a button that is built into the end of the feed handle. Push the red button to make the case spin. It’s as simple as that.
The folks at 21st Century Shooting explain why the system works so well: “The floating design of our Neck Turner and Case Driver allows the case mouth (bore) to run on the arbor absolutely concentric. This, therefore, allows the outside diameter to be turned concentric with the inside diameter.”
Here is another video that shows how the lathe system operates:
Click the Speaker Button on video frame to play with sound (audio).
Complete Powered Neck-Turning Lathe System
The powered neck-turning system comes with everything you need, starting at $679.00. This includes: Motor Assembly, Lathe Base, “L” bracket, Neck-Turning Tool, Cutter, Case Holder, Driver, Turning Arbor, Expander Die Body, and Expander Mandrel. 21st Century currently offers a choice of nine popular calibers: .17, .20, .22, .243 (6mm), .264 (6.5mm), .270, .284 (7mm), .30, and .33. The case holders are appropriately sized for the common rim sizes in that caliber. Choose either stainless arbor and mandrel or Titanium Nitride-coated arbor and mandrel (for $20 more). Some of the larger calibers cost a bit more.
On our main Accurateshooter.com website, you’ll find a comprehensive review of the STM system for cleaning cartridge brass with stainless media. To clean brass with stainless media, start with five pounds of small stainless pins sold by StainlessTumblingMedia.com. Place these along with a gallon of water, a little liquid cleaner, and two pounds of cartridge brass in a rotary tumbler, and run the machine for one to four hours.
Forum Member Tests STM System
Our reviewer, Forum member Jason Koplin, purchased the STM media and a new Thumler’s Tumbler. He then tested the STM cleaning procedure on his own brass, including some extremely dirty and tarnished “range pick-up” brass. Jason was thoroughly impressed with how well the STM process worked — as you can see from the “before and after” photos below. Brass which looked like it was ready for the scrap heap was restored to “like-new” appearance. Check it out:
Works Great on Both Rifle Brass and Pistol Brass
The process works equally well on both rifle brass and pistol brass (see below). Jason observed that one surprise benefit of the STM cleaning procedure is a big reduction in noise in his reloading room. Jason said the water-filled rotary tumbler was much quieter than his vibratory tumblers.
You’ll want to read Jason’s full review which shows more before and after images. The full article features a “how-to” video created by Forum member Cory Dickerson, the young man who pioneered the stainless tumbling process and founded STM. The video shows how to load brass, media, and cleaner solutions into the tumbler, and how to separate media from brass once the tumbling is done.
Competing at Camp Atterbury in mid-July, Paul Phillips of Team Applied Ballistics won the 2018 NRA Extreme Long Range (ELR) Championship. Shooting a McMillan-stocked .416 Barrett rifle with 550-grain Cutting Edge Bullets, Phillips won convincingly, finishing with 62627 points. Runner-up, shooting a .375, was Chase Stroud (56744 points).
Paul Phillips (holding rifle) with wind coach/spotter John Droelle. Rifle components included: McMillan ELR Beast Stock, BAT Action, Bartlein Barrel, Nightforce ATACR 7-35×56 mm scope, Phoenix Precision Bipod. Cartridges shown are similar .416 Barrett rounds used by Derek Rodgers in 2018 K02M event.
Caliber and Cartridge Choice:
Paul Phillips, shooting the .416 Barrett, was the only shooter in the Top Ten running a .416-caliber rifle. There were eight .375-caliber rifles (mostly .375 CheyTacs) and one .338-caliber in the Top Ten. Overall, there were 36 competitors registered for the Match, 30 of whom scored points. Fourteen of the 30 scoring competitors, nearly half, shot a .375-caliber cartridge. The .338 (mostly .338 LM) was the next most popular caliber choice.
Course of Fire — Three Extreme Yardages:
The 2018 NRA ELR Event included three stages, at progressively longer yardages: 1500, 1760 (mile), and 1961 yards. At each distance, starting at 1500, the competitors fired five (5) shots at a 36″x36″ steel plate. There were no sighters, practice shots, or ranging shots allowed. This meant the competition put a premium on precise ballistic solutions, and very consistent ammo.
Notable Competitors: There were 36 competitors registered for the match including some big names — David Tubb and Brian Litz. The field included F-Class aces Dan Pohlabel and Jeff Rorer. Capstone Precision President (and former Sinclair Int’l President) Bill Gravatt helped spot for Paul Phillips. Notably, both David Tubb AND his son-in-law Nate Stallter finished in the Top Ten shooting the new .37XC.
