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February 28th, 2024

Team Vihtavuori Wins F-Open Team Title at SW Nationals

2024 southwest nationals team vihtavuori

Team Vihtavuori won the Southwest Nationals (SWN) F-Open Grand Aggregate Team Award with a score of 2589-156X (out of a possible 2600) at the popular match, which was held, February 14-18, 2024. Team Vihtavuori achieved the overall victory by first winning the Palma Team Match with a score of 1790-111 (out of a possible 1800). Then followed with a 799-45 in the 1,000 Yard Team Match.

We congratulate Vihtavuori team members Gwen Basalla, Brandon Zwahr, Matthew Basalla, Tracy Harrold, and Doug Skogman, with Norm Harrold as Team Captain and Tim Vaught as Coach. Additionally, team members Tim Vaught, Norm Harrold, and Tracy Harrold added individual accomplishments: Tim took Second Place overall, Norm was High Senior, and and Tracy was High Woman. These impressive F-Open Grand Aggregate individual awards showcased how dominating Team Vihtavuori’s members were at the 2024 SWN event.

SWN F-0pen Team Top 5
Team Vihtavuori 2589-156X

Bayou Boys 2580-155X
Team Grizzly 2577-128X
Team Lapua-Brux-Borden 2576-162X
Team Canada Red 2571-131X
F-Open LR Top Five
Jay Christopherson 1248-79X
Tim Vaught 1247-83X
William Kolodziej 1247-74X
Johnny Ingram 1246-82X
Norman Harrold 1246-69X

The 2024 Southwest Nationals were held February 14-18 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. Hosted by the Desert Sharpshooters Rifle Club, the Southwest Nationals is a “must-attend” event for competitive long-range shooters around the world. The Southwest Nationals features F-Open, F-TR, and Sling disciplines. Competitors from over five different countries were in attendance this year.

2024 southwest nationals team vihtavuori

About Vihtavuori
Vihtavuori is world renowned for producing the cleanest-burning and temperature stable smokeless powders with unprecedented lot-to-lot consistency. Vihtavuori is a part of the Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Vihtavuori.com.

2024 southwest nationals team vihtavuori
SWN Photo by Sherri Jo Gallagher.

Permalink Competition, News, Shooting Skills No Comments »
February 23rd, 2024

2024 Southwest Nationals (SWN) Match Results From Phoenix

southwest nationals jay christopherson f-open phoenix arizona

The 2024 Southwest Nationals (SWN) concluded Sunday, February 18, 2024. It was a great event this year, with very close competition and some spectacular scores being shot in all divisions. We congratulate the new SWN Long Range Champions: Jay Christopherson (F-Open), Brad Sauve (F-TR), and Philip Crowe (Sling). We also congratulate the talented 600-Yard Champs: Tod Hendricks (F-Open), Tom Hubbard (F-TR), and Jarrod McGaffic (Sling).

southwest nationals jay christopherson f-open phoenix arizonaThis is Jay’s second SWN Long Range Championship — the talented F-Open shooter also won in 2020 (SEE Jay 2020 Report). Jay was on a roll through the competition, not dropping a point until the last day and finishing with 1248-79X, just two points from a 1250 “clean”. F-Open runner-up Tim Vaught finished just one point back at 1247-83X, and Tim had the highest X-count among all F-Open LR competitors.

Tod Hendricks, a team-mate of Jay C. on Team Lapua-Brux-Borden, won the F-Open 600-yard competition with 600-52X. Notably, the Top Ten F-Open Shooters at 600 all finished “clean” with 600 points, so the rankings were decided on X-Count.

Senior F-TR ace Brad Sauve (1245-71X) also shot a brilliant Long Range match, finishing a full five points ahead of second place Tom Hubbard (1240-67X). Sauve also notched the highest X-Count among all F-TR shooters. Very impressive performance by Brad this year. And we should note that Tom Hubbard won the F-TR 600-yard competition held earlier in the week, nailing an excellent 599-38X.

F-Open Champion Commentary
We had a chance to talk with 2024 SWB F-Open Champion Jay Christopherson. Jay stated that, for most of the match, conditions were very good. But Jay also noted that the general level of accuracy for F-Open improves with each season.

Observations by F-Open Winner Jay Christopherson — Wind Wisdom and More…

1. The wind was pretty mild all week. I personally never held more than 4 lines of wind (mostly on the left), with zero wind dialed on my scope.

2. A solid wind zero was absolutely key. I saw and heard plenty of people talking about conditions that just didn’t exist. In most cases, my guess would have been a bad wind zero, which would have had you chasing your tail or thinking that the mirage or flags were lying.

3. I’ve never seen so many cleans (i.e. no dropped points, all ten scores) at long range in my life. In my opinion, E-Targets are the catalyst for this. The data and instant feedback you get help set the bar extremely high. It’s much easier to really understand what a good load looks like using an E-Target.

4. I had a plan for the wind coming in to each relay (usually developed during prep time). Most of the time, my plan worked out pretty well, but being ready to stop and execute a backup plan is a really useful skill to develop. It worked out for me on the last relay.

5. Even though I won the F-Open class, I still learned a few things watching the shooters around me — there’s always something nifty to learn if you are paying attention.

southwest nationals brad sauve F-TR f-class f-open phoenix arizona

Great Performance by 2024 F-TR Champion Brad Sauve
Brad Sauve shot superbly to secure the overall F-TR Aggregate win at the 2024 SWN. Brad dropped only one point during the Palma match, was clean during the first day of the LR Aggregate, and finished with a 1245-71X, setting at least three new National Records in the process (one a 200-18X at 1000 yards). We commend Brad on his remarkable 2024 performance.


