At the recent Annual meeting for Bayou Rifles, I was asked to accompany a group of about 20 members to the 1000 yard range and give a quick introduction to NRA highpower competition. I was happy to do so as we are always looking for new competitors.

The club membership is about 2000 some members and only about 100 or so compete on any kind of recurring basis.

After we came back to the BBQ that followed the meeting, BRI announced that it would hold its second Introduction to Competition and Wind Reading clinic in March. This event is open to all; membership at BRI is not required.

We put it the first event in 2014 and looking through my notes I realized that some of the members of Team Bayou attended that event and subsequently started competing and went on to medal at the Worlds in Ottawa.

There are some very gifted shooters on the team. I asked the team members if they would help put on the class and they all volunteered. We will also have F-Open shooters as well as Match Rifles (sling) and MROS (Match Rifle Optical Sights.)

We will follow the same format as 2014, with updated information and when I know the exact date, I will update you here but it will probably be Saturday, March 3rd. It's an all-day affair. The students will not shoot that day, but the next day, Sunday March 4th, we will have the monthly 1000 yard match, in which you will be able to shoot, provided you have the proper equipment.

Lots more detail to come but pencil in the date (at least the month,) and don't be shy about asking questions here.

***UPDATE*** The date is Saturday, March 3rd 2018. There is a 1000 yard match the next day; A long Range Weekend.

***UPDATE*** Registration is now open. Price is $10. https://bayourifles.org/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: NikonUser,

We have a date: March 3rd, 2018.
The next day is the regular monthly 1000 yard match; if you want to shoot in the match you will need 70 rounds of ammo and be able to hit the target supersonically.

Mark your calendars.

Given that there is no shooting done on the Sat clinic day, what are the requirements for the class?

Cost?

Don't think my .270 would cut it at 1k, but may be interested in the clinic.

We don't have all the details nailed down yet. The last time we did this, 4 years ago, the cost was $10. That went to the paid pullers and the to defray the cost of printing and binding the handbooks we gave to every attendee. I expect it will be $10 this time also.

When it shows up on the Bayou Rifles website, I'll come back here to link to it and you can get all the information then. This should occur in early January. We got it approved at the club and the date was has been set, so that's what I was reporting here.

Just so you know, the format last time, which we will probably follow this time as it worked out great was in two parts.

Morning session at the 300 yard range with a complete explanation of how a match is conducted, the commands used and so on. Then we will take groups down to the pits and pull targets for the designated shooters. On the line people see how scoring is done and how the shooters view their targets and shoot at them. Then we switch out the folks in the pits who learned how to pull and score targets, send them back to the line and put in new people to man the targets and do it over again.

By the time we finish the morning session, the attendees know how a match is run and how to score and pull targets. They can go to any hipower prone match and be immediately at ease. It's not rocket science by any means, but it makes it so much easier for a new shooter to come out and play with us. They know the dance and the expectation the match has of them. That goes a long way.

The afternoon is all about wind reading. There's a lecture component, and then we apply what we have learned. There will be several designated shooters on the line and small groups will form around them and then we start making wind calls and people can see the effect on the targets.

I'm actually working on an idea that has been germinating in my brain about how best to show this and I think we can make it work. It should be a lot of fun and very instructive, for all of us.

I hope to see you there.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: NikonUser,

Thanks Nikon. What does one's rig look like if he/she is reaching out and touching something at 1000 yds?

Thanks for posting, Nikon. What sort of gear would one need to bring on Saturday?

quote:

Originally posted by Cobra21:
Thanks Nikon. What does one's rig look like if he/she is reaching out and touching something at 1000 yds?

I can show you pictures of my current F-TR rig and I will when I get a chance. But the goal of the training day is twofold:

1- Introduce the student to NRA High Power competition in an atmosphere conducive to learning and when we have top seasoned competitors whose only purpose to being at that "match" is to answer questions and demonstrate who to go about it. And by "any questions," I really do mean any questions that relate near or far to competition shooting.

2- Introduce the student to long range competition and get a head start on reading the wind and the conditions and how to try to deal with them.

We will be providing each student with a welcome packet that will contain lists of items and where to get those items in the first place and we're also trying to get together a list of different versions and the pros and cons. For instance, under bipod we will have a list of 7-10 different models suitable for F-Class competition with what some of us thinks are pros and cons for each of them.

When we did the first one in 2014, we said we designed it as something that we wished we had when we started competing. I know I would have saved a lot of money not buying stuff that was either unsuitable for the task or simply not needed. This is essentially 30 some years of competition experience with the last 11 in F-class competition from the very first baby steps to being on the podium at the F-Class World Championship Team Matches. The entire team will actually be there to put on the class.

