Here's a little write up I did on the Reade Range Sniper Match. Figured I'd throw it around on a few sites so that interested shooters could see it and possibly attend. I threw some pics in at the end also.
Reade Range www.readerange.org is a 1000 yard KD range set in the small town, and I mean small, of Allamens Pennsylvania. They hold matches throughout the year for Highpower and 1000 yard Benchrest but two times a year they let the “Evil One†out of his cage to hold a very fun and challenging weekend of tactical long range rifle shooting known as the Reade Range Sniper Match.
The matches started last year as the idea of Mike Rodich aka the “Evil One†for the ways he thinks of challenging the shooters at his matches. They started as a single day of shooting and have grown starting in spring of 2008 as a whole weekend which is better for the shooters as more shooting is always a good thing.
The first day starts actually before the match starts on Friday when the range is open to competitors to check their zero and even shoot back to 1000 yards to check data. This is a real help to shooters as it allows you to make sure it’s you who misses Mike’s targets and you can’t blame it on the rifle. Also showing up on Friday helps you find the range which is a little out of the way but Mike puts up signs, which makes it easier to find.
The first day of shooting started Saturday at 9am but Mike likes people to be there early to get the paperwork out of the way if you didn’t get it done on Friday. Mike has the shooters in two squads so while one squad is shooting the other is in the pits, which is a fun time on its own. After a short brief you grab your gear and go start shooting. Below is the course of fire for the whole match but don’t bother trying to remember it as The Evil One changes things up. Round count for the weekend was around 100 rounds.
Course of Fire:
Stage 1 KIM DRILL, 10 items under tarp, 2 mins
Stage 2 CBS 325 yds
Stage 3 POP UPS, three shooters at one time, each shooting their color target, RED/WHITE/BLUE, two shots each time it was exposed,5 seconds, 5 times 250 yds
Stage 4 ten dot drill, 60 seconds, 200 yds
Stage 5 five shot group, 3 minutes 200 yds
Stage 6 Hostage mover, three balloons on pole, must shot center balloon, first shot 100 pts, second shot, 50 pts, If you break outside balloon, minus 50 pts, 125 yds
Stage 7 "The Crawl " 125 to 100 yd line with ALL equipment, then 2 shots on face target, 2 minutes
Stage 8 playing card drill, each shooter had 5 different cards to find and shot 90 seconds, 80 yds
Stage 9 Barricade Drills, split each relay into two groups, each group did different drill, then switched
A} one shot prone LEFT handed, one shot kneeling LEFT handed, one shot sitting RIGHT handed, one shot under barricade, then roll to your right, and one shot through crack in fence.
B} with gun on table, run around and open window, back and shoot through, back and close window, crawl under table to doggy door, open and shoot, close and crawl out, climb up barricade to make shot through slot at top, then one shot off hand, 3minutes, 300 yds
Stage 10 B27A mover, 12 inches wide, 5 shots 500 yds
Stage 11 "HEART BREAKER " 10 shots 3 minutes 600 yds, from empty gun,get up, go back 20 feet,get ONE round, go to gun and shoot, ten times
Stage 12 CANCELLED RAINED OUT range 7 card board targets 15 minutes, NO LRF
Stage 13 from 1000 yd line shot three metal targets in 30 seconds, NO SCOPE AJUSTMENTS, 100, 200, 400 yds away
Stage 14 five metal gongs from biggest to smallest 500 yds away
Stage 15 one shot at 1000 yd gong 30 second each shooter
DAY TWO
Stage 1 CBS 275 yds
Stage 2 " UP DOWNS " 200 yds, four inch circle, target comes up for five seconds, standing shooter, drops to gun and fires one round, five times
Stage 3 Hostage target, two shots, shooter runs 50 yds, drops and shoots two targets trying not to hit hostage, 60 seconds
Stage 4 " FACE MOVER " five shooters looking for their person, 2 shots 100 yds,
Stage 5 colored shapes, 3 shots 30 seconds
The first day ends about 1700. This spring it was a little early due to the torrential downpours from a large string of thunderstorms that rolled through and made seeing the targets impossible. This should also tell you to make sure to bring clothes and gear for all types of weather. Mike allows you to have any gear with you while shooting the match but you have to carry it. After the first day is done the shooters get to go back to their rooms or camping sites,Reade allows camping on site) and decompress from the day and spend some time with friends both old and new. But before you know it it’s the second day and you’re meeting at the range at 9am again to start shooting.
