Final results:
My comments and observations as a second year FTR shooter attending the Berger Southwest Nationals for the second time:
- At the practice match at Ben Avery the Saturday, before the big match, a brief ceremony was held where the ashes of a shooter were buried at the 600 yard line. I later found out that it was the remains of an older shooter I helped carry equipment to the line last February. He was lucky enough to compete right into his last year. The very next day I met the son of a local shooter I met last year, he is 10 years old and just starting out. The whole family of five live here and shoot as much as they can. Although the equipment looks a little big for his size this year it will probably be closer to fitting next year (see pictue). For those of us in the game I am sure you can relate to the cost and commitment of keeping five shooters going. This can be a lifelong activity.
-Winds at Ben Avery can easily change from 5 minutes left to 3 minutes right when shooting a 30 minute string with 155.5s. This is my third exposure to string shooting. When the snow finally melts at home I will be practicing string shooting to learn the patience to wait for a condition to return during the 30 minute period.
-When you return here for the second time you will be surprised how many shooters you met the previous year that you can carry on a conversation where you left off. If you are considering coming you will feel very welcome. You will meet people from all over the world. We had a young South African shoot with us on the team match (he is in his early twenties). We quickly discovered he was a pretty good wind coach and some of the guys thought it was great shooting center with him turning scope knobs in between shots. We did mess him up a little with the reverse turn Schmidts though. We later found out he coached even younger shooters in South Africa.
-The hats Prairie Gun Works supplied and the rifle covers I had made served us well as identification. Most attending knew us as “The Canadians” over the week. It appears you must know the temperature at home at all times, you will be asked. Thanks Ross and Steve of Prairie gun works for the hats.
-It seems that, like many other sports, the 10 dollar items will take you out of the race. After shooting this setup for 6 months the sling stud broke off the rail insert on round 3 of a 15 round string. Shooting 12 shots resting your rifle on a bipod you are holding up with one hand does not really work that well. I thought I was out of the competition because finding a Freeland rail sling insert is quite difficult when Les Dolhun said “ I have one of those with me in my tool kit”. I continued on the next day. Saved again by a fellow shooter!
-Good glass is amazing. On no mirage days I could see the hole pasters at 1000 yards. This was my first match with a new Schmidt and Bender 50 power. I am now anxiously waiting for snow to melt.
-Load development does not appear to work well in sub-zero temperatures. I thought I had the Berger 185s working for me but after the first day I had to switch back to 155.5 Bergers and a proven load for this temperature and elevation. Thanks Ken Nelson for supplying me with components and to Gerry Wiens for helping me reload shells every night.
-It appears that President Obama may be the best gun salesman the US has ever had. Store shelves are bare in most stores. They actually get to hear what we hear all the time ``We don`t have any and we don`t know when we are getting any``.
-And finally, the really good strings will keep you coming back. On the last day, first string, with very reasonable conditions, I shot the spindle out of the spotter on my 20th shot. There is no better feeling than seeing that spotter fall. The target marker retrieved it and when I got to the pitts the new spotter had 3 other holes in it plus the blown out spindle. I assure you not all strings were like that but days like that make it hard to go back to the snow pile and wait for two and half months to shoot again. Those make great match souvenirs!
Newest pictures will be posted first.
Canadians at the match:
left to right are:
Barry Hamilton
Jim Wilderman
Ken Nelson
Eric Bisson
Gerry Wiens
Missing:
Les Dolhun
If Darrell Buell of Team Savage shoots this one we may stand a chance. Actually he had the new Night Force out on the line for everyone to see.
A work in progress on display by one of the gun builders attending.
A truck owned by one of the Team USA members.
As one of the Canadian team members I reluctantly post the following.
Thought you might like this one. Handgun carry is legal in Arizona. Don't know if his back up gun would do him much good at 800 though.
Here are todays 600 yard results.
Sling
F Class
F Open
Got to pull targets next to James Croft - 2012 US Nationals FTR Champion - great guy!!!
I will attempt to keep you updated on the Berger Southwest Nationals over the next week.
So far there has been a little window shopping and a 600 yard warm up match at Ben Avery.
We stopped in at Cabellas today, the line up of people with completed paperwork to purchase firearms at the cash register was approximately 30 deep.
The firearms frenzy is just as you are hearing in Canada. No powder, no primers, gun rack is sparse and they have no idea when supplies are coming in.
Les and Gerry looked after the Canadian flag raising. Right side up and correct song, everything went well.
Brian Litz chief ballistician for Berger Bullets put on a seminar on bullet design and details of long range. Two things were made very clear, the need for leveling when positioning rifle and the need for determining your scope tracking.
Mid Tompkins, wind coach for the US National FTR team demonstrated rifle set up and some variables. The rest of the day was wind clinic with 20 shots each.
It's tough being a Canadian in a gun shop here knowing you can't take any of these home with you.
A bin of Krieger barrels.
A bin of McMillan Stocks
A quick trip to Dillon
A little identity for the Canadian shooters at the match.
PGW supplied hats for all Canadian shooters.
Ben Avery range. Today conditions were ideal for Canadians to "warm up". Very little wind and reasonable turnout for a practice match prior to the big event.
Shot Phoenix Rod and Gun Club 500 yard match today (Sunday)
I was introduced to the youngest F class shooter I have met. He is 10. Got to thinking that if he keeps shooting he will have 45 years of experience by the time he is my age. He is pictured with his dad scoring and his older brother in the background. The whole family of 5 shoot F class. His rifle is a .223.
Unique solutions to problems.