1000 yard competition is very demanding both of the equipment and the shooter. That said, it is not rocket science and does not require fantastic feats of strength, nimbleness or prestidigitation. I have had people set up behind my rifle after a match and have them fire it under my direction and they happily shot 10s and Xs. If you know how to press a trigger without moving the rifle, you're on your way. Of course, assembling everything to get to there is another story and that's exactly what we will be providing.

We will give you all the information to acquire everything you need to compete. As I said earlier, in 2014 we had 52 students and 2 of them who had never competed before were on the team in Ottawa.

If your goal is just to shoot at 1000 yards as a stunt, there are other venues better suited to that. Just remember this, an NRA LR target is 72 inches by 72 inches. Bayou Rules state that you have to be on target within 7 rounds, and that you must remain on target. Also, your bullets must supersonic at the target. If these conditions are not met, you will be asked to stop shooting.

I have three rifles that will do that easily; one AR-15 in .223, one rebarreled Ruger M77 in .308 and my current F-TR match rifle assembled from parts also in .308 Winchester. The ammo used in these rifles is not factory ammo. All these things will be covered in the class.

Here is a picture of my current F-TR rifle with the old riflescope.

quote:

Originally posted by NikonUser:
I have had people set up behind my rifle after a match and have them fire it under my direction and they happily shot 10s and Xs. If you know how to press a trigger without moving the rifle, you're on your way.

I can vouch for this part. I think it was 7 shots & I drilled an x at 1k. On a cold & windy January morning a few years ago.

It was a fun experience, even as a spectator.

That was back in 2014, I believe. I think you had fun that day. I hope you come out again sometime, especially on March 3rd.

quote:

Originally posted by NikonUser:
That was back in 2014, I believe. I think you had fun that day. I hope you come out again sometime, especially on March 3rd.

Definitely was fun & learned some stuff as well.

Looking forward to the clinic, schedule permitting.

quote:

Originally posted by Monk:
Thanks for posting, Nikon. What sort of gear would one need to bring on Saturday?

Somehow I missed or overlooked this question.

This information will be at the web page when it's done, but here is a quick list:

You will be outside on a south Texas range. So proper attire for early March is good. No sandals or open toed shoes are recommended. I always have a spray can of Off and some type of sunscreen in my bag.

Brimmed hat,
Earmuffs,
Eyeglasses or safety glasses,
Drinks (no alcohol is allowed on the property,)
Snacks,
Folding chair (small, not a big contraption, more like a stool,)
magnified optics of some kind,
A great attitude.

For the magnified optics: If you have binoculars, something 7X and above will be sufficient to see the score on the target, but you won't be able to detect the mirage, if there is one. If you have a spotting scope, you only need something in the mid-20X. My spotting scope is a fixed power 27X Kowa. You will need a tripod or some kind of scope holder. Try to have something with a small footprint as we intend to congregate the attendees around the various designated shooters on the 1000 yard line.

btt, registration is now open. The price is $10.

https://bayourifles.org/

BTT. Time elapses and the class is filling up.

Just two slots left before the class is full and registration closes.

I was really hoping to make it, but my daughter's Indian Princesses campout got scheduled for that day.

Maybe next time!

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
I was really hoping to make it, but my daughter's Indian Princesses campout got scheduled for that day.

Maybe next time!

Sorry to hear that. Just FYI. The last one we did was 4 years ago. That was also the first one. There is no telling when the next one will be. This is put on by volunteers and it's a lot of work. But I think I said that earlier.

However, daughters come first. Don't I know it.

Fair enough. If I ever start getting out there for matches, I guess I'll have to muddle through learning by doing.

The class took place this past weekend as scheduled. We had 64 people show up for it. That was amazing. The weather was gorgeous and we had good wind in the afternoon for the wind clinic.

The next day, we have a bunch of new competitors come out and play with us at the 1000 yard match. There were so many that I opted not to shoot and spent my time helping many of them get on target by reading trace and talking them in. Success across the board, they all got on and shot the match.

I saw a bunch of 6.5CM that day; they all came with Hornady 140gr ELV ammo and they all got on target with very little problem. That is one fine LR caliber but in F-Class they will compete in F-Open and get their lunch eaten by the 7mm and 30mag in use there, especially in heavy wind.

I can see why it's a favorite for the PRS crowd.

Next stop TSRA LR and then Nationals in Raton.