After being held at the Kelbly’s Range in Ohio for decades, the Super Shoot, the top-tier short-range benchrest score competition, will be held May 22-25, 2023 at the Bench Rest Rifle Club in Missouri. This is a great location, much favored by elite benchrest shooters. This excellent range was the host of the 2022 NBRSA Nationals (photo above).
This will be Super Shoot 49. Historically, the Super Shoot has been the largest 100/200-yard Benchrest match in the world. This year the Super Shoot will be held at one of the premier benchrest facilities in the USA, the Bench Rest Rifle Club of St. Louis situated in Wright City, just northwest of St. Louis.
To shoot in the big match, it’s best to first register as a member of the SuperShootSports.com website. Membership is free. By becoming a member you will have access to online registration for the 49th Super Shoot and other features as they become available. There is no charge to join as a site member but there ARE fees to compete in the actual 2023 Super Shoot. So no payment is required initially to register on the site, but competition fees will be required at a later date. Match Sponsors include Shilen Rifles and Hottenstein Bullets.
The Bench Rest Rifle Club of St. Louis hosted the 2015 World Benchrest Championships:
The St. Louis shooting range facility is excellent. Forum member Alex M. posted: “The St. Louis Bench Rest Rifle Club is the finest shooting facility I have seen. The various rifle, pistol, shotgun, and archery ranges are great. They have a nice official trap field, together with manually operated traps. I shoot pistol and rifle with my wife at 25 to 600 yards. They have a very nice dedicated rimfire range, and training bays. I shoot their monthly F-Class matches (600 yards) where they award medals (1st, 2nd, 3rd) for F-Open, F-T/R and F-Bench. They also host the very popular Sierra Cup Challenge.”
Map to Bench Rest Rifle Club Range in Wright City, Missouri.
2022 Super Shoot — Last One at the Kelbly’s Range
The last Benchrest Super Shoot at the Kelbly’s Range was held May 24-27, 2022. This was the “final showdown” of the world’s group-shooting benchrest aces at the Kelbly’s range facility in Ohio. The overall 2022 Super Shoot Champion, with best combined 100 and 200-yard group-size Two Gun Aggregates (Aggs), was Jeff Summers. Gun writer James Mock noted: “The master of the Super Shoot, Jeff Summers, did it again. He fought the tough conditions and came out on top of the 200+ shooters at the final Kelbly-held Super Shoot. [That is] four times that Jeff has finished first. This shows that good guys can do well. Second place went to Ohioan Don Powell.” Summers finished with a 0.2513 Agg.
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Firing line at 2019 Super Shoot. Photo courtesy Armeria Regina.
What components do world-class, short-range group benchrest shooters use? BAT actions, Krieger barrels, and Bix’n Andy triggers (and Jewells) are the components of choice. And barrel tuners are now widely used by the top shooters. As for powder, Vitavuori N133 is still the choice of virtually all top competitors. And yes the 6PPC definitely rules the roost. Every Top 20 shooter at the 2019 Super Shoot shot a 6PPC. Every one. Read on to learn more about the Top 20 Equipment used at this year’s Super Shoot.
We recently reviewed the Top 20 Equipment List for the 2019 Super Shoot at the Kelbly’s Range in Ohio. This Top 20 List reveals the gear choices for the 13.5-lb Heavy Varmint Class and the 10.5-lb Light Varmint/Sporter Class (20 entries for each division). Here are notable gear choices for Top 20 Competitors (both divisions) at the 2019 Super Shoot:
Actions: 14 of 20 HV and 16 of 20 LV/SP shooters used BAT actions. So there were 75% BATs for both classes combined. Barrels: 10 of 13 listed HV barrels and 9 of 12 listed LV/SP barrels were Kriegers. Overall, of the barrels identified in the Top 20 Equipment lists, 76% were Krieger. That’s dominance! [Note: We have been informed that entries with no barrel-maker listed may have been Bartlein barrels.] Triggers: Notably 10 of 20 HV triggers were Bix’n Andy — 50%. For the other class, 7 of 19 listed triggers were Bix ‘N Andy. All others were Jewells. Tuners: In HV Class, 12 of 20 shooters used tuners, mostly Bukys. 11 of 20 LV/SP shooters had tuners. Overall that is 57.5% tuner usage for both classes combined.
Cartridge: For both classes, every single Top 20 competitor shot the 6PPC. ‘Nuf said. Powders: 19 of 20 HV Shooters used Vihtavuori N133. Likewise 19 of 20 LV/SP shooters used VV N133, with one not reporting. That is total dominance for N133.
Bullets: There was a wide selection of bullets used in both classes. Custom bullets by “boutique” bullet makers were certainly favored by Top 20 shooters. Sta Moy 65s were popular, as were Hottenstein 68s and Bart’s bullets among others.
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Adding yet another big win to his unrivaled list of major Benchrest shooting accomplishments, legendary benchrest competitor Tony Boyer won the Two-Gun title at the 2018 Kelbly’s Super Shoot. Tony won the Two-Gun with an astounding 0.1885 Two-Gun combined Aggregate. We’re told this is Boyer’s seventh Super Shoot win. As James Mock says: “He is a phenomenon who seems to gets better with age.”
