This 2010 story is reprinted at readers’ request.
In the past few years, tubeguns have really taken over in high power circles. At most matches you’ll see more tubeguns than conventional prone rifles, and a high percentage of those tubeguns will have been built using an Eliseo (Competition Machine) CSS chassis kit.
Step-By-Step Guide to Stock Set-Up
If you are a new tubegun shooter, or if you are planning a tubegun build this winter, our friend “GS Arizona” has prepared a comprehensive set-up guide for Eliseo tubeguns. Eliseo’s CSS chassis system affords a myriad of adjustments. Initially, one can be overwhelmed by all the variables: Length of Pull, Length to Sights, Length to Handstop, Cheekpad Height, Buttstock Offset, Buttstock Cant Angle, Handstop Angle, and Forearm Rotation.
In his Guide to Configuring the Eliseo Tubegun, GS Arizona shows how to adjust the Tubegun so that a shooter’s prone position is stable, repeatable, and comfortable. The article covers each adjustment, step by step. If you follow the instructions, starting with setting Length of Pull, you should find that your hold becomes more stable, the gun moves less from shot to shot, and your eye position relative to the sights is improved.
About the Set-Up: “Adjusting the stock is a process that you must work at and it builds on itself. As you get one adjustment right, the others begin to fall into place. Our hope is that you take from this article a system for adjusting the stock, not an exact set of dimensions; and that you understand that it will take continuous work over a period of time to really refine the adjustments. Your goal is not to obtain a ‘perfect set of dimensions’ but rather a perfect feel that accomplishes the three objectives of stability, durability and comfort and the knowledge of how to change the adjustments to achieve those objectives under varying conditions such as sloped firing lines or other terrain features.”
Dennis DeMille shows a young competitor at the CMP Western Games how to adjust his leather sling.
Setting-Up a Leather Service Rifle Sling for Competition
So you made the mistake of disassembling your leather service rifle sling, or are intimidated about how to use one? In this Creedmoor Sports InfoZone video, Creedmoor G.M. Dennis DeMille explains how to set up and use a sling. The covers the basics — Dennis starts with a totally disassembled leather service rifle sling and shows you how to set it up properly.
Tip: “Many shooters shy away from using a leather sling because they have never been taught how to use one. That’s unfortunate. In my opinion a leather sling offers more support than a web sling, which is important when competiting with the heavier than normal rifles.”
Configuring the Sling for the Standing (Offhand) Position
In this second in a series of Creedmoor InfoZone videos on the setup and use of the leather service rifle sling, Dennis DeMille details how to configure and best utilize the leather service rifle sling while shooting from the standing position.
Tip: “Putting the Frogs in different hole will change the amount of added elevation a sling provides.”
Looking at Sling Types — Comparing the Features
In this video Dennis showcases a large variety of shooting slings. He explains the strong points of each type so you can choose the sling best suited to your discipline and shooting style.
The Benefits of Dry-Fire Training
Once you know how to set up your sling properly, you’ll want to practice. Dennis DeMille stresses the importance of dry-fire practice with sling and shooting coat. Dry-Fire training is essential to the sling disciplines. Dennis DeMille, a national Service Rifle Champion, told us that, for every minute he spent in actual competition, he would spend hours practicing without ammunition. While in the USMC, Dennis would practice in the barracks, working on his hold and dry-firing:
“The most important thing is to spend time off the range practicing. Most of what I learned as a High Power shooter I learned without ammunition — just spending time dry firing and doing holding exercises. Holding exercises will really identify the weak parts of your position. The primary purpose of dry firing is to get you used to shooting an empty rifle. If you can shoot a loaded rifle the same way you shoot an empty rifle then eventually you will become a High Master.”
At the SAKO/Tikka booth at SHOT Show, we saw some tactical shooters admiring the smooth Tikka T3 action and crisp trigger. They liked the action but they told us they wished they could get the T3 action in a configuration similar to the Ruger Precision Rifle. Well folks, there is a way to build a Tikka T3-based tactical/practical rig.
