Chou Brothers Top F-TR Field at Canadian Championships

It was a family affair in the F-TR Division at the Canadian F-Class Championships this past week. In a remarkable show of strength, Kevin and Will Chou, brothers from Aurora, Canada, finished first and second, topping a strong 94-shooter field that included past American and Canadian Champions. The “Chou One-Two” performance was one for the ages. Kevin finished first with 611-61V (“V” is the equivalent of an “X” in the USA), while Will (2014 Champion) scored 607-58V to finish second. A full thirteen points behind Will was third place Daniel Lentz at 594-34V.

Look hard at those numbers — Champion Kevin Chou was 17 points ahead of Daniel Lentz (the first American), with nearly double Dan’s V-Count. 17 points is a huge margin in this kind of competition. You have to hand it to the both Chou Brothers, Kevin and Will — they were “on fire” this past week at the Connaught Ranges outside Ottawa, Ontario. Kevin’s 611-61V equaled the top score in the F-Open division. That’s a major milestone for the F-TR bipod class shooting a .308 Win.

1. CHOU, KEVIN (Aurora, ON, Canada) 611-61V
2. CHOU, WILL (Aurora, ON, Canada) 607-58V
3. LENTZ, DANIEL(USA) 594-34V
4. HOGG, TRACY (USA) 593-41V
5. BURTON, ROBBY (USA) 591-44V

The F-TR event attracted top shooters from around the globe. Countries represented were: Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States. CLICK HERE for Complete F-Class Individual Results.

Report from the Canadian F-TR Championships

by Will Chou and Kevin Chou
Weather was extremely hot and humid for the first two days, resulting in thick mirage, a excellent indicator. In the Army & Navy match during the F-Open relay, wind velocity increased and shifted from right full value to left half value winds. Wind settled down for the last match of the day.

On the third day, mainly team matches, the rain challenged the marking staff with target faces deteriorating; a stop was called to the match after the 1st relay of the final. The match committee determined the best course of action, refaced the target during dry period and finished the remaining seeded final relays.

On the seeded final relay, my brother and I had no idea we’d be shooting together, as we’ve not discussed or paid any attention to scores for the entire match. It was a familiar position though, as we always practice paired together. Strangely, we’re not competitive with each other but rather assist one another to raise the level together. Come to think of it, that’s not just with my brother — we do that with everyone.

On that note, we feel the F-Class community has been raising each others level, bridging the gap between F-Open and F-TR. International teams have been assisting each other, most recently with Canadians and South Africans. Congratulations to South Africa for its well-deserved victory in the International Team Match.

We also congratulate the USA Team, which won the America Team Match, raising the bar yet again. Lastly, Shiraz Balolia’s “three-peat” in the F-Open Division was an incredible feat.

Big thanks to everyone at Bartlein barrels for their support to the Canadian F-Class team. Special thanks to Dan Pohlabel of Kreativ Solutions for the mirage cap, which allowed a better aim in thick mirage. Lastly, Clint Cooper of Duplin bipods, for the great product and his support.

Thank you all and we hope to see you on the firing line.

Shiraz Wins Third Canadian F-Open Championship in a Row: 2016, 2015, 2014
Grizzly Industrial President Shiraz Balolia pulled off a remarkable F-Open “THREE-PEAT” at the 2016 Canadian F-Class Championships. Shiraz won his third straight Canadian F-Class Championship, after winning the title in 2015 and 2014. Shiraz shot a 611-61V to edge, by way of tie-breaker, fellow American Emil Kovan, who also shot a 611-61V. That’s as close as it gets! Rounding out the podium in third place was another Yank, Dwayne Draggoo with 608-44V.

Stay tuned — We’ll have a full report on Shiraz’s notable three-peat F-Open performance (with his equipment and load details) later this week. We’ll also have reports on the Team competitions. There were three teams of 8 shooters taking part in the International, won by South Africa. In the Lum Trophy Match for teams of 4 shooters, there were 14 teams in the F-Open class, win by USFO Blue, and 11 teams in F-TR, won by USA Schwartzkopf.