Boyer, who has three times as many Hall-of-Fame points as his closest rival, was in top form this past week in Ohio, winning the Two-Gun with a very strong performance. This was a tough field, with over 200 seasoned shooters including many talented foreigners. Finishing second in the Two-Gun was Jeff Summers (0.2075), followed by Christian Dippolito (0.2200). Summers also won the 3-Gun (0.2408), which includes the Unlimited (Railgun) Class.
“This is what ‘1/4 minute all day long if I do my part’ really looks like!” — DamonCali
“Actually, that is what 3/16 all WEEK long looks like…” — Geo.Ul.
“As amazing as an 0.188 something Grand Agg is, having shot it at the [challenging] Kelbly’s range is even more so. Tough place to shoot small. Awesome job!” — Tim S.
“I heard someone at the Super Shoot ask Tony a couple years ago: ‘If you went over to the pond, could you walk on water?’ [Consider that] some of the best shooters who ever competed have just one-fourth the Hall-of-Fame points Tony has.” — Webster
Top All-Time Benchrest Hall-of-Fame Standings (Total through October 2017)
1. TONY BOYER 176
2. LESTER BRUNO 49
3. ALAN EUBER 47
4. WAYNE CAMPBELL 42
5. GENE BUKYS 35
6. GARY OCOCK 34
7. LARRY COSTA 31
8. ED WATSON (D) 28
9-10-11. DON GERACI 26 (tie)
9-10-11. RON HOEHN 26 (tie)
9-10-11. BOB SCARBROUGH, JR. 26 (tie)
CLICK Image for Top 10 Equipment list, 10.5-lb Class.
Super Shoot — A World-Class Event
May is Super Shoot Time at the Kelbly’s Rifle Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. This annual event, held May 21-26 this year, draws some of the best 100-yard and 200-yard benchrest shooters in the world. Recent Super Shoots have drawn 200+ competitors from the USA and more than a dozen other countries (about 15% of the competitors come from overseas).
Past Super Shoot Highlights Video (Watch This — It’s Very Well Done!)
If you’ve never attended the Super Shoot before, and don’t know what to expect, Capstone Precision Group President Bill Gravatt offers some insights into this great event:
Super Shoot — What It’s All About
The excitement and anticipation leading up to a Super Shoot can be hard to explain to those who haven’t been to one. Every year, some shooters arrive at the Super Shoot a week early to dial in their rifles, learn wind conditions for the range, and enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow shooters. As the match draws closer, campers and RVs fill the area behind the range, and shooters stake out turf all over the property with their reloading and cleaning equipment setups.
Many shooters choose to load cartridges in the main barn directly behind the 60-bench firing line, while others decide to work in pop-ups, campers and other outbuildings around the facility. Benchrest shooters tend to load in small batches, and some most load cartridges between each match. Many shooters clean their rifles after each match, while others sometimes go two or three matches between cleanings, depending on the number of rounds they fire.
Another part of high-level benchrest competition that will amaze first-time attendees is the quality and amount of equipment benchrest shooters use. Just in front of the shooting benches and the targets, range flags of all kinds sprout up, from the typical “daisy wheel” flags to very sophisticated velocity indicators that show varying wind intensity. Shooters adjust their flags to align with the particular target in front of a specific bench, just slightly below the path of the bullet but still partially visible in the high-powered scopes.
The rifles represent a variety of actions, usually custom, with heavy benchrest barrels by various barrel makers. The most popular cartridge used is the 6mm PPC, but occasionally you will run into someone using a 6mm BR or a slightly modified 6mm BR, and as well as a few other cartridges. Rifle rests used are typically heavy tripods or plate rests. You see a lot of Sinclair rests, Farley rests, and a variety of others, including a few homemade rests. Bags are typically Edgewood or Protektor.
Super Shoot — Runners, Pickers and the Pursuit of Perfection
The techniques vary between shooters, and they are interesting to observe. Some shooters “run” their targets and will shoot a quick sighter and then run all 5 shots as fast as they can before conditions change. Others are “pickers” and shoot each shot carefully, going back and forth between the record target and the sighter target to verify wind conditions and bullet drift. These guys will sometimes shoot up to 10 sighters and use the full seven minutes. Both styles of shooting work and many shooters use both techniques depending on the match conditions[.]
Anyone who attends the Super Shoot will come away with a greater appreciation of precision benchrest shooting. Experienced benchresters already know there will be windy days that drive them crazy, and less experienced shooters can get completely lost when… holding off a shot in the wind. But the reward is worth it. It’s very satisfying to hold off a full inch at 100 yards because the wind changes during your string and drop your fifth shot into a sub 0.100″ group with only seconds remaining on the clock. And that’s what the Super Shoot is all about.
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It’s Super Shoot time. The “Top Guns” of Point Blank Benchrest are battling for prizes and glory at Kelbly’s Rifle Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. This annual event, held May 25-28 this year, draws some of the best 100-yard and 200-yard benchrest shooters in the world. Recent Super Shoots have drawn 300+ competitors from the USA and more than a dozen other countries (about 15% of the competitors come from overseas).
Past Super Shoot Highlights Video (Watch This — It’s Very Well Done!)
