In one of the closest margins of victory ever, Gene Bukys won the Two-Gun Overall Aggregate at the Kelbly’s Fireams Industry Super Shoot (FISS). Gene’s final Two-Gun Agg was 0.2728, with Jeff Gaidos just .0001 behind at 0.2729. That’s about as close as it can get, and other shooters were not far behind. In third place, at 0.2765, was Jeff Summers, followed by Tony Boyer (0.2827) and Larry Costa (0.2924). Looking at the numbers, only 0.0196 separated the Top Five in the Two-Gun.
Two-Gun Overall, Top 20
1. Gene Bukys, 0.2728
2. Jeff Gaidos, 0.2729
3. Jeff Summers, 0.2765
4. Tony Boyer, 0.2827
5. Larry Costa, 0.2924
6. Bob Scarbrough, Jr., 0.2943
7. Wayne Campbell, 0.2989
8. Lou Murdica, 0.3020
9. Steve Theyes, 0.3078
10. Larry Sharnhorst, 0.3104
11. Ken Hottenstein, 0.3111
12. Joe Hynes, ).3121
13. Dave Coots, 0.3123
14. Cristian Rando, 0.3140
15. Bud Welsh, 0.3193
16. Jeff Graves, 0.3253
17. Geoff Esterline, 0.3254
18. Dean Ekstrom, 0.3315
19. Dave Bruno, 0.3326
20. Bob Brushingham, 0.3339
Conditions were very challenging throughout most of the Super shoot, with strong and often fast-changing winds. Jerry Sharrett posted: “We had some interesting conditions. By the ends of the aggs many of the tails were caught up in the Daisies. For example, during the HV 200 in bench 9 the last three flags were bound up and useless. And many of the front flags, [were the] same way, especially on the right end.” Here is an audio recount of Days 1 through 3 by Ian Kelby (right click to “save as”):
Fellow Shooters Praise Winner
Here are some comments posted on Benchrest Central.com:
“Congratulations to all of you guys in the top 20, especially to the Grand Master from Texas. Special congrats to my friend Dr. Cristian Rando from Buenos Aires, Argentina, shooting his Argentine CGM1 Thunderbolt, made by gunsmith Carlito Gonzalez.” — Pascal Fischbach
“Congratulations to the great Gene, this guy understands the [wind] conditions and rifle tuning better than anybody.” — Carlos Gonzalez
“A close margin of victory in any sport is a true indicator of the level of competition. In Track and Field,it would be called a ‘photo finish’. The best effort won a hard-fought match. It will be remembered because the margin was so close: 0.0001.” — G. Chism
“I ran the Blue Bonnet match earlier this month and from the range officer’s seat, was fortunate to observe Gene at his best. He just sits and waits for his preferred condition and then just rips off five in about thirty seconds. From his past performances in the last few years, he continues to cement a great legacy in the benchrest world.” — Virf
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Ready for the Super Shoot? The 41st Annual Firearms Industry Super Shoot will be held on May 22-25, 2013, at Kelbly’s Rifle Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. This annual event draws some of the best 100-yard and 200-yard benchrest shooters in the world. Last year’s Super Shoot had almost 300 competitors from the USA and 14 other countries (about 15% of the competitors come from overseas).
2012 Super Shoot Highlights Video (Watch This — It’s Very Well Done!)
If you’ve never attended the Super Shoot before, and don’t know what to expect, former Sinclair International President Bill Gravatt offers some insights into this great event:
Super Shoot — What It’s All About
The excitement and anticipation leading up to a Super Shoot can be hard to explain to those who haven’t been to one. Every year, some shooters arrive at the Super Shoot a week early to dial in their rifles, learn wind conditions for the range, and enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow shooters. As the match draws closer, campers and RVs fill the area behind the range, and shooters stake out turf all over the property with their reloading and cleaning equipment setups.
Many shooters choose to load cartridges in the main barn directly behind the 60-bench firing line, while others decide to work in pop-ups, campers and other outbuildings around the facility. Benchrest shooters tend to load in small batches, and some most load cartridges between each match. Many shooters clean their rifles after each match, while others sometimes go two or three matches between cleanings, depending on the number of rounds they fire.
