March, 2014
The Voice of the NBRSA
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Precision Rifleman
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March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
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Table of Contents
Sine Waves & the Art of Reading Wind Flags, Boyd Allen 4 Windage: 2013’s Winners Share What Works, Audrey Brown 6 Bart on Benchrest, by Bart Sauter 13 Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest 14 2014 NBRSA Registered Match Schedule 16 LR Hall of Fame Inductee Peter White, by Audrey Brown 20 Long Range Hall of Fame 21 600 & 1000 yard Long Range Benchrest World Records 22 Repairing Daisy Wheel Flag Bearings, by Jeff Aberegg 24 Ranges, Clubs & Contacts 28 NBRSA News 30 Dear Uncle Timmy 30 Advertising Index 30 Officer & Director Contact Information 31
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Sine Waves & the Art of
Reading
Wind Flags
by Boyd Allen
W
hile at a benchrest match at the Visalia, CA range, I ran into Lawrence Weisdorn and in the course of his explanation of the latest version of Jerry Hensler’s electronic wind flags that he was using, I noticed a spreadsheet that piqued my curiosity. Lawrence had referred to it to explain something about the rationale behind how the flags’ output took into account the angle of the wind. A few weeks later I found myself helping a friend with a long range shooting project and in the course of that discussion, the subject of how
Flag Horizontal Headwind Angle Displacement 0 0% 15 26% 30 50% 45 71% 60 87% 75 97% Crosswind 90 100% 105 97% 120 87% 135 71% 150 50% 165 26% Tailwind 180 0%
wind angle affects bullet drift came up. That returned my thoughts to the spreadsheet and how its numbers might have been generated… the formula that was used. With a little thought, reaching back to my rather elementary instruction in vector analysis, I believe that I have the answer. The value of the wind, with respect to the bullet drift that it will produce at a given velocity and angle, varies as the sine of the angle from the line of sight. This is where it gets a bit tricky. While it may be obvious that there is no horizontal bullet displacement
when the wind is exactly at your back (or front), and at full value when exactly at ninety degrees, what may be less obvious is that it is not at half value when at 45 degrees, but rather at 71% of full value. The explanation of this returns us to the previously mentioned subject of vectors, a method of solving problems that involves drawing lines, and calculating, or measuring their lengths. Skipping past the math lesson, this takes us to the classic sine wave, which is most steep (indicating the greatest change in wind drift per degree of wind angle change) as the angle approaches zero,
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman The value of the wind, with respect to the bullet drift that it will produce at a given velocity and angle, varies as the sine of the angle from the line of sight. and which flattens out near the top of the wave (much less change in drift per degree of wind angle change). If you have the math background, you will see how this was done, if you don’t, the explanation would be too lengthy to be practical here. Getting to the important part, how can we put this information to best use? When your flags are near to a head, or tail wind (angles nearest zero) the effect of differences in angle are at their greatest, overshadowing small differences in velocity (ribbon angle). On the other hand when the wind is near to a cross wind (the top and the bottom of a sine wave) the effect of slight differences in angle will be minimal, and differences in velocity become the most impor-
tant consideration. In short, near a head or tail wind, pay close attention to differences in angle, and less to differences in ribbon angle, and near a cross wind the opposite, more to velocity and less to angular differences. That is it in a nutshell. If you want to generate your own table of flag angles and their corresponding percentages of drift, and have a scientific calculator, all you have to do is enter the angle, push the “sin� (sine) button multiply the answer by 100 (move the decimal two places to the right) and you will have the percentage of the full crosswind drift associated with that angle. Of course you already know that the per-
When your flags are near to a head, or tail wind (angles nearest zero) the effect of differences in angle are at their greatest, overshadowing small differences in velocity (ribbon angle).
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...near a head or tail wind, pay close attention to differences in angle, and less to differences in ribbon angle, and near a cross wind the opposite, more to velocity and less to angular differences.
centage at zero and ninety degrees are zero and one 100 percent but if you start your table at five degrees and increase in five degree steps through 85 degrees, the answers may prove useful, if you spend a little time studying them. For instance, if the wind changes from zero to ten degrees, the drift will increase by seventeen percent, while the same amount of angle change from ninety to eighty will only result in two percent. As I mentioned earlier, fifty percent is not at 45 degrees, but rather at thirty. It is this disparity between what may be intuitive and what is real that is the point of this little essay.
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Precision Rifleman
Windage...
2013’s Winners Share Insights as to What Works for Them I know many of you are cooped up in the home with little else to think about but the upcoming season of benchrest. So to satiate that shooting appetite a little, this issue focuses on that wild, wacky and sometimes weary wind. Once again, the 2013 season winners from various benchrest events have been asked to partake in this subject and enlighten the rest of us with their sage advice. The standard question and answer format was deployed. Representing the 2013 Group Nationals is 4-Gun Champion Larry Costa and World Benchrest 2-Gun Champion Charles Huckeba. From the Hunter Nationals, 2-Gun Champion Sam Small and VFS Nationals Champion Lou Murdica share their strategies and last but by far, not least are our “Long Rangers”; 1000Yard Champion Jerry Tierney, 600-Yard Champion Richard Schatz and 600Yard World Record holder Terry Balding share their strategies just in time for the Long Range Nationals scheduled next month. GROUP BENCHREST CHARLES HUCKEBA (CH) & LARRY COSTA (LC)
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Charles Huckeba, WBC-12 Champion How do you compensate for wind when shooting group matches? CH: I use the flags and hold whatever I think I need to compensate for the velocity and angle. I use a Smiley Hensley flags and a Gene Beggs wind probe. The wind probe helps when it’s a strong crosswind. LC: By holding off from the initial point of aim. Below are four common conditions that assume the shooter started from a dead calm (in a range that has ideal topography) and indicate the required change(s) from the initial point of aim: Wind Change & Resulting Action: a. Wind comes from Right - Hold to the right and down b. Wind comes from Left - Hold to the
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Left and up c. Head Wind - Hold up d. Tail Wind - Hold down What’s the worst type of wind direction & condition in which to shoot? CH: I hate a tail wind because I can’t get the angle on it. I’ll take a headwind or a crosswind over a tailwind. LC: To me it is a gentle little wind with no mirage. I say that because when the wind blows hard the number of possible winners goes down. Quite a few competitors mentally check out if the wind is blowing hard because they tune and practice in easy, calm conditions. Instead, they should go to the range when things are rougher but still readable according to their level of experience. From a technical point of view, the direct answer is of course lots of wind with switching gusts and mirage. How significant is the range topography itself? CH: There are some ranges that have advantages. Any irregularity between you and the target can make a difference. The flatter the range is the better because conditions are easier to read. Trees along side or berms change the wind conditions. LC: Big flat ranges such as the one I practice on are near ideal. Others can change the “holding” recommendations significantly. The best example of a complex range is Kelby’s. There is a big hollow behind the 100 yard targets where wind lifts or drops the bullet differently. The range is very shallow on left, deep on right. There are big buildings with a cut between them, huge berms on the left, etc. Love it! There is something different to learn at every bench. What are the worst and best ranges based on your experience?
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
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What is your thought with regard to the modern technology (computers) that allows a shooter to see immediately where their bullet landed? CH: There are too many variables for people to take into consideration. You have to read right, left, vertical and at multiple spots at the range to gather a full idea. I’m not saying they can’t do it, but I haven’t seen anybody who has it perfected yet. LC: have very little experience with these systems in real world situations. Do you think the technology helps shoot more accurately or is more of a distraction? CH: At this point, it’s more of a distraction. There needs to be more refinement done to the systems to make them foolproof. LC: If I was a sniper shooting long range, had the time and it helped me to shoot better I would definitely use it. Should technology be used in National events or is this cheating? CH: I personally don’t care what people use. I don’t think there’s a real advantage to using a system. LC: If the members vote for it, it is not cheating. From what I have seen in benchrest, the state of the technology does not seem to work very well. Angling wind is turned into a direct cross wind which does not account for the vertical component induced on the bullet due to spin. To me it looked like a great way to lose a match. Should it be used as a training tool exclusively; perhaps only during club matches or practice sessions? CH: I don’t use it because I think it would handicap me in matches. The shooter has to learn to handle the environment first. LC: I’m okay with that just as long as it is just used with crosswinds. Do you adjust your loads for various wind conditions? CH: I adjust my loads according to the temperature and conditions. It all plays a part. LC: No. Some people shoot very light loads when there is hardly any wind. I don’t. I tend to shoot stiff loads all the time. Some shoot different loads for left or right wind conditions. I try to get a load that will shoot for both or try real hard to get one to shoot on the dominant condition that day.
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CH: I don’t judge ranges one way or the other because all the shooters are running the same courses of fire. Some are laid out a little hard but as long as there’s a bench rotation, everything is fair and square. LC: The worst are the ones I haven’t learned, the best are the ones I’ve already learned. As a general rule of thumb, I prefer the bigger ranges where you can see the wind coming. The small swirly ranges tend to give me more trouble. How do you manage “ghost” conditions where winds whip up out of nowhere and strays the bullet off target? CH: It happens and I don’t understand it and I don’t think a lot of people do. It can happen on any range and to any shooter. Sometimes you don’t get bit and other times you get stung. It is what it is. LC: I guess if you’re asking if there are conditions we miss, sure there are. It could be that the flag placement is incorrect or there are not enough flags. It could be that we’re not paying attention to everything around us. How does the wind feel on your body? Are the far trees moving? Is the grass on the edge of the range telling me something? Watch everything and the “ghosts” don’t show up. Do you do any calculations to account for the wind or is it just seasoned guesswork? CH: I shoot several conditions before I begin the record targets. I hold for whatever I think will work. It’s like flying by the seat of your pants. I’ll know if the flags look a little stronger and I’ll hold a little more. LC: No math involved, just experience. I have done the math at various times when I’m experimenting at my range but there is no time for that in competition. Is there a big difference between holding for a condition at 100 yards vs. 300 or is it the same? CH: I do more holding at 200 and 300 than 100. At 100 I’ll try to get more of the repeat condition if I can. I’ve always had more trouble at 100 than 200. Sometimes my groups will be just as big at 100 yards as at 200. It drives me nuts. LC: Easier to hold at 200 yards because the changes are more obvious, but basically it’s the same.