If you’ve never attended the Super Shoot before, and don’t know what to expect, former Sinclair International President Bill Gravatt offers some insights into this great event:
Super Shoot — What It’s All About
The excitement and anticipation leading up to a Super Shoot can be hard to explain to those who haven’t been to one. Every year, some shooters arrive at the Super Shoot a week early to dial in their rifles, learn wind conditions for the range, and enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow shooters. As the match draws closer, campers and RVs fill the area behind the range, and shooters stake out turf all over the property with their reloading and cleaning equipment setups.
Many shooters choose to load cartridges in the main barn directly behind the 60-bench firing line, while others decide to work in pop-ups, campers and other outbuildings around the facility. Benchrest shooters tend to load in small batches, and some most load cartridges between each match. Many shooters clean their rifles after each match, while others sometimes go two or three matches between cleanings, depending on the number of rounds they fire.
Another part of high-level benchrest competition that will amaze first-time attendees is the quality and amount of equipment benchrest shooters use. Just in front of the shooting benches and the targets, range flags of all kinds sprout up, from the typical “daisy wheel” flags to very sophisticated velocity indicators that show varying wind intensity. Shooters adjust their flags to align with the particular target in front of a specific bench, just slightly below the path of the bullet but still partially visible in the high-powered scopes.
The rifles represent a variety of actions, usually custom, with heavy benchrest barrels by various barrel makers. The most popular cartridge used is the 6mm PPC, but occasionally you will run into someone using a 6mm BR or a slightly modified 6mm BR, and as well as a few other cartridges. Rifle rests used are typically heavy tripods or plate rests. You see a lot of Sinclair rests, Farley rests, and a variety of others, including a few homemade rests. Bags are typically Edgewood or Protektor.
Super Shoot — Runners, Pickers and the Pursuit of Perfection
The techniques vary between shooters, and they are interesting to observe. Some shooters “run” their targets and will shoot a quick sighter and then run all 5 shots as fast as they can before conditions change. Others are “pickers” and shoot each shot carefully, going back and forth between the record target and the sighter target to verify wind conditions and bullet drift. These guys will sometimes shoot up to 10 sighters and use the full seven minutes. Both styles of shooting work and many shooters use both techniques depending on the match conditions[.]
Anyone who attends the Super Shoot will come away with a greater appreciation of precision benchrest shooting. Experienced benchresters already know there will be windy days that drive them crazy, and less experienced shooters can get completely lost when… holding off a shot in the wind. But the reward is worth it. It’s very satisfying to hold off a full inch at 100 yards because the wind changes during your string and drop your fifth shot into a sub 0.100″ group with only seconds remaining on the clock. And that’s what the Super Shoot is all about.
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Ready for the Super Shoot? The 41st Annual Firearms Industry Super Shoot will be held on May 22-25, 2013, at Kelbly’s Rifle Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. This annual event draws some of the best 100-yard and 200-yard benchrest shooters in the world. Last year’s Super Shoot had almost 300 competitors from the USA and 14 other countries (about 15% of the competitors come from overseas).
2012 Super Shoot Highlights Video (Watch This — It’s Very Well Done!)
If you’ve never attended the Super Shoot before, and don’t know what to expect, former Sinclair International President Bill Gravatt offers some insights into this great event:
Super Shoot — What It’s All About
The excitement and anticipation leading up to a Super Shoot can be hard to explain to those who haven’t been to one. Every year, some shooters arrive at the Super Shoot a week early to dial in their rifles, learn wind conditions for the range, and enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow shooters. As the match draws closer, campers and RVs fill the area behind the range, and shooters stake out turf all over the property with their reloading and cleaning equipment setups.
Many shooters choose to load cartridges in the main barn directly behind the 60-bench firing line, while others decide to work in pop-ups, campers and other outbuildings around the facility. Benchrest shooters tend to load in small batches, and some most load cartridges between each match. Many shooters clean their rifles after each match, while others sometimes go two or three matches between cleanings, depending on the number of rounds they fire.
Another part of high-level benchrest competition that will amaze first-time attendees is the quality and amount of equipment benchrest shooters use. Just in front of the shooting benches and the targets, range flags of all kinds sprout up, from the typical “daisy wheel” flags to very sophisticated velocity indicators that show varying wind intensity. Shooters adjust their flags to align with the particular target in front of a specific bench, just slightly below the path of the bullet but still partially visible in the high-powered scopes.
The rifles represent a variety of actions, usually custom, with heavy benchrest barrels by various barrel makers. The most popular cartridge used is the 6mm PPC, but occasionally you will run into someone using a 6mm BR or a slightly modified 6mm BR, and as well as a few other cartridges. Rifle rests used are typically heavy tripods or plate rests. You see a lot of Sinclair rests, Farley rests, and a variety of others, including a few homemade rests. Bags are typically Edgewood or Protektor.
Super Shoot — Runners, Pickers and the Pursuit of Perfection
The techniques vary between shooters, and they are interesting to observe. Some shooters “run” their targets and will shoot a quick sighter and then run all 5 shots as fast as they can before conditions change. Others are “pickers” and shoot each shot carefully, going back and forth between the record target and the sighter target to verify wind conditions and bullet drift. These guys will sometimes shoot up to 10 sighters and use the full seven minutes. Both styles of shooting work and many shooters use both techniques depending on the match conditions[.]
