How well can the 6mm Dasher perform at 1000 yards when conditions are good, and the shooter is riding a hot streak? Well here’s a shot-by-shot record of Scott Nix’s 4.554″ 10-shot group shot at Missoula, Montana at the Northwest 1000-yard Championship a few years back. All 10 shots were centered for a 100-6X score. That’s about as good as it gets. If Scott had stopped after 5 shots, his group would have been under 3 inches!
Video Demonstrates Amazing 1000-Yard Accuracy
Watch the video. You can see the group form up, shot by shot. It’s pretty amazing. Scott’s first shot (at the 45-second mark of the video) was right in the X-Ring, and four of Scott’s first five shots were Xs. That’s drilling them! This video was recorded from the pits at the 1000-yard line, during record fire.
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Deep Creek 1000-yard line: 46°55’35.03” N 114°14’45.40” W, elevation 3355′.
The International Benchrest Shooters (IBS) welcomes the Montana NW 1000 Yard Benchrest Club as a newly-affiliated club hosting registered IBS matches. The Montana club’s origins go back to 1996 when the Whitefish (Montana) Rifle and Pistol Club affiliated with the Original Pennsylvania 1000-Yard Benchrest Club (Williamsport) to conduct 1000-yard matches. Early in 1998 the Northwest 1000-Yard Benchrest Association was formed to promote 1000-yard benchrest competition in affiliation with Williamsport. The Club now operates at the Deep Creek Range as the Montana NW 1000 Yard Benchrest Club (www.MT1000yd.com), an IBS-affilated organization.
2015 Championships at Deep Creek
The 2015 Championships were held this past weekend, August 7-9. The video below features the winners from this year’s championships, Tom Mousel (Two-Gun Overall), Leo Anderson (Heavy Gun Overall), and Bill Johnson (Light Gun Overall). The three winners describe their equipment. Tom shot a pair of 17-lb 6mm Dashers, running Vapor Trail Bullets pushed by CCI 400 primers and Hodgdon H4895 powder. The brass is Lapua 6mmBR hydro-formed to Dasher with lightly-turned necks.
Here is one of Tom Mousel’s match-winning rifles, and an impressive 100-3X, 10-shot target:
The Club holds 12 shoots per year over six weekends that count towards the 6- and 10-shot Aggregates for the year. The Championship Shoot held in August is match number 11 and 12 and does not count for Aggs. More than $20,000 worth of prizes were donated by major sponsors this year. The prize table featured scopes from Nightforce and Vortex, actions from DeFrance, Borden, BAT, Kelbly, and Stiller, plus barrels from Bartlein, Benchmark, Brux, Caliber, Krieger, and McGowen.
The Deep Creek Rifle Range is located near Missoula, Montana. Club members are continually upgrading the 1000-Yard Range, which has become one of the best long-distance benchrest shooting facilities in the country. The Deep Creek Rifle Range invites shooters to visit this scenic shooting facility. Participation in club matches continues to grow, and club members hold several 1000-yard World Records for group, score, and Aggregates of both. For more information on club shoots and joining the club, contact Alex Wheeler: zfast_malibu [at] yahoo.com.
Here’s “Bunker Buster”, a metal-stocked Heavy Gun (HG):
At Deep Creek, competitors shoot three (3) classes: IBS Light Gun (LG), IBS Heavy Gun (HG), and a special 11-pound class. At registered matches, Light Gun shoots five shots per relay, Heavy Gun shoots 10 shots, while the 11-pound class shoots five shots. For more information on classes and courses of fire, visit MT1000yd.com or send email to: northwest1000ydbenchrest [at] gmail.com.
New World Records Set at July 2015 Match:
Important 1K records were set at the Club’s July 9-10 match earlier this summer. Tom Mousel broke the Light Gun 10-match score record and Heavy Gun 10-match group record. Jim Williams broke the HG 10-match score Agg record. In the video below, Tom Mousel talks about his record-breaking performances.
Missoula, Montana Travel Tips
The City of Missoula is nestled in the Northern Rockies of Montana, at the confluence of three rivers. Surrounded by seven wilderness areas, Missoula is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. You can kayak, raft or tube through downtown, or take a relaxing hike in 60,000 acres of wilderness minutes from your hotel. Missoula is known for blue-ribbon trout fishing (made famous by the movie A River Runs Through It) and spectacular natural beauty.