Another part of high-level benchrest competition that will amaze first-time attendees is the quality and amount of equipment benchrest shooters use. Just in front of the shooting benches and the targets, range flags of all kinds sprout up, from the typical “daisy wheel” flags to very sophisticated velocity indicators that show varying wind intensity. Shooters adjust their flags to align with the particular target in front of a specific bench, just slightly below the path of the bullet but still partially visible in the high-powered scopes.
The rifles represent a variety of actions, usually custom, with heavy benchrest barrels by various barrel makers. The most popular cartridge used is the 6mm PPC, but occasionally you will run into someone using a 6mm BR or a slightly modified 6mm BR, and as well as a few other cartridges. Rifle rests used are typically heavy tripods or plate rests. You see a lot of Sinclair rests, Farley rests, and a variety of others, including a few homemade rests. Bags are typically Edgewood or Protektor.
Super Shoot — Runners, Pickers and the Pursuit of Perfection
The techniques vary between shooters, and they are interesting to observe. Some shooters “run” their targets and will shoot a quick sighter and then run all 5 shots as fast as they can before conditions change. Others are “pickers” and shoot each shot carefully, going back and forth between the record target and the sighter target to verify wind conditions and bullet drift. These guys will sometimes shoot up to 10 sighters and use the full seven minutes. Both styles of shooting work and many shooters use both techniques depending on the match conditions[.]
Anyone who attends the Super Shoot will come away with a greater appreciation of precision benchrest shooting. Experienced benchresters already know there will be windy days that drive them crazy, and less experienced shooters can get completely lost when… holding off a shot in the wind. But the reward is worth it. It’s very satisfying to hold off a full inch at 100 yards because the wind changes during your string and drop your fifth shot into a sub 0.100″ group with only seconds remaining on the clock. And that’s what the Super Shoot is all about.
The Super Shoot begins with the Light Varmint Class, for guns that weigh 10.5 lbs or less, and consists of a Warm-Up match and five Registered Matches at 100 yards. Shooters are assigned to one of at least six relays and rotate through 12 benches between each of the registered matches. The rotation ensures each shooter faces various wind conditions found at different parts of the range. Competitors can fire an unlimited amount of sighter shots into the sighter target square. The shooters use these sighters to check changes in wind conditions and determine the amount of hold-off, if necessary.
Once the match starts and the “Commence Fire” command is given, shooters have seven minutes to fire five shots into the record target square. These five shots comprise their “group” score for the match. The groups are gauged using a target measuring device with a magnifier and measures the two outermost shots in the group from center point to center point. This group size is the shooter’s score for that match. The laymen’s way to calculate group size is to measure outside edge to outside edge and subtract the bullet diameter. Both procedures achieve roughly the same results. The group sizes for the five record matches comprise their 100 yard Light Varmint Aggregate. Obviously, the smallest aggregate wins.
The second day repeats the process, only competitors are shooting the Heavy Varmint Class rifles, weighing up to 13.5 lbs, at 100 yards. On the third day, the targets are moved to 200 yards and the Heavy Varmint Class is shot at that yardage. The reason for staying with the Heavy Varmint Class is that shooters who switch to heavier barrels can leave them on after shooting 100 yards. On Saturday, the final day of the match, the shooters compete with the Light Varmint guns at 200 yards.
There are winners for each yardage and gun: Light Varmint 100, Light Varmint 200, Heavy Varmint 100, and Heavy Varmint 200. There are also winners for each gun with the two yardages combined. The grand champion of the shoot is the Two-Gun Champion who has the lowest overall group aggregate for the four days of shooting.
For more information, email jim[at]kelbly.com or call (330) 683-4674. You can register onsite (at the Kelbly’s range) or CLICK HERE for 2013 Super Shoot Registration Form. NOTE: After May 10, 2013 registration fees are $130 per gun — no exceptions.
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Forum member (and respected shooting journalist) James Mock has provided a follow-up report on the recently concluded Firearm Industry Super Shoot.
First, James wanted to give credit to this year’s overall winner, Jeff Summers. James writes: “Jeff Summers persevered through the four days and came away with a HV Grand and a two-gun win at Super Shoot XL. This was his second Super Shoot win. For those who do not know Jeff, he is from eastern Tennessee (Oak Ridge area). He shot a BAT action and Bartlein 1:14″-twist barrel. He is a bag squeezer and shoots homemade bullets. Also, he smiths his own rifles”.