Anyone who attends the Super Shoot will come away with a greater appreciation of precision benchrest shooting. Experienced benchresters already know there will be windy days that drive them crazy, and less experienced shooters can get completely lost when… holding off a shot in the wind. But the reward is worth it. It’s very satisfying to hold off a full inch at 100 yards because the wind changes during your string and drop your fifth shot into a sub 0.100″ group with only seconds remaining on the clock. And that’s what the Super Shoot is all about.
The Super Shoot begins with the Light Varmint Class, for guns that weigh 10.5 lbs or less, and consists of a Warm-Up match and five Registered Matches at 100 yards. Shooters are assigned to one of at least six relays and rotate through 12 benches between each of the registered matches. The rotation ensures each shooter faces various wind conditions found at different parts of the range. Competitors can fire an unlimited amount of sighter shots into the sighter target square. The shooters use these sighters to check changes in wind conditions and determine the amount of hold-off, if necessary.
Once the match starts and the “Commence Fire” command is given, shooters have seven minutes to fire five shots into the record target square. These five shots comprise their “group” score for the match. The groups are gauged using a target measuring device with a magnifier and measures the two outermost shots in the group from center point to center point. This group size is the shooter’s score for that match. The laymen’s way to calculate group size is to measure outside edge to outside edge and subtract the bullet diameter. Both procedures achieve roughly the same results. The group sizes for the five record matches comprise their 100 yard Light Varmint Aggregate. Obviously, the smallest aggregate wins.
The second day repeats the process, only competitors are shooting the Heavy Varmint Class rifles, weighing up to 13.5 lbs, at 100 yards. On the third day, the targets are moved to 200 yards and the Heavy Varmint Class is shot at that yardage. The reason for staying with the Heavy Varmint Class is that shooters who switch to heavier barrels can leave them on after shooting 100 yards. On Saturday, the final day of the match, the shooters compete with the Light Varmint guns at 200 yards.
There are winners for each yardage and gun: Light Varmint 100, Light Varmint 200, Heavy Varmint 100, and Heavy Varmint 200. There are also winners for each gun with the two yardages combined. The grand champion of the shoot is the Two-Gun Champion who has the lowest overall group aggregate for the four days of shooting.
For more information, email jim[at]kelbly.com or call (330) 683-4674. You can register onsite (at the Kelbly’s range) or CLICK HERE for 2013 Super Shoot Registration Form. NOTE: After May 10, 2013 registration fees are $130 per gun — no exceptions.
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James Mock spotted some impressive new benchrest stocks at the recent Super Shoot. James told us: “Your readers may be interested in pictures of some striking stocks I saw at the Super Shoot. The purple one on the left belongs to Greg King. It is an HV with BAT action that has been coated and features a maple/carbon fiber laminated stock by Terry Leonard. Terry stained it purple (under the epoxy) at the request of Greg. The tuner was made by Sid Goodling.”
Terry Leonard can be reached at (423) 323-9327. Terry told us that a stock like this (tinted or natural wood colors) would typically run $1250.00 to $1300.00.
James Mock also spotted a handsome Walnut composite stock made by Roy Hunter. James writes: “The rifle on the right belongs to Sid Goodling (that’s Sid holding it), and it also features a BAT action. The rifle is a Light Varmint with a composite stock made from Balsa, English Walnut, and Carbon Fiber. The creator of this beautiful stock is Roy Hunter. Sid told me that a custom stock like this from Roy would cost about $1150.00. This is in line with other wooden composite stocks.” NOTE: The barrel on Sid’s gun is 21.5″. It may appear short because Roy Hunter builds his stocks “about 2″ longer than standard” according to Goodling. For more information on this rifle, contact Sid Goodling at www.GoodlingRifles.com.
Stock-Maker Roy Hunter Learned to Work Wood as a Master Furniture Craftsman
Although Terry Leonard is well-known to the BR community, Roy Hunter is a newcomer to the stock-making trade. But make no mistake — Roy is a highly-skilled craftsman who knows how to create both functional and beautiful stocks. This man knows his wood — Roy is an experienced furniture-maker who specializes in classic furniture of the 1700s and 1800s. Roy Hunter can be reached by phone at: (410) 259-7944.
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Forum member (and respected shooting journalist) James Mock has provided a follow-up report on the recently concluded Firearm Industry Super Shoot.
First, James wanted to give credit to this year’s overall winner, Jeff Summers. James writes: “Jeff Summers persevered through the four days and came away with a HV Grand and a two-gun win at Super Shoot XL. This was his second Super Shoot win. For those who do not know Jeff, he is from eastern Tennessee (Oak Ridge area). He shot a BAT action and Bartlein 1:14″-twist barrel. He is a bag squeezer and shoots homemade bullets. Also, he smiths his own rifles”.
Harpenau Wins Light Varmint Grand
James also wanted to spotlight some talented new shooters, including a schoolboy who represents the next generation of benchrest shooters. James reports: “Many think that the top shoots are the exclusive domain of the old grizzled shooters, but that is not always the case. In the Super Shoot this year, Mark Harpenau (left, below) won a yardage and the Light Varmint Grand Aggregate (10.5-lb Class). Mark has been shooting only three years. Also, young Wyatt Peinhardt (right, below) finished first in the youth group and in the top fifty among all 270 shooters! It is good to see new faces in Benchrest.”
