Longest Shot Competion (Midwest): How far can you go??

[Kevin]

Last Match of the year: Nov 1/2!!

I'd like to invite you all out to a great match. CIHPRS is organizing a Longest Shot competition at Camp Atterbury (about an hour South of Indianapolis, IN.) Date: Nov 1/2. The match will most likely be a 2-day event (unless we finish on Saturday). We hosted one last weekend and we had multiple shooters get to pull triggers at 2000 yds.

We had a comment at the last match that it was "the most fun you can have with a rifle!" While your imagination can run wild with that one, I personally agree.

***THIS IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS OR INEXPERIENCED SHOOTERS. You must have shot in a previous approved 1000yd match (not necessarily at Camp Atterbury or with CIHPRS.

We start at 1000yds and proceed back 100yds at a time (up to 1900 during this next match due to Camp Atterbury range availability.

Equipment: Standard High-power classes (Palma, Match Rifle, Any-Any, F-Open, F/TR). Brakes and Silencers ARE allowed at this type of event!

You will have up to 7 shots per distance (no sighters). Unlimited sighters at 1000yds subject to the "Sniper award" rule below.

Scoring (subject to change slightly). The website below lists an older scoring method which will now be closer to what you see below.

x or 10 ring (12 pts)
8 or 9 ring (10 pts)
Any white hit on 6ft sq target board outside 44" dia black (6 pts)

A total score of 24 pts or more qualify you to remain in the competition. Any score less than 24 and greater than zero will qualify you to shoot the next distance, but you are out of the longest shot competition. There may or may-not be a total score "match within a match." If so, it will be completely optional, meaning once you get 24 pts, you may stop shooting unless you want to be part of the total score match. (Primary competition is Longest Shot). Another "Match within a match" element will be a "Sniper" award. This will be an aggregate of your first shot scores at each distance (first sighter at 1k). "second shots need not apply"

If you are interested, you need to sign up at www.cihprs.org under "Events". Please note, you will need to supply all information on the requested forms no later than Tuesday 10/21 as all paperwork must be completely turned into the military early in the week.

Cost is $50/day to enter. Shooters will pull targets and score competitors (as in a standard long-range match).

Ask away if you have any questions.

Kevin Hill
CIHPRS member and member of the ONE Mile Club!

 

[jhop28]

What a great event and group of guy's. I will see you there Kevin

 

[TroyMN]

Is anyone from the Minnesota area planning on driving down? It is about 11 hour drive from my place thought truck pooling might cut my fuel in half.
Troy

 

[crowsnest2002]

If someone goes I'd like to see some photos.

 

[Kevin]

I'll get some more photos this weekend.

Attached is the view from the 1900yd berm. Unfortunately, this is as far as I got to pull trigger. I couldn't hit the 6' sq target board from here in the 10 mph variable cross wind.

 

[Kevin]

24 hrs to sign up. Really, it's a blast. Come on....you know you want to try it.

Be sure to sign up through www.cihprs.org through the events page.

 

[21shooter]

Hi Kevin, What kind of rig were You shooting? Cal? Thanks, John

 

[Kevin]

Hi John,
I was shooting my 284 Winchester F-Open rig ( using Harris bipod). Most guys were shooting 338 Lapua or some variation on 300 such as 300WM

By the way, brakes and silencers are allowed. It's not often you get to shoot a match with those.

Come on out. It's a great way to learn what you can do with your caliber. I think you were shooting the same 7 as me when you shot at Atterbury earlier in the year.

Kevin

 

[Kevin]

Report coming later when I can download some pictures.

Two shooters hit black at 2000yds! Four will get their 1 mile certificate.

Awesome day at the range.

 

[RDavies]

Sounds like a great event, I would like to see some of these events where I live.

 

[AlanPF]

Sounds like a great event, I would like to see some of these events where I live.

Rod,

Coonabarabran springs to mind. We need to ask Mick Davies how far he can go back! Last I heard there is a mile mound?

Alan

 

[Kevin]

We have the final Longest Shot Competition this coming weekend (11/1 and 11/2 if necessary). This time we got done with 9 shooters in one day, but it was too close to think it's possible again. The days are getting really short.

