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June 21st, 2011
Just how accurate can a modern 6 PPC benchrest rifle be? Would you believe five shots in 0.022″? That’s the size of the group shot by Rich Graham this past weekend in Visalia, CA. Rich was shooting his 6 PPC 10.5-lb LV bag gun in the Unlimited Class. Below is a photo of Rich with his target — yes there are five shots in that one hole (as confirmed by moving backers used in the match). This five-shot group could be a potential new NBRSA 100-yard record, if the 0.022″ measurement is confirmed. The current 5-100 NBRSA Unlimited record is 0.049″ shot by Gary Ocock in 2009. For reference, the 5-100 NBRSA Heavy Varmint Record is 0.027″ by Ralph Landon in 1975.
The Record-Setting Gun
Though Rich shot his small group in the Unlimited Class, his rifle is a typical 10.5-lb, short-range benchrest bag gun. Smithed by Gary Ocock, the rifle features a BAT action (we believe), Bruno Edge stock, Krieger Barrel, and March scope. The load was 27.8 grains of Hodgdon H322 with 65gr Flatbase bullets made on a Nielson die, in Lapua brass. We are told that Rich shot this potential world record with ammo pre-loaded before the match.
We think Rich’s target will definitely come in under the current 0.049″ Unlimited Class record. Using our On-Target plotting software, we measured Rich’s group at 0.029″. However, keep in mind that we were working from a photo, and the camera lens can distort dimensions a bit. Accordingly, the original 0.022″ measurement by the match scorers is probably more reliable, but this helps illustrate how small Rich’s group really is.
Photos courtesy DanL. Story tip by Boyd Allen.
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April 26th, 2011
From April 20th through the 24th, the NBRSA conducted its National long-range Benchrest Championships at the Sac Valley Shooting Center in Sloughhouse, CA. The 600-Yard Nationals were held on April 20-21. Next was an F-Class Benchrest match on Friday the 22nd. This was followed by the two-day, 1000-yard Nationals on Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24.
Complete Match Scores (MS Word files): 600-Yard Results | 1000-Yard Results | F-Class Bench Results
Peter White was crowned the new NBRSA 600-yard Champion. Peter, who shot a 6mm BRX in both Light Gun and Heavy Gun classes, finished with 17 ranking points overall, well ahead of runner-up Greg Wilson (24 points). (In the two-gun overall ranking, fewer points are better). A highlight of this event was Bruce Bangeman’s 280-7X score, which has been logged as a potential NBRSA World Record.
Bruce Bangeman was the “Top Shot” in the NBRSA 1000-Yard Championships held on Saturday and Sunday. Bangeman won the 2-Gun Overall to be named the NBRSA 1K champion, with 23 ranking points. Bob Hoppe finished second with 26 points, and our friend Bruce Duncan of MT Guns finished third with 32 ranking points. CLICK HERE for a PDF file with complete 1000-yard results.
Despite rather blustery weather, there was a good turnout for all the events, with over 30 shooters on the line in both the 600-yard and 1000-yard Tournaments. Bruce Duncan, who finished 3rd overall in the 1K event, told us that: “Conditions were tough off and on throughout the match. We had targets blown off the board in some events. The winds were especially nasty on Sunday morning.”
