One thing leads to another.
Last weekends Mid Range Prone Championships at Northstar Rifle Club gave prone HP shooters all the practice they'll need for this next weekend's matches at Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club's long range shooting facility at Harris, MN. GRRC will be holding the 1000yd state championship on Saturday, then the State Palma Championship on Sunday. Both F-class and traditional Sling shooters will be competing for honors in their classes. This is your chance to try some long range shooting and have some fun.
We were blessed with a beautiful summer day for last weekend's Mid Range Prone Champ matches at NorthStar. See Slide Show of Pictures click here It was just a little warmer then the kind of day you dream about having while sitting inside during the dead of winter ---80deg, sun shining, white puffy clouds,--- and no stress of Offhand shooting today. It would be the Gentlemanly (and Gentlewomenly) sport of prone shooting -- all laying down. I'm getting to enjoy prone shooting more and more as the years go by, but, there is still nothing more fun in the shooting game than 300yd rapid fire. Lock and Load!
The turnout was great with Forty one shooters squaded by the time the match started at 0900. Eighteen F-Class shooters competing for Regional medals while 23 traditional Sling shooters shot for honors and the traveling State Championship Plaque. This years shooting sensation and State OTC (Over the Course) Champ Kevin Bangen would be trying to best prone shooting specialists such as US Palma Team shooters, Morgan Dietrich, and Stacey Tamulinas along with Bill Lair, and Steve Knutson. I knew that I was just along for the ride.
Saturday The first relay at the 300 yd line had the Blue Bird relay of the day--great visibility and little wind to complicate the issue. Bob Peasley and Morgan Dietrich took advantage of conditions and shooting clean scores of 200--- Morgan with 15 Xs while just warming up! Steve Knutson and Kevin slipped a point behind with 199s. Every one else was scattered into the 190s and the F-class shooters doing their thing on the other end of the firing line --more later on that. By the 2nd 300 yd match every one was settled in and the scores were tight in the upper 190s but with only Stacey Tamunlias and Morgan cleaning their targets. This time Stacey backed up his 200 score with 15 in the X ring only to have Morgan shoot 17 Xs on this little MR-63 target, putting him 2 up over Capt. Bob, Knut, Steve Erickson, and Stacey. That Score made my miserable 197-10x look pretty cheap. Oh, Well.
In the first 600 yd match Stacey picked up a point on Morgan with his 2nd clean target. Brian Mrnak also held hard in the rising switchy wind for clean 200 score. Bill Lair dropped only one pt and was still only 5 down for the 3 matches. In the next match at 600yds, Kevin Bangen shot his days best score of 199-6 and took the Master Class win for todays Iron sight matches. Stacey Tamulinas continued to hold them all in the Ten-ring with his 3rd 200 of the day while the other contenders dribbled away a few pts in the swirling winds that confounded the mirage readers.
Stacey wins the Iron Sight part of Mid Range Prone Championship with a phenomenal 798-52x. Morgan Dietrich was just behind only one point with 797-53x. I was mired near the bottom of the HM class and the pressure was off for the weekend's Aggreate Score, but tomorrow was Scope day and hard holding, not young eyes would rule the day.
Sunday again looked to be a Blue Bird day--- only cooler and less humid than Saturday. Sounds good to me.
In the 2nd 300 yd match my stars aligned and I dropped no pts for my days best at 200-13x, and was still resoundly beaten by Steves 2nd 200-17X in a row, and Staceys 15X clean. Numerous other 200 -low X were shot by the "losers". In the first 600 yd match, Brian Mrnak got the match winner with his clean 200-10x and now down only 5 for the day. Morgan had dropped 3 points and slipped to 3 back from Stacey in the weekends aggregate. The scores were still tight so the final 600 yd match everyone would have to be on the top of the their game to have a chance if Stacey made even one mistake --- like shooting a X-fire or something I normaly do when in the lead.
Jim Soderstrom did the best of all to top Stacey in that last chance match and came close with his 200-10X but another clean 200 with 15 Xs showed who deserved to be the Mid Range Champion.
Congratulations to Stacey Tamulinas, who shot an astounding 1597-104X over the course of 2 days, to become the Minnesota State Mid Range Prone Champion. Morgan Dietrich was just a few behind with a hard fought 1593-100x and then Jim Soderstrom in 3rd place, with consistent high scores in every match, and a 1588-75. As for me, I'm happy coming in about 5th today in this group of good shooters, having dropped only 6 pts all day and this being a new personal record for me at 794-40 in an 800 pt. match.
It was a great match weekend -- good weather, good shooting, great range , great people,-- oh and did I mention the great Barbeque that Northstar put on for the shooters after Saturdays match was over?? It was great. Too bad if you missed it.