Since I don't have time to download pictures before I head to Arizona, let me paint a mental picture, followed by a question, for you: (Sorry it's long. But it's interesting if you'd ever considering a competition like this.)

Scenario: You made it through 1000yds, 1100 and so on through 1500. I know your thinking...'Hmmm, this is no problem' (except the 10's and X's are becoming rarer.) You go to the pits to work a long shift. Your mind starts thinking as you see the other shooters start missing more regularly.

The other relays start dropping out competition due to not making 24pts (12 for x/10, 10 for 8/9 and 6 for white hit on 72" target board). Some are missing targets and are done shooting for the day (need 1 on paper to move back.)

After a while, the match director calls "Firing is complete. Pits are unsealed, Participants in the pits report to 1600yd line.

You get back to line (after a 5 minute drive!). Start dragging your gear to line up a 15' tall mound shaped like this: /\

Three trips later once rifles are allowed on line, you set it up and get down behind the rifle to align it to target. Dang, it's pointed down hill and all you see is the berm 100yds in front of you. So, now you jump up and start dragging your crap back until it seems you're sliding off the firing point. Yep, it's true. You are having trouble getting a grip. But, you've got to go with it because you have 3 mins to prep and 7 minutes to fire off 7 shots (if it takes you that many).

You finally get as comfortable as possible and it finally hits you. The wind is WAY DIFFERENT than it was at 1500yds a couple hours ago. Now where are those wind flags? That's right, dammit, there is only 1 (a small range-hot red flag 1000yds in front of you (on the 600yd line) and 300yds to the right of your target. Dang, You've got to start reading mirage. But 1600yds of mirage just looks like a flowing river. Then things really get interesting up in the ol' melon. Did you dial the right elevation? You double check the charts. Oh crap, the charts are different from the phone app now because the phone app compensates for temp that's gone up, wind that's gone up and rotated direction, and humidity that's dropped 20 pts since your last shot. You take a mental average of elevation and windage from charts and apps, dial the scopes (yep, that really says 6.5 moa wind when the last shot you took was 2.5 moa.) OMG, you see that 6.5moa is about 105" of wind drift at this distance! That's way on the other side of the adjacent target. But you try not to think about it.

Time began a minute ago because you were lost in calculations. You know you've got to take a shot quickly. You just point the dang gun towards that black spot down there (it looks similar to a target, however, no rings are visible any more. But, the number board is still visible. Yep, that's it. You pull the trigger....wait for the target to go down. it takes longer than usual, but it does go down (it's now taking 2 seconds for the bullets to get there all while being pushed by the 8 moa wind, or has the wind changed yet again since the trigger pull.) The target does go down. You crack a quick smile, because you know it's always a good thing when it goes down on the first shot. But, it stays down longer than you think it should. You hear the match director yell out "No Hit on Target X" (look at number board again. Damn, it's your target number. And sure enough it comes up "empty" (we don't use conventional scoring disks. Just a couple different 10" shot markers to designate 12 pts from 10 pts.)

Oh ^%*&#$, no flags to help. You check the charts....tick-tock... You check the app....tick-tock....You try to find the wind flag, but it's so hard to see the red flag against a treeline that's turning fall colors (and is so darn small at this point.) You check the knobs again, they all look good. But, your gut it tightening up. You regain your position as you're slipping down the hill some more after the recoil of the large rifle. You want to ask your scorer for help, but the rules say you're on your own.

You need one on paper to move back to 1700 (in the next 6 shots). You need 24 total pts to stay in competition. Holy cow, you want that ONE MILE Certificate so bad and you only have to get back to more berms (and hit paper). But, at this particular instance, you're nervous as heck.

---End of my scenario. Now it's your turn to answer.....
Question for you guys: What is your next move? What is your strategy? How cool are you under pressure?

By the way, I'd like to thank Mr. Jeff Golay for inventing this match and keeping it fun and interesting (although that kind of takes care of itself). Also, thanks go to CIHPRS.org for hosting the event, and Camp Atterbury for allowing us to close down a significant portion of the military base for these types of matches. They are a great group to work with.