600-Yard NBRSA National Championship
National 2-Gun 600yd Champion: Pete White, 17 points
2nd: Greg Wilson, 24 points
3rd: Gary Gagliono, 27 points
4th: Ken Schroeder, 33 points
5th: Jay Cutright, 34 points (tiebreaker- higher finish in 12 tgt grp)
6th: Robert Hoppe, 34 points
7th: Lou Murdica, 38 points
8th: Connie Murdica, 40 points
9th: Bruce Bangeman, 41 points
10th: John Crawford, 44 points
2 Gun Score Champion: Pete White 798 7x
2 Gun Group Champion: Jay Cutright 3.291
2011 Light Gun Score Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 280-7X (Pending World Record)
2011 Light Gun Group Champion: Jay Cutright, 2.670″
2011 Heavy Gun Score Champion: Connie Murdica, 535-3X
2011 Heavy Gun Group Champion: Jay Cutright, 3.912″
1000-Yard NBRSA National Championship
National 2-Gun 1K Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 23 points
2nd: Bob Hoppe, 26 points
3rd: Bruce Duncan, 32 points
4th: Billy Copelin, 37 points (won tiebreaker)
5th: Lou Murdica, 37 points
6th: Jay Cutright, 37 points
7th: Gary Gagliano, 42 points
8th: Greg Wilson, 44 points
9th: Curt Mendenhall, 51 points
10th: Everet Smith, 52 points
2 Gun Score Champion: Jay Cutright, 781-3X
2 Gun Group Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 8.279″
2011 Light Gun Score Champion: Gary Gagliano, 271-3X
2011 Light Gun Group Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 6.690″
2011 Heavy Gun Score Champion: Jay Cutright, 534-3X
2011 Heavy Gun Group Champion: Bruce Bangeman, 9.869″
 F-Class Benchrest Match
In addition to the 600-yard Nationals and 1K Nationals, this year the Folsom Shooting Club conducted something relatively new — an “F-Class Benchrest” event. On Friday, a benchrest match for F-Class rifles was held. This allows the F-TR guys and the F-Open shooters with their 22-pounders to shoot from a seated position. Jerry Tierney reports: “The Friday F-Class Bench match was won by Tom Price (right) with a 386. In second place was Charles Greer with a 386 with less Xs.” Jerry finished in 3rd place “with a lot more Xs but only 385 points”. The first match was fired on the F-class target. The second match was on the slightly smaller 1000-yard bench rest target.
Shooters Pick 1K Benchrest Targets for Future F-Bench Matches
There was a vote on which target to shoot on for F-Class bench match and it was a close vote. Bob Hoppe observed that any range holding an F-bench match will have the 1000-yard Benchrest targets, but may not have F-Class 1000 yard targets. Another vote was taken and the 1000-yard Benchrest targets will be used for F-Bench matches.
Match photos courtesy Lou Murdica.
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April 14th, 2011
 Bartlein Barrels leads the way among companies supporting American competitors at the 2011 World Benchrest Championships in France. Bartlein Barrels has made a significant donation to this year’s American team — over $14,000.00 worth of match barrels. In dollar value, this is the single largest donation to the team from any source. Each Team USA member will receive four (4) barrels in their set-up of choice. We commend the folks at Bartlein Barrels for generously supporting the United States Benchrest Shooting Team.
World Benchrest Championship USA Team Members Selected
Listed below are the names of the team members who represent the United States at the 2011 World Benchrest Championship (WBC-11). The Championship will be held August 23-27, 2011 in Volmerange, Les Mines, France. USA Team members were selected through points accumulated at five qualifying matches in 2010.
Team 1 – Tony Boyer, Larry Costa, Gene Bukys, Chris Harris
Team 2 – Mike Ratigan, Jack Neary, Andy Shifflett, Wayne Campbell
Team 3 – Tim Oltersdorf, Dave Coots, Rabon Stewart Jr., Larry Baggett
Alternates: Bob Hammack, Don Nielson, Lou Murdica, Greg Reed | Honorary Captain: Walt Berger
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March 26th, 2011
The entry/information forms are now available for the NBRSA 600-yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 600: April 20-21, 2011), 1000-Yard F-Class Bench Match (April 22, 2011), and 1000-Yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 1000: April 23-25, 2011). All three major events will be held at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center, located outside Sacramento, California.
There will be hot dogs for purchase April 20,21,22, and 24, while lunch will be catered on Saturday, April 23rd. Match Fees for the two Nationals Events are $50.00 per class (Light Gun and Heavy Gun), while the fee for the F-Class Bench Match (22-lb class) is $30.00. Make Checks payable to: Sloughhouse Benchrest Shooters Inc., 10607 Sacramento Road, Galt, CA 95632. More information will be available on the NBRSA website.
ENTRY FORMS (PDF Format)
NBRSA 600-Yard Nationals Sign-Up Form
F-Class 1000-Yard Bench Match Sign-Up Form
NBRSA 1000-Yard Nationals Sign-Up Form
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November 1st, 2010
 Here is the book we have all been waiting for. Tony Boyer, by far the greatest shooter in the history of short-range benchrest competition, has finally released his new 323-page book. It’s a beautiful product, full of color photos from cover to cover. Every serious benchrest shooter should read Tony’s book. He has dominated registered benchrest in a fashion that will never be duplicated. Tony Boyer has 142 U.S. Benchrest Hall of Fame points. That total is unprecedented. The next closest shooter, Allie Euber, has 47 Hall of Fame points.