Successful Event with Many Sponsors: Shooting Sports USA noted: “Though only the second of these events, the match has experienced a real surge in popularity, well attended… and sponsored by some of the best in the business. Cutting Edge Bullets, Nightforce, McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, Holland’s Shooters Supply, Applied Ballistics, Vihtavouri Powder, and Crosstac, all of whom played a role in Paul’s big win, were also major sponsors of the event. Below is a banner listing all of the match’s sponsors.”
Are you feelin’ lucky? Then enter this contest run by our friends at EuroOptic.com. The prize is an impressive Modern Sporting Rifle from Barrett. Enter for a chance to win a Barrett REC7 Carbine (5.56×45 NATO), fitted with a Vortex Razor Gen II HD-E 1-6x24mm optic and Seekins Precision cantilevered scope mount. Rifle, scope, and mount collectively have a true retail value of $3887.99 — that’s some serious coin. ENTER Contest HERE.
The Barrett REC7 ain’t your typical AR15 clone. With a gas piston system, this rifle runs much cleaner. One of the most advanced modern sporting rifles on the market, the Barrett REC7 Carbine features a gas piston operating system and a tungsten gray Cerakote on the upper and lower receiver of the rifle. On top, a Picatinny rail extends the full length of the upper receiver with handguard M-LOK attachment points at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The REC7’s hammer-forged barrel is chrome-lined for corrosion resistance, and is fitted with a mil-spec 3-prong flash hider. The REC7 retails for $2299.00.
Quality Vortex Optic with BDC Reticle
The 1-6x24mm Vortex Gen II HD-E scope is optimized for fast engagements from 50 to 500 yards. With a $1399.99 market value, this optic features a JM-1 Bullet Drop reticle that has multiple hold-over points. This JM-1 BDC reticle was designed in collaboration with the legendary shooter Jerry Miculek. Check out the scope features in this video:
Some (Not All) of the Fine Print:
Entry period ends after August 31, 2018. Entry into this sweepstakes constitutes opt-in to be emailed directly from the sweepstakes sponsors. Additionally, entrants who choose to opt-out of our mailing list prior to drawing of a winner are also opting out of the sweepstakes. The winner of the sweepstakes may be required to sign and return a release of liability, declaration of eligibility and, where lawful, a publicity consent agreement, as conditions of receiving the prize. EuroOptic reserves the right to refuse prize to any entrant for any reason. Eligibility is limited to only legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia. Employees of EuroOptic, Barrett, Vortex Optics are not eligible to enter. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. All federal, state, and/or local rules and regulations apply.
The NSSF has declared August to be National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM). To celebrate this, retailers and shooting clubs are hosting nearly 700 events around the country. These events, which include classes, shooting demos, competitions, and special sales, are listed in a searchable online database. There is also an August sweepstakes for National Shooting Sports Month.
Hundreds of August Events Listed in NSSF Database
Visit LetsGoShooting.org to find August events near you. You can search the database by state, event type, and range name. Nearly 700 events are listed in chronological order, with more being added daily. Here’s a partial sample of the NSSM events taking place over the next few days.
Trigger Time Sweepstakes
As part of National Shooting Sports Month, the NSSF is running a Trigger Time Sweepstakes. Register to win valuable prizes — no purchase necessary. The Grand Prize package, worth $5247.00, includes a Remington 700 6.5 Creedmoor rifle, a Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56mm FFP/Mil scope, and a case of Barnes Match 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition, plus accessories. In addition to the big prize package, there will be dozens of other prizes awarded each week in August. CLICK HERE for Sweepstakes INFO.
Sierra Bullets has just introduced a new line of hunting bullets, called the GameChanger series. These are claimed to combine match-bullet accuracy with highly effective performance on game animals. From what we can tell this is Sierra MatchKing (SMK) projectile modified with a new hollow cavity and tipped front end. The official product release says: “Sierra re-engineered their legendary MatchKing bullet into a hollow-point design for quick expansion and fitted it with a transparent green tip for ballistic uniformity. Inside, the GameChanger features a unique construction that utilizes a special lead alloy surrounded by a tough copper jacket that delivers excellent penetration and expansion[.]”