The second day ends about 1230 which allows for time to tally the scores and Mike also has plaques and ribbons for the top 5 competitors. Also this spring the prize table started. Prior to the spring 2008 match there wasn’t a prize table but sponsors know a good thing when they see it and Reade is it. The sponsors are very appreciated by all the shooters and allow me to thank them here from all the shooters. Even the littlest prize of a hat or piece of cleaning gear helps make the shooters feel like they did well no matter what their placing.
The match runs very smooth with very little down time, which is a testament to the professionalism of Mike and his assistant in the pits, Ben, as they are the only two running the match. Even when we had a small hiccup when the radios went down the match went on. Mike handles the shooters on the line and Ben keeps them inline in the pits getting the targets up for the shooters. The shooters also should be commended as they keep the match moving along by keeping their kit ready to go for when we have to move.
What all this boils down to is the Reade Range Sniper Match is just plain fun to shoot. A good mix of paper and steel and prone and positional shooting makes it a challenge to everyone. The match is also growing every time it’s put on. The first match had 7 shooters and this year Mike put the cut off at 30 shooters and had no problem filling the match and I don’t think he will in the future either. You can keep an eye on the Competitions section at the forums at Snipers Hide for announcements of future match dates and details from Mike who goes by Miker. The next match is scheduled for August 2nd and 3rd 2008 and entry fee will be around $75 or so same as the spring match. We had shooters from as far away as Arizona this spring so I don’t think the Reade Range match will go anywhere but up. Hope to see you there.
Reade Range www.readerange.org is a 1000 yard KD range set in the small town, and I mean small, of Allamens Pennsylvania. They hold matches throughout the year for Highpower and 1000 yard Benchrest but two times a year they let the “Evil One†out of his cage to hold a very fun and challenging weekend of tactical long range rifle shooting known as the Reade Range Sniper Match.
The matches started last year as the idea of Mike Rodich aka the “Evil One†for the ways he thinks of challenging the shooters at his matches. They started as a single day of shooting and have grown starting in spring of 2008 as a whole weekend which is better for the shooters as more shooting is always a good thing.
The first day starts actually before the match starts on Friday when the range is open to competitors to check their zero and even shoot back to 1000 yards to check data. This is a real help to shooters as it allows you to make sure it’s you who misses Mike’s targets and you can’t blame it on the rifle. Also showing up on Friday helps you find the range which is a little out of the way but Mike puts up signs, which makes it easier to find.
The first day of shooting started Saturday at 9am but Mike likes people to be there early to get the paperwork out of the way if you didn’t get it done on Friday. Mike has the shooters in two squads so while one squad is shooting the other is in the pits, which is a fun time on its own. After a short brief you grab your gear and go start shooting. Below is the course of fire for the whole match but don’t bother trying to remember it as The Evil One changes things up. Round count for the weekend was around 100 rounds.
