One of the biggest Precision Rifle matches of the year took place recently. Nearly 200 shooters from many states competed in the 2024 Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge, held June 28-29, 2024 at Hornady’s private 250,000 acre ranch property outside of Evanston, Wyoming, across the state line in Utah. The match featured 19 challenging stages. Course of fire consisted of 200 rounds with “off trail” walking between stages. Natural terrain made for an exciting match.
George Gardner and Bryan Sikes of GA Precision were co-match directors. Gardner said the 2024 event went well: “The 2024 Hornady PRC was a huge success. The challenging course of fire coupled with the perfect weather for a precision rifle match made for an awesome weekend.” Sikes added: “We want to congratulate all the winners and thank each competitor for attending. A big thank you for all the range officers and sponsors that made this match happen, as well.” Open Division Competitor Andrew Slade was the Overall Match winner. Hornady congratulates the following Division and Class winners:
Open Division and Overall winner: Andrew Slade
Top Production: Doug Koenig
Top Tactical: Joe Thielen
Top Gas Gun: River Curtis
Top Senior: Joe McFarlane
Top Mil/LE: Kahl Harmon
Top Lady: Lauryl Akenhead
Top Junior: Reese Broughton
Top Amateur: Robert Mahaffey
Top Marksman: Austin Clark
Top Semi-Pro: Justin Eggers
Top International: Moritz Mayr
One of the biggest PRS matches of the year, the Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge is a unique long range competition with tough terrain and major elevation changes. This wasn’t a typical PRS Pro Series match by any means. Participants in this challenging Precision Rifle match encounter challenging conditions not typically seen in other tactical matches.
This video, from the 2023 PRC event, is well worth watching. It provides plenty of equipment closeups, shows stage set-ups, and includes “birds-eye-view” drone footage of the scenic range.
CLICK HERE for full match results from the 2024 Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge. NOTE: Most images in this story are captured from 2023 Hornady PRC Video embedded above.
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This is good news for gun-owners. Sportsman’s Warehouse (SW), which operates 92 retail stores in 23 states, now offers gunsmithing. Gun enthusiasts can get complete firearms gunsmithing services at the new Sportsman’s Warehouse Gunsmith Center in Utah. You can ship your rifles, pistols, or shotguns to the SW Gunsmith Center, or simply drop off your firearm at ANY Sportsman’s Warehouse store. The SW Gunsmith Center, equipped with mills and lathes, offers complete repair, refinishing, threading, metal, and stock work. For more info, visit: www.Sportsmans.com/gunsmith.
“Customers can quickly and easily drop off their firearms directly at our new Gunsmith Service Center in Utah, take them to any Sportsman’s Warehouse store, or ship them in for service,” states Jon Barker, Sportsman’s Warehouse President/CEO. “Expanding from the Utah market, we now offer this unique service to customers nationwide, including our 92 store locations.” SW has a loyalty program — each dollar spent at the Gunsmith Center gives members a point towards earning SW gift cards.
Fees Are Reasonable — $200 for Barrel Chambering
There is a $45 minimum charge for guns left overnight, and a $68/hour labor rate. A barrel chambering/fitting job costs $200. Threading a muzzle costs $100.00. Fitting an aftermarket AR trigger is $45. Blue-printing a bolt-action receiver costs $175.00. Glass-bedding an action costs $90-$175. CLICK HERE for Gunsmithing Fee Schedule.
The new Sportsman’s Warehouse gunsmith shop is located in SW’s Salt Lake City Distribution Center. The workspace features four stations for gunsmiths to work on rifles, shotguns, pistols, and muzzleloaders. They also have added a full production lathe that is designed for 24-hour-a-day operation, as well as a large end mill for a variety of metal working operations.
Finish tanks, a spray booth and oven for Cerakote, along with other pieces of equipment that will allow them to perform almost any gun service or customization are being installed.
“The only thing we won’t offer is custom wood stock building,” said Bill Sturtevant, Head Gunsmith. “The time necessary for that service takes too much time and pulls our gunsmiths off of other projects for too long. But just about anything else, including refinishing stocks, is on the table.”
Sportsman’s Warehouse will offer 1-year and 3-Year Firearm Service Plans supported by the company’s gunsmiths. Plans include: mounting and bore sighting, field cleaning, factory-service augmentation, free shipping to the factory for repair, and discounts on Gunsmith Service Center work.
