NRA midrange/creedmoor championships.

[Don McDowell]

Just got back from Raton. Had a fanatastic time. Dave Gullo won the Creedmoor, also set a new national record at 800 with a 100 x8 x score.
Next years dates will be Sept 14 thru the 23. So mark you calendars now , and start making plans.
Shooting that match is one great time and also gives a person the chance to rub elbows with some of the finest marksmen in the world!

[Kurt]

You might get company next year if things work out on this end. Sept is always a busy time for me with the Lodi match and other activities.
I see only 33 competitors shot. Is that all that showed up?? or was there something else going on there?

[Don McDowell]

That's all that shot in the "ironman", which is all 3 matches. There was probably close to 50+ shooters total. Some of the folks that shot position didn't shoot prone or the Creedmoor, and some only shot the Creedmoor. Some had to pull out early due to other concerns at home.
Some that didn't shoot the prone thought they had to shoot prone, and didn't know they could of shot from sitting crossticks if they wanted.
Kurt you'll really enjoy shooting the nationals. I'm going back every chance I get. Just had a fantastic time, there was some tough conditions to be sure with the weather floating in and out the way it was.
Then there was the night the elk were running around the campground all night bugling and carrying on, guess they just must of missed the quite time period from 10 pm to 6 am sign...

[Don McDowell]

Here's an overall of my scores
Day one of the position midrange left me with a score of 233 Day two (broken firing pin) left me hanging out with a score of 191 1x
Day one of the prone midrange shot a 254-4x, Day two 241-2x.
Day one of the Creedmoor left a disappointing 171, and day two even more frightfull at 148 –2x..
All loads were with patched bulllets.

And as a note of interest, we've all seen and participated in those threads about the military butt, most claiming they not to be a good choice.. Well if a person gets a chance to check out the score board from Byers and Raton, it is worth noting that Oli Shockley who placed well in the Creedmoor shoots a #3 in 45-70 with a standard weight barrel , from,,, are you ready for this???? Sitting crosssticks. So much for those that say that military butt isn't good for competition shooting...

[Kurt]

Here's an overall of my scores
Day one of the position midrange left me with a score of 233 Day two (broken firing pin) left me hanging out with a score of 191 1x
Day one of the prone midrange shot a 254-4x, Day two 241-2x.
Day one of the Creedmoor left a disappointing 171, and day two even more frightfull at 148 –2x..
All loads were with patched bulllets.

And as a note of interest, we've all seen and participated in those threads about the military butt, most claiming they not to be a good choice.. Well if a person gets a chance to check out the score board from Byers and Raton, it is worth noting that Oli Shockley who placed well in the Creedmoor shoots a #3 in 45-70 with a standard weight barrel , from,,, are you ready for this???? Sitting crosssticks. So much for those that say that military butt isn't good for competition shooting...

I'm going to go one or two steps farther A cressent butplate with a light weight barrel set off with a single trigger also has no adverse effects as far as I can find

[Don McDowell]

Actually Kurt I think a crescent butt that gives a good fit to ones shoulder, might actually be a great advantage over all others.
Mike Rix and Eron Ahmer have kicked around the idea of an original style match, any position 10 lb rifle and single trigger.. Hope they get it done one of these days.

[Don McDowell]

Here's Dan T's take on the 2013 nationals.

NRA BPTR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ladies and Gents,

The 2013 NRA BPTR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS was a blast, pun-in-ten-did. The NRA crew headed by Barry Ranney, the new director, and Greg Connor did a splendid job of running the national championships. Skip did his usual spectacular job of building targets and running the pits. We had several "old timers" such a Dustin running the line with Kellen helping keep us old farts in line, on the line. Down in the pits Skip had another one of the “old timers,” from the Jonathan era, keeping the old farts on the job of pulling targets. Those of you that did not make it this year owe it to yourselves to attend the 2014 BPTR championships, again in September. The weather was much nicer than the typical heat of July; cooler, except for a single rain/hail delay that was well managed by the NRA staff.

Some spectacular scores were shot during the championships. To start with, Michael Rix shot an unbelievable 98-4X at 600-yds during the mid-range position match with his trusty 40-60 Maynard, in not so easy conditions to set a new national record. Ya, 40's with 16-twist barrels can shoot that far against the 45's don't ya know. :lol: :lol: :lol: Well done Michael! But, that tenacious Texan, Terry York, (without his sidekick John Moore) went one better by firing a 99-6X two days later at 600-yds during the last day of prone mid-range. I don't know what Terry was shooting, but a GREAT BIG ATA-BOY to Terry. Maybe someone can fill us in on the rifle/load details. The ever entertaining Rick Moritz won the mid-range position match shooting his "Killer Bee," a 12-twist, 38-50, to an aggregate score of 549/600. And, as can be expected, the ever irrepressible Doc Lay laid down the law during the prone mid-range matches. His back-to-back 291's did the trick whilst shooting his trusty Browning 40-65. It launches a super-secret bullet that doesn't know wind exists:-))) On the first day of the mid-range prone match Doc Lay came within the slimmest of distances of going 100-10X at 200 yards, but had to settle for a 100-9X. Man, did I feel bad about muffing his wind call. Oh, by the way, the current 200-yd record, 100-10X was set using a duplex load, which was allowed back then. Maybe we need an “*” for those records, kinda like setting batting records while taking anabolic steroids. So, maybe Doc’s 100-9X is the “TRUE BLACK” BPCR record. I know of a couple of guys that have done that with the “TRUE BLACK.” They should also be acknowledged. I’m thinking Gazaway and Colt Smoke have both gone 100-9X with the “True Black.”

On the last day of the long-range match the best was yet to come. I'm not certain of all the actual X-counts; but, Dave Gullo shot a mind-boggling 100-8X for a new national record at 800-yds. He followed that with a 98-4X at 900-yds. But, during the 1,000-yd relays we had the most difficult, easy-looking conditions Raton has yet thrown at the hardy bunch of long-range diehards. Due to a neck problem I didn't shoot my 1,000-yd relay, but did enjoy watching the shooting though my spotting scope along with Doc Lay. Man!!!...there were brake lights everywhere. The new "miss" marking is composed of two orange scoring markers, one in each lower corner of the target, hence the designation "brake lights." Our intrepid long-range Dave had as difficult a time at 1,000-yds as did everyone else, scoring only an 82. I think John V. (Dave's coach/spotter) was feeling the worse for wear and tear after that relay.

Doc Lay won the "Ironman" this year. The "Ironman" is the aggregate score for all three of the NRA BPTR events: mid-range position, mid-range prone and long-range. In the minds of many of us the "Ironman" winner is the true NRA BPTR champion. Way to go Doc Lay.

We are working (Michael Rix reports that he has been working on this for a few years) on having a perpetual trophy made along with smaller trophies for the top-three Ironman/Ironwoman...Ironperson???...how about NRA National BPTR Champion.

Feedback from Herr KLAUS SCHATTLEITNER suggested that the coach (spotter sounds way to demeaning and belittling to me) should also be named on the perpetual trophy. The matches are, after all, a team sport.