Gary Eliseo of Competition Machine offers a tubegun chassis for Tikka T3 actions in both Target and Tactical versions. The T3 kit is set up for AICS short action magazines. This is a “no gunsmithing” installation — no modifications to the action are required and the chassis kit works with the factory T3 trigger and safety. Along with the new Target and Tactical versions, a lower-cost Light-Weight Hunter T3 Chassis is also offered which accepts most AR-type buttstock assemblies.
Tikka’s T3 action is a very nice unit that works well as the centerpiece of a precision rifle. The T3 action is rigid and robust. It cycles smoothly and has a short 75° bolt lift. The T3 features a Sako-style extractor, with angled-leading-edge bolt lugs for smooth lock-up.
The T3 action can be installed in Gary’s Chassis Kit with either a recoil disc (and bolts) or glue-in action mounting. Price for the Tactical model is $1050.00, with a rugged Cerakote finish. Price for the Target version is $950.00 with a powdercoat finish or $1025.00 with a Cerakote finish. The Light-Weight Hunter chassis (that accepts owner-installed AR-type buttstocks) starts at $685.00. (Check for current pricing.) Tikka T3 action and AICS 5-round or 10-round magazines sold separately. For more info, visit GotXRing.com, call 928-649-0742, or send email to: spraynandprayn [at] gmail.com . CLICK HERE for order page.
2018 National Matches photo from NRA Competitive Shooting Facebook Page.
National High Power Matches, July 5-24, 2018 at Camp Atterbury Indiana
The NRA National High Power Matches are now underway at Camp Atterbury in Indiana. The Rifle National Matches, running July 5-24, will include the High Power Championship, the Long Range Championship, and the Mid-Range Championship, along with other special events. We are now in the thick of the NRA High Power Rifle Championship, which runs through Wednesday, July 11. Good luck to all the competitors! The Long Range Individual Championship runs the 16th through the 19th, followed by Long Range Palma, and Mid-Range individual and Team Matches.
National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, 2018 Schedule:
Friday, July 6: Whistler Boy JR. Team, 2nd Amend. Team Match, Awards Ceremony, Competitor Meeting
Saturday, July 7 – Wednesday, July 11: NRA High Power Rifle (awards ceremony on concluding day)
Thursday, July 12: Long Range Packet Pickup and Competitor Meeting
Friday, July 13 – Monday, July 16: NRA Long Range (awards ceremony on concluding day)
Tuesday, July 17: NRA Long Range Palma, Palma Team Awards Ceremony
Wednesday, July 18 – Saturday, July 21: NRA Mid Range Individual
Sunday, July 22: NRA Mid Range Teams, Mid Range Awards Ceremony
Monday, July 23: Range Clean Up/Clear Out
Click Calendar to See Large, Full-Screen Version.
Lodging at Camp Atterbury and Nearby
There is on-base lodging — rooms and cabins will be available to all competitors 18 and over. To book a room, or for any questions about lodging, please call (812) 526-1128. Camp Atterbury lodging includes suites and standard rooms as well as the MWR Campground and the MWR Cabins. Lodging is controlled by the Camp Atterbury Lodging Office, not by the NRA. Entry fees DO NOT include lodging costs. There are also a number of hotels nearby, including Charwood Suites. Nearby campground Johnson County Park also offers special rates for High Power competitors.
With the CMP hosting important matches this year at Camp Perry, many rifle competitors will be “commuting” between the two venues this summers, driving 4.5 hours from Indiana to Ohio.
AR-platform rifles are fun and versatile, but the standard, mil-spec triggers leave much to be desired. They tend to be gritty, with creep and heavy pull weight. One of the easiest, most effective AR upgrades is a trigger group swap. An improved fire control group makes a huge difference. There are many aftermarket trigger options for the AR platform rifles. Choose single-stage or two-stage, either standard trigger assembly or unitized “drop-in” trigger, such as those made by Timney or Triggertech.
When upgraded with a precision trigger and match barrel, AR-platform rigs work great in NRA High Power competitions (Photo from NRA Blog, at Camp Perry).