F-Open 1K Results | F-TR 1K Results | Sling Division 1K Results

2024 SWN F-Open, F-TR, Sling Long Range Top 10
F-Open LR Top Ten
Jay Christopherson 1248-79X
Tim Vaught 1247-83X
William Kolodziej 1247-74X
Johnny Ingram 1246-82X
Norman Harrold 1246-69X
David Christian 1245-74X
Peter Johns 1245-73X
Erik Cortina 1244-76X
Brandon Zwahr 1244-73X
Jim Murphy 1241-71X
F-TR LR Top Ten
Brad Sauve 1245-71X
Tom Hubbard 1240-67X
Alan Barnhart 1237-55X
Brad Traynor 1234-47X
Eric Bisson 1233-58X
Joaquin Bolsa 1231-56X
Carl Matthews 1231-52X
Robin Retzloff 1231-52X
Robert Garibay 1231-39X
Michael Walters 1230-41X
SLING LR Top Ten
Phillip Crowe, 1243-60X
Justin Skaret, 1242-74X
Verne Conant 1241-59X
Nate Guernsey 1240-66X
Trudie Fay 1240-61X
Jarrod McGaffic 1239-62X
Oliver Milanovic 1237-75X
Justin Utley 1237-59X
Nicole Rossignol 1236-66X
Benjamin Lucchesi 1236-62X
All F-Open Long Range All F-TR Long Range All Sling Long Range


600 Yard Results (All Divisions) | TEAM Results (All Divisions)

2024 SWN F-Open, F-TR, Sling 600 Yard Top 10
F-OPEN 600 Top Ten
Tod Hendricks 600-52X
Johnny Ingram 600-46X
Erick Cortina 600-42X
Ted Wedell 600-42X
Barry Holcomb 600-42X
Jim Murphy 600-41X
Dan Di Leva 600-40X
Roger Mayhall 600-40X
Lou Murdica 600-38X
David Christian 600-36X
F-TR 600 Top Ten
Tom Hubbard 599-38X
David Park 599-28X
Mike Sowa 598-39X
Brad Sauve 598-34X
John Moreali 598-26X
Chrstopher Faloon 597-41X
Oleg Savelyev 597-36X
Jeremy Newell 596-36X
Eric Bisson 596-36X
Brad Traynor 596-35X
SLING 600 Top Ten
Jarrod McGaffic 600-42X
Trudie Fay 600-39X
Nicole Rossignol 600-35X
Tom Whitaker 600-28X
Oliver Milanovic 599-45X
Adam Fitzpatrick 599-43X
Zevin Linse 599-39X
Benjamin Lucchesi 599-38X
Kimberly Rowe 599-37X
Justin Utley 598-37X
2024 SWN F-Open, F-TR, Sling TEAM Matches Top Five
F-OPEN Team Match
Team Vihtavuori 2589-156X
Bayou Boys 2580-155X
Team Grizzly 2577-128X
Team Lapua-Brux-Borden 2576-162X
Team Canada Red 2571-131X
F-TR Team Match
USA F-TR KWS 2561-112X
Team Texas 2558-100X
Canadian Gun Runners 2554-126X
USA F-TR Blue 2554-112X
USA F-TR Red 2550-118X
Sling Team Match
U.S. Palma MRNAK 2580-150
Brits Abroad 2573-112X
U.S. Palma Gross 2567-128X
Canada Red 2563-127X
USAMU 2554-146X

SEB MINI Rest — Good for Gold (Twice), Silver, and Bronze

southwest nationals jay christopherson seb mini f-open phoenix arizonaYou don’t necessarily need the newest or most expensive equipment to succeed in Long Range competition. Jay Christopherson won the F-Open division using an older MINI STANDARD rest with a standard front bag. See the unit at right. Jay says it works great, and is easier to transport that some of the very large heavy, benchrest-style front rests. Jay has now won the SWN match twice with this rest, finished second in 2017, and third in 2018.

Jay sent a message to Sebastian Lambang, creator of the SEB MINI: “Hi Seb, I thought you might like to see a picture of the rest that took Silver in 2017, Bronze in 2018, Gold in 2020, and Gold again in 2024. A little older, a little more wear and a lot more mileage, but still winning when it counts. Thank you for such an amazingly reliable rest. I always enjoy the fact that the original MINI still gets it done. Winning the 2024 SWN still using the original one-piece bag generated a bit of a conversation on the line. I think my rifle rest setup was the easiest one to inspect by far for Matt [Schwartzkopf] and his team.

southwest nationals jay christopherson f-open phoenix arizona

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Modern F-TR rifle looking down-range at Ben Avery Shooting Facility.

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Top competitors show focus and concentration in mid-range match 2022.

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Stunning F-Open rifle with SEB Mini front rest with Blake Machine accessories.

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Working in the pits is part of the Berger SWN experience.

Hundreds of Competitors from the USA and Many Other Countries
Along with top American F-Class and sling shooters, the Southwest Nationals attracts competitors from around the world.

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 2022 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Photo by Nancy Tompkins near Ben Avery Shooting Facility in 2022. Nancy posted: “Thank you to all of the sponsors, volunteers, and shooters who have traveled from all over… to make this match so special.”

See you next year!

This article Copyright 2024 AccurateShooter.com. Any republication on a different website is unauthorized.

Permalink Competition, Gear Review, News, Shooting Skills 2 Comments »
February 22nd, 2023

2023 Southwest Nationals Match Report: F-Open, F-TR, Sling

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2022 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ

The 2023 Southwest Nationals (SWN) have concluded. Though there were very challenging wind/weather conditions this year, the 2023 SWN was a very successful mid-range and long-range event. There was some great shooting in F-Open, F-TR, and Sling divisions. We congratulate the 2023 Long-Range SWN Champions: Erik Cortina (F-Open, 1241-60X); Jeremy Newell (F-TR, 1221-49X); and Justin Skaret (Sling, 1233-50X). Notably, Skaret won Sling Division by 11 points — a big margin. SEE ALL 2023 Results.

The 600-yard champions were: Louis Buatt (F-Open, 600-39X), Luke Ramsey (F-TR, 596-31X), and Randy Teissedre (Sling, 597-33X). Buatt shoot a remarkable “clean” 600-yard match, not dropping a single point while amassing 39 “X”s. Superb performance by Louis!

Shown below is F-Open Long-Range (1000-yard) Winner Erik Cortina. Erik’s purple F-Open rifle was chambered for the new wildcat cartridge based on the 6.5 PRC necked up to 7mm. This drives high-BC 7mm Berger bullets at 2950 fps.

Berger Southwest SW Nationals erik cortina 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ

Our friend Gary Eliseo, maker of Competition Machine rifle chassis systems, said this was a tough match this year: “The 2023 SWN is in the books. This year we faced extremely challenging conditions with very strong erratic winds and cold temps but it was great catching up with so many friends from around the country, thank you all….”

Berger Southwest SW Nationals erik cortina 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ

The F-Class Worlds will be held in South Africa this year. The 2023 SWN offered good practice conditions for Team USA, which posted: “The USA F-Open team had two very successful days of practice for the upcoming World Championship in South Africa. We were also blessed to have five USA rifle team members in the top 10, with Erik Cortina taking the win and Bill Kolodziej taking silver.”