Story Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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On August 10th, Vista Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO), officially opened its new 33,000-square-foot Utah corporate headquarters to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by state and local officials, community partners, members of the media, and employees.
“We are proud to call Farmington home,” said Vista Outdoor CEO Mark DeYoung. “We’re committed to being a strong partner for this community, and we value our relationships with the state, county and city leaders who helped make this headquarters a reality. We chose Utah because of its focus on outdoor recreation as an economic driver, the business-friendly environment, a talented workforce and balanced quality of life, as well as amazing geography and the availability of four seasons for outdoor recreation.”
Founded in 2015 when ATK (Alliant Techsystems*) spun off its sporting goods division from its aerospace business, Vista Outdoor is a leading global manufacturer of outdoor consumer products as well as firearms. Vista Outdoor’s 50 product brands include such well-known names as Bell Helmets, Blackhawk, Bushnell, CamelBak, CCI, Federal Premium Ammunition, and Savage Arms.
Building Constructed with Utah Wood and Stone
The new Headquarters building uses locally-sourced natural materials such as wood and stone in many design elements. The main lobby atrium includes a “living wall” made with live plants and a central staircase with an expansive view of the Wasatch Mountains, bringing the feeling of “outdoors” inside. The back lobby features a fireplace/campsite.
“Vista Outdoor and its brands are committed to conservation and environmental stewardship,” said DeYoung. “We believe in the responsible use of natural resources and in conserving the wild places where our employees and our consumers go to pursue their outdoor adventures.”
*Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) came into being as an independent company in 1990 when Honeywell spun off its defense businesses to shareholders. ATK got into the ammo business in 2001 when it acquired Blount International. ATK grew with later acquisitions of Weaver Optics (2008), Blackhawk (2010), Savage Arms (2013), and Bushnell (2013).
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Could you hit a buffalo at 1.27 miles (2240 yards) … with iron sights? Impossible as that may seem, that’s exactly what Ernie Jimenez did last month at the North Springs Shooting Range in Price, Utah (elevation 5,627′). Shooting a milsurp Swiss K31 rifle chambered for the 7.5×55 Swiss round, Jimenez placed four hits on a three-foot-high, bison-shaped steel target placed a staggering 2240 yards from the firing line. Not bad for a rifle which Jimenez acquired many years ago for just $99.00. Of course he did have plenty of misses along the way (and Ernie even managed to hit the plate shielding his camera).
This video is set to start half-way through, when the shooter starts making hits:
Colt’s Maggie Reese with wicked-looking Vepr long-magazine shotgun.
North America’s top female action shooters converged on St. George, Utah recently for the Brownells Lady 3-Gun Pro-Am Challenge West Match. Dozens of competitors from the USA and Canada attended this event which featured some amazing stages. Check out the video of the Roller Coaster Stage — bet you never saw anything like THAT at a shooting match before. (This Roller Coaster side-match raised funds for Urijah Smith, a two-year-old boy suffering from cancer.)
Watch Roller Coaster Stage at Lady 3-Gun Pro-Am Challenge West:
Registrations are now being accepted for the Vortex Extreme challenge event, to be held at the Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf long range shooting facility in Tremonton, Utah July 20-21, 2012. The first Vortex Extreme was held last July, and it was a big success (though conditions were very hot). If you’re looking for the challenge of long-range precision shooting with real-world hunting scenarios, the Vortex Extreme is your event. The event requires two-person teams to navigate the 7-mile course on foot carrying everything needed to successfully engage targets out to 1,000 yards. Final scores are based on how well each team shoots and how long it takes them to complete the course. Last year, many of the top teams jogged and ran most of the course — this requires fitness and stamina.
Registration will be limited to fifty (50) teams of two. The entry fee is substantial — $500 per team, but this does include overnight lodging in Tremonton, Utah, along with Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast. The winning team takes home $1500 and a trophy. Second place pays $700, and third place wins $500.00. And there are many other prizes from Vortex, Russell Outdoors, and other vendors. If you’re interested, register soon. This event fills up quickly.
Course of Fire
Competitors will fire up to 26 shots each. Nearly all shots will be from natural shooting positions adding to the realism of each scenario. Scores will be based on course time and how well each team shoots. Strong legs and lungs recommended.
