Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Shooters news for the MN Area -- July 26

Good luck to all those shooters who are now or soon will be competiting at the Camp Perry Nationals !

Meanwhile back in MN-
Now that the prone shooters got all practiced up at last weekends Mid Range Regional matches, they can head up to GRRC this next Saturday and Sunday for a little long range shooting. They will be joining the dedicated Palma and Long range shooting aficionados at MN's  long range State Championships - just north of the cities at GRRC's long range shooting facility. Shooters will be competing in both NRA rifle sling, and Iron sight class or the F-class matches. 
  Saturday, July 30 the matches are all at 1000 yds and the 1000yd state champion will be crowned after the three 20 shot matches at that distance.  It's a three gun match, so if you want you can shoot that first 20 Any sight match with a scoped gun and then switch guns for the following two Iron sight matches.   Unlimited sighters are allowed in each match.
  Sunday, July 31,  Palma matches are the order for the day.  Each shooter will take sighters and 15 shots for record first at 800 yds, and then the same course of fire at 900 and 1000yds.  These matches require that .308 caliber be used and that puts more emphasis on the individual shooter's ability as most of the rifles will be fairly equal in performance capabilities.  No trick wildcat calibers are allowed to give any shooter an advantage.  This makes for very competitive matches. 
            Mn 1000yd and Palma State Champ. Program --  Click here  

Last Weekend
This weekend's prone Mid Range (300-600yds) Championships at NorthStar Rifle Club, Red Wing, MN were affected by rain on Saturday during the Iron sight matches, and then by just plain beautiful weather on Sunday.

In the NRA Sling shooting Class, Brian Mrnak fired an almost perfect 599/600 on Saturday despite rain delays and hot humid weather, and then backed up this championship effort in Sunday with a 596/600 to win the Any sight matches and clinch the Regional championship.  Steve Erickson, always threat in any prone competition, finished only 2 points back with a great shooting on both days.
    Complete Results:   Click Here    

 Notes:
 I asked Brian and the other medal winners about the equipment that they uses to such good consistant success.

  From Brian Mrnak: -- Gold Medal NRA class
"I used a Nesika bay chambered in 6.5-284 and nestled in a Master Class prone stock.    I shoot 139 grain lapua scenars at a velocity of 2890 shooting 51.2 grains  of reloader 22, lapua case, federal primer and the bullet  soft seated to the lands." -- Brian
 
 Years ago when I was shooting Long Range, I also had great success with using RL-22 in the 6.5 x.284.  In my Rem. with the Kreiger barrel, 52.2 gns of this powder pushed the 142 Sierras at about 3000 fps.--and a lot of  them into the x-ring - me

In the F-class division, Ben Winget, fired a 590 on Saturday while just getting warmed up, and then bettered that impressive score, with a 595 on Sunday and took the combined FTR and F-open championship.  That was great shooting on those unforgiving f-class targets.  Pat Scully, who dropped only 4 pts behind Ben, on Saturday, fired X for X, and 10 for 10 with Ben on Sunday, and at the end of the day took back one important point of Ben's lead. Pat's 596 score was good for the days match win.   They both shot 33 X's during the 60 shots for record.    That's 55% X's !
   Ben also was kind enough to share with us what kind of Equipment it takes to be competitive in the micro-precision F-class world these days. 


 From: Ben Winget: -- Gold Medal F-class
 " I am shooting a 6mm Dasher (6BR improved), My rifle has a BAT action, Master Class- F-class stock, Kreiger Barrel, and a Nightforce scope. Chambering was done by Jim Kobe, Alex Sitman bedded the stock.  I am shooting the Berger 108 BT bullets with RL15 and CCI primers at about 2950 fps.  Best regards,"   - Ben

From: Adam Shidla -- 3rd place F-class
Jim, I'm shooting a 6.5x47 Lapua in a Savage F-class rifle chambered by Jim Kobe
36.8 grains of RL15 pushes 130 Bergers to 2950 in a Lapua case sparked by a Federal 205m primer. Krieger barrel,Nightforce 12-42 BR scope.