Here are the Long-Range TOP TEN for each of the three divisions. CLICK HERE for ALL results:

2023 Southwest Nationals Top 10 Long Range Competitors by Division
F-Open Class

Erik Cortina, 1241-60X
William Kolodziej, 1239-60X
Tim Vaught, 1236-59X
Noman Harrold, 1234-63X
Johnny Ingram, 1234-59X
Matthew Basalla, 1234-54X
Ken Dickerman, 1234-49X
Tod Hendricks, 1232-58X
Dan Bramley, 1232-49X
Doug Skogman, 1231-58X

F-TR Class

Jeremy Newell, 1221-49X
Luke Ramsey, 1218-47X
James Crofts, 1217-57X
Mark Fairbairn, 1217-47X
Allen Tampke, 1214-38X
Scott Fulmer, 1213-44X
Jennifer Bondurant, 1213-36X
Randy Littleton, 1211-39X
Alton Johnson, 1210-39X
Greg Barkley, 1206-44X

Sling Class

Justin Skaret, 1233-50X
John Friguglietti, 1222-37X
Amanda Elsenboss, 1220-55X
Curtis Bohlman, 1220-53X
Stephan Bunde, 1218-56X
Justin Utley, 1218-56X
Jon Rhynard, 1218-46X
Kent Shomber, 1217-46X
Joe Blacksmith, 1217-43X
Nate Guernsey, 1216-47X

The SWN was made possible this year through the participation of three dozen sponsors including Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori, Applied Ballistics, SEB Rests, Lilja Barrels, F-Class Products, Forster Products, Sightron, PMA Tool, K&M, Creedmoor Sorts, McMillan Stocks, Nancy Tompkins, and many other companies.

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2022 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2022 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ

Click the links below for full results, including Grand Aggs and day-by-day performances. You can also find further results plus a large collection of photos at SouthwestNationals.net.


F-Open 1K Results | F-TR 1K Results | Sling Division 1K Results

600 Yard Results (All Divisions) | TEAM Results (All Divisions)

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
The Berger SW Nationals is one of the few American events where sling shooters compete on the same firing line as F-Class competitors (though in separate groups).

Team competitions were closely fought. In the F-TR Division, Team USA Blue (2505-70X) edged Team Texas (2504-76X) to win by one point. In F-0pen, Team Rollin Coal (2558-129X) finished three points ahead of runner-up Team Grizzly (2555-102X). In the Sling Division, U.S. Palma Gold Team (2555-104X) took first-place, ahead of U.S. NRT Gold (2504-104X).

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Reading the wind can be challenging at Ben Avery. What’s your wind call here?

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Top competitors show focus and concentration in mid-range match 2022.

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Stunning F-Open rifle with SEB Mini front rest with Blake Machine accessories.

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Working in the pits is part of the Berger SWN experience.

Hundreds of Competitors from the USA and 8 Other Countries
Along with top American F-Class and sling shooters, the Southwest Nationals attracts competitors from around the world. Last year, on Day 1 of the 2022 SW Nationals, Nancy Tompkins posted: “We started the day off with National anthems for Brazil, Canada, Puerto Rico, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the USA.”

Berger Southwest SW Nationals 2023 2022 f-class f-open f-tr 1000 yards palma sling match Ben Avery Phoenix AZ
Photo by Nancy Tompkins near Ben Avery Shooting Facility in 2022. Nancy posted: “Thank you to all of the sponsors, volunteers, and shooters who have traveled from all over… to make this match so special.”

See you next year!

This article Copyright 2023 AccurateShooter.com. Any republication on a different website is unauthorized.

Permalink Competition, News, Shooting Skills 1 Comment »
May 23rd, 2020

2020 Berger Southwest Nationals Equipment Lists

2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

The best F-Class and Sling shooters in the nation compete each year at the Berger Southwest Nationals at the Ben Avery range in Arizona. Walk down the firing line and you’ll see the absolute “best of the best” in equipment — from $3500 optics to $2000 stocks and $400 triggers. Berger SWN shooters have some of the best equipment you can buy. In this game, where just 1 or 2 points can separate first from third place (considering X-Count), it’s important to have top-flight equipment. That means a custom action, custom barrel, and high-end stock or chassis system.

Matt Schwartzkopf, a range supervisor at Ben Avery, and member of the USA F-TR Team, has collected comprehensive gear reports from the 2020 Berger SW Nationals. Matt has created charts showing competitors’ choices for Actions, Barrels, Stocks, Riflescopes and Spotting Scopes. In addition, Matt has compiled bullet choice data for all classes and Cartridge rankings for F-Open Division.

There is a discussion of the 2020 SWN Gear Selection in our Shooters’ Forum. CLICK HERE to follow that Forum thread. Many top SWN shooters, including past F-Open National Champion Larry Bartholome, have contributed to this Forum discussion about gear options.

ACTIONS Listed by Division (Sling, F-TR, F-Open)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

ACTIONS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

BARRELS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

BULLETS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

CARTRIDGE BRASS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

POWDER by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

STOCKS by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

RIFLESCOPES by Brand (Combined Listing — All Divisions)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

SPOTTING SCOPES Listed by Class (Sling, F-TR, F-Open)
2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

Cartridge Selection in F-Open Division

In addition, Matt produced an interesting listing of cartridge/caliber types for the F-Open division. This is helpful because cartridge choice is unrestricted in the F-Open class. By contrast, the F-TR division is limited to .223 Remington (5.56×45) or .308 Winchester (7.62×51). You can see that the .284 Winchester (and variants) currently dominate F-Open.

2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

2020 Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals gear list equipment actions barrels stocks bullets scopes

Permalink Competition, Gear Review 1 Comment »
February 4th, 2020

How to Avoid a Train Wreck at Berger SW Nationals This Week

train wreck Bryan Litz shooting tips ballistics

The 2020 Berger Southwest Nationals kicks off 2/5/2020 at the Ben Avery Range outside Phoenix, AZ. The big event starts with a 600-yard Mid-Range Match. Many of the nation’s most talented F-Class and sling shooters will be there. But no matter what your skill level, it is still possible to make major mistakes that can spoil the day and/or put you out of the running for the entire match. This article aims to help competitors avoid the big errors/oversights/failures, aka “train wrecks”, that can ruin a match.