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Sam Small, 2013 Hunter Top Gun How long does it take a new shooter to learn to read the wind? CH: It all depends on how much they practice and how much help they have. LC: If the shooter has a mentor and has time to practice it can be pretty quick; I have just witnessed a couple of shooters here in Florida progress incredibly in one year. HUNTER BENCHREST SAM SMALL (S2) How do you compensate for wind when shooting group matches? For Hunter Class Benchrest, we shoot
100, 200, and 300 yards. One of the main challenges in Hunter Class is the 6x scope. Your target view and point of aim is much smaller than with a higher power scope. So when holding over/ compensating for a shot, you cannot be has precise on your hold as you would be able to on a high power scope (for example with the higher power scope you can see the rings on each target bull, with the 6x scope you cannot see the rings). The biggest benefit to me when shooting a 6x scope is being able to see all your flags in your scope while shooting. The main factors are flag position and reading mirage. What’s the worst type of wind direction & condition in which to shoot? For me I just go with what the range gives me but I prefer crosswinds. I shoot multiple wind conditions. I just make the best of the situation. How significant is the range topography itself? Each range is different, all with different layouts, some have more switchy wind conditions, some are more consistent. On my first warm up target I will wait for a consistent wind condi-
tion, left to right, etc., while reading the direction of mirage and adjust my hold according to bullet impact. When I find that consistent condition I will click into it accordingly, but usually throughout the match with increased temps I will have to hold over and compensate for heavier mirage. One thing I constantly monitor and watch closely is my first wind flag closest to me, as if there’s a change in velocity or elevation it’s usually your best indicator. Along with watching flag angle, keeping a close eye on flag tail movement is vital to avoid any elevation change in your shots What are the worst and best ranges based on your experience? One of the toughest ranges to compete at is our local range in Wenatchee, WA (Wenatchee Benchrest Club). If its dead calm with no wind/mirage conditions, you have no idea where your shot is going to end up. Some of the most challenging ranges when it comes do wind and mirage conditions are Lapwai, ID (Lewis-Clark Wildlife Club, Billings, MT (Yellowstone Rifle Club) and Casper, WY (Casper Score
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman Shooters). All 3 ranges have variable challenges due to various topography and weather. One of the most consistent and fun ranges I’ve competed at was at the past Hunter Nationals in De Soto, KS (Mill Creek Rifle Club). It all depends on the shooter how long it takes to asses wind and mirage conditions. When shooting matches at different ranges you are always learning something new every time, which why it makes benchrest shooting so challenging and fun at the same time. How do you manage “ghost” conditions where winds whip up out of nowhere and strays the bullet off target? My experience with that is that when at our local range when it’s dead calm you don’t shoot. I watch the tails on my flags for any indications and then watch for any changes in mirage conditions as well. Do you do any calculations to account for the wind or is it just seasoned guesswork? It’s just seasoned guesswork. Is there a big difference between holding for a condition at 100 yards vs. 300 or is it the same? You’re going to have to compensate more with a further yardage. What you hold for at 100 can be completely different at 300. Depending on the conditions and the wind velocity will determine how much you compensate so the farther the yardage the more compensation is required. What is your thought with regard to the modern technology (computers) that allows a shooter to see immediately where their bullet landed? For us, the longest we shoot is 300 yards. For long rangers I don’t see anything wrong with it but for Hunter Benchrest it’s not applicable. We have a spotting scope that we mount next to our rifle, so it’s not applicable. Do you think the technology helps shoot more accurately or is more of a distraction? It would be another useful tool but ultimately you have to know how to shoot and read conditions but it won’t make you a better shooter. Should technology be used in National events or is this cheating? I think it would be a useful tool and I’m not for or against it. I prefer to keep things the same. Should it be used as a training tool
exclusively; perhaps only during club matches or practice sessions? I think technology is a useful tool for enhancing shooting skills and practice but would not want it to change the current rules/atmosphere in HBR or VFS Registered Matches or National Matches. How long does it take a new shooter to learn to read the wind? It doesn’t matter how long you shoot, when it comes to conditions you are always gaining knowledge and learning how to control the conditions. Do you adjust your loads for various wind conditions? For Hunter and Varmint class we use the same loads every time. The group shooters are more temperature sensitive. We find a load that works for our guns and work with what we have.
Lou Murdica, 2013 VFS Champion
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VARMINT FOR SCORE LOU MURDICA (LM) How do you compensate for wind when shooting VFS? I shoot fast, flowing where my last bullet impacted and holding almost every shot. If my bullet moved left ¼ inch, I hold 1/8 right then shoot and adjust up and down as needed. What’s the worst type of wind direction & condition in which to shoot? I think the straight head wind switching fast back and forth right to left. I have learned that there are conditions out there that tease you. You will shoot 4 shots perfect and loose one, so you shoot the same condition next time up and do the same. That’s where a lot of people keep trying to shoot that small group and keep getting bit. I change and shoot a different condition. The hardest thing to do in shooting is deciding when to start your group or score. How significant is the range topography itself? Very significant. I feel the humps cause vertical and that’s what is pushing bullets up a lot. You need to decide whether it’s your load or the wind. The openings in trees, the berms on each side of a range can help you or kill you. What are the worst and best ranges based on your experience?
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Greg Swezey
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Precision Rifleman
I have shot on many ranges across the states and have done well at most all of them. The most challenging to me is the Super Shoot at Kelbly’s in Ohio. You are shooting against 250 to 300 shooters from around the world and moving after every group to your next bench Conditions change almost every hour. The best range to me is the next one I will be shooting at. I love to shoot. How do you manage “ghost” conditions where winds whip up out of nowhere and strays the bullet off target? When I start my group or score, I finish it without stopping most the time. One way to tell if there is something that wearied out the change is to listen to other shooters around you say something in shock after they fired a shot. When I hear that I stop and look. And 99% of the time you see the change happen. So listen and look when you hear that curse word or someone say, “what was that?” Stop and look. I don’t like shooting in a dead calm any time. Do you do any calculations to account for the wind or is it just seasoned guesswork? No that is what you shot sightseers for; to see how much to account for. Is there a big difference between holding for a condition at 100 yards vs. 300 or is it the same? Yes. At 100, I’m holding very little and when you’re shooting small groups it’s hard to see which was your last shot. On score your see the movement of your shot easier because it’s only one per bullseye. At 300 it’s sometimes hard to see your shot no matter what discipline. You hate to hold so far from your first aiming point when you need to, because you can see you last shot. That’s why I love shooting 200 yards. You see so much more of wind, mirage and your bullet impact. What is your thought with regard to the modern technology (computers) that allows a shooter to see immediately where their bullet landed? I love the stuff. It shows you people are trying to do their best. I do a lot more research and development than shooting in competition. If you stop people from coming up with new things you have just stagnated that discipline. It’s no different than a better scope, powder or bullet design. That’s what
drives this sport. In my opinion the people that don’t like the new products are the ones that don’t want any changes, because they don’t want to change. It takes years and years and a lot of money to perfect something and get it to the public. Believe me, I know. I know I will never shoot a long range match other than F-class ever again until they let people use a camera system. Just slamming 5 or 10 shots down range not seeing a thing does nothing for me or my wife. I look forward to the future when they accept cameras. Do you think the technology helps shoot more accurately or is more of a distraction? If you are referring to smart flags and cameras, I have bought them both. The smart flag has a long way to go, but with the camera and software that Bullseye offers, anyone can afford this setup and should never go shooting over 200 yards ever again without it. Just think of it as a very good scope. Seeing every shoot at every range and having a record you can go back and review at home. There are many camera systems out there and I have tried them but none have the software Bullseye has. Should technology be used in National events or is this cheating? Let them use it. It’s just like a new bullet or barrel design. That’s what benchrest is all about the research and development in the art of accuracy. Should it be used as a training tool exclusively; perhaps only during club matches or practice sessions? Come one, come all. Bring it on in every event. Why are people so afraid of something new? Is it perhaps because
they don’t want to buy one or develop something new? They only want you to have what they have. In your opinion, how long does it take a new shooter to develop the skills necessary to accurately assess and counter existing conditions? It’s all based on who helps them practice and if they go to the matches. A new shooter will learn more at one weekend shoot than he will practicing for 6 months. Do you adjust your loads for various wind conditions? You bet. If I’m not in first place, I’m loading my max load. I’ll give up accuracy with some vertical on a ½ inch group than to have my group measure 1 inch wide. LONG RANGE BENCHREST TERRY BALDING(TB), RICHARD SCHATZ(RS) & JERRY TIERNEY(JT) How do you adjust for wind when shooting long range? JT: I use the sighters to judge the different wind conditions. I draw a picture of my primary wind flag with the different wind conditions (angles and speed) and write down the windage used during the sighter period. Before firing the record shots I set the windage knob to match the flag conditions. During the record string I hold for any conditions, seldom do I hold in the same place twice. RS: Always trust your last sighter unless it appears completely abnormal. In long range benchrest, you always shoot sighters, which will give you the indication of the wind and then you make your windage and elevation adjustments. In short range, you can stop shooting the record group and go
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
Terry Balding, World Record Holder 600-Yard Long Range Benchrest back to the sighter and make adjustments. This is not the case in long range. The equipment needs to be true zeroed first. TB: During the sight in period I try to shoot in the various conditions present, if I can do so it will give me a visual picture of the effect of the wind on each shot taken. This will allow me to bracket the target. If the wind is left to right and my no wind zero produces an impact at 3:00, 3” to the right I have that down. Then on a right to left wind if I get an impact at 9:00, 3” left then I know that. Now I zero my windage with the final condition present, if it holds I shoot there, if the condition changes I go back to my no wind zero and readjust to the current condition. An alternative option is to wait for a preferred condition, adjust to it, and shoot. What is the worst type of wind direction & condition in which to shoot? JT: The hardest wind condition is fishtailing from 12 or 6 o’clock. This condition cannot be seen in the flags and mirage is used to judge this condition. RS: Extreme variable Headwinds and tailwinds. They give vertical that is difficult to compensate for. It’s easier to shoot a direct crosswind than a direct headwind or tailwind. TB: A tailwind is the direction I like least. Frequently varying wind is the condition I like least. Any wind that is consistent for at least 30 seconds and is predictable can be a good condition. How significant is the range topography itself? JT: Hills and or trees will have an enormous effect on the wind conditions. If possible you should walk the range and observe what and where