Two-Stage vs. Single-Stage Triggers
Two-stage triggers have two separate movements. The first stage offers a light, spring-loaded pressure that works against the shooter’s pull until stopping at the second stage – this is called “take-up”. If there is no spring pressure, it is known as “slack”. Should the shooter continue to pull the trigger once he’s arrived at the second stage, the mechanism will operate like a single-stage trigger from there until engaging the sear and firing the gun. Good trigger reset requires the shooter to keep pressure on the trigger, even during reset, to minimize movement of the muzzle.
Single-stage triggers feature no take-up or slack, as they begin engaging the sear as soon as the shooter begins pulling the trigger. Some competitive shooters prefer the two-stage trigger because of the feedback it provides during its first stage, while other shooters, including those using their rifle in tactical scenarios, may want the surety of a single-stage trigger, ready to engage and fire once their finger is inside the trigger guard. Regardless of preference, a good trigger will feature minimal creep and should be free of grittiness, providing a smooth, even break.
Drop-In Trigger Assembly vs. Standard Trigger Group
Once you decide between a single-stage or two-stage trigger, you can choose between standard and drop-in trigger groups. Standard trigger groups feature all the fire control group parts separated, and need to be pieced together and installed much like a mil-spec trigger, while drop-in trigger are pre-assembled and contained within a casing that simply drops in to the receiver and accepts the pins, hence the name.
After-Market Trigger Comparison
Some shooters prefer drop-in triggers due to the ease of installation, while others opt for standard groups so they can access the components individually for cleaning adjustment or replacement. If one piece of a drop-in trigger fails, you’ll need to either replace the entire unit or send it to the manufacturer for repair, whereas you may be able to simply replace the broken component of a standard trigger without needing a whole new trigger set.
Trigger Terminology — “Creep”, “Stacking”, “Overtravel”
“Creep” or “travel” is the distance the trigger moves between the end of take-up and when the trigger breaks to fire the fun. Too much creep can affect accuracy, but no creep can be unsafe, as the shooter may not be prepared to fire. “Stacking” occurs when the trigger weight actually increases during travel — this shouldn’t happen. Lastly, “overtravel” is the distance the trigger continues moving back after the gun fires.
This article is based on a longer story in the NRA Blog.
In the archives of The First Shot (the CMP’s Online Magazine), SGT Walter E. Craig of the USAMU discusses physical conditioning for competitive shooters, particularly High Power competitors. Fitness training is an important subject that, curiously, is rarely featured in the shooting sports media. We seem to focus on hardware, or esoteric details of cartridge reloading. Yet physical fitness also matters, particularly for High Power shooters. In his article, Craig advocates: 1) weight training to strengthen the Skeletal Muscle System; 2) exercises to build endurance and stamina; and 3) cardiovascular conditioning programs to allow the shooter to remain relaxed with a controlled heart beat.
SGT Craig explains: “An individual would not enter a long distance race without first spending many hours conditioning his/her body. One should apply the same conditioning philosophy to [shooting]. Physical conditioning to improve shooting skills will result in better shooting performance…. The objective of an individual physical training program is to condition the muscles, heart, and lungs thereby increasing the shooter’s capability of controlling the body and rifle for sustained periods.”
In addition to weight training and cardio workouts (which can be done in a gym), SGT Craig advocates “some kind of holding drill… to develop the muscles necessary for holding a rifle for extended periods.” For those with range access, Craig recommends a blind standing exercise: “This exercise consists of dry-firing one round, then live-firing one round, at a 200-yard standard SR target. For those who have access only to a 100-yard range, reduced targets will work as well. Begin the exercise with a timer set for 50 minutes. Dry-fire one round, then fire one live round and without looking at the actual impact, plot a call in a data book. Continue the dry fire/live fire sequence for 20 rounds, plotting after each round. After firing is complete, compare the data book to the target. If your zero and position are solid, the plots should resemble the target. As the training days add up and your zero is refined, the groups will shrink and move to the center.”
Fitness training and holding drills help position shooters reach their full potential.
Training for Older Shooters
Tom Alves has written an excellent article A Suggested Training Approach for Older Shooters. This article discusses appropriate low-impact training methods for older shooters. Tom explains: “Many of the articles you will read in books about position shooting and the one mentioned above are directed more toward the younger generation of shooters in their 20s. If you look down the line at a typical high power match these days you are likely to see quite a few folks who are in their middle 30s and up. Many people in that age range have had broken bones and wear and tear on their joints so a training program needs to take that into account. For instance, while jogging for an extended period for heart and lung conditioning may be the recommended approach for younger folks, it may be totally inappropriate for older people.”
National High Power Matches / July 5-24, 2018 / Camp Atterbury, Edinburgh, Indiana
This year, as in 2017, the NRA National High Power Matches will be held at Camp Atterbury in Indiana (no more Camp Perry). The Rifle National Matches, scheduled for July 5-24, will include the High Power Championship, the Long Range Championship, and the Mid-Range Championship, along with other special events. The National Matches attract many of North America’s top marksmen every year. While some competitors miss the Camp Perry experience, we have heard very positive feedback about Camp Atterbury from those who have actually shot there. They like the venue and the ranges.
IMPORTANT: If you want to compete at the National High Power Matches you need to register soon. Entries must be received by Saturday, June 18 for online submissions, and Wednesday, July 2 (by 2:00 p.m.) for on-site and mail-in entries.* For online entry, please visit www.nmentry.com and follow the instructions there. Entry via mail must be made on the appropriate entry card, and be accompanied by full entry fees. To receive an entry card via mail, please email comphelp@nrahq.org. All entries are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Mailing address for entries is: Camp Atterbury, P.O. Box 5000, Edinburgh, IN 46124 ATTN: NRA. Please note, the postmark will NOT be used to determine whether or not an entry makes the deadline.
This article was prepared with information from the NRA and Shooting Sports USA.
How is Camp Atterbury as a match venue? Very good. Here is a report from a 2017 Nat’l Match competitor, as posted on Facebook:
Just got back from U.S. Nationals at Camp Atterbury … Here are my observations:
1. The range was outstanding. Facing the south wasn’t a problem.
2. On-base accommodations were great and inexpensive.
3. The base is only 45 min from Indianapolis International Airport.
4. The base is close to towns with restaurants and shopping.
5. The transportation to and from the pits [was in] air conditioned vans.
6. By all accounts the event ran smoothly.
Long Range competitors at 2017 NRA National High Power Rifle Championships.
National Matches at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, 2018 Schedule:
Monday, July 2: NRA Range Personnel Arrive
Tuesday, July 3: NRA Orientation
Thursday, July 5: High Power Rifle Packet Pickup
Friday, July 6: Whistler Boy Junior Team, 2nd Amendment Team Match, NRA Awards Ceremony, Competitor Meeting
Saturday, July 7 – Wednesday, July 11: NRA High Power Rifle (awards ceremony on concluding day)
Thursday, July 12: Long Range Packet Pickup and Competitor Meeting
Friday, July 13 – Monday, July 16: NRA Long Range (awards ceremony on concluding day)
Tuesday, July 17: NRA Long Range Palma, Palma Team Awards Ceremony
Wednesday, July 18 – Saturday, July 21: NRA Mid Range Individual
Sunday, July 22: NRA Mid Range Teams, Mid Range Awards Ceremony
Monday, July 23: Range Clean Up/Clear Out
2017 marked the first year the NRA National High Power Championships were held in Indiana at Camp Atterbury. Previously they took place at Camp Perry in Ohio.
Competitor Badges and Info Packets
All competitors must pick up a packet for their particular discipline on the dates listed below. Without exception, an ID badge for each team member must be provided before packets will be issued.
Thursday, July 5: NRA High Power 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, July 11: One Mile Shot 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, July 12: NRA Long Range 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 17: NRA Mid-Range 9:00 a.m.
Lodging at Camp Atterbury and Nearby
There is on-base lodging — rooms and cabins will be available to all competitors 18 and over. To book a room, or for any questions about lodging, please call (812) 526-1128. Camp Atterbury lodging includes suites and standard rooms as well as the MWR Campground and the MWR Cabins. Lodging is controlled by the Camp Atterbury Lodging Office, not by the NRA. Entry fees DO NOT include lodging costs. There are also a number of hotels nearby, including Charwood Suites. Nearby campground Johnson County Park also offers special rates for High Power competitors.