The full-color book is 323 pages long, and there are color photos or color illustrations on nearly every page. The hard-cover first edition costs $42.50, while the soft cover version is $34.50. These are available from Bruno Shooters Supply, 1-800-455-0350. You can also buy directly from Tony Boyer’s publisher, Turks Head in Washington state, by visiting www.RifleAccuracyBook.com.
Special Limited Slipcase Edition, Signed by Tony Boyer — 500 Only
A total of 500 limited-edition, hardback versions of the Boyer book were printed. These 500 limited edition books are all signed by Tony Boyer. Cost is $64.50, and that includes a fitted external slipcase to protect the book’s cover. The Boyer-signed, limited edition books are offered exclusively through Turks Head. Call (206) 782-4164 (ext. 0) to order, or visit www.RifleAccuracyBook.com.
If you want a limited, signed edition, you should act quickly.
The Book Of Rifle Accuracy, By Tony Boyer
Hard Cover, Bruno Code: TBHC — Price: $42.50 | Soft Cover, Bruno Code: TBSC — Price: $34.50
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October 20th, 2010
This weekend, October 22-24, the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center hosts the NBRSA 1000-Yard National Championship (aka “Sloughhouse 1000″). Many of the nation’s best long-range shooters will be on the firing line. There will be two classes, Light Gun and Heavy Gun, with match fees of $75.00 per class. The Championship Match starts on the 22nd at 8:00 A.M. at Range 12. There will be a “sight-in & weigh-in” day on October 21st. On Friday and Sunday, food may be purchased from Jake’s Hot Dogs. On Saturday, lunch will be catered by Sierra Smokehouse Barbecue. (Sierra’s BBQ fare is truly superb!)
This is the view from 600 yards. The 1000-yard firing line is fully covered and shaded. With blustery weather and moderate chance of rain predicted, it will be interesting to see how the 6mm Dasher aces like Richard Schatz do in tough conditions. This could be the weekend to shoot a big boomer in both classes. Past 1K NBRSA Champ Jerry Tierney will be there with his straight .284 Win. He is working on a 7mm RSAUM, but it isn’t ready for the event.
CLICK HERE for Entry Form/Information Sheet (PDF)
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September 16th, 2010
 The Ojai Valley Gun Club (OVGC) hosts a 600-yard Registered Benchrest match this Sunday, September 19. Beat the heat and come up to this beautiful location in the Coastal Mountains. There will be both Light Gun (17-lb) and Heavy Gun (unlimited weight) matches (three record targets each class), and the cost is just $25.00 for a full day of shooting. Shooting starts at 8:00 am sharp, so get there early. Under NBRSA Rules, the Light Guns will shot 5 record rounds per target, while the Heavy Guns shoot 10 rounds per target.
Match director Barry Bluhm says: “We welcome all shooters, even if their rifles don’t make the 17-lb weight limit for Light Gun. F-Classers and other guys who don’t have a true Light Gun can shoot their heavier rifles in both stages and all targets will be scored, but Light Gun official awards will be limited to the 17-pounders.”
While there is time to load between matches, it’s wise to come pre-loaded with at least 75 rounds. A total of 45 record rounds will be shot, and you’ll need sighter rounds. If you’ve never shot at 600 yards before you’ll need +11-14 MOA elevation from a 100-yard zero for most popular calibers.
As the Ojai range is located at about 3,350 feet, temps can be “brisk” in the morning. Bring a sweater or jacket as it could be under 40° when the match begins. Highs should be in the 70s by mid-day. The weatherman predicts excellent conditions for Sunday, so we could witness some record-setting performances. When it is cool, calm, and still in the early morning, it’s very possible to shoot quarter-MOA groups at Ojai. We’re still waiting for a sub-inch group to be shot in Registered 600-yard competition at Ojai — maybe this will be the weekend.
For match information, call Barry Bluhm at (805) 798-2473. The range is located off CA Route 33 about 35 minutes’ drive north-east of Ventura, California (see map below).
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July 7th, 2010
As word spreads of Jackie Schmidt’s historic 0.1118″ 5-target 100-yard Heavy Varmint Aggregate, many readers have inquired about Jackie’s gear and loading procedures. Interestingly, Jackie tells us that he selected the 30 BR “on a whim” for the Heavy Varmint stage of the Midland tournament, after he couldn’t get his 6 PPC Light Varmint gun to shoot up to his standards. With the PPC, he was getting some erratic vertical, with one shot popping up to spoil the group. Jackie turned to his trusty 30 BR, and, as they say, “the rest was history”. Jackie says his 30 BR “held perfect tune all day long”, with “absolutely no vertical”. Here are some other interesting facts about Jackie’s amazing 0.1118″ 5x5x100 Agg and the 30 BR he steered to the pending NBRSA record.