the wind will be affected. RS: It makes a huge difference. With ranges that have a ravine across the range, the winds mess things up. The sighters tell the story. TB: Range topography plays a large role in being able to accurately read the conditions on any range. What are the worst and best ranges based on your experience? JT: The number one worst range in the USA is Rattlesnake Mountain Shooting Facility in Washington state. Most ranges in the west are difficult, like: Sacramento, Coalinga, 29 Palms, Reno, Portland, Phoenix, Fresno, and the mid-west range Whittington Center. Camp Perry can be windy but is very readable. I’ve shot on a Michigan range where there were NO wind changes. A couple of ranges on the east coast that I’ve shot on were very calm and easy to read. RS: The weather is what makes a good range or a bad range. Byers in Colorado is flat prairie and you can’t discern the small wind velocity changes. Ironically, many NBRSA records have been set there. The thing about Colorado is that when the wind’s good it’s good and all runs smoothly and when it’s not, it’s terrible. Sacramento is in a valley which makes the wind play different game with you. It all goes back to the sighter period. It’s anybody’s educated guess as to what to do when you detect a change based on the end of the sighter period. A one mph pick up will move a bullet 10” at 1000 yards. There’s no one that I know of that can pick up a 1 mph change. TB: The St. Louis Benchrest Club range is the toughest range I shoot. The topography combined with range flags that do not indicate the wind conditions make this range the hardest to figure out. The Sloughhouse Range in Sacramento CA is by far the best. How do you manage “ghost” conditions where winds whip up out of nowhere and strays the bullet off target? JT: That is the FUN part. Knowing the range will help you see this type of change coming. You have two choices: wait out the change and HOPE it comes back to a condition that you have shot a sighter in OR make a bold change and continue shooting. RS: People call those a “weather re-
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port” when bullets are strung out all over the target. If you can pick up the changes, you can hold off because of the way things are switching. TB: If it is indiscernible, it eats your lunch. I like wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts. If I’m a little cold, then all the better. If I can feel it, I might discern it and adjust. Do you do any calculations to account for the wind or is it just seasoned guesswork? JT: There is some guesswork involved but your guess gets more accurate
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with time. Again, that is what the sighters are for. The bullet is the only thing that knows what the wind is really worth. Many of the windmills set up on the range in most cases have little value (depending on the range topography) as they are way below the bullet path and do not see the same wind as the bullet. RS: You make your adjustments or hold over during the sighter period. Some people try to shoot just one condition to make sure that they’re zeroed. I look for a zero but I also try to shoot at the extremes of the conditions; the highest wind speed and the lowest wind speed so that mentally I know the maximum that my bullet will be pushed off course. When I see that condition during a record period I hold off that amount. TB: I do the math at home just in case the conditions change so drastically I have to guess the wind speed, dial, and shoot. This is a worst case tactic; I would rather wait 9 minutes and 30 seconds. Is there a big difference between holding for a condition at 600 yards vs. 1000 or is it the same? JT: Only if there is a difference in topography between 600 and 1000 yards. RS: Because of the size of the targets it’s pretty much the same. Your calculations are very similar. TB: I see them as the same. What is your thought with regard to the modern technology (video monitor) that allows a shooter to see immediately where their bullet landed? JT: Similar to shooting sighters, it would take out some of the wind reading skills. RS: For now they are not legal for competition. In Europe they have matches that are 300 meters. They use the computers and give immediate feedback. It’s useful for an individual to check their shooting without having to drive out to pick up the target every time. TB: This would make Benchrest a high speed F-Class match. I’m not sure I want to see this. It would be one more thing to screw up. Do you think the technology helps shoot more accurately or is more of a distraction? JT: I think it would help in accuracy,
and it would eliminate the cross fire problem. They are very expensive. RS: For practice, that’s where these systems work. I can change my powder charge or seating depth and see the difference. I can shoot 20 groups on one target and see instantly the effects of the changes. The system replaces having someone located in the pits telling you the results of your changes. TB: They are OK for training and load development. In a match they would be a distraction. Should technology be used in National events or is this cheating? JT: I would not call it cheating if everyone is using the technology. To me it would just be different. RS: If it’s going to be used, then the club needs to do it so that everyone has the opportunity to use the same equipment. The range needs to supply the system. It’s done in Europe this way. During a match there is too much going on to focus on both the monitor and also the task at hand. TB: I don’t want to see each shot show up on a screen. If everyone has it, it is not cheating. It should be all or none. Should it be used as a training tool exclusively; perhaps only during club matches or practice sessions? JT: I think it would be useful for ranges that do not have pits. RS: It should be training and practice only. TB: Training and Practice only. In your opinion, how long does it take a new shooter to develop the skills necessary to accurately assess and counter existing conditions? JT: It takes years and years. You never stop learning. A new shooter
can be taught (by a skilled shooter) wind doping skills to be competitive in a few months. I was able to train my wife to be highly competitive in F-class shooting in about six months. We did shoot together on average about three times per week. This year I had my wife, son and grandson shoot bench rest with me. All of them shot smaller groups than I. In my household I’m in fourth place. TB: It depends on how hard they work at it. Some will never get it and some will start to understand in a year. RS: It all depends. Some people come to the sport with a lot of wind reading skills when they begin long range and it is difficult to change old habits. It would be easier to teach someone who doesn’t think they know it all. Do you adjust your loads for various wind conditions? RS: I load everything before I leave home. JT: No, but I might use a different caliber, like a dasher in light winds and a 284 in heavy winds. TB: No. This just about sums things up. I send a heartfelt thank you out to each of our Champions for taking the time out of their busy schedules and answering these questions; not to mention patiently helping as I struggle to understand the idiosyncrasies of benchrest shooting and the environment in which the sport is played. My hope is that by bringing to light what the experts do, it will help every member in the benchrest community to improve their shooting in some way. Armed with this great knowledge, let’s see what 2014 has to offer. --Audrey Brown
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
Bart on Benchrest
13
Common Bullet Faults & Fixes
by Bart Sauter, Bart’s Custom Bullets This year I have been working off and on with a few new shooters. While doing so I have noticed some common faults. Once I started checking, I found that many of these problems affect not only the new but also the more experienced shooters as well. Here are some of the issues that I keep seeing: The front bag is to hard. In general, most front bags are packed too hard resulting in unexplained flyers. This year we changed my shooting partner Billy Stevens’, front bag to a fluffier front bag like mine. After a few months he said, “You know this front bag doesn’t throw shots nearly as consistently as my old one!” Some bags are packed with too much sand while others have been packed down from repeated shooting. In my opinion, you should have the front bag more on the fluffy side. My front bag is like a marshmallow. The ones I’ve checked are closer to bricks. So let some sand out and fluff them up. All bags will pack down over time. I make it a point to reach up and squeeze/ fluff my front bag each time I set up at the bench. Hall of Fame member Smiley Hensley was getting unexplained shots at the 2013 Super Shoot. Someone suggested fluffing his front bag and there you go! Problem solved! My personal preference is regular sand, not zircon. The weight and density of zircon tends to pack down too hard too fast. The gun is too slick. Many shooters spend a lot of time trying to get their guns slick in the bags. Just put two fingers on the gun and pull it back and push it forward. It’s as if it is riding on air or roller bearings! Hey guess what? Its not what you want! The problem with this is that gun handling errors are significantly magnified. So if you make a little mistake (such as slightly jerking/slapping your trigger or bumping the gun), it
will show up big-time on the target. The worst setup I’ve seen is shooting an unpainted fiberglass stock with a cordura front and rear bag. This setup is super slick. I’ve had guns like this and it feels like you can’t get near the thing without it moving. Stock tape can help to slow the sliding down as well as provide consistent tension when sliding on the bags.
Proper front bag tension This is part of the gun being too slick. One of the first things that Tony Boyer corrected in my set up was having my ears on my front bag too loose. On his range you’re shooting slightly up hill. He came over and pulled my rifle back and forth and said.”You need to tighten those ears.” I was surprised at just how much he cranked the screws down. Tony told me it would cut down on the “finger-vertical” I was getting. Guess what? He was right. Since that time, I’ve shot with very firm fore-end tension on my rifles. Consistency What I’m talking about here is when your rifle slides back and forth. It should be very consistent and feel the same as when you move the gun back and forth. This allows the rifle to break the same every time when fired. Actually “FIRM and CONSISTENT” is what you’re looking for. Some bag set ups are grabby. As you pull the rifle back it catches and breaks loose, then catches and breaks loose again. Not
14
Precision Rifleman
optimum! Others feel kind of stuck as they first move and then break loose. So if your gun is doing any of this, you need to work on it. I took Billy Stevens’ lead and went retro with my bag set up. We started talking about front and rear bags and decided our guns shot better and more consistently twenty years ago. So we have both gone back to leather bags (front and rear) and using baby powder! This gives me a set up that provides consistent and firm tension. Front Rests Another very common problem is simply forgetting to tighten things down on your rest. Always check to make sure the feet on you front rests are tightened down. Also check that the center post of your rest is locked down. It’s easy to forget and can cost you dearly during a match. Farley Front Rest The Farley front rest is probably the most popular front rest in benchrest. Of the new shooters rests I have checked however, most of them were too loose. What I mean by too loose is when you let go of the aiming handle while looking through your scope you can see the cross hairs move. So, a properly adjusted Farley will move smoothly and stop when I stop. When I let go of the handle, the cross hairs should stay put. If yours isn’t doing this, simply loosen the two large nuts and turn the tensioning screws
“That one little screw caused all this trouble. So check everything It’s the little things that kill us in a match.” clockwise for increased pressure. It’s important that each screw be turned the same amount, and it only takes a small adjustment. Scope and Rings This is all very simple stuff, but still often over looked. A loose screw on a scope ring or base can ruin a match or even an entire season! Rifles have been sold and perfectly good bullets and barrels tossed aside because of not diligently checking these things! I had a killer heavy varmint rifle. It shot well enough to win a yardage and grand aggregate at the Super Shoot. It also won my first Hall of Fame point but it quit shooting. I couldn’t figure it out. I tried different barrels, scopes, bullets. I changed out triggers, the firing pin springs and nothing helped. Finally, I took off the scope and sat the rifle in the corner. I gave up on it for years. Finally one day during the winter with nothing to do, I started going through the rifle again and to my surprise I found that one front base screw was loose. That one little screw caused all this trouble. So check everything. It’s the little things that kill us in a match. Scope Lock Rings No matter what scope you own it has
one or more lock rings that you must pay attention to. Tony Boyer was probably the first to notice that the lock ring for the eye piece on Leopold competition scopes love to come loose. The first thing I check on a rifle if it starts shooting crazy is the objective lock ring (if the scope has one) and the lock ring in front of the eye piece. I can’t count the times I found the eye piece lock ring loose on shooters scopes! Just because you tighten it down doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way. At the last match of the year at Brock’s Gap I tightened lock rings five times. Twice on one shooter’s gun during the same aggregate! If you don’t think the lock ring in front of your eye piece is doing anything, loosen the ring and just push around on the eye piece while looking through the scope. That should make you a believer. So if it has a screw, tighten it! If it has a lock ring, lock it! If it has a knob, twist it! None of this is rocket science. It’s just meat and potatoes common sense. The devil is in the details. In this sport, close isn’t good enough. Your equipment has to be 100% in order to compete and to stay on top of it, you must constantly check it! Implement the above changes into your set up and I think you will see an increase in your accuracy and a lot fewer nasty flyers!