Photos by James Mock.
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The 40th Annual Firearms Industry Super Shoot, held at the Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio, concluded yesterday, May 26. Now in its 40th year, the Super Shoot is the biggest short-range benchrest competition on the planet, drawing upwards of 400 competitors each year. The Super Shoot attracts top 100-yard/200-yard Benchrest shooters from throughout the world.
According to reports from Ohio, Jeff Summers is the Overall Two-Gun Super Shoot Champion. We’re told that Larry Costa finished second, Jeff Gaidos took third, fourth was Wayne Campbell, and Gene Bukys secured fifth position overall. Posting on Benchrest Central, Scotty Crawford wrote: “This is Jeff’s second Super Shoot win. I would like to know how many top tens he has had at the Super Shoot. The cream always rises to the top…. Congratulation to Jeff and Larry Costa and to all the winners.”
Here are some preliminary results for the LV and HV matches. Note: These rankings are subject to final verification, and they are not official. We are still waiting for ranked results from Saturday’s 200-yard Light Varmint (10.5-lb class) competition, and the actual combined scores for the Two-Gun.
Heavy Varmint (13.5-lb) 100 Yards
1st Bill Goad 0.1766
2nd Jeff Summers 0.1918
3rd Bart Sauter 0.1934
4th Hal Drake 0.1972
5th Ken Pritt 0.2056
Heavy Varmint (13.5-lb) 200 Yards
1st Jeff Gaidos 0.2428
2nd Jeff Summers 0.2656
3rd Larry Costa 0.2729
4th Wayne Campbell 0.2769
5th Barney Small 0.278
Heavy Varmint (13.5-lb) Grand Agg
1st Jeff Summers 0.2287
2nd Larry Costa 0.2413
3rd Jeff Gaidos 0.246
4th Wayne Campbell 0.2617
5th Ken Pritt 0.2626
Light Varmint (10.5-lb) 100 Yards
1st Jim Carmichel 0.1922
2nd Cris Harris 0.1946
3rd Tony Boyer 0.1984
4th Jack Neary 0.2044
5th Kip Jones 0.2074
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The Firearms Industry Super Shoot, hosted at the Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio, will be held Wednesday, May 23, through Saturday, May 26th. Now in its 40th year, the Super Shoot is the biggest short-range benchrest competition on the planet, drawing upwards of 400 competitors each year. The Super Shoot attracts the top 100-yard/200-yard Benchrest shooters from throughout the world. Along with Americans, we may see competitors from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
No Rail Guns at Super Shoot — Just LV and HV
The Super Shoot is a two-class-only event, for 10.5-lb Light Varmint and 13.5-lb Heavy Varmint class rifles. Registration fees are normally $110.00 for one gun (2 days) or $240.00 for two guns (the whole event). However, after May 10, 2012, Registration Fees are $130.00 per gun — No Exceptions. Spaces are still available, so don’t hesitate to sign up. It’s not too late to enter. Here’s the schedule:
Match Schedule:
May 23: 100 yards, 10.5-lb class
May 24: 100 yards, 13.5-lb class
May 25: 200 yards, 13.5-lb class
May 26: 200 yards, 10.5-lb class
Trophies Galore, Cash Awards, and Equipment Give-Aways
This being the 40th Anniversary of the SuperShoot, there will be a wide selection of trophies and prizes. This is a rich event — Jim Kelbly says the Overall Winner usually captures $2500.00 or more in cash. Trophies will be awarded for: all match winners, small group winners, Range Aggregates (First 3 places at 100 & 200), Grand Aggregates (Top 3), and Two-Gun Aggregates. There will be special trophies for Top Women Shooter (Grand Agg, 13.5-lb), Top 3 Husband/Wife Teams, Best Father/Son and Father/Daughter Teams, and Top First-Time SuperShoot Competitor. There are even “Aussie Aggregate” trophies for the Top 3 shooters in warm-up matches.
In addition, there will be a variety of Cash Awards for both individual matches (places 1-3) and Aggregates (1-10), and there is the popular “cash option” which can increase the payouts for competitors who participate ($50 buy-in). Gift merchandise will be distributed to competitors on a first-come first-draw basis in the 13.5-lb 100-yard Aggregate. And this year Berger Bullets will offer boxes of its new Benchrest bullets to top shooters.
We previously reported that Texan Gene Bukys won the Two-Gun Championship at the 39th Firearms Industry Super Shoot (FISS) held at Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. This was a notable performance, as Bukys started out Friday with a 1.249 LV group at 200 yards and came back (in tough weather conditions) to win the Two-Gun. Bukys’ Aggregate for 100/200 yards in both the 10.5-lb (Light Varmint) and 13.5-lb class was .2240″. Larry Costa (Florida), the 2008 Two-Gun Champion, finished a close second with a 0.2247″ Two-Gun (all yardage) Agg, while Wayne Campbell (Virginia) finished 3rd with a 0.2302″ Two-Gun (all yardage) Agg. Costa also had the best 10.5-lb class 100/200 Agg, at 0.2173, while Bukys had the best 13.5-lb class 100/200 Agg, at 0.1902. Bukys, Costa, and Campbell will all be on the USA team at the 2011 World Benchrest Championships held in France this summer.
