Many / Any Service Rifle Shooters here ?

[GSS]

Hi All,

As I stated in another recent thread I'm new here. USNM is the only forum I have spent time in over the years but I have been an active member there for a long time. I don't have a lot of time for forums but this one looks nice and I like the layout / interface.

I could be wrong but from observing here so far it seems the audience here is 90+% F class and Benchrest.

I am very active April thru October each year shooting Service Rifle only ( except for some indoor pistol in winters ). I do enjoy 300, 500 and 600 yard and 3 x 600 Prone matches. Thanks to scopes allowing me to ditch the old post sight I even made NRA Master Mid Range this year with my service rifles. I am also the range governor for a 16 firing point 600 yard range in South Eastern NH ( www.nfga.org). I have been very active for years working at attracting and retaining new Service Rifle Shooters.

Are there many or any other Service Rifle shooters here ..... ?

Thanks, George

 

[watercam]

While no longer a service rifle shooter I do shoot Highpower Mid and LR. At least I use a sling! Welcome to a great forum, always interesting threads to pick over and a great bunch of people. You should get more replies as we are not alone here.
Congratulations on your Master classification! Did you use irons or 4X scope?

 

[natdscott]

George, is that you?!

 

[GSS]

Yes, the GSS guy from USNM... lol
You spread your wings with other rifle platforms more than I do / have to date but glad to see at least one other service rifle shooter here... lol

 

[GSS]

While no longer a service rifle shooter I do shoot Highpower Mid and LR. At least I use a sling! Welcome to a great forum, always interesting threads to pick over and a great bunch of people. You should get more replies as we are not alone here.
Congratulations on your Master classification! Did you use irons or 4X scope?

Thanks, I used el cheapo Vortex PST 4x scopes on 20" barrel service rifles to earn the Mid Range Prone Master card this year.

I just barely made my goal of legging out before I turned 50 years old back in 2009 using an A2 AR15. 600 was a real struggle even with knoblochs and B jones lenses 2009 and earlier and since then until small low power scopes became legal on service rifles. Took me a year to figure the scope out but now that I'm getting the hang of it running, shooting and travelling to shoot matches is more fun again.

To Quote You ~ "At least I use a Sling".... LOL I love it

 

[watercam]

I got behind an F-Open Tube gun/.284 Shehane a week ago and put six rounds inside an X-ring group at 600. No wind so not much of a challenge there. I can see the appeal, just not for me. I want to keep 'me' part of the challenge. Still using irons until I can't see anymore.
Glad you are here!

 

[GSS]

I got behind an F-Open Tube gun/.284 Shehane a week ago and put six rounds inside an X-ring group at 600. No wind so not much of a challenge there. I can see the appeal, just not for me. I want to keep 'me' part of the challenge. Still using irons until I can't see anymore.
Glad you are here!

Sweet, 31 reads and we're up to 3.5 Service Rifle shooters already ;-)

I prefer and would still be shooting irons if I could but it proved to be a frustrating waste of great ammo even with vision correction.

I'm all for to each his own as long as it not hurting the shooting sports but I prefer service rifle for similar reasons as well. The more of us that shoot any and every form of competitive firearms competitions the better.

 

[dcali]

There's quite a few here. I think a lot of us shoot other disciplines as well (lots of f class and br shooters here). I shoot primarily F class, but try to get in as much service rifle as life allows. I may be shooting more service rifle in the future, as F class isn't as much of a challenge. A mid range F class high master card wasn't terribly difficult to achieve/buy. My expert service rifle card was a slog even with the best available equipment. I have much more room to grow in the sling game, which is the whole point for me.

I think you don't see as many threads on it because sling shooting (especially service rifle) isn't technically very intensive. You just buy the right gear and go shoot.

 

[GSS]

There's quite a few here. I think a lot of us shoot other disciplines as well (lots of f class and br shooters here). I shoot primarily F class, but try to get in as much service rifle as life allows. I may be shooting more service rifle in the future, as F class isn't as much of a challenge.

A mid range F class high master card wasn't terribly difficult to achieve/buy.

My expert service rifle card was a slog even with the best available equipment.
I have much more room to grow in the sling game, which is the whole point for me.

I think you don't see as many threads on it because sling shooting (especially service rifle) isn't technically very intensive.

You just buy the right gear and go shoot.

Agreed,
It's fairly easy and inexpensive to set up a service rifle that is fully capable of shooting 100 - 10x on every string until the person try's to shoot it offhand, or sitting rapid, prone rapid or slow prone from 600 with only a sling for support in sitting and prone only....

Then there's the ballistically inferior little projectiles that require you to pay attention to and correct for the wind or pay in points... Especially in 300 rapid strings and 600 slow prone. This challenge very much helps keep it interesting to me. Best I had ever done at 600 with irons was a 199-12X in a Match. The best with a 4x scope on the Service Rifle to date has been a 199-13x in a match down in Bridgeville De in Nov 2017. Still chasing my 1st ever 200 clean at 600 with a service rifle.