Missoula is a popular destination for shopping and dining, featuring three shopping districts and an abundance of restaurants, cafes, and brew-pubs with something to fit all budgets and palates. Known for its eclectic culture, Missoula offers a wide variety of entertainment including theater, film festivals, college sports, ballet, and even roller derby.
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The Deep Creek Range near Missoula, Montana, is one of the best 1000-yard ranges in the country. Many long-range benchrest records have been set in this scenic, tree-lined facility. Now, thanks to Forum member David Gosnell (aka “Zilla”), you can see Deep Creek from the air. David attached a High-Def video camera to a quad-rotor drone. He then flew the drone over the Deep Creek Range, soaring from firing line to the target bay and back again. We think you’ll like this video. It gives you a “birds-eye view” of one of America’s elite ranges. Enjoy.
Ten shots… 1000 yards … 2.6872″. Think about that. Ten shots you could cover up with a coffee cup. That’s some amazing shooting. Is this a world record? Consider this — we believe this is the smallest 10-shot group ever shot at 1000 yards in any form of rifle competition, by anyone, anywhere, anytime. It is smaller than the existing Williamsport Light Gun and Heavy Gun 1K records. The IBS and NBRSA do not shoot 10 rounds for Light Gun, but this 2.6872″ group is smaller than the current IBS (3.044″) and NBRSA (4.322″) ten-shot HEAVY GUN records.
This amazing group was shot by Jim Richards at the Deep Creek Range outside Missoula, Montana during the 4th Light Gun Relay of a 1000-yard match. Jim was shooting the small 6mm Dasher cartridge with 105gr Berger bullets. Fellow Deep Creek Shooter Tom Mousel says this should be a new world record. The Deep Creek Range shoots under Williamsport rules, with ten shots for Light Gun. The current Williamsport Light Gun record (as listed) is 3.835″ by Cody Finch in 2006, but we’re told that Paul Martinez shot a 3.505″ at Williamsport last year. If approved at 2.6872″, Jim Richards’ new record is 23% smaller than the 3.505″ previous record. That’s remarkable — Jim Richards utterly demolished the previous mark. (As measured, Jim’s group is also smaller than the current Williamsport Heavy Gun record, 2.815″ by Matt Kline in 2010.)
The Record-setting rifle features a Borden action, Shehane ST 1000 fiberglass stock, and Nightforce Benchrest scope. The Krieger barrel was chambered by King Machine for the 6mm Dasher, with a 0.269″ neck and 0.103″ freebore. Jim Richards was running Berger 105gr Hybrid bullets.
The rifle was purchased used from Tim Claunch. We suspect Tim wishes he had not parted with it! Any gun that can put ten shots under three inches at 1000 yards is a “keeper”, that’s for sure.
Forum member Wayne B. says: “I am really happy for Jim. He has asked 1000 questions, slept in his pickup, upgraded his equipment, bought a rifle from another friend of mine and now he is a world record-holder. The men and women who shoot at Deep Creek in Missoula Montana are the best group of shooters in the world bar none! They will give you all the info you need to win and if you don’t have what you need they will loan it to ya, up to and including a rifle and ammo.”
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Our readers have asked, “What’s happened to Richard Franklin? Is he still making rifles?” Well, we’re pleased to tell you that Richard is doing fine. He is up in Montana, building a new house, doing most of the construction himself. The good news is that the new house will have a big workshop, and Richard hopes to start building a few rifles near the end of this year. He won’t be taking orders for quite a while. But in the meantime, Richard is still sharing his knowledge about stock-making, gunsmithing, and varmint hunting via DVDs that can be purchased online.
Groundhog Hunting with Richard Franklin
A few seasons back, gunsmith Richard Franklin and his shooting partner Roy both achieved a varmint hunter’s dream — nailing a groundhog at 1000+ yards. The guns that did it were two of Richard’s 300 Varminters. These are 300 WSMs that push a 125gr bullet through 32″, 15-twist barrels to achieve velocities approaching 4000 fps. Here is Richard’s report, condensed for the Daily Bulletin.