*Four exceptions to this rule are: Whistler Boy and 2nd Amendment (High Power; by mail or onsite) which will be accepted until Thursday, July 5, and Enlisted Men’s and Rumbold and RNDC (High Power; by mail or onsite) which will be accepted until Friday, July 6.
For the shooting sports to survive, and thrive, we need to bring new shooters into the game. It’s vital that young people get involved in compeitive shooting at an early age. It’s equally important that novice shooters get instruction and encouragement from skilled mentors.
Thankfully the Civilian Marksmanship Program is providing that kind of knowledgeable skills training through programs conducted throughout the country. Recently, at Camp Butner (North Carolina), the CMP offered a Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) taught by U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) experts. The USAMU trainers had a chance to teach members of the Liberty University Shooting Team. Here is the CMP’s report on the successful SAFS:
Liberty University Rifle Team Attends CMP’s Small Arms Firing School Story based on report by Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
On a beautiful, sunny morning in North Carolina, over 40 bright-eyed students of all ages set foot on the grounds of Camp Butner Training Facility to take part in a century-old tradition that has trained thousands of new marksmen around the country — the Small Arms Firing School (SAFS). The class was held during the CMP’s Eastern Travel Games at the end of April.
Attending the SAFS were student-athletes of Liberty University, a private institution in Virginia. This year the school launched a new program with four shooting teams: rifle, pistol, shotgun, and three-gun. Among the Liberty University Flames and Lady Flames rifle team member are some accomplished shooters, but others are relatively inexperienced.
Susie Krupp of the Liberty Lady Flames team was the High Non-Distinguished competitor of the event, earning her introductory EIC points.
The SAFS course is a combination of classroom education and hands-on competition and safety instruction on the firing line. At the conclusion, students fire a true M16 rifle match, with the chance to receive Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) points towards earning a Distinguished Rifleman Badge – a prestigious achievement. All equipment is provided by the CMP — even the rifles.
This year members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) trained students. Here SSG Amanda Elsenboss offers pointers to a Liberty University Service Rifle shooter. The USAMU video below features SSG Elsenboss, who has served in the U.S. Army for 8.5 years.
Executive director and head coach of the Liberty University shooting sports program, Dave Hartman, was impressed by the SAFS event and grateful for the education his team received. The university is already looking forward to next year’s Eastern Games: “What’s beautiful about this event is that our competitors can come to this event without any prior knowledge, they don’t need to have a rifle. They go through the classroom portion, and they learn a vast amount of information. And having the USAMU here was fantastic.”
TALLADEGA, Alabama — The Annual D-Day Anniversary Matches will be held June 8-10, 2018, at the CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. The event commemorates the Anniversary of the Allied landing at Normandy in June, 1944. In 2015, the $20-million-dollar Talledega Park celebrated its Grand Opening with its first D-Day Match. That was a great success, and the 2018 D-Day Match promises to be even better. This has become a hugely popular event — last year there were over 250 competitors. For many, this match was their first opportunity to shoot on electronic targets. That speeds up the relays and nobody complained about not having to do pit duty.
It’s not too late to join the fun — there are still slots available for the event. You can register online. For more information, email shall [at] thecmp.org or phone 256-474-4408 ext. 414.
EDITOR: Worth Watching! Guys, this nicely-produced video shows multiple disciplines (including Service Rifle, Carbine, Pistol, and Vintage Sniper) and lets you see how the electronic targets work. We highly recommend you watch this video.
Electronic Targets + No Pit Duty = More Fun
Competitors will be firing all matches on electronic targets. The John C. Garand Range has a huge firing line with monitors at all shooting stations. These connect to three banks of electronic targets positioned at 200, 300, and 600 yards. Spectators can view the results in real time on large monitors.
INVITATION: The CMP’s John C. Garand D-Day Anniversary Match is a big event with many different competitions for rifle and pistol shooters. Along with the signature M1 Garand event, a Vintage Sniper Match, EIC Service Rifle Match, .22 Rimfire Pistol Match, EIC Service Pistol Match, and .22 Rimfire Pistol matches will be conducted.
State of the Art Shooting Facility in Alabama
The 500-acre CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park is one of the most advanced outdoor shooting facilities in the Western Hemisphere. The facility includes a 600-yard rifle range, a 100-yard multi-purpose range, and a 50-yard pistol range, equipped with Kongsberg electronic targets and scoring monitors that allow shooters on the firing line to review shots in a matter of seconds. Since the 54 targets at each line register hits and calculate the scores, no pit duty is required at Talladega.
State-of-the-art Kongsberg target systems are used at the CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park.
Service Rifle shooters now have a new optics option — a 1-4.5X Leupold. This new scope fits CMP/NRA rules allowing up to 4.5X power for Service Rifles. Leupold’s new 1-4.5×24mm VX-4.5HD Service Rifle optic features a 30mm maintube and 1-4.5 power zoom with HD glass. It will be offered with both standard and illuminated Bull-Ring-style reticles.
“When the High Power Service Rifle competitions announced that they’d be allowing the use of riflescopes, with a 4.5 magnification maximum, consumers immediately turned to us for a solution”, said Vici Peters, product line manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “The VX-4.5HD delivers everything a Service Rifle competitor could want out of their optic, and is available with reticles that have been built to drive winning scores.”
VX-4.5HD Pricing vs. The Competition
With a base MSRP of $1820.00 and $1400 street price, this new Leupold is way more expensive than the 1-4x24mm $495.00 Konus XTC-30 Service Rifle scope. However, the Leupold’s street price undercuts the $1892.00 Nightforce 4.5x24mm Comp Scope by nearly $500.00. The March 1-4.5x24mm scope, at $2461.00 retail, is even more expensive, but the March does offer adjustable parallax, a valuable feature for longer ranges. We wish the new Leupold had adjustable parallax.
The new Leupold VX-4.5HD competes directly with the Nightforce 4.5x24mm Comp Scope shown above. Both the Leupold and NF lack the adjustable parallax of the March 1-4.5x24mm optic.
Competition Reticles with Smart Illumination Option
Two reticle types will be offered for the Leupold 1-4.5x24mm: 1) Bull-Ring Post; and 2) Illuminated FireDot Bull-Ring. At 4.5 power, the Bull-Ring will nearly be identical in size to the target’s bullseye. As magnification is turned down, the white ring around the bullseye can be adjusted to help center your aim. The FireDot Bull-Ring features MST (Motion Sensor Technology) that automatically deactivates illumination after 5 minutes of inactivity, and reactivates it when movement is detected.
More Affordable Options from Leupold
Interestingly, Leupold currently offers many other scopes that could be used for Service Rifle competition. Here are three that all cost much less than the VX-4.5HD:
NOTE: None of the above Leupold scopes offer HD glass, and max magnification is 4X. If you want the 4.5X and premium lenses you have to pony up a lot more cash.
The new VX-4.5HD features a scratch-resistant Guard-Ion rain shedding coating. This scope also has Leupold’s proprietary Twilight Max HD Light Management System, which helps in low-light conditions, and also eliminates the image “wash-out” from direct sunlight. The VX-4.5HD is designed, machined, and assembled in the USA and backed by Leupold’s Full Lifetime Guarantee.
In his Guide to Configuring the Eliseo Tubegun, GS Arizona shows how to adjust the Tubegun so that a shooter’s prone position is stable, repeatable, and comfortable. The article covers each adjustment, step by step. If you follow the instructions, starting with setting Length of Pull, you should find that your hold becomes more stable, the gun moves less from shot to shot, and your eye position relative to the sights is improved.
The Benefits of Dry-Fire Training
Tikka’s T3 action is a very nice unit that works well as the centerpiece of a precision rifle. The T3 action is rigid and robust. It cycles smoothly and has a short 75° bolt lift. The T3 features a Sako-style extractor, with angled-leading-edge bolt lugs for smooth lock-up.
In the archives of 
Fitness training and holding drills help position shooters reach their full potential.