Sahuaro Long Range Benchrest Sahuaro 1000Yd Benchrest January 11, 2014 Equipment List Name Benz McDonald Everson (L) Everson (H/22) Herrick Billotte (L) Billotte (H/35) Byrd Warner Rutchford
Caliber 6.5x284 300rum 6.5x47 284 30Patriot 7wsm 6.5Lazz 6.5/284 6.5x284 6.5
Action Savage Remington Panda Nesika Nesika Remington McMillan Remington BAT BAT
Barrel Savage Lilja Krieger Krieger Krieger Classic PacNor Krieger Krieger Krieger
Gunsmith Savage Matthews Brackney Brackney Wells Pederson Lazzarini Beginski Bruno BAT
Stock Savage McMillan Borden McMillan Tracker Tracker McMillan Tracker McMillan BAT
Scope Nightforce Leupold Leupold Leupold Nightforce Nightforce Nightforce Leupold Nightforce Nightforce
Case Lapua Remington Lapua Winchester Lazzeroni Norma Norma Lapua Lapua Lapua
Powder H4831 H1000 RL15 H4350 H4831 RL25 H1000 H4831 H4350 H4831
Bullet/Wt Lapua/139 Berger/215 Berger/140 Berger/180 JLK/210 Berger/180 Berger/140 Sierra/142 Sierra/142 Cartarcio/141
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman Light Gun Aggregate Ross Herrick......................5.71” Steve Everson..................... 6.42” Hal Byrd.......................... 10.17” Bill Warner....................... 10.75” Wayne McDonald................ 10.81” Small Group Ross Herrick..................... 4.0625” Heavy Gun Aggregate Steve Everson....................7.38” Ross Herrick....................... 9.35” Jeff Billotte...................... 12.54” Jim Rutchford................... 13.96” Bill Warner....................... 17.40” Small Group Steve Everson..................... 6.50” Light Gun Total Score Hal Byrd..........................138-1X Steve Everson.................... 136-2X Jim Rutchford................... 132-3X Jeff Billotte...................... 132-1X Wayne McDonald.................. 132 Bill Warner......................... 132 High Score Jeff Billotte........................ 49x Heavy Gun Total Score Ross Herrick.....................268-5X Steve Everson.................... 267-2X Jeff Billotte...................... 255-4x Jim Rutchford................... 245-2X Bill Warner......................... 233 High Score Ross Herrick....................... 97-3X
TA L M E
Magnum Metal 940.631.4545 shunter@nts-online.net
PRECISION
PERFORMANCE
15
16
Precision Rifleman
2014 NBRSA Registered Match Schedule SOUTHWEST REGION
June 7-8
LV/HV
300/200
Long Range Varmint Nationals Palomino Valley Gun Club
June 14
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
June 21-22
HV/UNL-5
100/200
Visalia Sportsmen Association Unlimited SW Regional
June 22
LG/HG
1000
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
July 5-6
LV/HV
100/200
Sloughhouse 200 4-Gun Challenge Sloughhouse Group Benchrest
Jan 4-5
LV/HV
100/200
Arizona Benchrest Shooters Winter Warm Up
Jan 11
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
Jan 26
LG/HG
1000
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
Feb 1-2
LV/HV
100/200
Arizona Benchrest Shooters Berger Cactus Classic Warm Up
Feb 8
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
July 12
LG/HG
1000
Feb 15-16
LV/HV
100/200
Visalia Sportsmen Association Visalia Group Match
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
July 27
LG/HG
600
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
Feb 23
LG/HG
600
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
Aug 2-3
LV/HV
100/200
Sloughhouse Group Benchrest
LV/HV
100/200
Central Utah Benchrest Club Utah State Championship Part 2
Mar 1
VFS
100/200
Desert Sportsman’s Rifle Club Short Range Club Championship
Aug 2-3
Mar 1-2
LV/HV
100/200
Sloughhouse Group Benchrest
Aug 9
LG/HG
1000
Mar 8
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
Aug 24
LG/HG
1000
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
SP/LV/HV
100/200
Southwest Regional Championship Visalia Sportsmen Association
March 15-16
LV/HV
100/200
Arizona Benchrest Shooters Berger Cactus Classic
Aug 30-31
Apr 5
VFS
200/300
Desert Sportsman’s Rifle Club Long Range Club Championship
Sept 6
VFS
200/300
Apr 5-6
LV/HV
100/200
Sloughhouse Group Benchrest
NV State Long Range Championship Desert Sportsman’s Rifle Club
Apr 12
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
Sept 13
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
April 12-13
UNL5/ UNL10
100/200
Arizona Benchrest Shooters Arizona Unlimited Match
Sept 28
LG/HG
600
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
4Gun
300
April 19-20
SP/HV
100/200
Visalia Sportsmen Association Visalia Group Match
Sept 27-28
Palomino Valley Gun Club Palomino Valley 4-Gun
Oct 4
VFS
100/200
Apr 22
LG/HG
600
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest Registration & Prep Day: 2014 Long Range Benchrest Nationals
Desert Sportsman’s Rifle Club Silver State Shootout
Oct 4-5
LV/HV
100/200
Sloughhouse Group Benchrest
Oct 4-5
LV/HV
100/200
April 23-24
LG/HG
600
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest 11th Sloughhouse 600 Nationals
Arizona Benchrest Shooters Arizona State Championship #1
Oct 11
LG/HG
1000
Apr 25
F-Class
1000
2nd Sloughhouse F-Class Bench
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
April 26-27
LG/HG
1000
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest 6th Sloughhouse 1000Yd Nationals
Oct 18-19
UNL-5
100/200
Visalia Sportsmen Association Visalia Invitational
April 26-27
LV/HV
100/200
Holton Gun Club President’s Cup
Oct 25-26
SP/UNL
200/100
Palomino Valley Gun Club Nevada State Championship #2
May 3
VFS
100/200
Desert Sportsman’s Rifle Club Nevada State Championship
Oct 26
LG/HG
1000
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
Nov 1
VFS
200/300
May 3-4
SP/LV
100/200
Sloughhouse Group Benchrest CA State Championship Part 1
Desert Sportsman’s Rifle Club Glitter Gulch LR Championship
Nov 1-2
LV/HV
100/200
Sloughhouse Group Benchrest
May 3-4
SP/UNL
100/200
Central Utah Benchrest Club Utah State Championship Part 1
Nov 8
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
May 10
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
Nov 8-9
SP/UNL5
100/200
Arizona Benchrest Shooters Arizona State Championship #2
May 17-18
LV/HV
100/200
Visalia Sportsmen Association Visalia Group Match
Nov 23
LG/HG
600
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
May 24-25
LV/HV
200/100
Palomino Valley Gun Club Nevada State Championship #1
Dec 6-7
UNL5/UNL5
100/200
Arizona Benchrest Shooters Arizona Invitational Unlimited
May 25
LG/HG
600
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
Dec 13
LG/HG
1000
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest Three Points Range, Tucson, AZ
June 6-8
HTR/VFS
100/200 300
Desert Sportsman’s Rifle Club Southwest Regional Two Gun
Dec 28
LG/HG
1000
Sloughhouse Long Range Benchrest
June 7-8
HV/UNL
100/200
Sloughhouse Group Benchrest CA State Championship Part 2
Apr 12
NORTH CENTRAL REGION LV
100/200
Oak Hill Gun Club, Blue Grass, IA
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
17
2014 NBRSA Registered Match Schedule June 21-22
VFS/HTR
100/200
Tomball Gun Club VFS/HTR San Jacinto
June 29
VFS
100/200
Southwest LA Rifle & Pistol Club
July 5-6
SP/HV
100/200
Midland Shooters Association Texas Shootout
July 19-20
4-GUN
200
Central Texas Benchrest Shooters
July 27
HTR/VFS
100/200
Southwest LA Rifle & Pistol Club Louisiana State Score Champion
Aug 17
VFS
100/200
Central Texas Shooters’ VFS Match
Aug 30-31
LV/HV
100/200
Midland Shooters Association Buffalo
Sept 21
VFS
100/200
Southwest LA Rifle & Pistol Club HTR & Gulf Coast VFS Regionals
Boone Valley Ikes, IA Iowa State Score Championship
Oct 26
HTR/VFS
100/200
Southwest LA Rifle & Pistol ClubVFS & Gulf Coast HTR Regionals
600
Columbus Sportsmen Assn, WI
EASTERN REGION
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
Apr 12-13
LV/HV
100/200
WWCCA Spring Tune Up
HTR/VFS
100/200
Casper Benchrest Shooters, WY Trail Run Shoot
Apr 26-27
LV/HV
100/200
Holton Gun Club President’s Cup
July 20
HV/UNL
100/200
Oak Hill Gun Club, Blue Grass, IA
May 3-4
LV/HV
100/200
Fairchance Gun Club Hog Roast
July 26-27
LV/HV
100/200
Boone Valley Ikes, IA Iowa State Group Championship
May 17-18
LV/HV
100/200
Chippewa Super Shoot Warm-Up
May 21-24
LV/HV
100/200
Kelbly’s Super Shoot
LV/HV
100/200
WWCCA Wolverine Challenge
Apr 13
HTR
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
Apr 27
VFS
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
May 10
HTR
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
May 17-18
HTR/VFS
100/200
Boone Valley Ikes, IA *New Club* Two Gun Championship
May 18
HV
100/200
Oak Hill Gun Club, Blue Grass, IA
May 25
VFS
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
June 8
HTR
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
June 14
LV
100/200
Oak Hill Gun Club, Blue Grass, IA
June 21-22
HTR/VFS
100/200
Casper Benchrest Shooters WY Wyoming State Hunter/VFS
June 22
VFS
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
June 28-29
HTR/VFS
100/200
July 13
LG/HG/Fac
July 13
HTR
July 19-20
July 27
VFS
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
Jun 7-8
Aug 4-7
HTR/VFS
100/200 200/300
Casper Benchrest Shooters, WY 2014 Hunter/VFS Nationals
June 21-22
LV/HV
100/200
Shelby County Deer Hunters Briar Hail Memorial
Aug 10
HTR
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
July 4-6
LV/HV/UNL
100/200
Fairchance Gun Club Eastern 3-Gun Championship
Aug 17
LG/HG/Fac
600
Columbus Sportsmen Assn, WI
LV/HV
100/200
Aug 17
LV
100/200
Oak Hill Gun Club, Blue Grass, IA
July 19-20
Kane Fish & Game PA State Championship
Aug 23-24
HTR/VFS
200/300
Lincoln Izaak Walton League 1st NBRSA Registered Match
July 26-27
LV/HV
100/200
Holton Gun Club Michigan State Championship
Aug 24
VFS
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
4-GUN
100/200
Sept 6-7
HTR/VFS
100/200
Boone Valley Ikes, IA Two Gun Score Shoot
Sept 22-27
Holton Gun Club, Holton, MI 2014 Group Benchrest Nationals
LV/HV
100/200
WWCCA Fall Classic
Sept 14
VFS
100/200
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club, WY
Oct 11-12
Sept 20
LG/HG/Fac
600
Columbus Sportsmen Assn, WI
Oct 18-19
LV/HV
100/200
Shelby County Deer Hunters Fall Finale
Oct 11
LG/HG/Fac
600
Columbus Sportsmen Assn, WI
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY REGION
Nov 8
LG/HG/Fac
600
Columbus Sportsmen Assn, WI
Mar 1-2
LV/HV
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis 10:30AM Sat, 8AM Sun
GULF COAST REGION Feb 9
VFS
100/200
Southwest LA Rifle & Pistol Club
Mar 16
HTR/VFS
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis
Feb 22-23
4-GUN
100
Tomball Gun Club, TX (It’s back!)