Recommended Gear
If you can hack it to pack it, you can bring it. Participants must carry everything needed to effectively shoot and complete the course. Each person must carry their own rifle. Other kit can be shared. Essential gear includes: Rifle, ammunition, optics, rangefinder, shooting sticks, backpack, extra water, snacks, sun screen, good footwear, hat, eye protection, hearing protection.
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You have to love a gun company CEO who actually gets behind the trigger. In this “behind the scenes” video made during the filming of a Savage Arms commercial in Utah, Team Savage Captain Stan Pate guides Savage CEO Ron Coburn in the use of the Savage Palma rifle chambered in .308 Winchester. Despite the somewhat wobbly shooting platform, Ron successfully hits targets at 1200 yards. Ron comes away smiling, as do members of the film crew who get “trigger time” at the end of the video.
The video has a very positive vibe and does a great job illustrating why it’s fun to shoot accurate rifles at long range. Hat’s off to Savage for putting its CEO behind the trigger. We love Stan Pate’s closing line. With a big grin, he says that the Savage rifle’s accuracy makes long-range shooting “So easy — even the Boss can do it“.
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Serious shooters dream of having a backyard range where they can practice, test loads, and shoot for fun with friends. For most of us, having even a 50-yard backyard range is impossible. And those lucky shooters who do have their own range can typically go out to 100 yards, but that’s it. It takes plenty of open land to set up even a 200-yard range, and then you still need the side of a mountain for a backstop, or many acres of additional clear land behind the berm, for safety reasons.
Mother of All Backyard Ranges
AccurateShooter Forum member J.R. (aka Huntinco) has put us all to shame. He is building the “mother of all backyard ranges” at a secret location in northern Utah. How long is J.R.’s range going to be? 500 yards? Nope — think WAY longer. J.R. has laid out a facility that is a full 1600 yards from firing line to the final target bay. Plus there are pits every 100 yards out to 1600 yards.
J.R.’s range is not just a strip of vacant land with a few target stands. The range will boast a full-featured shooting facility when it’s completed. J.R. is constructing a finished, covered “all-weather” shooting house with seven indoor shooting stations (and more benches outside). He explains: “I poured a 12×90 pad. I’m enclosing 45 feet and just putting a roof over the other 45 feet. On the enclosed part there are six, 6′-wide shooting stalls, with one on the end that’s 12′ wide. Shooting windows are 5′ wide and 4′ high. One small problem is that, the way the property lays out, only the 12′-wide stall can shoot 100 yards. All the rest will start at 200 yards.”
Interior Finishing Suggestions Are Welcome
J.R. hasn’t finished the interior of his shooting facility yet, so he is soliciting ideas as to how the inside should be laid out: “I need your input because I have never been to a range. I just shoot here on my place. Please help me with [your input] on the inside layout.”
Those of you who have suggestions for J.R., please place a comment here. And no, we won’t reveal where this beautiful range is being built. But we do give J.R. a hearty pat on the back for making his “dream range” a reality. CLICK HERE to view more photos.
UPDATE — Here are photos of the Shooting house, interior and exterior. Nice job J.R.!
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Last month, Vortex Optics sponsored a new kind of rifle competition that tested competitors’ fitness along with their marksmanship skills. The inaugural Vortex “Extreme Invitational” was held July 16, at the Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf facility near Tremonton, Utah. At most traditional long-range rifle matches, the only hiking required of the shooters is from their vehicles to the firing line, and to the pits if target-pulling duties are required. Vortex has created a new game. At the Extreme Invitational, participants walked, jogged, and sometimes ran over a six-mile course –- all the while knowing a portion of their score was based on how quickly they finished. Strong legs and lungs were a big asset. The event tested long range shooting skills, but it was also was physically challenging (and hot).
Competitors at the start of the match. Christensen Arms Team #1 (top left) ran most of the course.
Demanding Course of Fire Required Position Shooting Skills and Mastery of Angled Shots
At the Extreme Invitational, two-man industry teams vied for honors on a challenging mountain course. Final scores were based on course time and how well each two-man team shot. Shots ranged from 200 to 1200 yards. Each station featured a tough standing, sitting, kneeling or prone shot (no shots from benches). Even highly experienced shooters found the course quite humbling. There were a variety of firearms on the course. Some participants favored the lightest weight rigs possible, while others toted fairly heavy tactical-style rifles with stout barrel contours.