From: Steve Erickson  - Silver medal NRA class
Jim,  For Mid-range shooting I use one of my OTC rifles; I do not have a special dedicated Mid-range rifle-I don't shoot enough of this specialized shooting to justify another gun.  Last weekend I shot my post 64 model 70 on Saturday and my pre-64 on Sunday.  Both are 243 Win caliber.  The Sat gun was barreled by Randy Gregory with a Krieger barrel; the Sunday gun was barreled by Doc Erickson wth a Broughton barrel.
    I have shot the 243 win for about a decade-I started shooting it due to advice and technical help from Carl Bernosky.   There is not a better cartridge (ballistically) than the 243 Win (for OTC shooting).  With Bernosky's load (47 gr. H1000, 107 gr bullet) this cartridge does it all.  My Krieger barrel has 2100 rds through it-still shooting great.
My rifle stocks are OTC design made by Steve McGee and Alex Sitman.
My philosophy of long range shooting (technique) is as follows:
1.) I observed Rudy Wadekamper shooting when I was a junior-he fired his rounds at 600 yards very quickly.
Chuck Diehl at the 600 yd line
I observed David Tubb fire at 600 yards-he fired more quickly than Rudy.   I read what 1962 National Champ Earl Burton said in the American rifleman-  "If you can fire all your record shots in 10 minutes (at 600 yards) you will experience about half the wind changes you would experience in 20 minutes".
2.) If the conditions are changing look for a predominant condition to fire in- and when that condition is present shoot quickly-wait out reversals, etc.  
3.) Have confidence in your abilities and have a good time. 
4.) Don't plot your shots or use a scorebook-spend the time observing wind, mirage, and focusing on quickly breaking good shots (Xs).
 Steve (Raoul) Erickson  

Thanks Guys for the input. 

  From:  SSgt Al Schneider -- MN Nat. guard and Highpower Service rifle competitor
   69 Minnesota National Guard Soldiers gathered at Camp Ripley July 16th and 17th to participate in the 2011 Minnesota National Guard State Marksmanship Sustainment Exercise. The two day event comprised of: four individual rifle, two individual pistol, and three aggregate matches; is an annual event designed to pit each unit's top marksmen against others from throughout the state. Highlighted by the Excellence in Competition in Rifle and Pistol Matches, Soldiers had the opportunity to win 'leg' points toward distinguished designation. The highest marksmanship badges in the Army, a Soldier must accumulate 30 EIC points, or 'Legs', to be awarded the Distinguished Rifleman or Distinguished Pistol Shot badges. Competitors in the State Marksmanship Sustainment Exercises are eligible for 4 EIC points in pistol and rifle, with the top 10 percent of competitors receiving their Bronze EIC badge............
 .....Chief Sorben and SSG Al Schneider will be representing the Minnesota National Guard at the National Trophy matches at the end of the month. Guard shooters will have an opportunity to refine their marksmanship skills at the Gopher Rifle and Revolver Club at their annual Service Member Rifle Clinic September held September 24-25. For more information on the clinic and leg match at GRRC, go to: http://www.mrra.org/downloads/grrc/2011_Leg.pdf ............    

     Note:   SSGT Schneider, CW4  Sorben and SFC Chad Blake, who regularly compete in MN Service rifle matches, either won or placed in the top three in every one of these Army Nat. Guard marksmanship matches.   
    
Two Weeks Out
Aug 6-7    Small bore Outdoor Metric Prone Regional  at MRC -  Match Program Click Here
Aug 6       Poor Man's Camp Perry (OTC) at NWGC Duluth  -  match program   Click Here
Aug 7       Poor Man's Camp Perry (Mid range Prone) at NWGC Duluth  -  match program   Click Here    

That's All Folks
Hawkeye
  


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