April 6
HTR/VFS
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis
LV/HV
100/200
Mar 23
VFS
100/200
Southwest LA Rifle & Pistol Club
April 12-13
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis Sat 12 noon, Sun 8AM
Apr 5-6
4-GUN
200
Tomball Gun Club, TX
May 10
HTR
100/200
Van Dyne Sportsmens Club
Apr 27
VFS
100/200
Southwest LA Rifle & Pistol Club
May 18
HTR/VFS
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis
HTR
100/200
Van Dyne Sportsmens Club
May 3-4
LV/SP
100/200
Central Texas Benchrest Shooters
June 7
May 17-18
UNL/HV
100/200
Seymour Stool Shooters Texas State Championship
June 15
HTR/VFS
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis
June 20
LV/HV
100/200
East-West Show-Me Set-Up Day
May 18
VFS
100/200
Southwest LA Rifle & Pistol Club
100/200
LV/SP
100/200
North Texas Shooters Assn Gulf Coast Region Showdown
June 21-22
LV/HV
May 31June 1
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis East-West Show Me Shootout
100/200
UNL/HV
100/200
Seymour Stool Shooters Gulf Coast Regionals
July 12-13
HTR
June 14-15
Van Dyne Sportsmens Club WI State Championship
July 13
LG/HG
600
Columbus Sportsman’s Assn
18
Precision Rifleman
2014 NBRSA Registered Match Schedule July 19-20
HTR/VFS
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis MO State/Jarvis/MVR Chism
July 26-27
LV/HV
100/200
Yellowstone Rifle Club Montana State Group Championship
July 26-27
LV/HV
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis Sat Night Match 5pm, Sun 8AM
Aug 2-3
SP/LV
100/200
Tacoma Rifle & Revolver Club Northwest SP & LV Regionals
Aug 17
LG/HG
600
Columbus Sportsman’s Assn
Aug 17
LG/HG
600
Rogue Valley Shooting Sports Assn
Sept 13
VFS
100/200
Van Dyne Sportsmens Club
100/200
Yellowstone Rifle Club
LG/HG
600
Columbus Sportsman’s Assn
Aug 23-24
LV/HV
Sept 20 Oct 5
HTR/VFS
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis
SP/LV/HV
100/200
Oct 11
LG/HG
600
Columbus Sportsman’s Assn
Aug 30Sept 1
Tacoma Rifle & Revolver Club Ed Frombach Memorial & WA State SP, LV, HV & 3Gun
Oct 18-19
LV/HV
100/200
Benchrest Rifle Club of St Louis Mississippi Valley Regionals
Sept 14
LG/HG
600
Rogue Valley Shooting Sports Assn
Nov 8
LG/HG
Oct 19
LG/HG
600
Rogue Valley Shooting Sports Assn
Nov 16
LG/HG
600
Rogue Valley Shooting Sports Assn
600
Columbus Sportsman’s Assn
NORTHWEST REGION Mar 8-9
HTR/VFS
100/200 300
Wenatchee Benchrest
Mar 16
LG/HG
600
Rogue Valley Shooting Sports Assn
Mar 30
VFS
100/200
Lewis-Clark Wildlife Club
Mar 29
HTR
100/200
Tri-Cities Metallic Silhouette
Apr 5-6
LV/HV
100/200
Tacoma Rifle & Revolver Club Allen Bench Trophy
Apr 12-13
VFS/HTR
100/200
Wenatchee Benchrest
Apr 26
VFS
100/200
Tri-Cities Metallic Silhouette
Apr 27
HTR
100/200
Lewis-Clark Wildlife Club
May 3-4
SP/HV
100/200
Tacoma Rifle & Revolver Club Manley Oakley Trophy
May 3-4
HTR/VFS
200/300
Whittecar Rifle & Pistol Club Montana State Long Range
May 10-11
VFS/HTR
200/300
May 24-25
HTR/VFS
May 31
MID-CONTINENT REGION Mar 29-30
LV/HV
100/200
Okie Shooters *begins 12noon LV Leg of OK State Championship
Apr 12-13
HTR/VFS
100/200
Mill Creek Rifle Club, KS
Apr 26-27
SP/HV
100/200
Okie Shooters *begins 12noon SP-OK State & HV-MC Regional
May 3-4
HTR/VFS
100/200
Northern Colorado Benchrest
May 3-4
LV/HV
100/200
Mill Creek Group Benchrest, KS
May 17-18
LV/HV
100/200
Land’s End Benchrest, CO HV Leg of 4-Gun Challenge
May 24-25
LV/HV
100/200
Whittington Center Benchrest Best in the West
May 31June 1
HTR/VFS
100/200
Mill Creek Rifle Club, KS
Wenatchee Benchrest
June 7-8
SP/HV
100/200
Northern Colorado Benchrest SP Leg of 4Gun
100/200
Yellowstone Rifle Club
June 7-8
LV/HV
100/200
Mill Creek Group Benchrest, KS
HTR
100/200
Tri-Cities Metallic Silhouette
June 14-15
HV-UNL/SP
100/200
Whittington Center Benchrest Leg 1 New Mexico State 4Gun
June 1
VFS
100/200
Lewis-Clark Wildlife Club
HV/UNL-5
100/200
Tacoma Rifle & Revolver Club Northwest HV Regional
July 12-13
UNL10/ UNL5
100/200
June 7-8
Northern Colorado Benchrest UNL10 Leg of 4Gun
100/200
Mill Creek Group Benchrest, KS
HTR/VFS
100/200 300
Whittecar Rifle & Pistol ClubNorthwest Score Regional
July 12-13
LV/HV
June 7-8
100/200
VFS/HTR
100/200
Wenatchee Benchrest Washington State Score 2-Gun
July 19-20
UNL10/SP
June 14-15
Land’s End Benchrest, CO 2nd & 3rd Legs of 4-Gun
100/200
LG/HG
600
Rogue Valley Shooting Sports Assn
July 19-20
LV/HV
June 22
Whittington Center Benchrest Muchas Gracias
June 28-29
HTR/VFS
100/200
Yellowstone Rifle Club Mac Clark Memorial & MT State
Aug 2-3
HTR/VFS
100/200
Northern Colorado Benchrest
100/200
VFS
100/200
Tri-Cities Metallic Silhouette
Aug 16-17
LV/HV
June 28
Whittington Center Benchrest Rattlesnake
June 29
HTR
100/200
Lewis-Clark Wildlife Club Idaho State Championship
Aug 30-31
LV/HV
100/200
Mill Creek Group Benchrest, KS
July 4-6
UNL-10 UNL-10 UNL-5
100/200
Tacoma Rifle & Revolver Club Sam Wilson Memorial, Sniper King & WA UNL Championship
Sept 6-7
LV/HV
100/200
Northern Colorado Benchrest Firewalker LV&HV 4Gun
100/200
Mill Creek Rifle Club, KS
HTR/VFS
100/200
Whittecar Rifle & Pistol Club
Sept 13-14
HTR/VFS
July 6 July 12-13
VFS/HTR
100/200 300
Wenatchee Benchrest Bob Miller Memorial
Sept 27-28
LV/HV
100/200
Land’s End Benchrest, CO LV Leg of 4-Gun & Purple Haze
July 26
HTR
100/200
Tri-Cities Metallic Silhouette
Oct 4-5
LV/HV
100/200
Mill Creek Group Benchrest, KS
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman Oct 18-19
LV/HV
100/200
Rio Grande Benchrest, NM
Get Ready for the world!
EUROPEAN REGION June 5-8
LV/HV
19
100/200
Alpen Cup Benchrest Dolomiti, Dobbiaco IT
SOUTHEAST REGION Mar 22-23
LV/HV
100/200
Shamrock, MGGOA
Apr 12-13
LV/HV
100/200
River Bend Gun Club, GA
July 12-13
LV/HV
100/200
Unaka Rod & Gun Club, TN
Aug 23-24
4-GUN
100
Southeast Region Champ Leg 1 Brock’s Gap Training Center
Sept 6-7
4-GUN
200
Southeast Region Champ Leg 2 Unaka Rod & Gun Club, TN
Oct 11-12
LV/HV
100/200
River Bend Gun Club, GA
2014 WBC-13 Qualifiers Cactus Classic, Phoenix, AZ March 15-16 Hog Roast, Fairchance, PA May 3-4 East-West Shootout, St Louis, June 21-22 Rattlesnake, Raton, NM August 16-17 Group Nationals, Holton, MI Sept 22-26
Match Directors & Regional Directors: If there is an error on the Registered Match Schedule, please contact the office. Thank you.
20
Precision Rifleman
Long Range Benchrest’s Latest Hall of Fame Inductee...
Peter White by Audrey Brown
N
BRSA is very proud to introduce to the membership someone very special to Long Range Benchrest. Peter White will be inducted as the 6th member in the Long Range Hall of Fame this April at the Long Range Nationals in Sacramento. How did he do it? Let me count the ways:
2008 600-Yard Nationals Heavy Gun Group Champion Two Gun Group Champion 2011 600-Yard Nationals Two Gun Score Champion Grand Champion 2013 600-Yard Nationals Heavy Gun Group Champion Two Gun Group Champion
In Long Range Benchrest, only the National events count toward Hall of Fame points. The Heavy Gun aggregates count for one point each; Two Guns for two points. With a total of 10, Peter gets his induction and the coveted blue jacket. (One of the perks of entering the Hall of Fame.) In an interview with www.6mmbr.com,
2014 Chippewa Rifle Club Super-Shoot Warm Up NBRSA Registered Group Match
Practice Friday 5/16 10AM-4PM Match Begins: 9AM Bench Rotation at Yardage Change 2-Relays with 25 benches each
May 17-18, 2014 Shooting HV/LV 100/200 Yards Chippewa Rifle Club, located 7 miles from Kelbly’s Pre-Register by email: robertsdenk66@gmail.com or chippewarifleclub@gmail.com Call: Bob Denk 440 596-7238 Mail Check to: 7728 E Linden Ln, Parma, OH 44130
Only $45/day
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman Peter says that his long range shooting experience has all been in the western U.S. “Out west it’s very rare to have a calm condition that lasts much past 10:00 AM, so in most matches one has to deal with the wind. My first experiences at long range shooting were benchrest matches, and in the beginning I felt like I wasn’t learning anything about the wind. Some days were good (maybe I was just lucky?), but on other days I thought my brain couldn’t process all the information offered by 10 to 16 range flags. I’d head home feeling like I hadn’t learned anything.” He then tried F-Class High Power shooting. “I soon found myself learning more and more about what the wind does. The constant calculate - adjust shoot - receive feedback cycle throughout an F-Class match eventually forces you into thinking about the wind value in terms of MOA. You take your best shot with the plan you made, receive the spotting/scoring feedback and process that info into the next calculation
cycle. Shooting benchrest at 600 to 1000 yards on your sighter target is much like shooting F-class minus the score value. However, shooting for record is a different story. Shooting benchrest at 600 or 1000 yards on your record target is like taking a closed-book final exam. You either know it or you’re guessing. A 10-shot record string with varying winds can be quite a mental challenge.” Fellow LR shooter Craig StClaire said Peter is one of the shooters that he tries to follow. “When he’s not shooting and I am, I have to re-evaluate what I’m doing.” Congratulations Peter and welcome to the Long Range Hall of Fame.