One you get a half decent rifle and gear 99% of Service Rifle is 90% mental.
That's what keeps me staying with it.

When I get too old to physically shoot Service Rifle cross the course I'm sure I'll be taking up the other great rifle disciplines available that are less physically demanding / challenging yet still fun and great for promoting the shooting sports. The prone matches at my club and in my area are well attended and are a great bunch of shooters. Many were service rifle shooters in their younger days. So I will still be in good company..

 

[DarkStar]

More folk from the usrifleteams forum!

Guess you're at 4.5 now. . . maybe 4 since I'm primarily Match Rifle XTC. Although I still do knuckledrag a few times through the year. . .

 

[Dave Marshall]

Hi All,

As I stated in another recent thread I'm new here. USNM is the only forum I have spent time in over the years but I have been an active member there for a long time. I don't have a lot of time for forums but this one looks nice and I like the layout / interface.

I could be wrong but from observing here so far it seems the audience here is 90+% F class and Benchrest.

I am very active April thru October each year shooting Service Rifle only ( except for some indoor pistol in winters ). I do enjoy 300, 500 and 600 yard and 3 x 600 Prone matches. Thanks to scopes allowing me to ditch the old post sight I even made NRA Master Mid Range this year with my service rifles. I am also the range governor for a 16 firing point 600 yard range in South Eastern NH ( www.nfga.org). I have been very active for years working at attracting and retaining new Service Rifle Shooters.

Are there many or any other Service Rifle shooters here ..... ?

Thanks, George

Hey George,

Some of the hometown crew read and post on this forum too. Lots of great info here.

Dave

 

[Bamban]

I am 66, and I still shoot service rifle. Can't qualify for any CMP medal, with 2 knee replacements the last 12 months, it is not even remotely feasible for me to stand up and get into position for the rapids. Still enjoy the game, especially the CMP no sighter matches.

 

[m1jeff]

‘Nother one here, although I committed to match rifle last January.
I still bring out the SR occasionally. And I plan to run it for Perry as well. There I was in 2016, one point shy of an Elihu Root medal...how can I leave it like that?

Same user name on NM. And the High Power forum at AR15. And the long defunct Florida High Power Shooting forum.

 

[GSS]

Now we're getting something here... lol

I signed up on ARFcom years ago visited a few times and didn't feel it was worth the time.
Hopefully better now but I only have the time for and would rather frequent 1 - 2 real good forums populated with shooters that regularly shoot 200 - 1000 yards and don't wear body armor on the line.

Will be anxious to see how many more recent or current Sr shooters chime in on this thread.
This thread has 127 views already so this site definitely gets good traffic. I like it.

maybe some are ashamed to reveal they are service rifle shooters.... maybe these days it's considered like being a carpenter or plumber in a room full of doctors... joke..

 

[r bose]

Been shooting XTC, full and reduced courses for about 25 years. Started with an M-1 then bought a M1A. Now shoot a flat top AR with a scope like most everyone else. I enjoy other shooting disciplines but like XTC the most.

 

[bullseyeshtr]

Ive been shooting service rifle xtc and M1 garand for 4 years now. Just recently doing the mid range and long range sling. Started in Bullseye still do that mostly for 9-10 years but the rifle is a good break from pistol. Only 30 so I got a few more years yet of shooting

 

[chkunz]

I have been shooting XTC service rifle since the 1980s and made it to Master and legged out as a senior with the M14. I started playing with the AR space gun with scope a few years ago and it is a lot of fun and no longer a seeing contest. I may shoot the M14 again just for fun but it will have to be after eye surgery. I am enjoying shooting mid range and long range with the match rifle with scope and at age 76 I am excited to see the E Targets come into use which will allow me to continue for a few more years.

Best wishes
Clyde the elder

 

[Tony B]

Hey George
I'm wrestling with a service rifle. Tough game to learn in your sixties!! George runs great matches at a really nice range. Looking forward to next year to see how the eTargets work out for you

 

[gravelyctry]

I still shoot SR here in NE Iowa a bit, but I’ve gotten distracted with Palma the last few years.

 

[Downhill]

Have shot Service Rifle since the late 90's. Went to Perry twice. Shot state championships here in Texas several times. Got my feet wet at Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas(seemed to always have a tricky ass full value wind). Still compete some but mostly organize and run matches now. My very first service rifle match was a regional firing a 1903A3 straight stock. 88 rounds beat the hell out of me but I was hooked. Progressed to the M1 then M1A. Was amazed at the accuracy of the AR15 and ease of shooting. Ended up with the space gun in NRA match rifle class.