Now F-Class
I know little about F Class except that it is a quickly growing segment of the High Power scene. I must admit that there is some apeal to shooting a match like this with out having to wear a hot shooting jacket, and being able to shoot scope over a bipod and be basically comfortable while shooting. I do know that they torture the tiny little X-ring in the center of the F- target at 300 yds. They continually shoot out the golf tees used for shot spotters-- even at longer ranges. I think that I could recommend that these hard holders use something like the 5 bullseye 50 yd Small Bore targets to spread their shots around to only 5 on each bullseye and save so much target repair.
Ben Winget showed that he was the master of this F-Class shooting by dropping only 10pts all weekend on those microsopic targets for an F-Class Open Champion score of 1590 and 97 Xs. Ben wins the Gold medal and the Traveling Trophy. The Silver Medal was won by Gary Koch, and the Bronze by Pat Scully. In the FTR division of F-class, Keith Ulrich's 1548-57x takes the Gold medal, and Scott Olson get 2nd and Silver sith a 1534-38.
Note: One more thing--------I'm sure that we set a World Record for the number of pit changes that any, 80 shot, 2 yardline, 3 relay match, has ever had with 7, yes count-em, 7 pit changes on Sunday and at least that many on Saturday. Only the superb cooperation of this group of shooters could have made that possible. Great going Guys and Gals!
Other notables------Sub Junior, Erick Hazleton shot straight up against the adults all weekend and logged good scores at the 300 yd line 191, then a 187 later on. It was nice to have Erick and his dad come out we all hope to see them again. However Erick is busy shooting Small bore where he holds a Sub Junior Nat record, and Erick also shoots International 300m matches.
Monster Leg Match coming to GRRC in Sept !
It looks like Service Rifle shooters in the upper midwest area are going to have the best chance ever for earning some Leg Points. The Leg Match to be held at GRRC, Harris MN, on Sept 25th will see 21 new shooters from the MN Nat Guard participating as non-distinguished shooters, and this means there will be at least 4 legs up for grabs---and probably more. I expect to see competitors from states around to come in and try to take some of these "easy" Leg points away from local shooters. The turnout may be even bigger than we expect.
Here is part of the note Sgt. Al Schneider, sent in to let us know of his plans, and to ask for already Distinguished shooters to come and lend a hand helping his guys get through the match.
These soldiers are going to Afganistan and need your help.
From: SSG Albert H. Schneider III
Training NCO, 2-135 Small Arms Master GunnerA CO, 2-135 IN
"Now for the good part (here is where you come in).... I have funding to send 21 shooters to Gopher rifle and Revolver Club in Harris for the Leg Match on September 25th. In doing so, I added a second day to their orders in order to help familiarize them with Match Conduct, Scoring, Shooting positions, and Competition equipment. I need qualified Instructors/coaches/mentors to come out and show these Soldiers a thing or two. My intent is to squad these Soldiers together (under the supervision of a Distinguished/Pres 100/MA-HM shooter) and run them through a clinic and an EIC Match (Similar to the SAFS at Perry). Of course you don't need to be a PRES 100/Dist/MA/HM shooter to help. (if you haven't legged out yet I want you to compete!) These guys will ALL be Fresh newbies who most likely have never pulled a target, so we will surely need help with pits and scorekeeping. This will be a training event for the Soldiers, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun doing it! DO YOUR PART! Come out, have fun, teach, compete, and meet some of the guys that will be heading downrange in 2011.
As many of you might have heard, the 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) of the 34th Infantry Division has been alerted to go into harm's way once again in 2011.
Sincerely
SSG Albert H. Schneider III, Training NCO, 2-135 Small Arms Master Gunner, A CO, 2-135 IN
Service Rifle Shooters--- Don't miss this Leg Match ! Its the best chance you will ever have to get some of those elusive Leg Points.
Small Bore -- Aug 7& 8
Small Bore -- Aug 7& 8
Next matches are in Two weeks at MRC. This will be a two day prone shot on Metric targets, with competitors being able to use Iron sights on Sat. and then on Sunday Any sights may be used.
Aug 14 Saturday -- 80 shot OTC at Northwestern Gun Club. Program Click Here
Aug 15 Saturday -- Mid Range Prone at NWGC Program Click Here
Iowa 300 Yard HP -- Aug 28
The River City Rifle &Pistol Club would like to invite all area High Power Rifle Shooters to the Iowa State 300 Yard HP Rifle State Championship.
As in the past, we will host an 80 shot OTC Warm-Up Match on Saturday, August 28th. The 300 Yard State Championship on Sunday the 29th is an 80 shot OTC NRA Registered Match.
By this time of the year everyone should be well practiced, and rested up from Camp Perry. Please plan to join us for a challenging weekend of competition.
Hope to see you there,-- John Breuklander Match program and Entry Click here
Ok, that's enough for now. My eyes are going blind looking at this computer screen
Ok, that's enough for now. My eyes are going blind looking at this computer screen
Shoot em in the middle
Hawkeye
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