Berger’s Stecker Nails Small Group
Notably, Berger Bullets Master Bulletsmith Eric Stecker shot the smallest group in the entire competition, a stunning 0.054″ in the 10.5-lb class at 100 yards. Yes that’s 0.054 for FIVE rounds — it appears those Berger guys do know how to make some pretty good projectiles. Andy Shifflett had an 0.084″ small group in the HV class.
In linked PDF files below, you’ll find complete results for the 2011 Super Shoot. Considered by many to be the major 100/200 yard benchrest event in the world, the Super Shoot was held May 25th through 28th. Over 250 of the top benchrest shooters from 12 countries competed in this four day, two-gun event. Conditions were tough with constantly changing wind conditions in addition to thunderstorms, intermittent rain/hail and the inevitable mud.
These Downloadable PDF Files Contain the Complete Super Shoot Results:
Two-GunGrand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. GENE BUKYS 0.2240
2. LARRY COSTA 0.2247
3. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.2302
4. JACK NEARY 0.2434
5. CHRIS HARRIS 0.2447
6. BART SAUTER 0.2485
7. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2506
8. TONY BOYER 0.2553
9. LESTER BRUNO 0.2580
10. HARLEY BAKER 0.2635
10.5-lb LV Grand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. LARRY COSTA 0.2193
2. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.227
3. LESTER BRUNO 0.2396
4. DON NIELSON 0.2474
5. TONY BOYER 0.2502
6. JACK NEARY 0.2511
7. BART SAUTER 0.2514
8. ALLEN ARNETTE 0.2533
9. GENE BUKYS 0.2578
10. L. HOTTENSTEIN 0.2605
13.5-lb HV Grand Agg
(100 + 200)
1. GENE BUKYS 0.1902
2. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2085
3. AL BLACKWELL 0.2169
4. CHRIS HARRIS 0.2186
5. JEFF GRAVES 0.2188
6. DAVE COOTS 0.2255
7. LARRY COSTA 0.2302
8. KEVIN HUFF 0.2329
9. WAYNE CAMPBELL 0.2331
10. STEVE THEYE 0.2332
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Report by Forum member James Mock
Not only did Gene win the 2-gun at Chippewa SS Warm-up, and the “Heartbreak award for one bad group that cost him last year’s SS; BUT he has now won the BIG ONE. The 2011 Super Shoot champion is Gene Bukys. He persevered after shooting a 1 1/4 inch group at 200 yards. Congratulations to Gene! — James
Further Super Shoot Results will be provided as soon as available. Photo courtesy James Mock.
Here is late-breaking news from the Firearms Industry Super Shoot at the Kelbly’s Range in North Lawrence, Ohio. Canadian George Carter has won the 2010 overall two-gun Super Shoot Championship. Together with his lovely wife Vera, the Carters also won the husband and wife event, and Vera placed first in the woman’s 13.5-lb (Heavy Varmint) competition. We are told that Gene Bukys placed second overall by a very narrow margin, and it has been reported that Bart Sauter (of Bart’s Bullets), finished third. According to Bill Gammon, who took the photos below, the match was well-attended, with shooters from many different countries including: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Indonesia, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, UK, and the USA.
Kudos to the Carters, and congratulations to all who participated in this year’s Super Shoot. View more photos on the Benchrest in Canada Forum.
COMPLETE RESULTS of 2010 Super Shoot
Attached below are the complete results of the 2010 Super Shoot in various file formats. The summaries provide event by event rankings for the top shooters. The comprehensive files list all match results (and aggs), shooter by shooter, in alphabetical order. Sorry, no equipment lists are available yet.
1. GEORGE CARTER 0.2233
2. GENE BUKYS 0.2243
3. BART SAUTER 0.2295
4. BOB SCARBROUGH, JR. 0.2296
5. TIM HUMPHREYS 0.2328
6. JEFF SUMMERS 0.2348
7. DALE BOOP 0.2377
8. DAVE BRUNO 0.2413
9. STEVE THEYE 0.2439
10. DAVID KERR 0.2443
11. LEE HACHIGIAN 0.2452
12. BILL SYMON 0.2468
13. DWIGHT SCOTT 0.2521
14. KEN HOTTENSTEIN 0.2525
15. PAT HURLEY 0.2526
16. TONY BOYER 0.2540
17. HARLEY BAKER 0.2593
18. JACK NEARY 0.2601
19. LARRY COSTA 0.2616
20. JEFF GAIDOS 0.2621
In the 10.5-lb (LV) class the Grand Agg Top Five were: 1. Steve Theye 0.2161; 2. Gene Bukys 0.2225; 3. Bob Scarbrough, JR. 0.2267; 4. Andy Shifflet 0.2283; 5. Larry Costa 0.2289. Bart Sauter had the low 100-yard LV Agg at 0.1874, while Steve Theye had the best 200-yard LV Agg at 0.1964. Small Group was shot by Eddie Harris, an 0.077 at 100 yards.
For the 13.5-lb (HV) class, the Grand Agg Top Five were: 1. George Carter 0.2176; 2. Bart Sauter 0.2242; 3. Gene Bukys 0.2261; 4. Dave Bruno 0.2315; 5. Tim Humphreys 0.2322 Smiley Hensley won the 100-yard HV Agg, with an 0.1774, while Jim Carmichael had the best HV 200-yard Agg, an 0.2161. Small Group was an 0.087 shot by Bob Hammack at 100 yards.
