Team USA Dominates Precision Rifle World Championship
IPRF Open Division champion Austin Buschman of Team USA.
The first-ever International Precision Rifle Federation (IPRF) World Championship was held in France in mid-August. The inaugural IPRF event drew 250 shooters from 26 nations to France’s Militaire Camp de Bitche. Hosted by the French Precision Rifle Association (FRPRA), this 7-day event featured 5 days of competition. Team USA dominated the match, taking first place in Open, Limited, and Ladies divisions. Team Great Britain & Northern Ireland took first place in Factory division. Team South Africa won the Senior division, while Team Norway claimed the Military & Law Enforcement division. At the end of the event the World Champion Trophy was awarded to highest scoring shooter, Austin Buschman of Team USA.
The inaugural Precision Rifle World Championship was held August 6-12, 2022 in Bitche, France, at the Bitche Military Camp. Team USA and 25 other national squads competed in Open, Limited, and Factory classes, which included Ladies, Junior, Senior, and Mil/LE divisions.
We hail Austin Buschman as the first IPRF World Champion. And we congratulate the USA Precision Rifle Team for winning the first-ever Precision Rifle Team World Championship. American competitors shooting Berger Bullets won the Open, Limited, and Senior Open classes.
Team USA Members Win Big with Berger Bullets
Team USA’s Austin Buschman won gold in the Open Class with 158 impacts. Austin used Berger 6mm 109gr Long Range Hybrid Target (LRHT) bullets. Fellow American and Team Berger member Morgun King took second in Open Class with 157 impacts. And Team USA member Coulter Mariott took first place in the Limited Class.
1st Place Open – Austin Buschman, Berger 6mm 109gr LRHT
2nd Place Open – Morgun King, Berger 6.5mm 156gr Elite Hunter
1st Place Limited – Coulter Mariott, Berger 6mm 105gr Hybrid Target
1st Place Senior Open – Rusty Ulmer, Berger 6mm 105gr Hybrid Target
2nd Place Senior Open – Paul Higley, Berger 6mm 109gr LRHT
3rd Place Ladies Open – Allison Zane, Berger 6mm 109gr LRHT
Open class Champion Austin Bushman noted: “Berger 105 grain Hybrid Target and 109 grain LRHT bullets are what I’ve used exclusively in PRS style competitions for three years. I find these 6mm Berger bullets to be very consistent over many different charge weights and seating depths. This has allowed me to focus on developing my shooting skills rather than spend hours on load development”.
Berger Long Range Hybrid Target Bullets — Bryan Litz Explains Features
Team Great Britain & Northern Ireland Wins Factory Division
The Great Britain and Northern Ireland IPRF Team (aka Team GB), won the Factory Division title at the IPRF Championships. Team GB members place 1st, 3rd, 5th and 25th place in the factory division. The combined score earn Team GB 1st place overall in the factory division.
On Facebook, Team GB shooter Tom Rice posted: “Huge congratulations to [class winner] Lawrence Barnes for showing us all how it should be done right from the first stage. Benjamin Mcilwaine rounded out the podium in 3rd place with an exceptional performance. A huge thank you goes out to Accuracy International Ltd. for supporting all four of us as we were all using their AT-X rifles.”
Team GB’s Tom Rice added: “Another massive thank-you must go out to ZEISS Hunting, Andy Simpson, and Precision Rifle Series UK for supplying me with the absolutely awesome new ZEISS LRP rifle scope. Never before have I seen such impressive glass. It performed flawlessly in some pretty hostile conditions that we’ve had to endure out here.”
Despite having seven shooting teams within the ranks of the USAMU, the unit doesn’t have a sniper team nor teach sniper skills at any of the marksmanship training courses. Horner is a 5-time and current USPSA Multi-Gun national champion and Payne was a finalist at last year’s 3-Gun Nation championship. As members of the action shooting team, the Soldiers must have the ability to shoot rapidly and accurately with a handgun, rifle and/or shotgun, skills they were able to adapt and use for the sniper competition.