Berger SW Nationals mid-range match
Photo by Sherri Jo Gallagher.

Berger SW Nationals mid-range match

In any shooting competition, you must try to avoid major screw-ups that can ruin your day (or your match). In this article, past F-TR National Mid-Range and Long Range Champion Bryan Litz talks about “Train Wrecks”, i.e. those big disasters (such as equipment failures) that can ruin a whole match. Bryan illustrates the types of “train wrecks” that commonly befall competitors, and he explains how to avoid these “unmitigated disasters”.

Urban Dictionary “Train Wreck” Definition: “A total @#$&! disaster … the kind that makes you want to shake your head.”

train wreck Bryan Litz shooting tips ballisticsTrain Wrecks (and How to Avoid Them)
by Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics LLC

Success in long range competition depends on many things. Those who aspire to be competitive are usually detail-oriented, and focused on all the small things that might give them an edge. Unfortunately it’s common for shooters lose sight of the big picture — missing the forest for the trees, so to speak.

Consistency is one of the universal principles of successful shooting. The tournament champion is the shooter with the highest average performance over several days, often times not winning a single match. While you can win tournaments without an isolated stellar performance, you cannot win tournaments if you have a single train wreck performance. And this is why it’s important for the detail-oriented shooter to keep an eye out for potential “big picture” problems that can derail the train of success!

Train wrecks can be defined differently by shooters of various skill levels and categories. Anything from problems causing a miss, to problems causing a 3/4-MOA shift in wind zero can manifest as a train wreck, depending on the kind of shooting you’re doing.

Berger SW Nationals Train Wreck Bryan Litz

Below is a list of common Shooting Match Train Wrecks, and suggestions for avoiding them.

1. Cross-Firing. The fastest and most common way to destroy your score (and any hopes of winning a tournament) is to cross-fire. The cure is obviously basic awareness of your target number on each shot, but you can stack the odds in your favor if you’re smart. For sling shooters, establish your Natural Point of Aim (NPA) and monitor that it doesn’t shift during your course of fire. If you’re doing this right, you’ll always come back on your target naturally, without deliberately checking each time. You should be doing this anyway, but avoiding cross-fires is another incentive for monitoring this important fundamental. In F-Class shooting, pay attention to how the rifle recoils, and where the crosshairs settle. If the crosshairs always settle to the right, either make an adjustment to your bipod, hold, or simply make sure to move back each shot. Also consider your scope. Running super high magnification can leave the number board out of the scope’s field view. That can really increase the risk of cross-firing.

2. Equipment Failure. There are a wide variety of equipment failures you may encounter at a match, from loose sight fasteners, to broken bipods, to high-round-count barrels that that suddenly “go south” (just to mention a few possibilities). Mechanical components can and do fail. The best policy is to put some thought into what the critical failure points are, monitor wear of these parts, and have spares ready. This is where an ounce of prevention can prevent a ton of train wreck. On this note, if you like running hot loads, consider whether that extra 20 fps is worth blowing up a bullet (10 points), sticking a bolt (DNF), or worse yet, causing injury to yourself or someone nearby.

train wreck Bryan Litz shooting tips ballistics

3. Scoring/Pit Malfunction. Although not related to your shooting technique, doing things to insure you get at least fair treatment from your scorer and pit puller is a good idea. Try to meet the others on your target so they can associate a face with the shooter for whom they’re pulling. If you learn your scorer is a Democrat, it’s probably best not to tell Obama jokes before you go for record. If your pit puller is elderly, it may be unwise to shoot very rapidly and risk a shot being missed (by the pit worker), or having to call for a mark. Slowing down a second or two between shots might prevent a 5-minute delay and possibly an undeserved miss.

Berger SW Nationals
Photo by Sherri Jo Gallagher.

train wreck Bryan Litz shooting tips ballistics4. Wind Issues. Tricky winds derail many trains. A lot can be written about wind strategies, but here’s a simple tip about how to take the edge off a worse case scenario. You don’t have to start blazing away on the command of “Commence fire”. If the wind is blowing like a bastard when your time starts, just wait! You’re allotted 30 minutes to fire your string in long range slow fire. With average pit service, it might take you 10 minutes if you hustle, less in F-Class. Point being, you have about three times longer than you need. So let everyone else shoot through the storm and look for a window (or windows) of time which are not so adverse. Of course this is a risk, conditions might get worse if you wait. This is where judgment comes in. Just know you have options for managing time and keep an eye on the clock. Saving rounds in a slow fire match is a costly and embarrassing train wreck.

5. Mind Your Physical Health. While traveling for shooting matches, most shooters break their normal patterns of diet, sleep, alcohol consumption, etc. These disruptions to the norm can have detrimental effects on your body and your ability to shoot and even think clearly. If you’re used to an indoor job and eating salads in air-conditioned break rooms and you travel to a week-long rifle match which keeps you on your feet all day in 90-degree heat and high humidity, while eating greasy restaurant food, drinking beer and getting little sleep, then you might as well plan on daily train wrecks. If the match is four hours away, rather than leaving at 3:00 am and drinking five cups of coffee on the morning drive, arrive the night before and get a good night’s sleep.”

Keep focused on the important stuff. You never want to lose sight of the big picture. Keep the important, common sense things in mind as well as the minutia of meplat trimming, weighing powder to the kernel, and cleaning your barrel ’til it’s squeaky clean. Remember, all the little enhancements can’t make up for one big train wreck!

Permalink - Articles, Competition, Shooting Skills, Tech Tip 1 Comment »
February 10th, 2018

Berger SWN 2018 — Friday Match and Gear Highlights

Berger SW Nationals John Whidden Palma F-TR
Reigning NRA National Long-Range Champion John Whidden in action on the 1000-yard line. John’s rifle features a centerfire action in an aluminum Anschutz small-bore stock.

There are now two more days left for the 2018 Berger SW Nationals, with the competition heating up. From this point on, all shooting will be at 1000 yards. Friday was challenging, with increasing wind velocities over the day. Shifts were harder to figure out, and some talented shooters dropped 8-10 points. Competition was fierce. In the sling division, our friend Gary Eliseo of Competition Machine came out on top via tie-breaker. Gary and Stuart Mackey shot identical scores on Friday at each distance: 150-8X, 150-7X, and 149-8X, both finishing with 449-23X. That’s as close as it gets.