“The goal of the event was to bring industry leaders together for a day of hard-core shooting in a new format that tested physical fitness, long rage marksmanship, team communication and strategy,” said Mark Boardman, Vortex Optics marketing manager. Scenarios mimicked many of the same pressures faced when that big game trophy steps out and you only have precious seconds to find the target, get a range, dial elevation, dope wind and execute a shot — often times with an increased heart rate and breathing heavily. No easy task.”
Wasatch Arms Team Finishes First
In this game, like golf, the lower the score (which factored both time and hits), the higher the finishing position. Wasatch Arms’ team of Kevin Norman and Landon Gines finished in first place with a 39 score. In second place, with a 55 score, was the G7 duo of Todd Sholly and Tyler Scoffield. The Christensen Arms #2 Team (Courtney Crane, Andy Christiansen) scored 62 to finished third . According to Vortex’s Mark Boardman, “Andy Christiansen from Christensen Arms was using one of our new Viper HS LR riflescopes and finished in the top three. He’s a heck of shooter and climbed those hills like a billy goat.”
Starting up the “Hog’s Back”. The course was very challenging, given the hot conditions.
To view more event photos, CLICK HERE to access the Vortex Facebook Photo Album.
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In the Utah backcountry, a group of avid shooters turned entrepreneurs have created an exciting new shooting sport: Rifle Golf. We kid you not — this is not a late April Fool’s story. Here’s how it works — north of Salt Lake City, at the 8,400-acre Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf facility, 30 realistic wildlife targets have been set up set at distances ranging from 175 to 1,200 yards. Shooters engage targets in numbered sequence as they progress through four covered shooting stations. Hits are scored on each of the 30 full-size metallic animal targets, with bonus points for “bulls-eye” hits to the vital zones. A single session of Rifle Golf (4 stations, 30 targets) costs just $50, with a small fee for ATV rental. The game is challenging yet fun, and it allows hunters to practice their shooting skills at various distances, with both up-angle and down-angle shots. The YouTube video below shows the action at all the shooting stations — definitely watch the video.
ATVs Haul Shooters to Four Different Shooting Stations
Marksmen test their long-range accuracy on multiple targets set up at different angles and slopes along a 6-mile course. ATVs are used to travel to each of the four stations and shooters can choose from the classic course for newcomers or the more challenging masters’ course. Each hole or target is assigned a par value depending on the degree of difficulty. Shooters can cut strokes from their score by hitting the life-size wildlife targets in the vitals area. Successful shooters are rewarded by a “dinging” sound when they hit the steel target fitted to each silhouette.
According to Jeff Petersen, Spirit Ridge guide: “Rifle Golf is an ideal way for hunters to practice their shooting skills. You’ll become a better shooter and identify your limits regarding how far you can accurately and consistently shoot.” We think this kind of multi-target, multi-location shooting experience should be fun for tactical shooters as well as hunters. Offering ranges from 175 to 1200 yards, the Spirit Ridge ‘course’ mimics real-life hunting experiences for riflemen of all abilities. Each station features multiple targets, and the shooters must, at times, make steeply angled shots — just as they would on a real hunt. The reactive targets, complete with ‘vitals’, let you know when your shot is dead-on.
Spirit Ridge — There’s No Other “Shooting Range” Quite Like It
Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf is located in scenic North Central Utah hill country. Groups of four to six shooters are accompanied by a guide who assists with locating targets and scoring. Each shooting station sits on a concrete slab covered by a metal awning. All stations are equipped with shooting benches, a picnic table and chairs for participants, guides, and spectators. The Club House features meeting space, restrooms, showers and other amenities. You’ll find lodging and restaurants in nearby Tremonton, Utah.
“We’re a one-of-a-kind shooting facility,” Petersen said. “While there are plenty of places to shoot targets, there’s no other operation like this. Nobody else has a range of this size and variety.” AccurateShooter.com is impressed with what the folks at Spirit Ridge are doing. They have put together a nice facility in a great location. Having been in business since 2005, they have refined and improved the “product”, and customer feedback has been very positive. As the organizers explain: “It’s Golf with a Gun, an ATV, and NO Dress Code.”
We think Spirit Ridge’s $50.00 “single event” fee is very reasonable, and for $175 you can get a four-session “Punch Pass”. To learn more about Spirit Ridge visit www.spiritridgeriflegolf.com. To reserve a “Tee Time”, or request a group booking, call 435-764-6980. For those of you in the Utah region — a day of “Rifle Golf” would make a perfect Father’s Day gift for an active hunter or shooter.
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The governor’s signature is the only hurdle remaining for a holiday memorializing firearms inventor John Moses Browning. The Utah House voted 64-0 to commemorate the Utah-born inventor on Jan. 24, 2011, the opening day of next year’s legislative session. It will come 100 years after Browning invented the Model 1911 pistol, which became the official sidearm for the U.S. military. Even today, variants of the 1911 pistol are among the most popular handguns sold worldwide, and the 1911 is THE platform of choice for custom raceguns and self-defense pistols.
You have to love Utah’s legislators for voting to recognize J. M. Browning. At a time where states such as California are curtailing the rights of guns owners and demonizing the shooting sports, Utah is doing just the opposite. With this proposed holiday, Utah recognizes the important role Browning and his inventions have played in the history of this nation and the defense of democracy worldwide. We tip our hat to Utah and hope that Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signs the legislation creating John M. Browning Day.
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If you’re a fan of classic American firearms (such as the A5 self-loading shotgun, Model 1895 rifle, Model 1897 pump shotgun, model 1911 pistol, and the legendary M2 50-cal BMG), here’s an item of interest.
The 8-bedroom Ogdon, Utah house originally built for John Moses Browning is on the market for $374,900. As John Moses Browning is widely considered to be a genius and the greatest American gun designer ever, this house is “hallowed ground” for Browning devotees. The house includes an attic suite with a room that served as Browning’s workshop. One wonders what remarkable designs were hatched in that attic workshop….
The Browning mansion, located at 505 27th St. in Ogden, is on Utah’s list of registered historic places. Described by the “Slugs & Plugs” Blog as “ultimate abode for the unapologetic gun nut and devotee of all things Browning,” the house is listed with agent Sue Wilkerson, Terra Venture Real Estate, (801) 393-1188; www.suewilkerson.com. Unfortunately there are no classic guns or gunsmithing memorabilia sold with the Ogden house.
The new Sportsman’s Warehouse gunsmith shop is located in SW’s Salt Lake City Distribution Center. The workspace features four stations for gunsmiths to work on rifles, shotguns, pistols, and muzzleloaders. They also have added a full production lathe that is designed for 24-hour-a-day operation, as well as a large end mill for a variety of metal working operations.
In the Utah backcountry, a group of avid shooters turned entrepreneurs have created an exciting new shooting sport: Rifle Golf. We kid you not — this is not a late April Fool’s story. Here’s how it works — north of Salt Lake City, at the 8,400-acre 
According to Jeff Petersen, Spirit Ridge guide: “Rifle Golf is an ideal way for hunters to practice their shooting skills. You’ll become a better shooter and identify your limits regarding how far you can accurately and consistently shoot.” We think this kind of multi-target, multi-location shooting experience should be fun for tactical shooters as well as hunters. Offering ranges from 175 to 1200 yards, the Spirit Ridge ‘course’ mimics real-life hunting experiences for riflemen of all abilities. Each station features multiple targets, and the shooters must, at times, make steeply angled shots — just as they would on a real hunt. The reactive targets, complete with ‘vitals’, let you know when your shot is dead-on.
The governor’s signature is the only hurdle remaining for a holiday memorializing firearms inventor John Moses Browning. The Utah House voted 64-0 to commemorate the Utah-born inventor on Jan. 24, 2011, the opening day of next year’s legislative session. It will come 100 years after Browning invented the Model 1911 pistol, which became the official sidearm for the U.S. military. Even today, variants of the 1911 pistol are among the most popular handguns sold worldwide, and the 1911 is THE platform of choice for custom raceguns and self-defense pistols.
If you’re a fan of classic American firearms (such as the A5 self-loading shotgun, Model 1895 rifle, Model 1897 pump shotgun, model 1911 pistol, and the legendary M2 50-cal BMG), here’s an item of interest.