The 1005-Yard Groundhog Adventure, by Richard Franklin
September 20th found Roy and I on our last groundhog hunt of the year. Bow season for Deer begins Oct. 4th and we wanted time to ready ourselves. Roy had killed 99 hogs so far this year and I had killed 97. In the morning, we headed over to the Overstreet farm leased by our good friend Richard Ruff. We set up the shooting trailer on top of a hill where we had a good view of several brush piles around the pasture. In the first ten minutes Roy put a hog in the air about four feet at 497 yards with his 300 Varminter, giving Roy an even 100 hogs for the year. I shot hogs at 180 yards, 506 yards, and 456 yards. That gave me a total of 100 for the year.
Then we decided to go up to Danny’s and Bill’s hard rock dairy farm. We set up on the top of a high hill and shoot over the farm buildings to another mountain where there is a huge pasture with large rock piles. We scanned this pasture for about an hour and a half. Roy has a pair of Ziess 8-power binocs and I use a pair of the Leica 10-power Geovids with built-in laser rangefinder. I also have a “Big Eyes” set-up — two 22-power Kowa spotting scopes mounted on a bracket and used on a sturdy tripod. After some time searching the field for hogs and seeing none, we decided to pack up and go to a farm owned by Donnie Campbell. Over the years we have shot many a hog here. Roy once shot one here at 905 yards and my longest shot on this farm was 714 yards. Most kills here are made at over 400 yards. There’s a perfect place to shoot hogs from a single firing position. At the back property line was a big hill about 400 feet higher than the surrounding pastures and we could see and shoot about 200 degrees around us all the way out to 1,200 yards.
Setting Up the 1005-yard Shot
I had the first shot and nailed an easy one at about 140 yards. He was thinking he was hidden from view. Wrong! BLAM…POOF. Roy nailed a hog at 469 yards under an old pear tree. Roy nailed another hog at 522 yards by a big log pile where we had killed about ten hogs this summer. Roy was looking through the Big Eyes and called out, “Hey Rich…I got you one way over there on the next farm by the edge of the woods.” I ranged the hog with the Geovids four times, registering 1003, 1007, 1006 and 1005 yards. I decided on the 1005 as the distance. Checking my chart, I clicked up to 18 and 1/4 minutes. We had a very stiff wind blowing left to right. I have a Nightforce 8-32 power scope with the MLR reticle. I held the fourth windage dot and touched one off. I see the bullet strike nearly in line with the hog but low. I click up another minute and a half making a total of 19 3/4 minutes. Roy is watching all this through the Big Eyes and can see better than I can. He confirms where the first bullet strike was. I hold the same windage and touch off another round in my Bat-actioned, 32″, 15-twist Bartlein-barreled 300 Varminter. The hog was standing up for this shot. Through the scope I see the bullet’s vapor trail going straight for the hog. I lost the vapor trail before the bullet got there but I saw the hog flip over.
Hot damn, what a shot! After Roy shakes my hand and slaps me on the back, I walk over to the Big Eyes for a better look. “Roy, there’s another hog trying to fight that dead one,” I say. This hog (evidently both are males) is biting and dragging the dead hog. He is really going at it. Both hogs were evidently eating fallen acorns from the huge White Oak tree at the edge of the woods.
Roy Gets His Chance
I tell Roy, “Get up there on your bench and try that hog, I’ll spot for you.” Roy clicks up to 19 1/2 minutes and holds three feet for windage. Roy lets it go and I see the vapor trail going in on the hog. It hits a foot to the right and low. “Hey Roy”, I say, “click up two more minutes and hold one more foot of wind.” The hog ran in under the tree at the bullet’s impact but was back within 30 seconds. Roy is now clicked up and lets the second round go. I see the vapor trail dropping in on the hog but the bullet impacts dead in line, but still a bit low. “Roy — give it another minute and a half and hold the same wind”. I can hear Roy furiously working the bolt and chambering another round, then POW, and I see the vapor trail again. It looks like it’s gonna be in the middle of the hog but it drops right in under his neck, nearly hitting him. The hog vacates back under the tree for an instant but decides he is winning the fight against the dead hog and comes right back. Roy lets the fourth round go with the same hold as the last shot. I see the vapor trail of the 125 grain Ballistic Tip dropping right in on the hog, catching him perfectly in the shoulder. The live hog flips up and falls on top of the dead hog, his tail coming up stiff as a poker as he flags us that he is instantly dead.