Super Shoot Final Report by Eric Stecker, Berger Bullets
Greetings from Sunny Ohio. Normally calling the weather “sunny” in North Lawrence, Ohio is sarcasm. During the last two days of the Super Shoot the word “sunny” is the best description of what shooters faced from Mother Nature. Day 3 provided some cloud cover in the morning which lasted for a while but was soon turned into bright and clear skies. High 40° temperatures and mid 80° highs was more of the same for those who were expecting the rains to come eventually. In case you haven’t heard yet, Tony Boyer was the big winner at this 37th Super Shoot. Congratulations to Tony Boyer for another impressive performance. Tony sets the bar for benchrest excellence.
Boyer Wins Two-Gun and HV Grand Agg
Tony Boyer, already the top Benchrest Hall of Fame shooter in history (by quite a margin), won the Two-Gun Aggregate (Agg). Tony shot very consistently, with top five placements in most events. But he really hammered the HV 200-yard stage, with a brilliant 0.1846 Agg. Combined with his fine 100-yard HV shooting, that gave Tony an 0.1997 for the HV Grand Agg win. Lee Hachigan was the LV Grand Agg winner with a solid 0.2235. Lee finished third overall in the Two-Gun, behind Larry Costa:
1. Tony Boyer – .2191 Two-Gun Agg
2. Larry Costa – .2307 Two-Gun Agg
3. Lee Hachigan – .2503 Two-Gun Agg
4. Bill Symons – .2581 Two-Gun Agg
Tie 5. Larry Scharhorst – .2589 Two-Gun Agg
Tie 5. Bill Forester – .2589 Two-Gun Agg
Competitors tackled the Heavy Varmint stage at 200 yards on Friday. 200 yards is usually where Grand Aggs are won and lost during most BR matches and the 2009 Super Shoot this would be no exception. The following are the top five finishers in the Heavy Varmint 200-yard stage:
1. Tony Boyer – .1846 agg
2. Stan Bowerman – .2045 agg
3. Larry Costa – .2148 agg
4. Jim Carmichel – .2329
5. Chris Harris – .2343
Once the 200-yard stage was over the Heavy Varmint Grand Agg was determined. See if you don’t spot a few of those who did well at 200 yards in the following list of the top 5 of the Heavy Varmint Grand Agg.
1. Tony Boyer – .1997 HV Grand Agg
2. Larry Costa – .2235 HV Grand Agg
3. Stan Bowerman – .2432 HV Grand Agg
4. Greg Reed – .2461 HV Grand Agg
5. Wayne Campbell – .2464 HV Grand Agg
By the time the last day started the shooters were commenting on how the Super Shoot had not seen four clear, dry days in a row since 1995. There is little question that this year’s Super Shoot provided some of the best weather conditions we’ve had for some time. Temperatures were similar to previous days and winds continued to be tricky but not extreme.
The Light Varmint 200-yard stage gave us all a chance to break out the 10.5-lb guns again after two days of getting spoiled with the 13.5-pounders. Most folks were ready to shoot at 200 yards but a few shot flags indicated that some BR shooters still are working on which way to turn the knobs when the distance increases. The following is a list of the top 5 shooters who were on top of their adjustments for the Light Varmint 200-yard stage.
1. Steve Turner – .2085 agg
2. Jeff Stover – .2120 agg
3. Jeff Summers – .2137 agg
4. Tony Boyer – .2159 agg
5. Larry Costa – .2217 agg
Lee Hachigan Wins LV Grand Agg
The completion of this final stage provided the Super Shoot with not only a Light Varmint Grand Agg Champion but also a Two-Gun Champion. For those who have been keeping track of the top five in the lists so far some of the names you see below will be no surprise. Here are the top five in the Light Varmint Grand Agg.
1. Lee Hachigan – .2235 LV Grand Agg
2. Dave Coots – .2263 LV Grand Agg
3. Bill Symons – .2365 LV Grand Agg
4. Larry Costa – .2379 LV Grand Agg
5. Tony Boyer – .2385 LV Grand Agg
Final Thoughts — 1/4 MOA ‘All Day Long’
Another thought crosses my mind as I look at these scores. I hear many times how shooters who do not compete in Benchrest matches say that their rifles are capable of “1/4 MOA… all day long”. Take a look at these scores you will see that 1/4 MOA accuracy “all day long” would put you in the top three of the largest and (arguably) most competitive BR match in the country.
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Super Shoot Report — First Two Days Report by Eric Stecker, Berger Bullets
[Editor’s Note: At our request, Eric Stecker, Berger Bullets’ Master Bulletsmith, is sending us late-breaking news from the Super Shoot. Here is Eric’s report, hot off the wire.]
Heavy Varmint Top 20 Match Results CLICK HERE (.pdf file)
5/23 Update: Tony Boyer Won the HV Grand Agg (0.1997) and 200-yard Agg. Tony finished 2nd in 100-yard HV Agg, behind Gene Bukys.