21
Long Range Benchrest Hall of Fame (Inductees in Grey) TIERNEY, JERRY
20
SCHATZ, RICHARD
17
NIELSON, DON
16
COPELIN, BILLY
11
TALBOT, SKIP
10
WHITE, PETE
10
HOPPE, ROBERT
9
JOHNSTON, BILL
9
BANGEMAN, BRUCE
9
HUNSTIGER, KARL
8
CUTRIGHT, JAY
7
DIERKS, RANDY
6
PRICE, TOM
6
GREEN, REGAN
6
SHEPARD, LES
5
CAPEHART, DUANE
5
TOMPKINS, GEORGE
5
WILSON, GREG
4
STANTON, ERIC
4
BALDING, TERRY
4
NORTH, TIM
3
STALLING, WARREN
3
STERLING, GLEN
3
BERGER, BRIAN
3
MURDICA, LOU
2
NYBERG, CHRIS
2
BEGINSKI, RICK
2
GALLANT, JIM
2
TOOLEY, DAVE
2
TILLEY, RON
2
PENDERGRAFT, JOEL
2
DORTON, BOB
2
VANCE, FRANK
2
22
Precision Rifleman
NBRSA 600 YARD WORLD RECORDS (as of 11/9/2013) CONTESTS SINGLE GROUPS FIVE SHOT GROUP 5 SHOTS TEN SHOT GROUP 10 SHOTS 3 GROUP AGG. FIVE SHOT AGG. 15 SHOTS TEN SHOT AGG. 30 SHOTS TWO GUN AGG. 6 Target - 45 SHOTS 6 GROUP AGG. FIVE SHOT AGG. 30 SHOTS TEN SHOT AGG. 60 SHOTS TWO GUN AGG. 12 Target - 90 SHOTS HIGHEST SCORE FIVE SHOT SCORE 5 SHOTS TEN SHOT SCORE 10 SHOTS HIGHEST 3 TARGET SCORE FIVE SHOT SCORE 15 SHOTS TEN SHOT SCORE 30 SHOTS
LIGHT GUN 17 POUNDS
HEAVY GUN UNLIMINTED LBS
Robert Hoppe 0.5823 - 10/28/2007 Richard Schatz 1.7813 - 4/21/2012 Dick Coylar 1.8404 - 4/16/2012 Keith Cottrell 2.4276 - 7/21/2013 Robert Hoppe 2.4824 - 1/24/2010 Robert Hoppe 2.092 - 4/2006 Richard Schatz 3.0479 - 4/2010 Richard Schatz 2.7547 - 4/2010 Ken Schroeder 50-4x - 11/23/2008 Robert Hoppe 100-3x - 1/23/2011
John Crawford 147-5x - 10/20/2013 Keith Cottrell 293-5x - 7/21/2013
2 GUN - 6 TARGET HIGH TOTAL SCORE 45 SHOTS HIGHEST 6 TARGET SCORE FIVE SHOT SCORE 30 SHOTS TEN SHOT SCORE 60 SHOTS 2 GUN - 12 TARGET HIGH TOTAL SCORE 90 SHOTS
LIGHT & HEAVY 2 GUN
Don Nielson 431-8x - 1/24/2010
Terry Balding 284-5x - 4/2012 Bill Johnson 558-5x - 4/2012 Frank Vance 822-11x - 4/2012
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
23
NBRSA 1000 YARD WORLD RECORDS (as of 11/9/2013) CONTESTS SINGLE GROUPS FIVE SHOT GROUP 5 SHOTS TEN SHOT GROUP 10 SHOTS THREE GROUP AGG. FIVE SHOT AGG. 15 SHOTS TEN SHOT AGG. 30 SHOTS TWO GUN AGG. 6 Target - 45 SHOTS SIX GROUP AGG FIVE SHOT AGG. 30 SHOTS TEN SHOT AGG. 60 SHOTS TWO GUN AGG. 12 Target - 90 SHOTS HIGHEST SCORE FIVE SHOT SCORE 5 SHOTS TEN SHOT SCORE 10 SHOTS HIGHEST 3 TARGET SCORE FIVE SHOT SCORE 15 SHOTS TEN SHOT SCORE 30 SHOTS
LIGHT GUN 17 POUNDS
HEAVY GUN UNLIMINTED POUNDS
LIGHT & HEAVY 2 GUN AGGREGATE
BILL SCHRADER 1.473 - 3/24/2002 David Tooley 4.322 - 9/10/2006 Ross Herrick 3.8688 - 8/10/2013 Bill Schrader 5.299 - 4/17/2005 Ross Herrick 5.3438 - 1/14/2012 Billy Copelin 4.6042 - 10/2009 Regan Green 6.406 - 6/2007 Billy Copelin 6.5724 - 10/2009 Ross Herrick 50-4x - 1/10/2009 Bill Schrader 100-6x - 4/17/2005
Rick Duncan 149-4x - 4/21/2012 Charles Greer 294-8x - 9/11/2010
2 GUN - 6 TARGET HIGH TOTAL SCORE 45 SHOTS
Charles Greer 441-13x - 9/11/2010
HIGHEST 6 TARGET SCORE
FIVE SHOT SCORE 30 SHOTS TEN SHOT SCORE 60 SHOTS 2 GUN - 12 TARGET HIGH TOTAL SCORE 90 SHOTS
Robert Hoppe 288-6x - 4/2012 Regan Green 563-11x - 9/2006 Billy Copelin 839-10x - 10/2009
24
Precision Rifleman
Daisy Wheel Wind Flag Bearings: Where to & What For
by Jeff Aberegg
One of the great things of owning your own lathe is being able to make stuff. We all come up with ideas now and then that make you say, “If I had the equipment I could make that“. The legend of the Harrison shooting matches, my good friend Brian Albee was a machinist for 33 years before health issues forced him from working. One day while complaining I had to wait a good two months for a new barrel put the idea in my head that I should have my own lathe. Brian was a machinist so it all made sense. We could then make all sorts of cool stuff just because we could. One day the subject came up about wind flags. I told Brian my daisies make more noise than the first car I owned. As Brian and I got to talking he said if we put bearings in the daisy they would spin without the wobble. One idea turned into another. We got an old arrow shaft and then made brass bearings to push
Shafts Cut & Drilled into the ends of the arrow shaft. Once done, I drilled out the brown part of the daisy and press fit the arrow shaft with the bearings into it. They worked great. Those bushings lasted for years however; I now have a couple of daisies that need the bearings replaced because they are worn and noisy. As I got the material together to make new ones I got to thinking, why not use real sealed bearings? As I sat in the shop, doing what I do best in the afternoon, the idea of sealed bearings made a whole lot of sense. On the other hand, finding a couple old arrow shafts then
making brass bushing would be a whole lot cheaper than buying sealed bearings. Getting on the computer I found a place on the internet that sold small bearings. VXB Bearings had 3/16x3/8x1/8 which was exactly what I wanted. Looking at their prices I
Drilling Out the Old Bearing decided that it’s more cost effective to just make the brass ones then buy sealed bearings. That was until a call to Brian was made the next day. Explaining to Brian the next morning what great idea I came up with the other afternoon while sitting in the shop, he told me that it would work but, making the brass bushings would be cheaper because sealed bearings are so expensive and since I already had the material on hand why go to the extra cost for sealed bearings? He then went on to explain that I just can’t press fit the bearings into the daisy because they won’t be straight and true. We then talked about the
Old Shaft & Bushing different bearings VXB made and I love the idea of ceramic bearings. Yeah, about $7.50 a piece! The regular stainless steel bearings are about $2.70 a piece. That’s when I decided sealed bearings were a great idea. So I ordered ten of the ceramic and ten of the stainless steel sealed bearings. What I needed now was to find a tube with a 3/16” ID that had a 3/8” OD. Again on the computer I went to find the perfect material for my sealed bushings without much luck. A couple of days ago while sitting in the shop watching it snow I found a four foot piece of ¾” acetal rod laying in the corner of the shop. Yes, the perfect material to press fit my sealed bushings into my daisy wheels! The next morning the first thing I did was take all my daisy wheels apart. Taking the brown part out of the daisy I chucked it into the lathe and drilled out the hole with a 27/64” drill. I then used a 29/64” to finish the hole. I do so because the hole in the brown part of the plastic daisy doesn’t have much material to chuck into the lathe and isn’t all that strong. The first time I
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman 25 just used the 29/64” and it took too much out in the first pass ruining the brown part of the daisy by cutting the hole off center. I either had the jaws too tight or took too much out on the first pass which is why I did the remainder in two cuts. Now with a hole through the brown part of the daisy to the size I want, I can press fit my Stainless Steel & Ceramic Bearings acetal turned down rod into it. Then I cut ten .447” which will be a press fit into the pieces of the ¾” acetal rod into 2 ¼” brown part of the daisy. lengths. Chucking each piece into the The bearings should be here in anlathe I first used a center drilled then other couple of days. Once they arrive I will cut the acetal rods to their proper length for each brown part of the daisy, chuck them up in the lathe to machine the end of the rod for a press fit for the bushings and assemble the daisies. Once this is done, it will be time to rebalance each one for the 2014 shooting season. Having ten each of the stainDaisy Wheel with Old Bearing less steel and ceramic bearings will now give me five used 13/64” drill to drill through each each for the new wind flag bearings. one. I used the 13/64” drill because Which of the two will be better I don’t it’s one size bigger than the 3/16” rod know. Will either of the new sealed that is on my daisy and the idea of the bearings be better than the old brass rod not touching the shaft is a great idea because I’m using bearings. After continued on page 27... drilling I turned them down to about
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Precision Rifleman
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March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
New Facing Bit on Right one’s Brian and I made years ago? Will the new sealed bearings work better or last longer than the old ones? I don’t know the answer to that either; only time will tell. All I do know is they are much more expensive than the old ones we made. UPS delivered my new sealed bearings yesterday morning and after playing with them a bit I felt they will be much better than the brass one’s Brian and I made years ago. My first problem once I chucked up the acetal rods into the lathe was the tool bits I had on hand to cut the seat into the ends of the rods for the bearings. Nothing I had worked well, which meant I had to make a new cutting tool for the ends of the acetal rods. After cutting a while on the high speed steel bit I ended up with what I felt was the perfect tool that actually worked great. I would cut the seat on both ends of the acetal rods so the bearing would be about .020” deeper leaving that much of the rod left to ride against the acetal washer I made for the end. The thought behind this was acetal turning against acetal on the end of the daisy which would be pretty much friction free. Now I press fitted the bearings in the rods then put the rods into the daisy. Once done I put the first one I made on the stand by the oscillating fan in the shop…they turn very easy plus they are quiet! One of the things I’m very good at in benchrest shooting is the social aspect of the game. There have been a few of you reading this that has stopped over to the motor home after a day of shooting for either a cold one or dinner or both. These are the fun times of benchrest shooting; Bill Gammon cooking on his gas grill, Tom Meredith cooking on his charcoal grill and Kevin