Two 1000+ Yard Hits. A Record for Roy, Near-Record for Richard.
This was Roy’s longest shot ever. His previous record was 905 yards. This was my second longest shot, as I had killed a hog at 1018 yards seven years ago about 40 miles from this spot. I tell Roy that I’m putting up my hog rifle for the year. I’ll let this long shot register in my memory as the last Groundhog kill of 2008. Roy says “That’s fine, I’m gonna do the same.” Hog hunting is officially over for 2008. Now it’s time for Deer.
[Editor’s Note: Richard’s rifle has a BAT action and is able to drive the 125 Nosler at about 3975 fps. Roy has a Remington action on his 300 Varminter. The Rem doesn’t take high pressures as well as the BAT, so Roy’s load is down-loaded to about 3825 fps. Roy also uses a “boosted” Leupold rather than a Nightforce. Because of the difference in scopes, and the lower velocity, Roy needed more elevation clicks to reach the 1005-yard distance.]
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Want to buy a bullet business? Montana Bullet Works (MBW) is now for sale. MBW, run by Dave Jennings, has been a leading “boutique” cast bullet-making shop for years. Dave is widely regarded as one of the best cast-bullet craftsmen in the country. He offered rifle bullets up to .50 caliber, and pistol bullets from .25 to .50 caliber. Forum member Grant G. says: “[Dave] made the very best hard-cast bullets with gas check for hunting. They were very accurate from the rifles I have used them in. My next elk will get thumped with one of his creations.”
Clint Smith, director of Thunder Ranch says: “Montana Bullet Works makes a great product. I was looking for a specific bullet and Dave & Marcie … got the mould and made excellent bullets[.] I highly recommend them.”
MBW Business for Sale
Unfortunately, health concerns now prevent Dave Jennings from continuing his trade: “I am sorry to report that due to a recent spinal fusion surgery and the resultant permanent limitations on lifting and other movements, I can no longer operate MBW. If you are interested in buying MBW … I can provide information on current assests, inventory, etc.”.
Dave Jenning’s Tips for Shooting Cast Bullets
Any gun that you plan to shoot cast bullets from has to be cleaned of all copper jacket fouling first. The copper fouling is much harder than any cast bullet and will act like sandpaper on the bullet as it travels down the barrel. Not only will this lead to poor accuracy but may also give you signs of leading that really isn’t occurring.
While testing cast bullets, it’s also important to keep your barrel free of leading. You may concoct a load that is a little too hot for the bullet/alloy you’re using and have a leading issue with that one load. If that leading isn’t removed before you fire your next test load, you won’t be able to tell which load gave you the problem. Moreover, leading is cumulative and will adversely affect the accuracy of subsequent shots.
But don’t despair. I’ve shot literally hundreds of thousands of cast bullets and have found a quick and inexpensive way to remove leading. I use Bronze Wool, available from Brownells, either in the fine or medium grade. Unlike Steel Wool, Bronze Wool is softer than steel and will not scratch your barrel. Also, Bronze Wool is not oiled, so it leaves your barrel absolutely clean. Simply pull some threads of the Bronze Wool off of the pad and wrap it tightly around a slightly undersized bronze barrel brush. The tighter the fit, the faster it will remove leading. Ten to twelve passes up and down the barrel will remove all but the most severe leading. If you do this regularly, you’ll never have severe leading to contend with. Bronze Wool has become an integral part of my shooting kit for years. I wouldn’t be without it!
~ Dave Jennings – Montana Bullet Works ~
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A new ammunition manufacturer has started up in Stevensville, Montana. ProGrade Ammunition will be offering a wide spectrum of ammo products, with components selected for particular types of shooting. Prograde will eventually offer nine separate types of pistol and rifle ammunition: Defense Grade, Varmint Grade, Cowboy Grade, Hunter Grade, Bear Grade, Range Grade, Match Grade, Safari Grade and Tactical Grade. Our readers will probably be most interested in the “Match Grade” and “Varmint Grade” lines. The Match Grade ammo features mostly Berger bullets (with some Noslers and Sierras), while Varmint Grade ammo is loaded with Barnes, Hornady, and Nosler bullets.
