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Newbee question--are shooters classifed by some designation of skill levels...

jeffreybehr

Shooting for 60 years and still a novice.
Gold $$ Contributor
...in competitions? Or would I as a beginning shooter be competing in the exact same 'class' as those with years or decades of experience and skill?

I've shot ATA trap and NSCA sporting clays,both of which classify shooters into about 6 skill levels) competitively but nave never even seen a long-range BR competition.

BTW I built a .25-284 hunting rifle decades ago and spent lots of time at Ben Avery's benches shoooting loads for it. I recall how much I enjoyed that, so I'm fantasizing about 1000-yard competition.
 
NRA position shooting,conventional highpower rifle, long range prone, mid range prone, 3 position smallbore and smallbore prone) all have shooter classifications.

The classifications are always,from lowest to highest) Marksman, Sharpshooter, Expert, Master, and High Master. The score averages needed for each are different from one discipline to the next, and NRA smallbore does not have High Master which is not necessary because of the increased difficulty.

Ben Avery has a very active NRA Highpower and Long Range Prone calendar.
 
JER, TY, but I didn't ask my question specifically enough.

In 600- and 1000-yard benchrest competitions, do any of the 3,?) principal organizations classify shooters by skill levels?
 
Jeffrey,

FYI, most 1000 yard competitions in the US do not involve shooting off a bench. Ben Avery will build a limited number of benches,~10) on the 1000 yard line while rebuilding the range, but as I understand it, there will not be benches on the 600.

The odds of shooting at 300+ yards at most ranges actually increases when you get off the bench. This is not an opinion - it is a fact. NRA highpower is the largest sanctioned form of rifle competition, both by number of events, and number of competitors,>32,000 as of 2003). Of NRA highpower competitors, ~3,000 have a seperate classification for Long Range, meaning they regularly compete at 600+ yards.

I am not a benchrest competitor - however I do follow the sport somewhat. Rules for NBRSA and IBS are available online. While I haven't read them thoroughly, I don't think either organization classifies shooters by any means other than by rifle weight. This means if you go to compete, you're shooting head to head against the top shooters present.

I hope this helps. If you're curious about learning more about prone shooting, talk to the shooters at Ben Avery - they're a good bunch there.
 
jeffreybehr said:
In 600- and 1000-yard benchrest competitions, do any of the 3,?) principal organizations classify shooters by skill levels?
Don't know. I don't shoot Benchrest. I prefer to be more actively involved in the act of shooting.
 
jeffery

The short answer is no. There are no classes based on experience in either NBRSA or IBS long range. FYI, there are no shooters with decades of experience and skill at 600 and 1000 yard Benchrest except maybe for the guys back at Williamsport. So don't be shy, come to a match and shoot. I have been beaten by both the best and the worst of shooters and there is no ridicule from any shooter that you will meet at a match.,Well, most shooters)

Did you notice that I didn't comment on your post Asa.;)

Ray
 
Cheechako said:
Did you notice that I didn't comment on your post Asa.
Ray,

The truth hurts, no? :D ,FYI all, this is one of several inside jokes between Ray and myself. He touts BR, and I tout prone shooting.)

You folks holding up in Linden? :wave:
 
Ray, TY for your positive comments.

As mentioned aboove, I spent MANY Sunday afternoons at Ben Avery's 100-yard benches developing loads for a .270 Durham Magnum,!) and a .25-284 in decades past. I got into weighing and neck-turning cases, etc. and turned that 26"-barelled .25 hunting rifle into a sub-MOA piece.

I confess to having my interest in paperpunching resurrected by this year's movie 'Shooter', about a sniping assasination... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822854/ . ,It's based on a very good novel by Stephen Hunter named 'Point of Inpact'). Many aspects of the movie are silly to the extreme, but here I am.

I guess I need to attend a long-range BR match to see if the discipline appeals to me.

Is a master calendar of matches posted somewhere?
 
jeffery

You didn't say where you now live so it's hard to steer you to long range BR matches in your area. I can tell you that out west, there are huge expanses of real estate without ANY matches within 700 or 800 miles driving distance. Beautiful dowtown Linden AZ is one of those places, if you don't count Tucson. But have you ever tried to shoot in Tucson in the summer?:eek:

Asa

Things in Linden are OK, so far. Tomorrow is the 5th anniversary of our big forest fire and a few people are still holding their breath and watching the sky for smoke. I haven't heard of any big ones in OR this year. Is it still droughty up there?

Ray
 
Ray,

No big fires in Oregon - yet. We actually got some rain yesterday. It's only a matter of time before everything dries out, and something begins burning.

Re: Matches. Similar situations exist out here, though the distances to drive are often less. For example, the nearest 500+ yard benchrest matches to where I live,near Portland, OR) are about 1.5-2 hours away, and the nearest 1000 yard BR match is in Missoula Montana or Sacramento, CA. In contrast, I can shoot a 600 yard match at a range 3 miles from my house, and the nearest 1000 yard range is but 45 minutes away.


Jeffreybehr,

There are 3 ranges around Phoenix where matches at or beyond 500 yards are held. Right now, none of them host long range benchrest events. The ranges are:
- Ben Avery,600, 800, 900, and 1000 yards).
- South Mountain,500 yards).
- Rio Salado,500 yards).
From September-May, there's at least one prone match per month being held at each of these facilities, and this doesn't include practices. I think a schedule of all of these,matches + practices) may be found at http://arizona.rifleshooting.com
 
jeffery

I suppose i should have given you more info about the long range BR matches in Tucson just in case you still live anywhere near there. Anyway, they shoot NBRSA 1000 yards, one day each month, all year long. It's a small club and they generally get less than 10 shooters but they have fun and have posted some pretty good targets. I'm sure they'd love to have you shoot with them. From the description of your rifle I'd say you have a good chance to kick some butt.:rolleyes: I don't have their 2007 schedule in front of me but if you want details I can steer you to a couple of guys who can fill you in.

Ray
 
Cheechako said:
jeffery
I suppose i should have given you more info about the long range BR matches in Tucson just in case you still live anywhere near there. Anyway, they shoot NBRSA 1000 yards, one day each month, all year long. It's a small club and they generally get less than 10 shooters but they have fun and have posted some pretty good targets. I'm sure they'd love to have you shoot with them. From the description of your rifle I'd say you have a good chance to kick some butt.:rolleyes: I don't have their 2007 schedule in front of me but if you want details I can steer you to a couple of guys who can fill you in.

Ray

Ray, TYVM for your help. I'd LOVE to find these Tuscon shootists; I live in Phoenix but it sounds as if this is as close as I can get right now. I searched a bit but found nothing applicable; pls point me somewhere for details or have someone contact me at jeffreybehr,at)cox,dot)net.

The riles I mentioned earlier are long gone,for decades; Im 63 and VERY happily retired), but I really have the itch and have to SEE some of this kind of shooting and talk to some competitors.

BTW it's 'Jeffrey' or 'jeffrey'... :)
 
Jeffrey

Be patient. I'm trying to track down a good up-to-date contact for you. I haven't shot down there in quite a while. The fellow who used to run the matches is no longer active and their web site is about 5 years out-of-date. I believe they shoot on the 2nd saturday of each month so you missed June already.

At least a couple of them live in Phoenix so you might be able to share a ride, and maybe even a rifle.

Ray
 

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