Harpenau Wins Light Varmint Grand
James also wanted to spotlight some talented new shooters, including a schoolboy who represents the next generation of benchrest shooters. James reports: “Many think that the top shoots are the exclusive domain of the old grizzled shooters, but that is not always the case. In the Super Shoot this year, Mark Harpenau (left, below) won a yardage and the Light Varmint Grand Aggregate (10.5-lb Class). Mark has been shooting only three years. Also, young Wyatt Peinhardt (right, below) finished first in the youth group and in the top fifty among all 270 shooters! It is good to see new faces in Benchrest.”
Photos by James Mock.
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The 40th Annual Firearms Industry Super Shoot, held at the Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio, concluded yesterday, May 26. Now in its 40th year, the Super Shoot is the biggest short-range benchrest competition on the planet, drawing upwards of 400 competitors each year. The Super Shoot attracts top 100-yard/200-yard Benchrest shooters from throughout the world.
According to reports from Ohio, Jeff Summers is the Overall Two-Gun Super Shoot Champion. We’re told that Larry Costa finished second, Jeff Gaidos took third, fourth was Wayne Campbell, and Gene Bukys secured fifth position overall. Posting on Benchrest Central, Scotty Crawford wrote: “This is Jeff’s second Super Shoot win. I would like to know how many top tens he has had at the Super Shoot. The cream always rises to the top…. Congratulation to Jeff and Larry Costa and to all the winners.”
Here are some preliminary results for the LV and HV matches. Note: These rankings are subject to final verification, and they are not official. We are still waiting for ranked results from Saturday’s 200-yard Light Varmint (10.5-lb class) competition, and the actual combined scores for the Two-Gun.
Heavy Varmint (13.5-lb) 100 Yards
1st Bill Goad 0.1766
2nd Jeff Summers 0.1918
3rd Bart Sauter 0.1934
4th Hal Drake 0.1972
5th Ken Pritt 0.2056
Heavy Varmint (13.5-lb) 200 Yards
1st Jeff Gaidos 0.2428
2nd Jeff Summers 0.2656
3rd Larry Costa 0.2729
4th Wayne Campbell 0.2769
5th Barney Small 0.278
Heavy Varmint (13.5-lb) Grand Agg
1st Jeff Summers 0.2287
2nd Larry Costa 0.2413
3rd Jeff Gaidos 0.246
4th Wayne Campbell 0.2617
5th Ken Pritt 0.2626
Light Varmint (10.5-lb) 100 Yards
1st Jim Carmichel 0.1922
2nd Cris Harris 0.1946
3rd Tony Boyer 0.1984
4th Jack Neary 0.2044
5th Kip Jones 0.2074
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The Firearms Industry Super Shoot, hosted at the Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio, will be held Wednesday, May 23, through Saturday, May 26th. Now in its 40th year, the Super Shoot is the biggest short-range benchrest competition on the planet, drawing upwards of 400 competitors each year. The Super Shoot attracts the top 100-yard/200-yard Benchrest shooters from throughout the world. Along with Americans, we may see competitors from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
No Rail Guns at Super Shoot — Just LV and HV
The Super Shoot is a two-class-only event, for 10.5-lb Light Varmint and 13.5-lb Heavy Varmint class rifles. Registration fees are normally $110.00 for one gun (2 days) or $240.00 for two guns (the whole event). However, after May 10, 2012, Registration Fees are $130.00 per gun — No Exceptions. Spaces are still available, so don’t hesitate to sign up. It’s not too late to enter. Here’s the schedule:
Match Schedule:
May 23: 100 yards, 10.5-lb class
May 24: 100 yards, 13.5-lb class
May 25: 200 yards, 13.5-lb class
May 26: 200 yards, 10.5-lb class
Trophies Galore, Cash Awards, and Equipment Give-Aways
This being the 40th Anniversary of the SuperShoot, there will be a wide selection of trophies and prizes. This is a rich event — Jim Kelbly says the Overall Winner usually captures $2500.00 or more in cash. Trophies will be awarded for: all match winners, small group winners, Range Aggregates (First 3 places at 100 & 200), Grand Aggregates (Top 3), and Two-Gun Aggregates. There will be special trophies for Top Women Shooter (Grand Agg, 13.5-lb), Top 3 Husband/Wife Teams, Best Father/Son and Father/Daughter Teams, and Top First-Time SuperShoot Competitor. There are even “Aussie Aggregate” trophies for the Top 3 shooters in warm-up matches.
In addition, there will be a variety of Cash Awards for both individual matches (places 1-3) and Aggregates (1-10), and there is the popular “cash option” which can increase the payouts for competitors who participate ($50 buy-in). Gift merchandise will be distributed to competitors on a first-come first-draw basis in the 13.5-lb 100-yard Aggregate. And this year Berger Bullets will offer boxes of its new Benchrest bullets to top shooters.
We previously reported that Texan Gene Bukys won the Two-Gun Championship at the 39th Firearms Industry Super Shoot (FISS) held at Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. This was a notable performance, as Bukys started out Friday with a 1.249 LV group at 200 yards and came back (in tough weather conditions) to win the Two-Gun. Bukys’ Aggregate for 100/200 yards in both the 10.5-lb (Light Varmint) and 13.5-lb class was .2240″. Larry Costa (Florida), the 2008 Two-Gun Champion, finished a close second with a 0.2247″ Two-Gun (all yardage) Agg, while Wayne Campbell (Virginia) finished 3rd with a 0.2302″ Two-Gun (all yardage) Agg. Costa also had the best 10.5-lb class 100/200 Agg, at 0.2173, while Bukys had the best 13.5-lb class 100/200 Agg, at 0.1902. Bukys, Costa, and Campbell will all be on the USA team at the 2011 World Benchrest Championships held in France this summer.
Berger’s Stecker Nails Small Group
Notably, Berger Bullets Master Bulletsmith Eric Stecker shot the smallest group in the entire competition, a stunning 0.054″ in the 10.5-lb class at 100 yards. Yes that’s 0.054 for FIVE rounds — it appears those Berger guys do know how to make some pretty good projectiles. Andy Shifflett had an 0.084″ small group in the HV class.
In linked PDF files below, you’ll find complete results for the 2011 Super Shoot. Considered by many to be the major 100/200 yard benchrest event in the world, the Super Shoot was held May 25th through 28th. Over 250 of the top benchrest shooters from 12 countries competed in this four day, two-gun event. Conditions were tough with constantly changing wind conditions in addition to thunderstorms, intermittent rain/hail and the inevitable mud.
These Downloadable PDF Files Contain the Complete Super Shoot Results:
Two-GunGrand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. GENE BUKYS 0.2240
2. LARRY COSTA 0.2247
3. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.2302
4. JACK NEARY 0.2434
5. CHRIS HARRIS 0.2447
6. BART SAUTER 0.2485
7. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2506
8. TONY BOYER 0.2553
9. LESTER BRUNO 0.2580
10. HARLEY BAKER 0.2635
10.5-lb LV Grand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. LARRY COSTA 0.2193
2. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.227
3. LESTER BRUNO 0.2396
4. DON NIELSON 0.2474
5. TONY BOYER 0.2502
6. JACK NEARY 0.2511
7. BART SAUTER 0.2514
8. ALLEN ARNETTE 0.2533
9. GENE BUKYS 0.2578
10. L. HOTTENSTEIN 0.2605
13.5-lb HV Grand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. GENE BUKYS 0.1902
2. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2085
3. AL BLACKWELL 0.2169
4. CHRIS HARRIS 0.2186
5. JEFF GRAVES 0.2188
6. DAVE COOTS 0.2255
7. LARRY COSTA 0.2302
8. KEVIN HUFF 0.2329
9. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.2331
10. STEVE THEYE 0.2332
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Ready for the Super Shoot? The 41st Annual Firearms Industry Super Shoot will be held on May 22-25, 2013, at 
Forum member (and respected shooting journalist) James Mock has provided a follow-up report on the recently concluded Firearm Industry Super Shoot.
Heavy Varmint (13.5-lb) 100 Yards