Pix to follow later in the week. (I guess typing that up, I had time to download pix). You'll have to wait just a bit longer, sorry.

 

[jhop28]

You forgot to mention when you spend time in the pits after 3 relays so now its time to calibrate your ballistic app and you get it to match real world perfectly and you go out the next berm after the others shoot there relays and poof your battery goes dead on your phone with your app that I had just calibrated. That made for exciting couple of berms just trying to stay in it till another pit change to get it back up and recalibrated I learned a good lesson there print your chart that morning even if its a little off better than winging it thankfully I was able to continue and make it out to 2K Made for a exciting day and a lot of fun and also got to shoot with some really good shooters . Cant wait for the next one I would drive 3 states for that experience

 

[Kevin]

yep, portable battery pack is recommended as well. Can't be too prepared for a quick paced match.

Good shooting Jhop! I will probably never know what hitting the black at 2k feels like. 1900 has bit me twice now. I'll get it next weekend, hopefully.

When the cards are tallied, I think you'll be announced the winner. the other 2k shooter, J-M, I think was out at either 15 or 16 due to taking 6 records shots to get 24 pts instead of the 5 required by rules.

 

[kybountyhunter]

The match was a blast and a learning experience! As I have only shot out to 1100 yards before this match. I had just got and sighted in my .338 lapua the day before, never shot a .338 before either. Ran out of elevation at 1500 yards, I had zero moa on the scope base, zero on the sphur mount, I was glad I had the S&B PMII with the H2CMR reticle, struggled the first couple of shots, then a voice from the back ground [ Thanks Jeff] suggeted where to hold on the target, and three hits in a row. When back to 1600 and three hits in a row, then back to 1700, and shot after shot no hits, the pitts could see or here anything, then the last shot of my 300 SMK just skipped over the berm and rolled out into gravel in the pitts. They saved the bullet for me as a souvenir. Guess I need to add a little more powder. Thanks to Jeff for putting on this match, If you have the chance to make one of these matches, I would put it on my calendar.

 

[Kevin]

Look familiar? It's probably a once in a lifetime thing to have a pristine fired round from your rifle in your hand like that. We thought it was a rock tumbling across the road, but it looked too "coppery" so I had to inspect it. It was still too hot to comfortably handle.

Thanks for coming out. I'm glad you had a good time.

 

[kybountyhunter]

Thanks for retrieving my bullet, I'm going to bag and tag it with the date and place where it happened. It really was a great time and experience to shoot there at Camp Atterbury, you guys always run great matches. I will definitely be back next year for these matches. If I wasn't going to Delaware for the Cabelas match, I would be there this Saturday. Thanks again to Jeff and Kevin.

 

[jhop28]

Hey KY you did a great job with a new gun to you . The 338 LM takes a lot of trigger time to get used to. For me it was a problem keeping her tracking straight dealing with the added recoil ask Kevin I thru 160 pills down range the Thursday prior with main focus on keeping her tracking straight . Hope to see you out again Best of luck at you up coming match

 

[Sling]

Hello Kevin,

I`m East Coast Director for URSA (Unlimited Range Shooters Assoc). We have targets placed at 2000, 2500, 3000, & 3500 yds. This is a great way for shooters to stretch out their rifles. Good luck on the shoot!

 

[21shooter]

WOW!!! That was fun!!!

You don’t want to lay down to close beside JHOP! My little Shehane, didn’t hardly, have a chance. That 338L is like being beside a top fuel dragster at startup. This was my first try at the 2000yd. Event. I got knocked out at the 1900. For anyone that has not tried this, it is like another world.

Line your gun on what you think is the target. Point it at the target, right!? You can’t even see the Damn Target!

At the 1900yd. line, all you see is mound after mound, mound. Unbelievable!

I’m glad I got the chance to experience this 2000yd. match.

Like every match, another group of great shooters.
I would like to thank all who helped get this event running. Special Thanks to CIHPRS and all the guys at Camp Atterbury
Thanks, John