SIG Sauer Sponsors First Hunter Games in Wyoming
The popularity of PRS shooting has inspired a variety of new field-style marksmanship competitions, conducted in open country. These events combine hiking, rangefinding, and shooting from improvised positions. The newest outdoor rifle competition in North America is the Hunter Games, a tough 3-Day event sponsored by gun- and optics-maker SIG Sauer. Conducted June 13-16, 2021 on a private Wyoming ranch, the course covered a variety of terrain and elevation. There were flats, rivers, high ridges and Aspen groves. This was the opposite of a “lay down and shoot” rifle match.
Competitors had to navigate tough terrain from stage to stage. During the course of the event, there were multiple creek crossings, and over 1000 feet of elevation on one stage. Contestants had only 30 minutes to traverse between stages.
SEE Full Story on GunsAmerica Digest »
True Pearce, Editor of GunsAmerica Digest and Hunt365, attended the Hunter Games, and shot many of the 22 challenging stages, filling in for an injured competitor. Pearce noted: “The stages were designed to be blind hunting scenarios where the contestants had only 15 minutes to find the targets, range them, figure out a shooting position… and make the shots.” The targets were steel plates shaped/sized to match a game animal’s vital zones. These plates were placed in front of a life-sized illustration of the animal, but only hits on the plates counted.
At the first-ever SIG SAUER Hunter Games, there were ten teams in total. Each team consisted of a professional hunter, two invited celebrities, and a Range Officer who kept score and enforced rules. The RO also carried an extra rifle, radio, and first aid kit.
This was quite different than a typical shooting match where the competitors sign up. All the “celebrity” competitors were invited by SIG Sauer, which provided SIG Cross Rifles, SIG optics, and SIG hunting ammunition. We like the idea of a hunting-focused match, with everyone shooting the same rifles and ammunition.
In a lengthy companion article, GunsAmerica publication Hunt365 covers the gear used at the Hunter Games. Click HERE for True Pearce’s review of the SIG Cross rifle, SIG Scopes, SIG Kil03000BDX LRF Binoculars, SIG ZULU6 Image Stabilized Binocs, and SIG Elite Series Ammo.
Winning the first-ever SIG SAUER Hunter Games was Team Ramshorn: Trent Fisher, Scotty Lago, and Justin Rackley. In addition to the trophy, each team member won a SIG Legion Custom Works P320 AXG pistol.
True Pearce observed that the challenges of this unique outdoor event, along with camping together in the wild, brought people together: “Complete strangers became lifelong friends — Most of the contestants had never met each other and were from very diverse walks of life. After ‘hunting’ together for two days, the comradery was really something to see and I have no doubt many lifelong friendships were created.”