My comments and observations as a second year FTR shooter attending the Berger Southwest Nationals for the second time:
- At the practice match at Ben Avery the Saturday, before the big match, a brief ceremony was held where the ashes of a shooter were buried at the 600 yard line. I later found out that it was the remains of an older shooter I helped carry equipment to the line last February. He was lucky enough to compete right into his last year. The very next day I met the son of a local shooter I met last year, he is 10 years old and just starting out. The whole family of five live here and shoot as much as they can. Although the equipment looks a little big for his size this year it will probably be closer to fitting next year (see pictue). For those of us in the game I am sure you can relate to the cost and commitment of keeping five shooters going. This can be a lifelong activity.
-Winds at Ben Avery can easily change from 5 minutes left to 3 minutes right when shooting a 30 minute string with 155.5s. This is my third exposure to string shooting. When the snow finally melts at home I will be practicing string shooting to learn the patience to wait for a condition to return during the 30 minute period.
-When you return here for the second time you will be surprised how many shooters you met the previous year that you can carry on a conversation where you left off. If you are considering coming you will feel very welcome. You will meet people from all over the world. We had a young South African shoot with us on the team match (he is in his early twenties). We quickly discovered he was a pretty good wind coach and some of the guys thought it was great shooting center with him turning scope knobs in between shots. We did mess him up a little with the reverse turn Schmidts though. We later found out he coached even younger shooters in South Africa.
-The hats Prairie Gun Works supplied and the rifle covers I had made served us well as identification. Most attending knew us as “The Canadians” over the week. It appears you must know the temperature at home at all times, you will be asked. Thanks Ross and Steve of Prairie gun works for the hats.
-It seems that, like many other sports, the 10 dollar items will take you out of the race. After shooting this setup for 6 months the sling stud broke off the rail insert on round 3 of a 15 round string. Shooting 12 shots resting your rifle on a bipod you are holding up with one hand does not really work that well. I thought I was out of the competition because finding a Freeland rail sling insert is quite difficult when Les Dolhun said “ I have one of those with me in my tool kit”. I continued on the next day. Saved again by a fellow shooter!
-Good glass is amazing. On no mirage days I could see the hole pasters at 1000 yards. This was my first match with a new Schmidt and Bender 50 power. I am now anxiously waiting for snow to melt.
-Load development does not appear to work well in sub-zero temperatures. I thought I had the Berger 185s working for me but after the first day I had to switch back to 155.5 Bergers and a proven load for this temperature and elevation. Thanks Ken Nelson for supplying me with components and to Gerry Wiens for helping me reload shells every night.
-It appears that President Obama may be the best gun salesman the US has ever had. Store shelves are bare in most stores. They actually get to hear what we hear all the time ``We don`t have any and we don`t know when we are getting any``.
-And finally, the really good strings will keep you coming back. On the last day, first string, with very reasonable conditions, I shot the spindle out of the spotter on my 20th shot. There is no better feeling than seeing that spotter fall. The target marker retrieved it and when I got to the pitts the new spotter had 3 other holes in it plus the blown out spindle. I assure you not all strings were like that but days like that make it hard to go back to the snow pile and wait for two and half months to shoot again. Those make great match souvenirs!
Newest pictures will be posted first.
Canadians at the match:
left to right are:
Barry Hamilton
Jim Wilderman
Ken Nelson
Eric Bisson
Gerry Wiens
Missing:
Les Dolhun
If Darrell Buell of Team Savage shoots this one we may stand a chance. Actually he had the new Night Force out on the line for everyone to see.
A work in progress on display by one of the gun builders attending.
A truck owned by one of the Team USA members.
As one of the Canadian team members I reluctantly post the following.
Thought you might like this one. Handgun carry is legal in Arizona. Don't know if his back up gun would do him much good at 800 though.
Here are todays 600 yard results.
Sling
F Class
F Open
Got to pull targets next to James Croft - 2012 US Nationals FTR Champion - great guy!!!
I will attempt to keep you updated on the Berger Southwest Nationals over the next week.
So far there has been a little window shopping and a 600 yard warm up match at Ben Avery.
We stopped in at Cabellas today, the line up of people with completed paperwork to purchase firearms at the cash register was approximately 30 deep.
The firearms frenzy is just as you are hearing in Canada. No powder, no primers, gun rack is sparse and they have no idea when supplies are coming in.
Les and Gerry looked after the Canadian flag raising. Right side up and correct song, everything went well.
Brian Litz chief ballistician for Berger Bullets put on a seminar on bullet design and details of long range. Two things were made very clear, the need for leveling when positioning rifle and the need for determining your scope tracking.
Mid Tompkins, wind coach for the US National FTR team demonstrated rifle set up and some variables. The rest of the day was wind clinic with 20 shots each.
It's tough being a Canadian in a gun shop here knowing you can't take any of these home with you.
A bin of Krieger barrels.
A bin of McMillan Stocks
A quick trip to Dillon
A little identity for the Canadian shooters at the match.
PGW supplied hats for all Canadian shooters.
Ben Avery range. Today conditions were ideal for Canadians to "warm up". Very little wind and reasonable turnout for a practice match prior to the big event.
Shot Phoenix Rod and Gun Club 500 yard match today (Sunday)
I was introduced to the youngest F class shooter I have met. He is 10. Got to thinking that if he keeps shooting he will have 45 years of experience by the time he is my age. He is pictured with his dad scoring and his older brother in the background. The whole family of 5 shoot F class. His rifle is a .223.
Unique solutions to problems.
Last edited:
