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April 17th, 2013
Story by Lars Dalseide for NRABlog
Protea is the top team trophy at the South African International High Power Championships. Named after the South Africa’s National Flower, the International Protea is shot over three ranges measuring out at 300, 600 and 900 meters. Keeping with the earlier team matches, it was South Africa that powered past England and the United States to claim the hometown title.
Photos by 2013 England Rifle Team
Teams from South Africa, England, the United States, Wales and Ireland readied in the early South African sun for their 8:00 am start. “These are the smallest targets,” American shooter Anette Wachter explained on her website (30CalGal.com). “The winds were up and tricky at all meter lines.”
With twelve shooters per team gunning for a perfect match score of 1800, it started at 300 meters. England held tighter than the rest finishing with 597. Right on the Brits’ heels were South Africa at 595 and the United States at 593. That’s when South Africa made its move.
 But things changed at the 600 meter line. England dropped ten points at 600 meters. Both South Africa and the United States dropped five each. That left South Africa in command with a two point lead over the United States. The hometown advantage would be even more apparent in the final round (900m).
On the back of perfect scores from Bona and Brand, South Africa finished on top with final score of 1769.193. England was practically perfect at 900 meters to finish second while the United States ended up in third. “What a heart break,” Wachter wrote. “But we fought hard. Coaches Emil, Steve and Norm did a great job. The saying is that as a shooter on a team your only job is to pull the trigger. But ‘just pulling the trigger’ is scary.”
Parag Patel Wins Individual Honors
Though South Africa walked away with most of the team titles, it was an Englishman who won the overall individual championships. Mr. Parag Patel, a consultant surgeon at St. George’s Hospital in London, finished his South African tour as the tournament’s top shooter. Parag won the South African Championships, their most coveted prize which is made up of the Grand, the State President’s second Stage and the State President’s Final. As a reward for winning the South African title, he was driven off the range in a vintage 1934 Ford. Click Here to see Parag with the 2013 England Rifle Team.
The tournament now complete, teams are all returning home. For some it’s an incredibly short drive and for others it’s an unbelievably long plane ride. All in an effort to keep in game shape for the next Palma Rifle World Championships in Camp Perry, Ohio.
April 7th, 2013
 Dennis DeMille of Creedmoor Sports sent us a reminder that the Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup is coming up in just three weeks. The event runs May 4-12 at Camp Butner in North Carolina. If you want to join the action you should register soon. This event is limited to 200 shooters. Last year’s Eastern Games and Cup were a great success so a big turn-out is expected this year.
CLICK HERE for Eastern CMP Games Entry Form
CLICK HERE to Register for Creedmoor Cup online
CLICK HERE for 38-page 2013 Match Program with Schedule and Event Listings
Ammo, Brass, and Bullets Available
In related news, Creedmoor Sports announced that limited quantities of Hornady bullets, brass, and ammo, as well as Sierra bullets, that are currently in stock. If you need ammo or components, this may help you. Here is a partial list of the products in inventory as of yesterday.
- H2420 Hornady 6mm .243 75gr HP Bullet –19 Boxes In Stock
- H3095 Hornady Match 30 Cal (.308 Diameter) 195gr BTHP Bullet– 15 Boxes in Stock
- H8097 Hornady .308 Win 168gr BTHP Match Ammo — 26 Boxes In Stock
- H8620 Hornady .243 Win Brass — 13 Boxes In Stock
- H81170case Hornady .30-06 Garand Ammo, 168gr Amax, CASE Lot (200 rds)
- S1740C Sierra 140 gr. HPBT Match Bullets — 3 Boxes In Stock
- S2190 Sierra .30 Cal. 150 gr. HPBT Match Bullets (500 ct) — 15 Boxes In Stock
March 27th, 2013
The NRA National Pistol and Rifle Championships are coming to Camp Perry, Ohio in just a few months. And now you can read all about this year’s Camp Perry activities online. The official Program for the 2013 NRA National Pistol and Rifle Championships is now available as a FREE 158-page eZine.
CLICK HERE to Read Program for 106th Annual National Matches at Camp Perry.
The Official 2013 Camp Perry Program covers match schedules, rules, range locations, scoring procedures, and much more. You’ll fine a comprehensive calendar (pp. 24-25) plus separate sections for each of the major championships: Pistol, Smallbore 3-Position, Smallbore Prone, High Power Rifle, and Long Range High Power Rifle.
Camp Perry Registration
If you plan to go to Camp Perry this year, you can register in a few weeks. Online entry starts in early April, 2013. To sign up, visit www.NMEntry.com and submit your information. Then you can be part of one of histories greatest marksmanship competitions. The NRA explains: “For over 100 years, shooters in the United States have made the pilgrimage to Camp Perry for the NRA National Matches, and the honor to shoot shoulder-to-shoulder with the best.”