Jackie Free Recoils his 30 BR
Unlike many 30 BR shooters who shoulder their guns, Jackie shoots his 30 BR totally free recoil: “The only thing I touch is the trigger. I try to keep my body out of the equation. Free recoiling a 30 BR isn’t that difficult with a true 13.5-lb rifle.”
30 BR file photo. Jackie Schmidt does not shoot Moly bullets normally.
Jackie Didn’t Clean During Record Agg
Jackie shot his entire 100-yard HV Aggregate (25 rounds plus sighters) without cleaning his 30 BR rifle. Jackie told us: “I never cleaned the rifle until the end of the day. In fact I never took the gun out of the bags.” Jackie tells us that shooting a full Agg without cleaning has become standard practice with 30 BRs: “We’ve all learned that you don’t have to clean them. It’s a phenomenon of the 30 calibers. They shoot just as good on the last shot as the first shot.” When he does clean, Jackie uses patches soaked with Butch’s Bore Shine, followed by 10 strokes with a wet brush, then dry patches. Jackie adds: “For the past few years, I’ve never put any solvent but Butch’s in my bores.”
 Jackie Used 100% Case Capacity Charge
Jackie loaded a “100% usable case capacity charge” of Hodgdon H4198 (Extreme) in his rounds. His 112gr BIB bullets are “just kissing” the top of the powder column. To achieve that fill level, Jackie uses an 8″ drop tube. “That’s an old PPC-loader’s trick,” Jackie tells us. He added that his lot of H4198 is slower than most. He’s found that “some guys can reach the 3000 fps mark using nearly a full grain less powder than me.” But we wonder if loading at 100% of case capacity helps with accuracy? Folks with a faster lot of H4198 might not be able to reach 100% case capacity.
Jackie Schmidt’s ‘Snubber’ Tuner — The Inside Engineering
Everyone wants to know about Jackie’s “snubber” tuner, shown in the photo below. The Tuner is made from aluminum and brass and weighs 5.5 ounces. The tuner is 2 5/8″ long and extends past the true crown 5/8″. The inner cylinder is aluminum while the outer section is a marine bearing consisting of a brass shell with hard rubber vulcanized to the inside diameter. (These brass/rubber marine bearings are used for propeller shaft seals). The sandwiched brass/rubber bearing is then pressed on to the central aluminum shaft. The hard rubber helps dampen vibration. The tuner screws on and then is “locked” in place with a split clamp (the last 2″ of the barrel is threaded).
Unlike most tuners which have a fixed base and forward, rotating ring, Jackie’s tuner is one integrated unit. To adjust tune, Jackie’s “snubber” tuner is unclamped at the base and the whole assembly is screwed in or out on the threaded barrel. Jackie machined a very tight-pitched barrel thread so a full rotation of the tuner produces only .028″ of fore and aft movement. Jackie tells us that, once the basic position is set for a barrel, it doesn’t take much rotation to set the tune. He can usually optimize the barrel tune with less than 1/2 turn of the tuner. After the tune position is set, the split clamp at the inboard end is tightened. This way the tuner is basically locked in place while shooting.
Despite numerous requests, Jackie does not sell his tuners commercially. But someone with good machine skills could build a clone tuner. Team USA benchrest shooter Gene Bukys crafted a similar snubber-type tuner which he used successfully at the 2009 World Championships in South Africa.
The “25 Shots Heard Round the World”
Even people outside the Benchrest community are excited about Jackie’s 0.1118 Aggregate. Jackie’s achievement was noted by Michael Bane and broadcast on the Downrange TV Weekly Video Podcast.
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July 4th, 2010
 Texan Jackie Schmidt, using a 13.5-lb 30BR Heavy Varmint rifle, has shot a pending NBRSA world record 5-target, 5-shot-per-target Aggregate at 100 yards. Jackie’s 5x5x100 Agg measured 0.1118! How small is that? To help our readers visualize this, the illustration at right shows what a SINGLE 0.111″ 5-shot group (with .30-cal holes) would look like. Jackie’s actual measured group sizes for his five-target Aggregate were: .153, .093, .120, .100, and .093.