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We have no idea whether ProGrade Ammunition will shoot well and prove reliable. We don’t know what brass, powders, or primers ProGrade will be using. In a recent press release, ProGrade touts its Match Grade products: “Match Grade rounds are all hand-loaded in the United States and use premium components that are held to higher standards of consistency, leaving little room for inaccuracy. Match Grade means every element is made to be as uniform as possible in weight, primer pocket and neck size. This means everything — from bullet weight and powder weight to brass thickness and case length — is as precise as possible.”
Time (and rounds on target) will determine if ProGrade ammo is good stuff. But in this period of shortages, with ammunition of all kinds being hard to find, it is good to see a new domestic ammo-maker getting into the business, and producing cartridges with high-quality projectiles. We wish the folks at ProGrade success in their endeavor. To learn about ProGrade’s full line of ammunition, call (435) 865-5995, or visit www.progradeammo.com.
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We are sad to announce the passing of Duane Capehart, a leading figure in the long-range shooting community. Duane passed away in early June, and is survived by his wife Pat. Duane was one of the game-changing Montana marksmen who smashed records at the Missoula Deep Creek range.
Duane was always ready to share his knowledge with fellow shooters, and he helped this website with many projects. His friend Tom Mousel tells us: “Duane was among a handful of guys that started 1000-yard benchrest here in Montana. The man was breaking records before most of us knew what ‘MOA’ was, and he remained competitive to the very end. He and his wife Pat were the backbone of our club for many years. I will miss you my friend.”
We are much diminished by Duane’s passing. Those who knew Duane are very saddened by this loss. Here are some remembrances from our Forum members:
Duane Capehart was a truly great Hall of Fame shooter and a noble man. I am grateful for the wisdom he shared with me. He was a great fellow shooter at the range, that he helped build, especially on those frosty mornings. He never hesitated to help a new shooter. He was a good friend and neighbor here in the Bitterroot. He will be long remembered. My condolences, Pat. — Greg R.
Duane and I shot together many times and always had lots of fun before, during, and after the shoots. He will be missed for sure by the 1000-yard community and especially by the Missoula bunch. God bless you Pat, our thoughts and prayers are with you. — Diane & Bill Shehane
I had the honor and privilege to shoot against and converse with Duane on three occasions, and also by phone[.] Duane was funny, witty, sincere, and a friend to everyone. He was one of the best 1000-yard shooters in the business. My heart and prayers go out to Pat, and all his family. — Donovan M.
I met Duane just four years ago. He welcomed me at Deep Creek and he and I spent many a morning before the shoots visiting about shooting, hunting, work and everything in between. People there always seemed to look up to Duane, and once you got to know him you understood why. I will never forget some of the shoots with him, he was an amazing shooter, several times while pulling his targets he would not even be on target with his sighters. But then the record target would go up and he would pull off a 98 or a 99, or even a 100. This did not just happen once either — Duane [was] simply an amazing guy! I helped him and Pat hook up their camper at the end of the August final shoot last year, shook his hand goodbye and he said “I will see ya in the spring young man”. Well that didn’t happen but I will always remember Duane and always be grateful that he was my friend. Happy shooting in Heaven Duane, and God Bless you Pat. — Wayne B.
Duane’s Dawn Patrol
Duane took this photo at the Deep Creek Range in March a few years back during one of his “Dawn Patrol” missions. Temperature? Duane said it was about 17 degrees! Now that’s dedication. Duane truly loved the shooting sports. He will be missed.
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There was a lot of buzz at the Defiance Machine booth at SHOT Show. The new Defiance actions are beautifully made, and they have already been used in some impressive custom rifle builds. Defiance, based in Columbia Falls, MT, has rolled out a line-up of four (4) custom actions: Rebel, Mutant (for tubeguns), Renegade (for .408 CheyTac), and Titan (for 50 BMG). These actions all feature beautiful machining, with Wire EDM-cut lug ways, advanced-design extractors, and a true one-piece bolt. All action materials are pre-hardened before machining to prevent changing tolerances during heat-treating. Southpaws will be happy that both right and left-hand versions of all four actions are offered.