27
New Hole Hovis telling great stories. As always when shooters get together, the discussion of what we need or what we need to do to become better shooters is pretty much always the main subject at least once during the evening. And now, I’m waiting for that evening when the subject of wind flags comes up. Why? So I can say I put ceramic sealed bearings in my wind flags and they are great. That statement alone will make for a great discussion the rest of the weekend! Take care. JA Completed with new bearing
28
Precision Rifleman
Ranges, Clubs, and Contacts ER—Eastern Region Chippewa Rifle Club
www.chippewarifleclub.com GPS: N40 56.820 W81 44.583 Contact: Bob Denk 440 596-7238 1728 E Linden Ln, Parma, OH 44130 robertsdenk66@gmail.com Contact: Randy Perkowski 330 472-0856 1259 Curtis Ave, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 perkosrk@sbcglobal.net
Fairchance Rod & Gun Club
GPS: N39 48.704 W79 47.179 Contact: Bill Reahard 724 323-5044 PO Box 156, McClellandtown, PA 15458 reahard@verizon.net Contact: Jerry Van Sickle 724 569-2216 181 Guthrie Rd, Smithfield, PA 15478
Holton Gun & Bow Club
6201 Crystal Lake Rd, Holton, MI 49425 PO Box 128, Holton, MI 49425 www.holtongunandbowclub.com 231 821-9608 GPS: N43 23.742 W86 05.2566 Contact: Bruce Torrey, 231 288-4769 3951 Molly Blvd, Muskegon, MI 49444 Alternate: Nancy Scarbrough 231 638-6775 544 N Buys Rd, Muskegon, MI 49445 stocksunlimited@comcast.net
Isabella County Sportsmans Club
Corner of Winn & Millbrook Roads PO Box 383, Winn, MI 48896 www.isabellacountysportsmansclub.com Contact: Harry Ross 989 239-2738 3625 South Summerton Rd Mt Pleasant, MI 48858 heross@charter.net
Kane Fish & Game
Dwight Rd, 1 mile N of Kane on SR 321 www.kanefishandgameclub.org Steve Timpano – Group 814 837-9644 stimpano@verizon.net Ed Hanes - Group 814 837-9868 hanes329@comcast.net
Kelbly’s Rifle Range
7222 Dalton Fox Lake Rd N Lawrence, OH 44666 www.kelbly.com GPS: N40 52.9836 W81 40.6218 Contact: Jim Kelbly 330 683-4674 jim@kelbly.com
Shelby County Deer Hunter Assn
7988 Johnston-Slagle Rd, Sidney, OH 45365 937 492-2972 Contact: John Petteruti 937 654-7950 jpetteruti@woh.rr.com
WWCCA
6700 Napier Rd, Plymouth, MI 48170 734 453-9843 http://wwcca.com Contact: Dana Raven 734 748-5394 10930 Old 27N, Frederic, MI 49733-9734 dana_raven@yahoo.com Contact: Bill Gammon 519 453-6734 387 Speight Blvd, London, ONT N5V 3J8 Canada Bill.gammon@rogers.com
GC—Gulf Coast Region Austin Rifle Club
www.austinrifleclub.org PO Box 141399, Austin, TX 78714 Contact: Virgil Howarth 512 447-8968 2704 Inridge Dr, Austin, TX 78745 vhowarth@sbcglobal.net
Central Texas Benchrest
GPS: N29 44.695 W098 14.141 Contact:Sammye Dietz 830 885-4662 421 Range Rd, New Braunfels, TX 78132 Contact: Wayne Young 210 288-3063 391 Berry Oaks Dr, Bulverde, TX 78163 830 612-1277 or 67 wayne@swmco.com
Midland Shooters Association
4108 East County Rd 160, Midland, TX 79706 432 682-2332 www.midlandshooters.com Contact: Mike Conry 3212 E County Rd 136, Midland, TX 79706 432 528-8718 or 432 683-1332 MEConry@suddenlink.net
North TX Shooters Association
www.shootntsa.com GPS: N33 19.351 W97 08.938 Contact: Michael Stinnett 214 794-8006 6651 Blackjack Oaks Rd, Aubrey, TX 76227 mkstinnett@gmail.com
Seymour Stool Shooters
448 Hwy 283 South, Seymour, TX 76380 Contact: John Horn 940 636-9984 924 Peterson Rd S, Iowa Park, TX 76367 John.Horn44@gmail.com
Southwest Louisiana Rifle & Pistol
Contact: Ron Lee Miller 402 393-4536 8081 Dupont St. Omaha NE 68124 ncnbrsa@cox.net
Lincoln Izaak Walton League
10801 S 134th St, Bennet, NE 68317 Contact: Mike Shapoval 402 420-5763 mike10shapoval@windstream.net
Minnetonka Benchrest Association
8310 Hill n Dale Dr, St Francis, MN 55330 www.mgfc.org GPS: N45 23.42 W93 29.29 Contact: Scott Moser 612 961-6761 10412 Abbott Dr, Brooklyn Park MN 55443 samoser@comcast.net
Oak Hill Gun Club
12364 Coon Hunters Rd, Blue Grass, IA 52726 563 381-2677 Contact: Cecil Peterson 563 359-1988 2260 Cromwell Cir, Davenport IA 52807 peterson1@mchsi.com
Prairie Dog Target Club
Contact: Don Deckert 605 288-1919 HC 54, Box 3, Porcupine SD 57772 pdtc57772@yahoo.com
MV—Mississippi Valley
Bench Rest Rifle Club Of St Louis
2280 Kohn Rd, Wright City, MO 63390 www.shootingstl.com GPS: N38 53.353 W091 04.763 Scott Pieper - Group 636 745-2454 2280 Kohn Rd, Wright City MO 63390 pieper@shootingstl.com Wayne Corley - HTR/VFS 636 928-0882 2 Sheffield Ct, St Charles, MO 63304 waynecorley@sbcglobal.net
www.swla-rifleandpistol.org Contact: Mike Guillot 337 249-3712 1600 Cappy Dr, Lake Charles, LA 70605 Guillot4555@suddenlink.net
Columbus Sportsman’s Assn
Contact: Dwayne Pullum: 281 684-9004 Richard Pullum by email: richardpullum@embarqmail.com
Van Dyne Sportsmen’s Club
Tomball Gun Club
NC—North Central Region Boone Valley Ikes
Contact: Ronnie Berg 515 210-7772 104 S Dalander St, Madrid, IA 50156 mrberg@iowatelecom.net
Buffalo Outdoor Rifle Club
462 N Burritt, Buffalo, WY 82834 Contact Pete Eisele 307 217- 1155
Casper Score Shooters
2330 N Station Rd, Casper, WY 82601 307 265-2535 www.stuckenhoffshooterscomplex.net Contact: Tim Naugle 307 237-7185 1926 S Walnut St, Casper WY 82601 tnaugle@bresnan.net
Council Bluffs Rifle & Pistol Club
www.cbr-pc.org GPS: N41.39083 W95.37891 Contact: Gary Flury 712 328-0301 PO Box 1042, Council Bluffs, IA 50502 garysflury@gmail.com
W10924 Bryer Road, Columbus, WI 53925 www.csa12.com tabalding@gmail.com Contact Terry Balding 608 577-5193 1777 W Main St #203, Sun Prairie, WI 53590 www.vdsc.org or info@vdsc.org Contact: Dick Baier 920 688-2433 PO Box 8, Van Dyne WI 54979
NW—Northwest Region Wenatchee Benchrest Club
2800 #2 Canyon Rd, Wenatchee, WA www.wenrrc.org, zaccs@televar.com Contact: Dan Zaccanti 509 733-1003
Rogue Valley Shooting Sports Assn
6900 Kershaw Blvd, White City, OR 97502 Contact: Phil Grammatica 714 749-7216 philgrammatica@yahoo.com
Lewis-Clark Wildlife Club
27007 South Tom Beall Rd, Lapwai, ID 83540 280 843-2987 www.lcwildlife.org Contact: Paul Gylling - HTR/VFS 40102 State Route 195, Colfax WA 99111 PGylling@gmail.com 509 553-1118 Denny Andrews - Group 13263 Snake River Rd, Asotin WA 99402 andrewslaw1@gmail.com 509 243-7039
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
29
Ranges, Clubs, and Contacts Tacoma Rifle & Revolver Club
DarnellRM@embarqmail.com
8503 Chambers Creek Rd W University Place, WA 98467 www.tacomarifle.org Contact: Jeff Lewis 206 407-8299 32310 6th Ave SW, Federal Way, WA 98023 varminthunter1@comcast.net
Unaka Rod & Gun Club
Hwy 12 to Pasco-Kahlotus Rd www.tcmsa.org Contact: Rick DeGroat 509 308-7213 or 509 396-3166 rem10x308@aol.com
Land’s End Benchrest Shooters
Tri-Cities Metallic Silhouette Assn
Whittecar Rifle & Pistol Range
90 Furnace Rd, Johnson City, TN 37601 423 926-0221 www.unakarodandgun.com Contact: Matthew Keller 423 202-6932 1013 Washington College Station Rd Limestone, TN 37681 mk6ppc4@yahoo.com
MC—Mid-Continent Region 4 mi East of Hwy 50 on Reeder Mesa Rd Contact: Tom Stiner 970 257-9160 1521 Divide Rd, Whitewater CO 81527 TSTooling@hotmail.com
578 Blodgett View Dr, Hamilton, MT 59840 www.whittecarrange.com 406 363-7078 Contact: Jeff Jetter 406 777-5326 4168 Foxy Ridge Rd, Stevensville, MT 59870 JLJ4HBR@msn.com
Mill Creek Rifle Club
7212 Molt Rd, Billings, MT 406 656-2775 www.yrc.org Contact: Russell Cree 406 252-2230 405 South 35th St, Billings MT 59101 RACreeMT@aol.com
Northern CO Benchrest Shooters
Yellowstone Rifle Club
SE—Southeast Region Brock’s Gap Training Center
www.scssa.org GPS: N33 20 19.25 W86 52 28.00 3721 South Shades Crest Rd Birmingham, AL 35244 Contact: Steve Lee 205 428-2191 Lee.Steven@att.net
Manatee Gun & Archery Club
1805 Logue Rd, Myakka City, FL 34251 775 358-5014 www.manateegunclub.com GPS: N27 29.3610 W82 09.2448 Contact: Buddy Ross 407 448-8393 1845 Coronado Rd, Ft Myers, FL 33901 bross6mm@hotmail.com
Middle Georgia Gun Owners Assn
www.mggoa.com GPS: N32 24.3732 W82 53.0574 PO Box 4096, Dublin, GA 31040 Contact: Matt Walker 478 304-2749 mggoa1@gmail.com
River Bend Gun Club
988 River Bend Gun Club Road Dawsonville, GA 30534 770 876-2351 www.rbgc.org GPS: N34 20.198 W84 14.819 Contact: Jim Andress Group/Score 3605 Blackwell Run, Marietta, GA 30066 jim@precisionrifles.co, benchrest@rbc.org 770 876-2351 or 770 971-5269
Rockingham County Gun Club
572 Long Branch Road, Reidsville, NC 27320 www.rockinghamcountygunclub.com GPS: N36 25.536 W79 31.864 Contact: Roy Darnell 336 595-9110 4811 Camp Betty Hastings Rd Walkertown, NC 27051
7215 Gardner Rd, DeSoto, KS 66018 www.millcreekrc.org Contact:Larry Kuse - Group 913 649-7344 LRKuse@juno.com Contact:Ronald Shultz - Hunter/VFS 913 557-9879 38967 CR 51, Eaton, CO 80615 www.wcfw.org Contact: Bud Schalles 970 224-3740 PO Box 83, La Porte CO 80535 budschalles@aol.com
Okie Shooters Range
Contact: Rex Reneau 405 787-8529 7409 NW 28th Terrace, Bethany OK 73008 405 623-6019 or rreneau1@cox.net Ouachita Sportsmen’s Assn Contact: John Henry 870 326-5509 278 Maquire Ln, Pencil Bluff AR 71965
Ouachita Sportsmen’s Assn
Contact: John Henry 870 326-5509 278 Maquire Ln, Pencil Bluff AR 71965
Rio Grande Benchrest Shooters
GPS: N 35.084129 W 106.648628 16001 Shooting Range Access Rd NW Albuquerque, NM 87124 Contact: Ed Adams 505 401-5071 7923 Victoria Dr NW, Albuquerque NM 87120 trished5@comcast.net
Whittington Center
34025 US 64, Raton, NM 87740 575 445-3615 www.nrawc.org Contact: Ed Adams 505 401-5071 7923 Victoria Dr NW, Albuquerque NM 87120 trished5@comcast.net
SW—Southwest Region Arizona Benchrest Shooters
4044 W Black Canyon Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85086 GPS: N33 27 12.22 W112 37 12.20 Contact: Art Clegg 623 878-4979 6210 W Mescal St, Glendale, AZ 85304 ahclegg@cox.net
Central Utah Benchrest
Contact: Dave Tunbridge 801 571-6755 966 Stacie Ave, Sandy UT 84094 drtunbridge@gmail.com
Desert Sportsman Rifle Club