 2012 Nat’l High Power Champ Carl Bernosky. Photo courtesy NRABlog.com
March 3rd, 2013
The MidwayUSA Pro Series Competition Shooting Mat is now on sale for just $49.99, through the end of March, 2013. That’s 51% off the regular $102.99 price. This mat is bigger and better than MidwayUSA’s original shooting mat, with many enhancements. The Pro Series mat measures a full 73.5″ x 35.5″ and the padding is thicker. There is a zippered pocket on the front extension flap to hold ammo or log book. The rubberized contact areas are tan now (rather than black) so they don’t get so hot in the sun. And the designers added webbing “pockets” for bipod feet so you can pre-load the ‘pod with forward pressure. MidwayUSA has done a good job improving a mat that was already a good deal for the money. At $49.99 on sale (through 3/31/2013), this Pro Series mat is a great deal.
MidwayUSA Buyer Reviews:
Five Stars: Great upgrades to the original. It’s bigger in every direction, and the padding is twice as thick. The new knee and elbow pads won’t get as hot as the black material on the old one did, and the new material is “grippier” than the old stuff too. The bi-pod stop is a nice touch if you shoot F-T/R. — Bob M., Missouri, 10/6/2010.
Five Stars: As a competitive shooter my mat is important. The mat I replaced had been with me for about twenty years. It had been with me through the famous weather at Camp Perry, the winds and sand of Grayling 1000 yard matches. My Midway mat arrived shiny and new, full of stuffing, stiff and green. At my next match I found I liked the feel of the mat, it has handles! The rocks and sand on the firing line were not as sharp. The rubber is well-placed. It has proven to be rugged and quite up to the task. I am seeing more Midway mats at matches. A good thing. — Tom, Michigan, 12/26/2012.
Four Stars: I purchased this mat for a 2-day Appleseed event this fall. Good overall quality and more than wide and long enough for my frame. The only drawback and reason for me giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the padding is insufficient when placed on top of a rocky surface. I wasn’t looking for a sleeping mat mind you, but you feel every single rock underneath the mat when shooting prone (especially on the elbows), kneeling and when transitioning between positions. Best to use another pad underneath if you are using it on a rocky surface. Most of the other mats out there have the same drawbacks so this is still a great choice at a very decent price. — Chris S., Illinois, 1/6/2013.
Five Stars: This is a great mat for the money. It’s larger, thicker, and stickier than my old one. I could use larger knee area friction pads, but that’s the only complaint. The elbow area is huge and that’s what’s best. Much cooler in the sun, too. Rolls up and rolls out easy. The double-adjustable carry strap has built in loops I use for carrying a rolled up foul weather cover. The fold-out front fly is large and useful. This is a good looking, hard working mat. — Steve R., Illinois, 10/11/2010
This product has 4.3 star average with 53 user reviews.
January 14th, 2013
 Kruger of Germany produces match targets for the ISSF and major World Championships. Kruger’s quality control is second to none. Now officially-licensed NRA targets are available from Kruger Premium Targets in the USA. With elite competitions being decided by thousandths of an inch in shot placement, shouldn’t your club use the best-quality targets available? Kruger targets are made from premium-grade paper to permit precise, reliable measurements. For example, to ensure that target holes do not have irregular edges, Kruger’s NRA Air Rifle and Air Pistol targets are printed on machine-smoothed 210 gram board made from short-fiber materials. Mike Krei, Director of the NRA’s Competitive Shooting Division, has stated: “It is generally accepted that Kruger has the best heavy pulp target paper in the world and that directly relates to the excellent clean bullet holes which are essential for precise scoring.”
Kruger offers the full array of official NRA air rifle, air pistol, international pistol, and smallbore targets. In addition, Kruger sells photo-realistic Animal Targets, plus a cool series of Fun Targets for plinking and informal practice. Kruger targets can be ordered online through www.Kruger-US-Targets.com or you can call Kruger’s USA distributor, MK Tactical, at (503) 746-6816. MK Tactical is located in Hillsborough, OR.
January 4th, 2013
In 2012’s final week, the Port Malabar Rifle & Pistol Club of Palm Bay, Florida held the Fifth Annual Snowbird X-Miss Midrange Prone and F-Class Match. This NRA Registered Tournament drew almost 60 competitors from around the country plus Fritz Braun from Brazil. For the first time ever, the Snowbird had a 300/500/600 event the first day with 600-yard match the second two days. Competitors saw various kinds of weather varying from chilly to 74 degrees. There were some drizzles on the last day of the individual matches but the rain held off long enough for all to complete the event
Kent Reeve took the High Overall 3-Day aggregate for the Mid-Range Prone with a score of 1797-132X. Second overall went to Sam Yarosh with a score of 1793-109X. Third overall to Wayne Forshee with 1788-91X. In F-Open, reigning FL State F-Open Champion Mark Finizio won the 3-day event with a score of 1790-100X. Second was Ken Adams, 1780-77X and third place overall went to Tom Goodman, 1778-68X. Complete results are listed on www.pmrpcrifle.com.
Many Record-Setting Performances at the X-Miss Match
Numerous NRA National Records were set at the 2012 Snowbird X-Miss event. Kent Reeve shot an incredible 200-22X at 600 yards. LeeAnn Finizio set F-Open Ladies’ records at two yardages: 300 yards, (197-[?X]); 600 yards ( 200-14X). Sam Yarosh shot a new record of 197-12X in the 500-yard any sight police category.
Team Event on Sunday
On Sunday, December 30, 2012, there was a team match. The F-Class Open Division saw a tight race among Miami’s Signal 20 F-Class Team, the S&S Precision Rifle Team, and the BNX F-Class team. Team BNX ended up in first place ahead of runner-up S&S Precision Team, shown below.
The Snowbird X-Miss Match was conceived to let folks shoot in the dead of winter when they can’t compete at home. At the Snowbird X-Miss Match NRA classifications are used AND rifles are classed by type: Palma, Iron Sight, Service Rifle, and Scoped Rifle. And the usual F-Open and F-TR divisions are recognized. Awards are given to all these types. Thus a shooter with a 6.5-2284 scoped rifle is not competing against someone with an iron-sighted AR15 Service Rifle. The Snowbird will be held again next season at the end of 2013.
Major sponsors this year included Sinclair International, S & S Precision Rifles, D & B Supply, Bartlein Barrels, Krieger Barrels, Berger, and Sierra. Others included Creedmoor Sports, PMA, K & M, Lee Precision, Forester Products, Redding, Dewey, Precision Reloading, and Jim Owens.
December 29th, 2012
Yesterday we featured a “mystery man” in a old family photo from a 1950s Christmas. We challenged readers to identify the young boy in cowboy hat who later grew up into one of America’s greatest rifle shooters. Most folks thought our mystery celebrity was Texan G. David Tubb. Others, no doubt focusing on the hat, suggested it was benchrest Hall-of-Famer Tony Boyer. And there were votes for Mid Tompkins and trick-shooter Bob Munden (who recently passed away). But most of you guys guessed right — the “littlest cowboy” was, in fact, 10-time National High Power Champion Carl Bernosky.
 How Times Have Changed in America
Carl tells us: “I think the photo was from 1959, when I was three years old. That was on Christmas with my family. Since then, I have upgraded the holster, switched from revolvers to pistols, and gave up the pipe!”
Carl misses the ‘good old days': “It’s hard to believe how much has changed in America. Things were really different in the 50s and 60s. It was great for a boy growing up. We spent a lot of time outdoors, and people trusted each other more.” Carl said: “I remember going on a hunting trip with my Dad. We had to fly from Pennsylvania to someplace out west. Somewhere I’ve got a photo showing my Dad and I carrying our guns in soft cases on to the aircraft. We just walked through the airport and carried our guns right on to the plane. You sure don’t want to try that today!”
Now that he’s all grown up, Carl makes a living producing rifles and gunstocks for hunters and competition shooters. Carl’s company, Carl Bernosky Shooting Sports, offers a variety of stocks made from laminates and fancy woods. A highly-skilled woodworker, Carl can customize stock designs for any customer’s unique requirements. Shown below are some of his creations, prone rifles (in fancy wood) on the left, and an F-Open rifle in Rutland Laminate on the right.
December 25th, 2012
The Arizona Desert Sharpshooters website offers a complete collection of competition plot sheets. These plot sheets were created by shooter Reid Perry. High Power and F-Class shooters can use these to mark their shot locations and record their wind calls. All the Plot Sheets are created in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format so they’ll print consistently from any computer. See sample plot sheet for 600 Yards.
Right click and “save as” the links below to download full-size plot sheets. On the Desert Sharpshooters site you’ll find other free plot sheets, including ISSF (300m) and ICFRA Plot Sheets (300 to 1000 yards), plust sight-setting and score-keeping plot sheets.
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DCRA (Canada) Plot Sheets
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December 8th, 2012
by Steven Blair, 2012 California State Long Range F-Open Champion
Assess the Terrain and How the Wind Will Interact with It
Before you begin a match, take a few minutes to look around the range at the terrain, any obstructions, range topography (berms and backstop), and trees, buildings or structures that could affect wind flow over the range. Imagine what might happen if the wind was from the left or right, headwind or tailwind. Depending upon the direction, significant effects may be seen on range. A head or tail wind may ripple across the berms, causing elevation changes, both high and low. A tall side berm, like the east side berm at Ben Avery, may cause turbulence when the wind comes from that direction. Blocking features might shield most of the wind but a break along the range can funnel strong gusts through the gap with no other indications. Take a few notes about the effects of different wind directions and refer to them if the prevailing direction changes. (Tip courtesy Tony Robertson.)
Use a Spotting Scope, Even When Shooting a Scoped Rifle
A good spotting scope can “see” mirage much more clearly than even an expensive rifle scope. Take your spotting scope to the line and position it as sling shooters do, close enough to use without much movement. Focus the scope approximately 1/3 of the way down range or where the most significant wind effects are likely to occur. Take a quick look while waiting for pit service, glance at the flags and compare to your scope sight picture. I often see ambiguous indications at the target through the rifle scope, but see a clear indication of wind direction and speed through the spotting scope at the shorter distance. When shooting the Arizona Palma Championship at Ben Avery last weekend, I was scoring while the wind was coming from the east. Shooters up and down the line were out to the left, losing points. Mirage at the target looked moderate and the flags weren’t indicating strong wind. As I focused the spotting scope back, the mirage suddenly looked like it was flowing twice as fast around 500 yards than it was closer or farther. It wasn’t until I realized that the access road cut through the berm there that I understood what was happening. (Tip courtesy Gary Eliseo.)
Don’t Over-React to Something That May Be an Anomaly
On ranges with sizable berms, a headwind or tailwind can cause significant elevation problems. It is generally not possible to see or predict when this will occur. When the conditions exist that cause elevation changes and other competitors are experiencing the same problem, the best strategy is to ignore it. Certainly, avoid shooting when the head or tail wind is gusting, the same as you would in a crosswind. But, if you react to random, range-induced elevation changes, the only likely result is to make it worse. Whether the problem is caused by range or ammunition, maintain your waterline hold until you have evidence that something has fundamentally changed.
My .284 Shehane will usually require a click or two down during a string as the barrel warms. That is normal and manageable. But, if your shots are just bouncing up and down in the 10 ring, leave it alone. The same is also true of an occasional gust pushing a shot into the 9 ring. If the conditions have not changed and one shot just went out, it may be the result of a random occurrence that was not predictable. (Tip courtesy “School of Hard Knocks”.)
Adjust Spotting Scope Focus and Magnification as Needed to View Mirage vs. Target Details
In F-Class we only need to see mirage, spotters, and scoring disks. That does not take a lot of magnification. My scope is a Nikon 25-75x82mm ED. It is a superb scope for the money and makes it trivial to see minor variations in mirage. It is good to have the high magnification available, and it can always be reduced if necessary. I use different power settings for different situations.
 Setting Magnification Levels
During a match, in very good viewing conditions, I set my spotting scope at 75X, full power. The mirage is more subtle in the morning and greater magnification is needed.
During a match with heavy mirage I set my spotting scope at about 40X. I have no problem seeing mirage, even at this magnification.
When practicing at 300 yards or closer I set my spotting scope at max power (75X) so I can see the little 6mm holes from my 6BR rifle. I usually need to focus back and forth between shots to see both bullet holes and mirage.
Steven Blair, 2012 California State Long Range F-Open Champion, has been shooting since childhood and competing for over 30 years. Before retiring, Steve spent 16 years in Engineering and IT with General Atomics. He has held Engineering and Marketing positions with several firearms companies and worked on projects from pistols to 155mm howitzers.
December 2nd, 2012
Doan Trevor is a master gunsmith and stock-maker who works in the old style. He still hand-crafts stocks from start to finish, and does all the metal-work on the custom rifles he builds. Starting with highly-figured woods, Doan carves and shapes his stocks largely by hand, with meticulous attention to detail. Each rifle he builds is optimized for its intended discipline, and custom-fitted for the customer.
With the help of his talented wife Sue (who does the photography and builds the web pages), Doan has created a wonderful website, DoanTrevor.com, that is a feast for the eyes. You can see beautiful wood-stocked rifles being hand-crafted. Doan also illustrates how he creates custom metal parts, and how he beds barreled actions into the finished stocks.
Set aside a few minutes and visit Doan’s website. Be sure to click on the site’s secondary pages: Rifle Building, Woodworking, and Metalworking. You’ll find dozens of high-quality photos and fascinating information on gun-building.
For more information, visit DoanTrevor.com, or call (505) 890-0368, 10am-5pm M-F.
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