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December 26th, 2013
 The GAP Grind is one of the nation’s premier tactical matches. The 20-minute YouTube video embedded below features highlights of the 2013 GAP Grind, hosted this fall at the K&M Precision Rifle Training facility near Crestview, Florida. It’s interesting to see the many types of rifle systems used at this match — Tubeguns, Aluminum Chassis rifles, AI models, and customs built on fiberglass stocks. These are all used in a dizzying variety of shooting positions and scenarios. Ninety (90) competitors fired over 15,000 rounds during this year’s GAP Grind.
The video employs multiple camera angles, giving you an “insider’s view” of the match. Starting at 16:30 you’ll see an interesting sequence — the Bartlein Steel Safari, with multiple steel targets engaged at progressively longer distances. Watch carefully and you’ll see bullet trace and the “splash” of impact. (This sequence is also previewed at the 2:30 time-mark — watch the trace).
Watch 2013 GAP Grind Tactical Match Video
The GAP Grind has been described as “a high tempo match with minimal ‘down-time’ between stages”. Competitors use rifle and pistol in a variety of scenarios, with pistol stages from 5 to 40 yards, and rifle engagements out to 1000 yards. Targets — an assortment of steel, reactive, paper, and automated moving targets — vary in difficulty based on the shooters’ position, distance, and time allotted. Most stages involve time limits, or required movement, or other “stressors” that heighten the difficulty (and get the heart pumping). Scoring employs Precision Rifle Series (PRS) guidelines in order to reward the most consistent shooters.
December 4th, 2013
The “Top Guns” of the tactical shooting world will be heading to the PRS Finale this upcoming weekend. This event, the culmination of the 2013 Precision Rifle Series, runs December 6-8, 2013 at the K&M Precision Rifle Training facility in Florida. The PRS Finale is a unique championship-style match for the nation’s best tactical shooters, competing with bolt-guns in four divisions: Pro, Semi-pro, Military, and Law Enforcement. To learn more about the PRS, visit PrecisionRifleSeries.com. You’ll find a good article on the ModernServiceWeapons.com (MSW) website, that outlines PRS rules, spotlights PRS match venues, and lists recommended gear. READ MSW PRS Article.
Below is a great video covering the 2012 PRS Finale from start to finish. Held at the Rifles Only range in Texas last December, the 2012 event drew 55 of the nation’s top tactical shooters, who competed for glory… and thousands of dollars worth of cash and prizes. If you like the tactical game, you’ll love this professionally-edited video. Because this video is over 29 minutes long, we’ve provided a timeline so you can quickly find the highlights:
Watch PRS 2012 Championship (Click arrows icon to view full-screen version.)
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AUDIO: Click Button to hear Rich Emmons Talk about the Precision Rifle Series. |
Video TimeLine:
Registration:1:56
Chrono Work: 2:25
Night Briefing: 3:10
Day One: 4:00+
Running Wire: 5:15
Prone Mover: 6:48
Tower Challenge: 7:12
Net Challenge: 8:43 |
Tri-Level Barricade: 11:28
1/4-Miler Berzerker: 11:52
Mound Shot: 12:57
Platform: 13:14
Platform Mover: 13:42
5-Target Speed Dot: 14:26
The Rat Trap: 15:00
End of Day One Brief: 16:42 |
Day Two Start: 17:22
Ace Challenge: 17:30
Know Your Limits: 18:54
Non-Supported Engage: 19:25
Culverts Only: 20:25
Awards Ceremony: 23:15
Sponsor Credits: 26:50
Interviews with Competitors: 27:24 |
How did the PRS get started? Rich Emmons, PRS President, explains that the concept was to “accumulate ten or so matches and create a point series” that would determine “who was the best [tactical] rifle shooter in the country”. Rich says that: “It’s a points race, but it’s also a big Finale that brings the ‘best of the best’ all together in one ‘monster’ match.” The winner of the 2012 PRS Series was Wade Stuteville, who also took first in the 2012 Finale. Runner-up in the 2012 Series (with a third-place Finale finish) was Team GAP’s Chase Stroud. Jeff Badley of Team GAP finished third in the PRS 2012 Series (and second in the Finale). SEE 2012 PRS Pro Shooters Equipment List.