One shot left… will that last bullet end up in the X-ring? We hope so…

Saturday Shooting — Team and Individual Competition at 1000
Today, Saturday 2/10/18, all shooting will be at 1000 yards, with both Individual and 4-person Team competition. The format calls for two, 20-shot matches for both individuals and teams. Good luck to all!

MATCH RESULTS: Complete Daily Scores and On-Going Match Standings are posted on the McMillan Fiberglass Stocks Facebook Page. Here are Top Five in each Division, at day’s end on Friday, 2/9/2018:

Top Five F-Open
Bob Sebold — 449-30X
Danny J. Biggs — 449-26X
Jay Christopherson — 448-28X
Stephen Potter — 448-23X
Ubaldino De Arellano — 448-23X
Top Five F-TR
Ellis Berry — 448-26X
Peter Johns — 448-25X
Philip Kelley Jr. — 448-21X
Doug Boyer — 447-27X
Greg Barkley — 447-23X
Top Five Sling
Gary Eliseo — 449-23X
Stuart Mackey — 449-23X
Bill Vaughn — 448-28X
Curtis Gordon — 448-23X
Nancy Tompkins — 447-30X

No Worries Mate — Mark Swaps Stocks in Mid-Match

Berger SW Nationals Mark Fairburn Australia  Palma F-TR

Australian Mark Fairbairn performed a “Quick Fix” during Thursday’s match. His F-Open rifle, in a conventional fiberglass stock, was giving him random vertical during one yardage: “I had a bit of a problem with elevation — the stock was hitting somewhere [causing vertical]. I was X-X-X then a shot popped up in the 9 ring with no good reason. So I figured I better put a new stock on it. I got my old aluminium stock I brought from Australia and quickly adjusted it to fit on the Stolle.” Right on the berm he swapped his barreled action into the metal stock of his own design. The clock was ticking… but the story had a happy ending. For the next yardage Mark shot a brilliant 150-7X, not dropping a point. So the “Quick Fix” did the trick. As they say Down Under — “Good on Ya, Mate!”

Patriotic Pair of Stars and Stripes F-Open Rigs

Berger Stars Stripes rifles SWN F-TR

There were two very patriotic F-Open rifles side-by-side on the firing line yesterday. These Stars and Stripes rigs were squadded right next to each other just by chance — but it made for a great show.

Like Father, Like Daughter — The Cortinas

Berger SW Nationals Erik Amber Cortina F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

Erik Cortina, member of Team Lapua/Brux/Borden, is one of the nation’s top F-Class shooters. But on Friday he was only the second-best Cortina at 1000 yards. Erik’s daughter, Amberleeana, posted a 147-7X to edge her Dad by 3 Xs (Erik scored 147-4X) from the 1000-yard line.

F-Class is for Everyone – All Ages, Guys AND Gals

Berger SW Nationals female shooter F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

F-Class is not just a man’s game. There were many lady shooters on the firing line, in both F-Open and F-TR Divisions. Some shooting instructors says females learn faster than their male counterparts, so they can excel quickly in the shooting sports.

Cool Gadget (Literally) — The BarrelCool Device

Barrel Cool F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

The clever BarrelCool is a dual-purpose device that serves as an Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI) while cooling your barrel with a battery-powered fan. This is American ingenuity at its best.

Spotting Scope Support Arm Attached to Front Rest

Berger SW Nationals Richard King F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

Texas gunsmith Richard King of King’s Armory had a very clever set-up for his spotting scope. He has fabricated a support arm that holds the spotter very close to his rifle. With this configuration, Richard can view through the spotting scope without shifting his position on the rifle. This puts the spotting scope’s eyepiece just a few inches from his riflescope eyepiece so he can move easily from one optic to the other. This set-up also reduces the amount of gear Richard carries to the line. No separate spotting scope base, stand, or tripod is needed. This is a simple, elegant solution. We bet, with a little tinkering and design work, a similar system could be mounted to a SEB or Bald Eagle front rest

Labor of Love — Do-It-Yourself F-TR Stock Milled from Aluminum

Berger SW Nationals Erik Cortina F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

We saw many interesting F-TR rigs. Here’s an one-of-a-kind stock, machined from aluminum billet by shooter/owner Mark Roberts of Lone Star Tumblers. There are a ton of man-hours in this unique stock.

Bird’s Eye Ben Avery — A Look at the Range

If you’ve never visited the Ben Avery Facility north of Phoenix, Arizona, here is a video shot in 2016 that shows the 1000-yard range (including drone footage). The desert range at Ben Avery is something special — check out this “birds-eye view”. This video also includes an interview with Derek Rodgers, the current F-TR World Champion, King of 2 Miles, and the only man who who has earned both F-Open AND F-TR National titles.

Ben Avery by Air — We are repeating this 2016 video here because it has a great aerial view of the Mid Tompkins 1000-yard Range at Ben Avery

Erik Stecker of Berger Bullets visited the match Friday. Here he talks with members of Team Berger Bullets. Eric now oversees operations of Berger, as part of the Capstone Precision Group (Berger, Lapua, SK, Vihtavuori). That’s Walt Berger in the background in the red shirt.

Berger SW Nationals Capstone Precision Berger Bullets F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

There were plenty of smiles on the firing line — the Berger SW Nationals event offers great weather, great competition, great camaraderie, and a great prize table.

Berger SW Nationals Erik Cortina F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

Swap-Meet at Ben Avery
After the matches concluded on Friday, a Swap Meet was held in the Club House. There were some great bargains to be found. Can you name the past National Champions in the background of this photo?

Berger SW Nationals Swap Meet Nancy Tompkins James Crofts F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

Parting Shot: Glamtactical by Cerus Rifleworks

Berger SW Nationals Capstone Precision Berger Bullets F-Class Sling Palma F-TR

We spotted a stunning “Glamtactical” rig from Cerus Rifleworks in the Nightforce booth. Believe it or not, Cerus owner Will McCloskey found this stunning wood buried in a “bargain bin”, and snagged the highly-figured walnut blank for under $10. Steal of the year! This rifle features a carbon-wrapped barrel with muzzle brake.

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February 13th, 2017

Berger Southwest Nationals — 2017 Match Wrap-Up

Berger SW Nationals Final Report Match Results

The 2017 Berger Southwest Nationals (SWN) are now history. This was a great match, with extremely close competition, and record-setting scores. For the first few days, conditions were very mild. That allowed the “top guns” to shoot “cleans” and even set a few new National records. In individual competition, there were familiar faces among the Top Ten, but also some rising stars. In the F-Open and Sling team events, two new squads topped some of the experienced “all-star” teams. Overall it was a great match — one of the most tightly contested ever. Even with 400 competitors, everything ran smoothly. For those who attended the 2017 Berger SW Nationals, this has been a truly memorable week at Ben Avery. F-Open and F-TR Final Results Posted HERE.


This is our final Berger SW Nationals video for 2017, with interviews with the three class winners: John Whidden (Sling), David Gosnell (F-Open), Donald Erpenbach (F-TR).

Top Five Competitors in Each Class
SLING
John Whidden, 1248-84X
Adrian Harris, 1243-74X
Allen Thomas, 1242-65X
Justin Skaret, 1242-59X
Erik Rhode, 1241-59X
F-OPEN
David Gosnell, 1247-84X
Jay Christopherson, 1246-74X
Keith Glasscock, 1245-79X
Pat Scully, 1243-71X
Dan Bramley, 1243-70X
F-TR
Donald Erpenbach, 1230-53X
James Crofts, 1225-43X
Alan Barnhart, 1224-32X
Ian Klemm, 1222-55X
Bryan Litz, 1222-49X

Bryan Litz congratulates Sling winner John Whidden. John is reigning National Long Range Rifle Champion.
North by Southwest

Below are SWN F-Open Champion David Gosnell (left) and F-TR Winner Donald Erpenbach (right).
North by Southwest

Record-Setting Performances in 2017
This year Ben Avery conditions were very good — calm mornings, and little wind in the afternoons for the first three days. With the very calm Day 1-3 conditions, we witnessed some spectacular individual and team performances. Lester Bruno shot a brilliant 200-23X at 600 Yards, setting a new National record. Ian Klemm set a new 60-shot, 600-yard National record of 599-38X. The Cluster Ducks set a new National F-Open Team Record for 800/900/1000 yards with their 1789-100X Score. And the talented North-by-Southwest F-TR squad set both a National Record and an overall SWN match record.

The North-by-Southwest team won the 2017 SWN F-TR team event in fine fashion, setting new National and range records in the process.

North by Southwest

And here is Team Longshots, winner of the F-Open Team Title. Individual F-Open Champ David Gosnell is at far right. The winning Sling Team was Scotland Thistle.

North by Southwest

Forum Admin Finishes a Very Close Second in F-Open
Hats off to AccurateShooter.com’s very own Systems Admin, Jay Christopherson. A talented tech expert, Jay runs our web servers and manages our Forum software. His skills and dedication keep the Forum running smoothly, even as we approach 35,000 members. Jay shot a brilliant match at Ben Avery this week, finishing second in F-Open, just one point behind F-Open winner David Gosnell. We’re proud of Jay, and we want to recognize his achievement. It’s interesting to note that Jay shot the entire match with the new SEB Mini rest, and he was using a Vortex 15-60x52mm Golden Eagle scope. Here’s a short video of Jay shooting his .284 Win rifle on Saturday.

Berger SW Nationals Final Report Match Results

The show’s over — it’s time to pack up the gear and head on home. We’re already looking forward to the 2018 Berger SWN. See you next year!

Berger Southwest Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery

Berger Southwest Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery

Big News for Berger Bullets

Berger Southwest Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery

Big news in the Industry is that Berger Bullets is becoming part of the Nammo Group, parent of Lapua, Vihtavuori, SK and other companies. This major acquisition will combine Nammo’s resources and advanced engineering with Berger’s match-winning bullet designs and strong focus on competition. Yes, you can expect to see factory-loaded ammunition with Berger projectiles and premium Lapua brass. To learn more about the big Berger/Nammo deal, watch this interview with Berger President Erik Stecker.

Eric Stecker, Berger’s President, says the exact timing of the move has not yet been set, nor has the location been chosen. Arizona is high on the list of potential sites, but Berger is considering other states as well. Once the new factory location is determined, Eric says he expects the move to be completed “by December 2018 at the latest”.

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January 29th, 2017

Wenatchee White-Out Doesn’t Deter Monte…

Monte Milanuk snow southwest berger Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery Range Arizona

Our friend Monte Milanuk needed to get in a little practice for the upcoming Berger Southwest Nationals. Monte didn’t let a little white stuff get in the way of his training session at the NCW Gun Club range in East Wenatchee, WA. Monte says: “For all you southerners and snowbirds… this is how the rest of us get ready for the Berger SWN!” Oh man that does look cold…

Monte Milanuk snow southwest berger Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery Range Arizona

Monte’s F-TR competition rig features a fully-adjustable McMillan XIT stock resting on a SEB JoyPod up front with an Edgewood bag in the rear. On top is a Nightforce Competition scope. Monte shoots Berger bullets, measuring their velocity with a LabRadar chronograph. The LabRadar sits on a Manfrotto tripod, which can adjust super-low, as you can see. With this set-up, Monte tells us “life is good” — even on a chilly morning in Wenatchee.

We wish Monte (and all competitors) good luck at the Berger SW Nationals. The popular event runs February 6-12, 2017 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, AZ. See you on the firing line!

CLICK HERE for Phoenix Travel and Lodging Information.


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January 21st, 2017

Six by Litz — Tips for Shooting Long-Range

Berger Southwest SW SWN Nationals Ben Avery Bryan Litz

Berger SW Nationals Bryan LitzWith the Berger Southwest Nationals coming up soon (Feb. 6-12), we thought we would share some tips from a past Champion who really knows the Ben Avery range in Phoenix. In 2015, Bryan won the F-TR Mid-Range AND Long-Range National Championships hosted at Ben Avery. And at the 2014 Berger SW Nationals (SWN), Bryan took top honors among all sling shooters. If you only know Bryan Litz from his Applied Ballistics Books and DVDs, you may not realize that this guy is a great marksman (along with being an actual rocket scientist). This guy can shoot.

Given his impressive track record at Ben Avery, we asked Bryan if he had any advice for other long-range competitors. First Bryan provided three tips concerning Ballistics, his special area of expertise. Next Bryan offered three more general tips about long-range competition — how to analyze your shooting, how to choose your ‘wind strategy’, and how to avoid the most costly mistakes, i.e. how to avoid the “train-wrecks”.