If this record is certified, it will be the best 5×5 100-yard Agg ever shot in history by a bag gun in competition. Jackie’s Agg may also beat the “Unlimited” (Rail Gun) 5x5x100 records, but we’re still researching that. Remarkably, Jackie shot his 0.1118″ Agg with a stout-recoiling 30 BR (not a PPC), he did it in howling winds, and he did it with brass that had been fired 30 times! He also shot the entire Agg without cleaning his barrel.
We know it may be difficult for some readers to understand how hard it is to average 0.1118 for 25 shots on FIVE targets. To help demonstrate this, we’ve created an illustration that shows a SINGLE 0.111″ five-shot group. Jackie shot five groups that averaged this size. And he wasn’t “machine-gunning”. He took 6-7 minutes to shoot each target, firing on a “angle transition” in the conditions. Jackie explained: “The wind was switching, but I wasn’t shooting the dominant condition. I would wait for the transition and then shoot when the flags came around to about 15 degrees.”
Jackie gave credit to his rifle: “Though I usually use this rifle for score shoots, this 30BR is the most accurate rifle I have in terms of shooting small groups. I was lucky and hit the perfect tune. There was absolutely no vertical. You can’t shoot [an Agg] like this unless you have a rifle tuned to the hilt.” Jackie recognizes that this performance was a “once in a lifetime type experience.” He told us: “Today everything was right. The rifle was shooting impeccably, I had a good handle on the conditions, and just didn’t make a mistake.” Jackie added: “These days are few and far between — you just have to cherish the moment.”
Jackie’s 5-target Agg was so good that many experts predict it will stand as a record for a long time. On Benchrest Central, respected BR gunsmith Mike Bryant wrote: “The current record … was still Rex Reneau’s .1399 Agg from 1982. With Jackie’s Agg, I’m sure that it will easily beat Rex’s record when measured by the records committee. It’s just too far under the current record for it not to hold up… [and] to do it with a .30 BR is even more amazing. That should put to rest the notion that the .30 BR is a score cartridge only.”
Many people are surprised this pending Agg record was shot with a 30BR rather than a 6 PPC. When asked if he thinks the 30 BR can rival the 6PPC in group competition, Jackie told us: “In the 13.5-lb Heavy Varmint class, a good 30 BR is every bit as accurate as a good PPC, and possesses an equal Agging capability.” It’s different in the 10.5 classes, Jackie acknowledged: “in the LV/Sporter 10.5-lb classes, the 30 BR can get a little aggravating over the course of a match due to its greater recoil.”
Jackie’s Aggregate May Be Best in Benchrest History
Shooting in a Midland, Texas BR for group match, Jackie battled shifty, 15-20 mph winds in what may well be the greatest single-day display of “pure accuracy” in the history of the shooting sports. To put this accomplishment in perspective, Jackie’s 5-target Agg was better than any other 5×5 100-yard Aggregate ever shot in a registered benchrest match by a bag-gun. And according to the published records we could find on file with the NBRSA and IBS, Jackie’s 0.1118″ also beats even the existing rail-gun 5x5x100 Aggs. So, this could potentially be the smallest 5-target Agg ever shot in history, by any gun, in any registered match, at any time. Below are the current IBS and NBRSA World records listed on the Internet:
| Current Benchrest 100-yard World Records (5 Targets, 5 shots per target) |
| 5-5-100 Aggregate (NBRSA)
Unlimited: .1283″ Steve Kostanich 8/10/2003
Heavy Varmint: .1399″ Rex Reneau 9/6/1982
Light Varmint: .1500″ Jeff Fowler 6/11/1994
Sporter: .1573 (na) Dick Katchmar 4/14/1985 |
5-5-100 Aggregate Records (IBS)
Unlimited HB: .1386 (na) R. Howell 12/3/04
Heavy Varmint: .1407″ Tony Boyer 8/3/07
Light Varmint: .1599″ B. Goad 8/13/08
Sporter: .1592″ R. Boop 8/13/08 |
 Gun Specs: Jackie was shooting a 13.5-lb 30 BR that he chambered and assembled himself. The barrel is a 4-groove, 1:18″ twist, HV-taper Krieger, fitted with a 5.5-oz. “snubber” barrel tuner made by Jackie. The action is a cast Farley, “glued and screwed” into the stock and fitted with a Jewell trigger. The stock is a Robertson Composites BRX, built with extra weight to make the gun a dedicated 13.5-pounder. The scope is a 50-power March.