Course of Fire:
Stage 1 KIM DRILL, 10 items under tarp, 2 mins
Stage 2 CBS 325 yds
Stage 3 POP UPS, three shooters at one time, each shooting their color target, RED/WHITE/BLUE, two shots each time it was exposed,5 seconds, 5 times 250 yds
Stage 4 ten dot drill, 60 seconds, 200 yds
Stage 5 five shot group, 3 minutes 200 yds
Stage 6 Hostage mover, three balloons on pole, must shot center balloon, first shot 100 pts, second shot, 50 pts, If you break outside balloon, minus 50 pts, 125 yds
Stage 7 "The Crawl " 125 to 100 yd line with ALL equipment, then 2 shots on face target, 2 minutes
Stage 8 playing card drill, each shooter had 5 different cards to find and shot 90 seconds, 80 yds
Stage 9 Barricade Drills, split each relay into two groups, each group did different drill, then switched
A} one shot prone LEFT handed, one shot kneeling LEFT handed, one shot sitting RIGHT handed, one shot under barricade, then roll to your right, and one shot through crack in fence.
B} with gun on table, run around and open window, back and shoot through, back and close window, crawl under table to doggy door, open and shoot, close and crawl out, climb up barricade to make shot through slot at top, then one shot off hand, 3minutes, 300 yds
Stage 10 B27A mover, 12 inches wide, 5 shots 500 yds
Stage 11 "HEART BREAKER " 10 shots 3 minutes 600 yds, from empty gun,get up, go back 20 feet,get ONE round, go to gun and shoot, ten times
Stage 12 CANCELLED RAINED OUT range 7 card board targets 15 minutes, NO LRF
Stage 13 from 1000 yd line shot three metal targets in 30 seconds, NO SCOPE AJUSTMENTS, 100, 200, 400 yds away
Stage 14 five metal gongs from biggest to smallest 500 yds away
Stage 15 one shot at 1000 yd gong 30 second each shooter
DAY TWO
Stage 1 CBS 275 yds
Stage 2 " UP DOWNS " 200 yds, four inch circle, target comes up for five seconds, standing shooter, drops to gun and fires one round, five times
Stage 3 Hostage target, two shots, shooter runs 50 yds, drops and shoots two targets trying not to hit hostage, 60 seconds
Stage 4 " FACE MOVER " five shooters looking for their person, 2 shots 100 yds,
Stage 5 colored shapes, 3 shots 30 seconds
The first day ends about 1700. This spring it was a little early due to the torrential downpours from a large string of thunderstorms that rolled through and made seeing the targets impossible. This should also tell you to make sure to bring clothes and gear for all types of weather. Mike allows you to have any gear with you while shooting the match but you have to carry it. After the first day is done the shooters get to go back to their rooms or camping sites,Reade allows camping on site) and decompress from the day and spend some time with friends both old and new. But before you know it it’s the second day and you’re meeting at the range at 9am again to start shooting.
The second day ends about 1230 which allows for time to tally the scores and Mike also has plaques and ribbons for the top 5 competitors. Also this spring the prize table started. Prior to the spring 2008 match there wasn’t a prize table but sponsors know a good thing when they see it and Reade is it. The sponsors are very appreciated by all the shooters and allow me to thank them here from all the shooters. Even the littlest prize of a hat or piece of cleaning gear helps make the shooters feel like they did well no matter what their placing.
The match runs very smooth with very little down time, which is a testament to the professionalism of Mike and his assistant in the pits, Ben, as they are the only two running the match. Even when we had a small hiccup when the radios went down the match went on. Mike handles the shooters on the line and Ben keeps them inline in the pits getting the targets up for the shooters. The shooters also should be commended as they keep the match moving along by keeping their kit ready to go for when we have to move.
What all this boils down to is the Reade Range Sniper Match is just plain fun to shoot. A good mix of paper and steel and prone and positional shooting makes it a challenge to everyone. The match is also growing every time it’s put on. The first match had 7 shooters and this year Mike put the cut off at 30 shooters and had no problem filling the match and I don’t think he will in the future either. You can keep an eye on the Competitions section at the forums at Snipers Hide for announcements of future match dates and details from Mike who goes by Miker. The next match is scheduled for August 2nd and 3rd 2008 and entry fee will be around $75 or so same as the spring match. We had shooters from as far away as Arizona this spring so I don’t think the Reade Range match will go anywhere but up. Hope to see you there.