Here is the sleek F-TR Rig Bryan Litz used to win the 2015 F-TR Mid-Range and Long-Range Championships at Ben Avery:
Bryan Litz F-TR Ben Avery Berger SW Nationals

Litz Ballistics Tips

Ballistics TIP ONE. If you’re having trouble getting your ballistic software to match actual drops, you need to look at a number of possible reasons. Here are some common issues that can cause problems.

Click Values Are Not Exact. Scopes and iron sights don’t always produce accurate adjustments. In other words, if your ballistics program predicts 30 MOA of drop, and you dial 30 MOA but hit low, it might be that your sight actually only moved 28 MOA (for example). To see if your sight is adjusting accurately, shoot a tall target at 100 yards and measure group separation when dialing your sight.

Barometric vs. Station Pressure. This is a commonly misunderstood input to ballistics programs. You can avoid this pitfall by remembering the following: station pressure is the actual measured pressure at your location, and you don’t need to tell the program your altitude when using station pressure. Barometric pressure is corrected for sea level. If you’re using barometric pressure, you also have to input your altitude.

Muzzle Velocity. Chronographs are not always as accurate as shooters think they are — your true MV may be off by 10-20 fps (or more). If your drop is different than predicted at long range, it might be because your muzzle velocity input is wrong.

Mixing Up BC (G1 vs. G7). Knowledgeable long range shooters know that the G7 standard is a more representative standard for modern LR bullets. However, using G7 BCs isn’t just a matter of clicking the ‘G7′ option in the program. The numeric value of the BC is different for G1 and G7. For example, the G1 BC of the Berger 155.5 grain Fullbore bullet is .464 but the G7 BC is .237. If you were to enter .464 but click on G7, the results would be way off.

Ballistics TIP TWO. A properly installed level is absolutely essential for long range shooting. Without a good level reference, your long range wind zero will be off due to minor canting of the rifle from side to side. You can verify that your level is installed correctly on a 100-yard ‘tall target’. Draw a plumb line straight up the target and verify that your groups track straight up this line as you go up in elevation.

Ballistics TIP THREE. If your long range ballistic predictions aren’t tracking, always come back and verify your 100-yard zero. Sometimes a simple zero shift can be misconstrued as errors in long range ballistics predictions.

Bryan Litz Tips

Litz Competition Shooting Tips

Competition TIP ONE. Improving your scores in long range competition is a constant process of self-assessment. After each match, carefully analyze how you lost points and make a plan to improve. Beginning shooters will lose a lot of points to fundamental things like sight alignment and trigger control. Veteran shooters will lose far fewer points to a smaller list of mistakes. At every step along the way, always ask yourself why you’re losing points and address the issues. Sometimes the weak links that you need to work on aren’t your favorite thing to do, and success will take work in these areas as well.

Competition TIP TWO. Select your wind shooting strategy carefully. For beginners and veterans, most points are typically lost to wind. Successful shooters put a lot of thought into their approach to wind shooting. Sometimes it’s best to shoot fast and minimize the changes you’ll have to navigate. Other times it’s best to wait out a condition which may take several minutes. Develop a comfortable rest position so you have an easier time waiting when you should be waiting.

Competition TIP THREE. Actively avoid major train wrecks. Sounds obvious but it happens a lot. Select equipment that is reliable, get comfortable with it and have back-ups for important things. Don’t load on the verge of max pressure, don’t go to an important match with a barrel that’s near shot out, physically check tightness of all important screws prior to shooting each string. Observe what train wrecks you and others experience, and put measures in place to avoid them.

“Must-Watch” SWN Video has aerial view of Ben Avery plus highlights from Saturday

Bryan Litz Tips

Photos by Steve Fiorenzo

Permalink Bullets, Brass, Ammo, Shooting Skills 2 Comments »
February 15th, 2016

Berger Southwest Nationals — Match Wrap-Up


This video includes interviews with Walt Berger and tube-gun builder Gary Elesio. This is our final Berger SW Nationals video for 2016, so enjoy the highlights from Ben Avery — see you next year.

The 2016 Berger Southwest Nationals are now history. This was a great match, with an incredible level of talent. There were numerous “big names” on the line, including reigning F-Open World Champion Kenny Adams, 10-time National High Power Champion Carl Bernosky, past National Long-range Champion John Whidden, current National Mid- and Long-Range F-TR Champion Bryan Litz, and Derek Rodgers, who won the F-TR division at last year’s SW Nationals. With a strong performance this week, Derek topped the F-TR field again, securing his second straight SW Nationals F-TR title.

Top Five Shooters by Class

F-TR Top Five F-Open Top Five Sling Division Top Five
Derek Rodgers
James Crofts
Niklas Montin
Bryan Litz
Ian Klemm
John Myers
Larry Bartholome
Jim Murphy
Emil Kovan
Danny J. Biggs
Patrick McCann
Oliver Milanovic
Robert Stekette
Nancy Tompkins
Tom Whitaker

In team competition, the Michigan F-TR Team scored a narrow victory over tough competition from the USA F-TR Team and the X-Men. In the F-Open Division, Team Lapua-Brux shot superbly at 1000 yards to capture the Aggregate title, finishing ahead of Team Grizzly and Team Berger. The Ethnic Fringe Team from the UK had strong performances in the Sling Division Team events.

With his 2016 victory, Derek Rodgers has secured back-to-back F-TR titles at the Berger Southwest Nationals. He says he likes his new McMillan F-TR stock. View yesterday’s feature video for a revealing interview with Derek. In that video, Derek discusses the best bullet and powder choices for F-TR.

Berger Southwest Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery

Members of the winning Lapua-Brux F-Open team were all smiles. They deserved to be proud — they set a new SWN record in the 1000-yard team match. Left to right: Bob Sebold, Pat Scully, Erik Cortina, Steve Harp.

Berger Southwest Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery

Here is F-Open Winner John Myers of Texas, along with Berger’s F-Open Perpetual Trophy. John is interviewed in today’s video, linked at the top of this story. John’s F-Open rifle is chambered for the 7mm Walker, a .284 Win Improved similar to the .284 Shehane.

Berger Southwest Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery

Sling Division (Palma rifle) winner Patrick McCann is congratulated by Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics. Pat has recently returned to competitive shooting after a lengthy hiatus. Pat’s a great competitor who has won the National XTC Championships Twice. Nancy Tompkins lead the “Any Rifle” Sling category. As Forum member Rheurer observed: “No intro needed for the nicest person in the sport.”