The Rebel actions feature a Remington 700 footprint for ease of inletting and stock compatibility. Notably, the Rebel actions are available in four lengths. Buyers can choose Medium, X-Medium, Long, or X-Long lengths to accommodate all popular factory chamberings and extended-length handloads. Multiple magazine well cuts are available for all of today’s popular magazine types including hinged floorplates, DBMs, or single-shot. For a rock-solid optics installation, Defiance can supply Mil-spec Picatinny rails with various built-in MOA geometry. This stout rail is secured to the action with five pins and 1/4-28 X 1/2″ screws. Base price on a Rebel is $1270.00 (Medium) or $1300.00 (Long), with many available extra-cost options. Defiance says delivery will take at least 60 days from order date.
We were very intrigued by the Mutant action with its integrated recoil lug. Offered in Medium and Long action lengths, Defiance’s new Mutant receiver is made specifically for the Eliseo RTM and RTS Chassis Systems. The Mutant features an extended tenon length for increased barrel thread contact and bedding surface. (Extended tenon is optional on the Rebel). The Mutant’s integral recoil lug adds rigidity and simplifies tubegun assembly. Medium-action Mutants are typically built with a Guardian mag-well cut to accommodate AI and AW magazines, while Long-action Mutants fit AI single-stack magazines and can be of Badger length or the longer CIP length for extended-OAL cartridge loading. The starting price on a Mutant action is $1200.00 (before options), and delivery is at least 60 days out.
The beefy Titan (50 BMG) and Renegade (.408 CheyTac) actions look like they will become very popular with the big-caliber shooters. These jumbo actions share the advanced features of their smaller cousins, but they are sized up significantly to provide additional strength, stiffness, and bedding surface. On both big actions double-plunger ejectors are used in combination with M16 extractors for reliable case ejection. Both Titan and Renegade actions are offered either as a single-shot or repeater. The Titan is currently sold exclusively through Proof Research, while the Renegade is not yet in production. Defiance plans to build 600 Renegade actions later this year, after demand is filled for the Rebels and Mutants. The anticipated price for the Renegade is $1750.00.
OK, we suspect we’ve whet your appetite. For final pricing (with customer-ordered options) and availability call Defiance at (406) 756-2727. For specs, features, and lots more photos, visit DefianceMachine.com. Contact Proof Research, 406-756-9290, with order questions about the 50 BMG Titan action.
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Montana X-Treme has an impressive line of aluminum-handled, coated cleaning rods. Introduced in 2010, these rods feature twin thrust bearings in hardened stainless steel retainers to ensure the coated, steel shafts spin smoothly even under heavy load. That’s good news for us. This ham-fisted Editor has managed to “stuff up” the bearings on both Dewey and Bore-Stix Cleaning Rods. If the Montana X-Treme thrust bearings are more durable, that’s a huge plus. We also like the fact that the machined aluminum handles have a slim profile for better clearance on the rear of the stock. The handles are long enough to get a good grip while a radiused section in the front allows you to push with your thumb. All rods have female-threaded tips, allowing use of most commercial jags without adaptors. The shafts have a proprietary non-embedding coating. Montana X-Treme claims its shaft coatings should be very long-lasting. Time will tell. These new cleaning rods look very well made — but they are pretty pricey. MidwayUSA is currently selling the new rods for $49.99.
Color Coding and Big-Bore Sizes up to 56″ Long
Montana X-Treme cleaning rods come in 12 different, color-coded sizes, with lengths up to 56″. Currently, however, 42″ is the max length for a a 17-20 or 22-264 (6mm) rod. We would like to see at least a 46″ 22-264 rod for use with 30-32″ barrels.
This year at the Deep Creek Rifle Range, near Missoula, Montana, the All National Guard Team conducted two very popular (and effective) marksmanship clinics. First, in the spring, All Guard Team members ran an Across the Course (XTC) clinic with individual instruction and live fire at the 200, 300 and 600 yards. Instruction covered shooting positions and techniques /strategy for the various distances involved in XTC matches.
This fall, in conjunction with the sold-out Long Range and F-Class Regional, the All National Guard Team held a long range clinic — which was sold-out as well. In attendance were competitive shooters, Army National Guard sniper teams ,and long-range hunters. With over 50 civilian and military shooters present, the program included basic instruction followed by coached shooting at the 800-yard and 1000-yard lines. Before the shooting began, instructors explained the positions used in sling shooting and F-Class, and also explained the hardware competitors need for these disciplines. The clinic continued with discussions of ballistics and wind reading strategies. For the live-fire portion of the clinic, students were grouped into pairs, with one All Guard Team member assigned to each pair. This worked well — while one student was shooting the other could observe the coach’s instructions.