Record Load: Jackie was running a stout load of Hodgdon H4198 powder, Federal 205M primers, and BIB (Robinette) 112gr flat-base bullets seated about .003″ into the lands. Load is “tuned for 3020 fps”. Cases are formed from Lapua 6mmBR brass using a dedicated forming barrel that blows the necks out to 0.330″ in one step. Trim length is 1.540″, longer than most 30 BRs. Jackie turns the necks for a total of .002″ clearance.
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April 27th, 2010
 The final results of the 2010 NBRSA 600-Yard National Championship held at the Sac Valley Shooting Center on April 23-25, 2010, are now available. Click the link below to download an MS Word file with complete scores.
Official Scorer Jim O’Connell reports: “On Friday Billy Copelin was presented his NBRSA Long-Range Hall of Fame Jacket. He joined a very elite group of shooters. Congratulations to Billy. The weather was fairly nice and the wind (light brezze) was manageable. Robert Hoppe and Don Nielson both broke the 6-target Light Gun score record with a 278-3X. Don beat Robert because Don had the smaller group. Richard Schatz broke two records, the 6-target Heavy Gun group (3.045), and the twelve target Two-Gun group (2.782). Don Nielson was the 2010 National Champion with a score of 12 (8-Heavy Gun Score, 2-Heavy Gun Group, 1-Light Gun Score, and 1-Light Gun Group). Congratulations to Don. Thank you all for your participation and support of the Sloughhouse Benchrest Shooters. Hope to see you all at the NBRSA 1000-Yard Nationals.”
CLICK HERE to Download 2010 NBRSA 600-Yard Nationals Scores (MS Word file)
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April 26th, 2010
 NBRSA Long-Range BR Hall-of-Famer Don Nielson earned his second NBRSA 600-yard championship this weekend in Sacramento, California. Don took the overall title, which counts score and group results for both Light Gun (LG) and Heavy Gun (HG). 6mm Dasher shooters Richard Schatz and Robert Hoppe finished second and third overall, respectively. Potential new records were set at the match, with possible new records by Nielson in LG Group Agg, LG Score Agg, and (possibly) 12-target Agg. Along with winning the Championship, Don placed first in LG Group, first in LG Score, second in HG Group, and second in Two-Gun Group Agg. Nielson also shot the smallest LG group, a 1.4″ group with four of five shots in slightly over 1/2 inch!
Don shot two 6.5×47 17-lb rifles, one in Light Gun and one in Heavy Gun. (He shot two near-identical rifles so he didn’t need to clean between LG and HG relays). For his pair of 6.5x47s, Don loaded Alliant Reloder 15 powder, with Federal 205M primers, and Berger 130 VLD bullets “right out of the box.” Don’s rifles featured Kelbly 1000-yard stocks, Bartlein 30″ barrels, and March 10-60x52mm scopes. Below Don Nielson is shown testing in 2008. Don shot this gun in the match, but it has a new Bartlein barrel.
The Match was well-attended — 46 of the nation’s top mid-range shooters competed. Don Nielson said conditions were “pretty nice until the third (last) relay on Sunday”. Don felt that winds didn’t top 10 mph until late on Sunday. Don credited both his guns for performing very consistently and he wanted to acknowledge his fellow shooters: “Richard, as usual, shot great with his Dasher. Robert (Hoppe) shot well as did Darryl Kightlinger and Everet Smith, whom we call the ‘Shasta Locomotive'”. Below are preliminary results provided by Lynn Dragoman.