Berger Southwest Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery

Berger Southwest Nationals Phoenix Ben Avery

berger southwest 2016

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February 14th, 2016

Valentine’s Day Showdown — Berger SW Nationals Report

Today’s the final day of the Berger Southwest Nationals, with individual Sling, F-TR, and F-Open matches on tap. The competition remains tight, with many shooters within striking distance for podium positions. Predictions are for light and variable winds for the day. We’re sad to see the fun come to a close. This is a special event, drawing top shooters from around the nation. As James Crofts told is: “It’s always great to see good friends and fellow shooters from far and near….”

One shot left… will that last bullet end up in the X-ring? We hope so…

If you’ve never shot this match, you should. You’ll squad alongside the nation’s best long-range shooters, and you’ll enjoy a superb facility. The desert range at Ben Avery is something special — check out a “birds-eye view” with our latest video from the match. This video also includes an interview with Derek Rodgers, the only man who who has earned both F-Open AND F-TR National titles. We strongly recommend you watch this video.

“Must-Watch” SWN Video has aerial view of Ben Avery plus highlights from Saturday

Yesterday, Saturday, marked the conclusion of the Team events. In the F-TR division, Michigan extended its lead to win Gold while the U.S. Rifle Team (USRT) held on for silver for the overall team title. Notably, ten of the twelve shooters making up the top three squads are members of the USRT, as are the top two coaches. Congrats to all.

Phil Kelley reports that Saturday’s F-TR team match went down to the wire: “It was a fun 1000-yard team day at SW Nationals. Good to use a teammate’s backup gun to finally be competitive at something. Congrats to Team Michigan for the big win, both for the day and overall. There was great competition today with Michigan winning by 1 point (and some Xs) over X-men and X-men getting Team Virginia/USA by 1 point and some Xs. Great shooting by all.”

Phil added that: “Dan Lentz continues to perform well with another great day and maintains the overall lead going into the final day. Derek Rodgers, Bryan Litz, and Jim Crofts are on his heels but Dan looks confident.” Tomorrow, here on the Daily Bulletin, we will provide final individual results from the match, along with all the final team results.

Snapshots from the Berger Southwest Nationals

Here’s one of the new Borden wide-body actions in a Shurley Brothers stock. The timing on this action is insanely good, making it very smoooooth to operate.

This Scottish shooter showed some style on the range, with his traditional Scottish tweed cap. That’s classy. No floppy boonie hat for this dapper lad.

Take a look at the very useful information card. Note that it shows mirage patterns and provides suggested windage and elevation corrections for all yardages.

Check out the handsome, 3D-effect Stars and Stripes finish applied to this F-TR Rifle. Note that the right-handed shooter is running a Left-Bolt, Left Port action, with a SEB Joy-Pod up front.

Here’s the brand-new F-Class front rest from Competition Machine. This 38-lb beast features a belt-drive elevation adjustment, joy-stick windage, and rotary pivoting head to align with your target.

Rewards for Berger SWN Participants

The Berger SW Nationals has one of the richest prize tables in the shooting sports. This Saturday night, nearly 400 participants received a variety of participation prizes and raffle awards. In addition, winners were announced for some of the events which concluded earlier in the week. Gunsmith John Pierce came up a big winner with a kiss from his lady and a Team Trophy for the Michigan F-TR Squad.

Berger SW Nationals prizes

Berger SW Nationals prizes

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January 28th, 2016

Get Ready for Berger SW Nationals February 9-14, 2016

Berger Southwest Nationals

The Berger Southwest Nationals event is less than two weeks away… so get your bags packed and ammo loaded boys and girls. The SW Nationals run February 9-14, 2016, kicking off on Tuesday the 9th with a shooting clinic.


Photo by Phil Kelley at Ben Avery Range.

This prestigious rifle competition, hosted at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, outside Phoenix, Arizona, draws top F-Class and sling shooters from around the country. The Berger SW Nationals event is the premier long-range match of the year in the Western United States. Over 360 shooters have already registered for the SWN. NOTE: there are a few spots left. To register, go to the Berger SWN Entry Page.

CLICK HERE to Download Berger Soutwest Nationals Program and Entry Form.

Watch Highlights from Last Year’s Team Match at 2015 Berger SW Nationals:

Click image to see full-screen panorama.

CLICK HERE for Phoenix Travel and Lodging Information.


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berger southwest nationals 2016 Ben Avery Phoenix

Competition Tips from Bryan Litz

To help you prepare for the Berger SW Nationals, here are some competition tips from Bryan Litz. Bryan knows the Ben Avery range well. He won the Mid-Range and Long-Range F-TR National Championships there last year. And twice he has won the sling division at the Southwest Nationals. Here are wise words from Bryan:

Competition TIP ONE. Improving your scores in long range competition is a constant process of self-assessment. After each match, carefully analyze how you lost points and make a plan to improve. Beginning shooters will lose a lot of points to fundamental things like sight alignment and trigger control. Veteran shooters will lose far fewer points to a smaller list of mistakes. At every step along the way, always ask yourself why you’re losing points and address the issues. Sometimes the weak links that you need to work on aren’t your favorite thing to do, and success will take work in these areas as well.

Competition TIP TWO. Select your wind shooting strategy carefully. For beginners and veterans, most points are typically lost to wind. Successful shooters put a lot of thought into their approach to wind shooting. Sometimes it’s best to shoot fast and minimize the changes you’ll have to navigate. Other times it’s best to wait out a condition which may take several minutes. Develop a comfortable rest position so you have an easier time waiting when you should be waiting.

Competition TIP THREE. Actively avoid major train wrecks. Sounds obvious but it happens a lot. Select equipment that is reliable, get comfortable with it and have back-ups for important things. Don’t load on the verge of max pressure, don’t go to an important match with a barrel that’s near shot out, physically check tightness of all important screws prior to shooting each string. Observe what train wrecks you and others experience, and put measures in place to avoid them.

Competition TIP FOUR. If your long range ballistic predictions aren’t tracking, always come back and verify your 100-yard zero. Sometimes a simple zero shift can be misconstrued as errors in long range ballistics predictions.

Bryan Litz Tips

Permalink Competition, News 2 Comments »