12201 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89135 702 642-9928 www.dsrpc.net GPS: N36.1498 W115.3653 Contact: Keith Myers - VFS keithmyers@yahoo.com or 702 217-3591
Ojai Valley Gun Club
www.dock.net/ovgc Contact: Barry Bluhm 805 798-2473 608 E Oak St, Ojai CA 93023 TwiLiteZ585@hotmail.com
Palomino Valley Gun Club
Washoe County Shooting Facility 21555 Pyramid Lake Hwy, Reno NV 80502 palominovalleygunclub.homestead.com GPS: N39 51.374 W119 40.046 Contact: Robert Hoppe - Long Range PO BOX 4251, Sparks NV 89432 RobH@saturnnet.com 775 827-8679 or 775 397-3358 Contact: Steve Archibald - Varmint 5017 Pleasant View Dr, Sparks, NV 89434 775 356-5850 (h) or 775 742-1153 (c) nevadaswa@aol.com
Sahuaro 1000-Yard Benchrest
www.tucsonrifleclub.org Contact: Karl Hunstiger 602 971-4400 2901 E Cortez St, Phoenix AZ 85028 wfo13@aol.com
Sloughhouse Benchrest Shooters
www.sloughhousebenchrest.com Contact: Craig St Claire - Long Range galtshtr@gmx.com or 209 744-2274 Contact: Dan Lutke - Short Range 408 241-9759 lutke5@sbcglobal.net Contact: Bill Mellor - Short Range 916 354-1782 rollem11@att.net
Visalia Sportsman Association
7398 Avenue 328, Visalia, CA 93291 599 651-3063 www.visaliasportsmans.com Contact: Dennis Thornbury 559 432-4401 PO Box 105, Visalia, CA 93279 559 280-6243 gunhandler@gmail.com
EU—European Region Benchrest Dolomiti
Via Alemagna 1/a, Dobbiaco, Italy 39034 info@alpenfuchs.it Contact: Americo Angaran americo.angaran@gmail.com
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Precision Rifleman
* Flash * NBRSA News * Flash * NBRSA News * Flash * NBRSA News *
...and now a word from Dear Timmy. A column of shooting shenanigans and questionable advice for your reading enjoyment... Did You Do All Those Things You Promised To Do During The Winter? Ah, the winter months; they are at last ebbing. Now is the time for all benchrest shooters to ponder what they have accomplished verses what they have vowed to do over the off season. Here are some typical examples: What you vowed: I will practice, tune and shoot (weather permitting) over the winter. What actually happened: I sat my buttocks in the lazy boy, surfed the web and guzzled egg nog. What you vowed: I will turn ALL of my brass and have it ready for next season. What will happen: I need to turn 20 cases now for the first match tomorrow. What you vowed: I will clean the actions, triggers, barrels and wax the
stocks on all my rifles; put them away and be ready for next year. I will go through all my equipment and get it ready. What will happen: Augh, there was a giant spider in my loading box. It jumped on me and now I can’t find it! Wishing all of you the best season ever. Now, where is that spider?..Oh no, not THERE! Uncle Timmy 2014 Trophy (National) Fees Change In the process of determining what recognition to provide for the combined Hunter/VFS Nationals this year, it was discovered that the organization has incurred a significant loss from last year’s national events in this area. To stem the loss, President Thornbury and the NBRSA Board has decided to implement new charges for the 2014 National Events. The charges are $20/ per person for Group, Hunter & VFS Nationals and $10/per person for each Long Range National (600 and 1000 yards). The fee is less for Long Range since NBRSA provides patches for recognition only, whereas the Group, Hunter & VFS Nationals will receive silver bowls, bolo ties and patches for recognition. There is no trophy fee
charged for the LR Varmint Nationals, as the organization does not supply any recognition to this event. The NBRSA desires to provide ample recognition to our fine shooters across the disciplines but the costs incurred must be offset by member participation. Accordingly, President Thornbury and the Board has placed the Trophy/ National Fee structure on the agenda for this year’s Board Meeting scheduled for Saturday, September 20. Additionally, the Board has added a review of the recognition items as well. Please contact your Regional Director if you want to contribute to this recognition process so that your thoughts and preferences will be heard. The Board and Officers appreciate your understanding and input as we work to improve our recognition program for our fine shooters.
Advertising Index
Hodgdon/IMR 2 Gradient Lens 3 PMA Tool 6 Berger Bullets 7 Haverkamp Actions 8 Lilja Rifle Barrels 9 Anneal-Rite 10 Benchrite, LLC 11 Accugauge/6mmPPC 12 Marsh Industries 13 Magnum Metal 15 Shadetree Engineering 15 Firearms Industry Super Shoot 19 Chippewa 20 Hog Roast 21 Butch’s Reloading 24 Darton International 25 21st Century Shooting 26 BAT Actions 27 Hoehn Sales 30 Kelbly’s Back Page
On the cover:
Shooters in Action at River Bend Gun Club’s Fall Classic in November, 2012. The first few shooters are Danny Morgan, Mark Roper, Jerry Sharrett, Dalton Jones & Don Hardeman. In the background is range officer Brady Knight. Photo courtesy of Jim Andress. Thank you.
March, 2014 Precision Rifleman
Regional Directors Eastern Region
Staff Exp 2014
Jack Neary 6204 Wild Oak Dr, North Olmstead, OH 44070 H: 440 716-0600 C: 336 542-8711 jrneary@hotmail.com
Gulf Coast Region
Officers Dennis Thornbury, President 1114 S McAuliff St Visalia, CA 93292 H: 559 732-4401 C: 559 280 6243 gunhandler@gmail.com Term Expires 2014 Don Nielson, Vice President 20456 Hart St, Winnetka, CA 91306 H: 818 883-5866 pkin@sbcglobal.net Term Expires 2014 John Horn, Financial Officer 924 Peterson Rd South Iowa Park, TX 76367-7237 C: 940 636-9984 Term Expires 2014 John.Horn44@gmail.com
Committees World Records Committee: Group Gene Bukys, Chairman 2111 Silver Moon Trail Crosby, TX 77532 281 324-2605 egb243@msn.com Kent Harshman, Committee Member Ron Hoehn, Committee Member Lowell Frei, Committee Member World Records Committee: Score David Halblom, Chairman 4315 Ashby Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310 DavidHalblom-BugTyer@att.net 515 556-5833 Dan Zaccanti, Committee Member Larry Kuse, Committee Member Rich Carpenter, Committee Member International Representative Wayne Campbell 264 Benchrest Ln, Concord, VA 24538 H: 434 993-9201 C: 434 665-2066 wcppc@icloud.com Varmint For Score Representative (Southwest Region) Keith Myers 702 217-3591 keithmyers@yahoo.com Long Range Measuring Committee Karl Hunstiger, Chairman 602 971-4400 wfo13@aol.com
Mississippi Valley Region Exp 2014
Bud Mundy 5956 Old Hickory Trail Hillsboro, MO 63050 C: 314 805-1313 bcmundy@earthlink.net
Exp 2015
Terry Meyer PO Box 52 Thornton, IA 50479 H: 641 998-2860 C: 641 425-3397 tdmeyer6ppc@gmail.com North Central Alternate Rodney Brown PO Box 7218, Sheridan, WY 82801 C: 303 378-6085 rbrown@vanaire.net
Mid-Continent Region
Exp 2015
Butch Fjoser 7 Summerfield St, Woodward, OK 73801 C: 580 334-2643 W: 580 254-9764 butchsguns@yahoo.com
North West Region
Exp 2015
Dan Zaccanti 1542 Tacoma Ave, Bridgeport, WA 98813 C: 509 733-1003 zaccs@televar.com North West Alternate Paul Holland PO Box 1498, Big Fork, MT 59911 406 837-5583 plumbing@centurytel.net
South East Region
Exp 2014
South West Region
Exp 2014
Wayne Campbell 264 Benchrest Ln Concord, VA 24538 H: 434 993-9201 C: 434 665-2066 wcppc@icloud.com Tom Libby 74056 Aster Dr. Palm Desert, CA 92260-2653 B: 760 341-7335 C: 760 774-5256 tomnbrsa@outlook.com
European Region
Philippe Riboulet 126 Avenue De La Timone 13010 Marseille, France priboulet@hotmail.fr
Business Manager, NBRSA Editor, Precision Rifleman Magazine Advertising Sales Contact Audrey Brown PO Box 6770, Sheridan, WY 82801 W: 307 655-7415 C: 307 217-1966 nbrsa.manager@gmail.com
Exp 2015
Scott Hunter 1612 Buchanan St, Wichita Falls, TX 76309 H: 940 723-5147 C: 940 631-4545 Shunter@NTS-online.net Gulf Coast Alternate Mike Bryant 7761 FM 592, Wheeler, TX 79096 806 826-5958, mike@bryantcustom.com
North Central Region
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Exp 2014
Legal Representation
Elliot Law Office Al Elliott, 325 387-3529 albertelliott@mail.com
Change of Address: To change your address or report a damaged or undelivered magazine, write: NBRSA, PO Box 6770, Sheridan, WY 828017105. Do not return damaged copies. Change of address should include both new address and a mailing label bearing the old one. In case of duplication send both labels. Contributors: The editor is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Advertisers: Rate cards and terms are available online at www.nbrsa.org/membership-info. We appreciate your support! Safety Disclaimer: The publication, writers, organization officers, staff, and directors explicitly advise the readers that they make no representation of safety for any loads, techniques, and procedures if reported herein. The nature of participating in a shooting sport automatically requires caution at all times. Given the many variables present—weather, equipment, and components— the information presented is for your reading enjoyment.
Printed in the USA
Publisher: NBRSA, Inc. Printed By: Lithotech, Phoenix, AZ 85009 Advertising, Classifieds & Membership: Audrey Brown, Editor 307 655-7415 Precision Rifleman (ISSN 1061950X) is published monthly by NBRSA Inc PO Box 6770 3647 US Hwy 87 Sheridan, WY 82801 Phone: 307 655-7415 Email: nbrsa.manager@gmail.com for the benefit of its members. Membership dues is $60 per year US of which $40 is designated for a magazine subscription. Canadian postage add $25/ year. All other International postage add $60/year. For Membership inquiries call 307 655-7415. Copyright 2013, National Bench Rest Shooters Association. All rights reserved except where expressly waived. Periodicals Class Postage paid at Sheridan, WY & additional offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Precision Rifleman, PO Box 6770, Sheridan, WY 82801.
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Precision Rifleman
New KLP BR stock is a lot like a Scoville stock. The KLP features 1" forearm sidewalls, carbon fiber material and 24 ounces.
New Sako ejector ready Panda action. Available in micro port or standard port.