Overall NBRSA National Championship
1. Don “The Pumpkin” Nielson
2. Richard Schatz
3. Robert Hoppe
4. Darryl Kightlinger
5. Everet Smith
6. Curt Mendenhall
7. William Hubina
8. Kenneth Schroeder
9. John Crawford
10. Lynn Dragoman Jr
Two-Gun Score
1. Everet Smith
2. Darryl Kightlinger
3. Richard Schatz
4. Curt Mendenhall
5. Don Nielson
6. Kenneth Schroeder
7. Lynn Dragoman Jr
8. Robert Hoppe
9. Stu Harvey
10. Lou Murdica
Two-Gun Group
1. Richard Schatz
2. Don Nielson
3. Robert Hoppe
4. Everet Smith
5. Curt Mendenhall
6. William Hubina
7. Kenneth Schroeder
8. Darryl Kightlinger
9. John Crawford
10. Greg Wilson |
Three-Target Winners
Heavy Gun 3-Tgt Score — Darryl Kightlinger
Heavy Gun 3-Tgt Group — Robert Hoppe
Light Gun 3-Tgt Score — Robert Hoppe
Light Gun 3-Tgt Group — John Crawford
Light Gun Score
1. Don Nielson
2. Robert Hoppe
3. Darryl Kightlinger
4. Everet Smith
5. Curt Mendenhall
Light Gun Group
1. Don Nielson
2. Richard Schatz
3. Robert Hoppe
4. John Crawford
5. Darryl Kightlinger
Heavy Gun Score
1. Richard Schatz
2. Kenneth Schroeder
3. Everet Smith
4. Stu Harvey
5. Darryl Kightlinger
Heavy Gun Group
1. Richard Schatz
2. Don Nielson
3. Everet Smith
4. Curt Mendenhall
5. William Hubina |
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November 30th, 2009
On Sunday November 29th, the Ojai Valley Gun Club hosted its first-ever NBRSA-sanctioned, 600-yard Benchrest match. Ojai boasts a beautiful range in the Southern California foothills about 40 road miles from the coast. Many Pala Range regulars from the San Diego area were on hand, and some “big names” turned up for the event including Lou Murdica and 2007 NBRSA 600-yard Champion Don Nielson. In sunny but wildly changeable conditions (ranging from near-calm to 20 mph gusts), Don showed how it was done, winning the match with his 6.5×47 Lapua rifle.
Don finished first in ALL LG and HG categories except Heavy Gun score, where he placed second. In Light Gun class, Don shot a 2.207″ Agg for three, 5-shot targets (1.523″, 2.344″, 2.754″). Mind you this was in conditions where some pretty good shooters were off paper. Don said the secret was to shoot fast: “When it’s switchy, you can’t wait. I pretty much never stopped and never slowed down. Even for the 10-shot Heavy Gun Groups I think I was done in 30 seconds.” Second in Two Gun Overall was Brenda Hill. Brenda has established herself as one of California’s top F-Class and long-range shooters. At Ojai, Brenda was shooting a very accurate 6BRX rifle smithed by Leroy Johnson, jpgrifles [at] yahoo.com. John Crawford, Bruce Duncan, and Lou Murdica also all shot well in the difficult conditions.
On the firing line we found some very interesting equipment. John Crawford of the Bay Area had a beautiful Leonard-stocked gun chambered in 6mm Grendel. John is getting over 2900 fps with his 6mm Grendel, shooting 105gr Berger VLDs. He does have a long throat, but that is still impressive — 6BR velocities from the smaller-diameter Grendel case. Along with its gorgeous wood stock, Crawford’s rifle featured some very cool hardware. The trigger guard was radically skeletonized and anodized black. John’s scope was mounted with 4-bolt integrated scope rings/bases with 20 MOA built-in elevation. Produced by Marvin Pearson in Oregon, (360) 748-3429, these custom ring/bases were beautifully finished with radiused edges. Pearson’s ring/bases are available for 1″, 30mm, or 34mm tubes, with zero elevation “pre-load”, or up to 30 MOA of built-in elevation. Pearson charges $125.00 per set (plus shipping).
Crawford carried his 6mm Grendel ammo in compact 100-round ammo ammo cases from J&J Products. These cases pack big capacity in a relatively small footprint. There is enough clearance for long VLD-style bullets, but not so much extra “headroom” that the rounds can fall out if the box is inverted. John uses a piece of pink foam, cut to box dimensions, to protect his bullet tips when traveling. These 100-round J&J boxes measure 5.375″L x 5.375″W x 2.400″D and cost just $4.88 (J&J item BR-100).
 Match director Barry Bluhm had a very nice ammo caddy that places ten loaded rounds up close to the loading port for fast cycling. Southpaw Bluhm keeps his ammo caddy on the right side, but the design would work equally well when used on the left side by a right-handed shooter.
Barry, who shoots a 6-6.5×47 for the most part, deserves a huge amount of credit for organizing this event. He spent many long hours building new target frames, and organized volunteers to man the pits and run the range. Without Barry’s dedication and hard work, this 600-yard match, hopefully the first of many registered events at Ojai, couldn’t have happened.
To learn more about the Ojai Valley Gun Club, or view the schedule of upcoming events, visit www.OVGC.net.
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