Greetings from (or near) North Lawrence, OH and home of the Firearms Industry Super Shoot. Benchrest shooters from all over the globe are here to participate in this highly anticipated event. The Super Shoot is the largest BR match in the world. Opening Ceremonies started at 8:30 am Wednesday morning. Hall of Fame shooter Allie Euber was on hand to offer words of prayer for the event, shooters, our families and those in BR who we’ve lost over the year. Allie also offered some gracious comments about one of the PPC inventors, Ferris Pindell, who was able to be here and visit all his many friends.
The Super Shoot is ripe with tradition and most things are as they have been for some time. One exception is that long-time Range Master Jim Kelbly has been replaced by his son Ian Kelbly. After Ian called several matches I mentioned to Jim that if he lets Ian keep this up then Jim would be out of a job. He smiled and said “I sure hope so.” Ian is doing a fantastic job running the match.
Hachigan Tops 100-Yard LV Field
Wednesday greeted shooters with 45° temperatures which quickly warmed in Sunny Ohio to the mid 80s. Winds were present and shifty as they tend to be but not too much to be unpleasant but definitely enough to give most shooters fits. The folks listed below handled these winds and their rifle well and are the top five for the Light Varmint 100-yard stage. The record for the Light Varmint 100-yard Agg was set in 1999 by Bill Forrester at .1706. Bill’s record was safe but the 5-shot small group record of .046 set by Mike Walker in 1994 was seriously threatened by Bill Goad with a small group for the day of .048.
1. Lee Hachigan – .2094 agg
2. Dave Coots – .2154 agg
3. Andy Shifflett – .2194 agg
4. Milt Craven – .2264 agg
5. Larry Scharhorst – .2278 agg
Bukys Edges Boyer in HV 100
Conditions on Thursday for the Heavy Varmint 100-yard stage was much the same as Wednesday with a low in the morning of 47° which warmed up to the high 80s. Winds were also similar with tricky gusts and changes but nothing so strong that stuff was blowing off the benches. The top five after the Heavy Varmint 100-yard stage are below. Larry Kopper definitely shot well but finishing the 5th match with a small group for the day of .083 certainly helped push him into the top five. (The HV record is .062 by Hobbie Bonds.)
1. Gene Bukys – .2020 agg
2. Tony Boyer – .2148 agg
3. Greg Reed – .2158 agg
4. Bob Hammond – .2210 agg
5. Larry Kopper – .2282 agg
Many shooters here would say Thursday was a tough day and they are glad that the 100-yard stages are behind them. Friday the 22nd starts with the 200-yard Heavy Varmint where some 300+ shooters will try as best they can to rise to the top of the list for the HV Grand Agg win. More to come….
Photo of Borden Rimrock Benchrest Rifle courtesy Borden Rifles.
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For racing fans, Memorial Day weekend means the Indy 500 at the Brickyard. The equivalent of the Indy 500 for precision Benchrest shooters is Kelbly’s Firearms Industry Super Shoot at the Kelbly’s range in North Lawrence, Ohio. Despite high gas prices, 330+ shooters made the pilgrimage to North Lawrence to compete in the most prestigious event in Benchrest shooting.
Topping an incredibly competitive field, Larry Costa won the Two-Gun Overall championship. Larry did extremely well in both rifle classes, finishing second in BOTH Light Varmint Grand (100 +200) and Heavy Varmint Grands. Congrats to Larry for his outstanding shooting. We’ve been told that Larry brings pre-measured, weighed charges (and then loads his rounds at the match), but we’re still waiting for confirmation. Jeff Summers, displaying great consistency, combined 4th in the LV Grand and 4th in HV Grand, to place Second Overall in the Two-Gun behind Costa. Andy Shiffle finished third in the Two-Gun, matching his placing in the HV Grand. We were pleased to see George Kelbly, “Founding Father” of the Super Shoot, take second in the LV 100.
Overall Two-Gun Standings
1 – Larry Costa
2 – Jeff Summers
3 – Andy Shifflett
4 – Gene Bukys
5 – Lou Murdica
6 – Billy Stevens
7 – Jeff Stover
8 – Bart Sauter
9 – Tony Boyer
10 – Joe Krupa
11 – Joe Hynes
12 – Stan Bowerman
13 – Mike Rattigan
14 – Charles Huckeba
15 – Bill Goad
16 – Milt Craven
17 – Howie Levy
18 – Danny Sutphin
19 – Jack Lyons
20 – Kent Harshman
LV 100 – Top 3
1 – Lowell Hottenstein
2 – George Kelbly
3 – George Carter
LV 200 – Top 3
1 – Gene Bukys
2 – Larry Costa
3 – Mike Rattigan
LV Grand – Top 5
1 – Gene Bukys
2 – Larry Costa
3 – George Carter
4 – Jeff Summers
5 – Bill Goad
HV 100 – Top 3
1 – Tony Boyer
2 – Bart Sauter
3 – Bud Mundy
HV 200 – Top 3
1 – Andy Shifflett
2 – Jeff Summers
3 – Larry Costa
HV Grand – Top 5
1 – Tony Boyer
2 – Larry Costa
3 – Andy Shifflett
4 – Jeff Summers
5 – Bart Sauter
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May is Super Shoot Time at the 
Forum member (and respected shooting journalist) James Mock has provided a follow-up report on the recently concluded Firearm Industry Super Shoot.
Heavy Varmint (13.5-lb) 100 Yards
Boyer Wins Two-Gun and HV Grand Agg