Video Shows Design of GameChanger Bullet (0:30 time mark):
Report By Boyd Allen, IBS Vice President Huge credit to Ken Frehm for all of the photos and most of the information.
On July 14th and 15th, at the Camillus Sportsmen’s Club, Camillus, NY, thirty-two shooters vied to win the Two Gun (and Class titles) at the NY State IBS Championship & 19th Annual Pro-Am Group Shoot. The Pro-Am is a cash match. Twenty-five of thirty-two shooters participated in the cash option — five dollars per gun per day. They were the Professionals. The remaining seven were the Amateurs.
The weather was balmy and mild, the prize table and cash awards were generous, and the new range improvements were extensive, expensive, and well executed. Overall temperatures were seasonally moderate and the wind, while not difficult, was challenging enough that there were no Teen Aggregates shot in any class.
IBS Competitors Talk about their Sport
Definitely check out this video — it is excellent, and well worth your time. It shows the Camillus Club Range and features informative interviews with many shooters:
The Two-Gun Overall match winner was Bob Brushingham, with Don Francis in second place, and Bob White in third. Don, who finished with a .2600 Grand Agg, edged Bob (.2601) by a mere .0001! That’s close! (SEE Full Two-Gun Results).
Two Gun top finishers (L to R): Bob White (3rd), Bob Brushingham (1st), Don Francis (2nd)
Click image for large version.
Below are the LV and HV Class winners, Class Top Ten results, and respective equipment lists.
Light Varmint top finishers were (above, L to R): Bob Brushingham (2nd LV 100), Henry Miller (1st LV 200), Don Francis (1st LV 100, 3rd LV Grand), Leonard Burdick (2nd LV 200, 2nd LV Grand), Don Jeffers (3rd LV 100, 1st LV Grand).
Click image for large version.
Heavy Varmint top finishers were (above, L to R): Bruce Lachapelle (1st HV 100), Robert Blanchard (3rd HV 100), Bob Brushingham (2nd HV 200, 1st HV Grand), Don Francis (2nd HV 200), Ron Burdick (2nd HV 100, 3rd HV Grand), and Bob White ( 1st HV 100, 2nd HV Grand).
Click image for large version.
Here is the winning Pro-Am Team: Jennaro (Jerry) Corigliano (1st Amateur), Bruce Lachapello (1st Pro).
IBS 100/200-Yard Benchrest Competition
As with all Registered IBS 100/200-yard Group Matches, the N.Y. Championships at Camillus employed moving backers. This system ensures that a completed group includes the requisite five shots. With extremely small groups in the “ones” and “zeros” it may be impossible to distinguish five holes.
Although pre-loading is not uncommon, most 100/200-yard group shooters typically load at the match, often between relays. This enables them to tune their loads for the current conditions. Nearly all competitors in this short-range discipline shoot the 6mm PPC cartridge, or a PPC variant.
With group sizes so small, and group dimensions listed to the thousandth of an inch, precise measurement is an important part of the process.
The Camillus Sportsmen’s Club Range
This is not just a benchrest club, but a complete, multi-discipline shooting sports facility. To my California eyes, the Camillus range is a thing of beauty, with a vast expanse of well-trimmed grass between the firing line and the berms, and a substantial wooded hill beyond. The club has just completed a host of brand new improvements that required a significant investment and, I am sure, a lot of hard work. I believe that this was the first time that an event was held after they were finished. The improvements include a new shooting pavilion (firing line cover), with the latest safety features, new all masonry benches, new berms, new target boards, and may others that are too numerous to mention.
Backing up the range berm is a 120-foot high wooded hill. Behind the firing line, running northwest along the club’s western boundary, is the old, abandoned Erie Canal. The Club’s land is relatively flat, which has allowed it to be well-utilized for multiple shooting sports. See Google Map.
Parting Shot… I had to smile at this picture of the target crew. Evidently the club has excellent relations with the Syracuse Police Department.
On our main 
This is not just a benchrest club, but a complete, multi-discipline shooting sports facility. To my California eyes, the Camillus range is a thing of beauty, with a vast expanse of well-trimmed grass between the firing line and the berms, and a substantial wooded hill beyond. The club has just completed a host of brand new improvements that required a significant investment and, I am sure, a lot of hard work. I believe that this was the first time that an event was held after they were finished. The improvements include a new shooting pavilion (firing line cover), with the latest safety features, new all masonry benches, new berms, new target boards, and may others that are too numerous to mention.
