Rain-Soaked Week at the 2026 NRA F-Class National Championships at Ben Avery

A Week Shaped by Weather Report by John Masek
I came away from the 2026 F-Class Nationals at Ben Avery in Phoenix, Arizona feeling that the weather had shaped the week as much as the competition. Held from October 25 through November 1, 2026, the championships brought together F-Open and F-TR shooters for Mid-Range and Long Range matches with nearly 300 competitors in attendance.

Difficult Calls, Safety First
The Mid-Range matches opened in beautiful conditions, with mild but challenging winds. By the long-range portion, however, the weather had deteriorated. Match directors had to balance keeping the championship on schedule with the risks of flash flooding and lightning, while following Ben Avery’s inclement-weather safety rules. Another consideration not apparent to most of the shooters was the condition of the pits where excessive rain created flooded pools and treacherous-to-drive water-soaked sand. That made access for the staff and competitors very difficult. As the week progressed, worsening weather forced changes to the match schedule and challenged shooters to adapt and stay flexible.

Here is a modern F-Open rifle, similar to the rifles used by top F-Open competitors.

From my perspective, the Match Directors made the best decisions they could with the conditions in front of them, putting shooter safety first — even when those decisions were unpopular. That is never an easy balance at a National Championship, where delays disrupt a tightly planned program and affect competitors who have traveled a long way to take part. Despite the challenges, match officials were able to ensure that all scheduled shooting for the week took place minus just one long range match. The is a very good result all things considered.

Standout Performances
Despite the difficult week, the winning scores were impressive:

▶ Long Range F-TR Champion: Keith Trapp, 1383-62X
▶ Long Range F-Open Champion: John Girgis, 1400-87X
 Long Range F-TR Winning Team: Team Vortex 1578-71X
 Long Range F-Open Winning Team: Bayou Chingones 1594-97X

2026 F-Class Nationals Long Range F-Open Champion John R. Girgis. John won with a score of 1400-87X, with every shot scoring ten points, not dropping a single point! His 87 X-count was also very impressive.

Notably, Long Range F-Open Champion John Girgis scored 1400-87X — a perfect score. That is truly remarkable given the conditions. I don’t believe we’ve seen that before in the Long Range match and it is pretty remarkable. John also finished second in the 600-yard Mid-Range match, just two points behind the winner. His results stood out in a championship that demanded both precision and adaptability in a sea of potential winning performances.

2026 F-Class Nationals Long Range F-Open Champion Keith Trap. Keith, a past champion, won the F-TR division with a strong consistent performance. Keith also was the coach for Team Vortex, winner of the Long-Range F-TR team competition.

The fierce competition, unpredictable weather, and remarkable scores made this one of the most memorable national matches I’ve ever attended and leaves me already excited to attend next year.

ALL SCORES From Mid-Range and Long Range Matches

600-Yard Mid-Range National Championships

Mid-Range Nationals — F-TR Individual Grand Aggregate
Mid-Range Nationals — F-TR Team Aggregate
Mid-Range Nationals — F-Open Grand Aggregate
Mid-Range Nationals — F-Open Team Aggregate

1000-Yard Long-Range F-Class National Championships

Long Range Nationals — F-TR Individual Grand Aggregate
Long Range Nationals — F-TR Team Aggregate
Long Range Nationals — F-Open Grand Aggregate
Long Range Nationals — F-Open Team Aggregate

Challenging Wind Conditions in Past Years

Along with the clouds and moisture, there were some challenging wind conditions at times during the 2026 matches but nothing overly crazy. There were some moderate to strong winds this year, but the winds were generally consistent and not that unpredictable. Here is a video taken at Ben Avery at the 2022 NRA F-Class National Championships. In this video, shooters fight through extremely strong 18-30 mph winds at 600 yards. In these kind of extreme conditions, a major unexpected gust can send your bullet off-target.

F-TR rifle from previous competition at Ben Avery range. F-TR (F-Class Target Rifle) rules allow bipods and rear sandbags. The total weight limit (with bipod and scope) is 18.18 pounds (8.25 kg). In NRA F-TR competition, rifles are strictly limited to two cartridge types: .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO and .223 Remington/5.56x45mm NATO.

Here’s a shot from Ben Avery when the sun is shining…