The All Guard Team provides this service as part of its mission to improve marksmanship among the civilian population. The Remington-Bushmaster Team headed by Ken Roxburgh, and the USMC Rifle Team, can also provide instruction for shooting clinics.
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Match Report by Jamey Williams
In late September, the Deep Creek Range in Missoula, MT hosted its Second Annual Montana Long Range and F-Class Regional. Like last year, the match was a sell-out with 51 shooters. Competitors cames from all over the nation, from Pennsylvania to Oregon. The conditions at the range were some of the best ever and the scores of the shooters reflected this. Many folks shot personal bests at this match — some are likely to move up in their NRA classifications.
This year the match sponsors included US Tactical Supply and Bryan Litz’s AppliedBallistics.com. Both sponsors generously donated terrific prizes that were given out at the awards ceremony. The attendance at the two-day event was nearly an even split of sling shooters and F-Class shooters. Newcomers are always encouraged to sign up and try their hand at long-range shooting, and there were a handful of first-time competitors. The Army National Guard was well-represented with 19 soldiers, spread between the F-TR rifle Division and the Match Rifle/Palma Rifle Divisions. Most of the soldiers competing in the F-TR division were using their issued M24s and M110s.
Last year, SSG Allen Spiker, SFC Bob Evans and Nicole Hagedorn all established NRA National Records (in their respective categories) for their performances at the Montana LR and F-Class Regional (report from 2010: Record Broken at Deep Creek Range). This year, SSG Allen Spiker raised the bar, eclipsing his previous record with a pending new record. In the Palma Rifle division, Spiker fired a 1088 – 48X (1100 – 110X possible), beating his previous record mark by one X.
The Deep Creek Range is located within 30 minutes of the heart of Missoula. The range complex is surrounded by mountains and pine trees, with great western scenery. Deep Creek also has some unique qualities. Most of the ranges in the Northern Rockies are noted for their challenging conditions, but traditionally, the Deep Creek range affords the shooter some of the best conditions they are likely to encounter anywhere. In addition to the NRA High Power records that continue to be established there, the Montana Northwest 1000-Yard Bench Rest Club is frequently in the shooting news — records seem to be broken every season. If you are interested in attending any of the F-Class or High Power matches there in 2012, contact Jamey Williams at jameydan [at] gmail.com, or visit HellgateCSA.org.
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How well can the 6mm Dasher perform at 1000 yards when conditions are good, and the shooter is riding a hot streak? Well here’s a shot-by-shot record of Scott Nix’s 4.554″ 10-shot group shot at Missoula, Montana at the Northwest 1000-yard Championship a few years back. All 10 shots were centered for a 100-6X score. That’s about as good as it gets. If Scott had stopped after 5 shots, his group would have been under 3 inches!
Then we decided to go up to Danny’s and Bill’s hard rock dairy farm. We set up on the top of a high hill and shoot over the farm buildings to another mountain where there is a huge pasture with large rock piles. We scanned this pasture for about an hour and a half. Roy has a pair of Ziess 8-power binocs and I use a pair of the Leica 10-power Geovids with built-in laser rangefinder. I also have a “Big Eyes” set-up — two 22-power Kowa spotting scopes mounted on a bracket and used on a sturdy tripod. After some time searching the field for hogs and seeing none, we decided to pack up and go to a farm owned by Donnie Campbell. Over the years we have shot many a hog here. Roy once shot one here at 905 yards and my longest shot on this farm was 714 yards. Most kills here are made at over 400 yards. There’s a perfect place to shoot hogs from a single firing position. At the back property line was a big hill about 400 feet higher than the surrounding pastures and we could see and shoot about 200 degrees around us all the way out to 1,200 yards.
MBW Business for Sale
We are sad to announce the passing of Duane Capehart, a leading figure in the long-range shooting community. Duane passed away in early June, and is survived by his wife Pat. Duane was one of the game-changing Montana marksmen who smashed records at the Missoula Deep Creek range.