 How to Get Started in Tactical Matches
If this fun and challenging tactical discipline appeals to you, head out to the range and get involved. Begin with local matches and develop your skill set. You don’t have to invest in $6000.00+ worth of rifle and optics. GAP’s George Gardner says you don’t need ultra-expensive gear: “The most important piece of gear is yourself. A one-minute rifle [can] win these matches every time… so you’ve got to bring it. You don’t get good overnight, so for someone trying to get into this, just shoot — you’ve got to get out there and shoot. My advice would be to get out and shoot one of these matches. It doesn’t matter how you place — just do it. You have to have a starting point. If you don’t start, you’ll never finish.”
October 11th, 2011
Tactical Precision Rifle Matches are hugely popular, with many matches “sold out” months in advance. Now it looks like the precision tactical discipline is headed for the big-time. Stealing a page from the 3-Gun Nation playbook, a group of tactical competitors is launching a new nationwide series of matches for tactical shooters, the Precision Rifle Series 2012 (PRS). These matches will involve shooting at distances from 100 to 1000 yards, with a wide variety of stages, many involving barriers, or run-and-shoot challenges. This is not 3-Gun, mind you — at this time the PRS directors want to keep the focus on rifles. However, at some events, Match Directors may offer a couple stages that involve pistol shooting — but this is optional. The vast majority of PRS stages will be rifle-only.
Currently, most PRS shooters are fielding bolt-action rifles with detachable box magazines. However, the event is NOT restricted to bolt guns. Rich Emmons, one of the founders of the Precision Rifle Series told us: “About 90% of the shooters are using bolt-action rifles, but we are seeing more interest in ARs and other semi-automatics. Currently the rules are open, so you can shoot your AR if you wish. In fact, on some stages there may be a benefit to using a semi-automatic. But we still expect that most competitors will prefer bolt guns for their accuracy, simplicity, and reliability.”
To learn more about the Precision Rifle Series, visit PrecisionRifleSeries.com or email Rich Emmons at PrecisionRifleSeries [at] gmail.com.
 Matches Will Be Hosted at Multiple Venues
Currently nine (9) PRS events are scheduled, culminating in a “Series Finale” in December, 2012 at the Rifles Only facility in Texas. Shooters who register for the Series (and pay the $75.00 PRS annual dues) may count up to three (3) Series events for season points to earn a spot to shoot the 2012 Series Finale. Season Finale contestants will be competing for cash, match prizes and total points. All Finale-qualified shooters who earn a spot to the Finale will receive a reserved slot for the 2013 PRS season.
PRS Rules and Scoring Procedures have been set by an “Oversight Committee” of well-known tactical shooters and match directors: Rich Emmons, Kevin Elpers, Scott Milkovich, Dustin Morris, Vu Pham, and Wade Stuteville.
 A Series Event win will earn the first-place competitor 100 Series Points. The remaining field of competitors “will receive points normalized from the percentage earned in relationship to the top score”. (We’re not quite sure what that means, except that the points a shooter earns will be based on his match performance.) Points are important as shooters qualify for the Series Finale one of three ways: 1) by winning any qualifying match; 2) by earning enough season Series points to be in the Top 50 shooters nationwide; or 3) by being a Top 15% finisher (or better) at two events.
Upcoming Events
Total Season Series points will be calculated from the highest scoring 3 events listed below. The PRS Committee may add up to three more events to the 2012 Series Schedule.
Lone Star Challenge
December 3-4, 2011
Frost, Texas
Phoenix TPRC
February 18-19, 2012
Phoenix, Arizona
Rifles Only Cup
April 2012 (TBA)
Kingsville, Texas
Score High Tactical Match
May 12-13, 2012
Albuquerque, New Mexico |
Oklahoma Tactical Shooters (OTS) Match
September 15-16, 2012
Western, Oklahoma
NCPPRC Tactical Bolt Rifle Challenge (TBRC)
September 29-30, 2012
Sacramento, California
North Texas Rifle Precision (NTRP) Match
October 13-14th 2012
Gun Barrel City, Texas
LV STEEL Major Match
To Be Announced (TBA)
Las Vegas, Nevada |
Series Finale @ Rifles Only Bash
December 1-2, 2012
Kingsville, Texas |
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