TARGET SHOOTER

MAGAZINE
July 2012 Issue

GBNEWFSTOCK
ClassDESIGNS
TARGET SHOTGUN
Shooting News
HAND LOADING BENCH
NIGHTFORCE NSX 8-32 ZERO STOP
Pistol Shooting
IWA - We look at new rifles
SNIPER - World Championships
ULTRA-LIGHT BIPOD

NOW Read WORLDWIDE BY OVER 10,000 DEDICATED READERS in over 77 countries EVERY MONTH
NOW Read WORLDWIDE BY OVER 10,000 DEDICATED READERS in over 77 countries EVERY MONTH

Welcome to the new look July 2012 edition of Target Shooter Magazine

Webitorial July 2012

Whilst it is a fact that many countries are currently in recession, our sport appears to be bucking the
trend and flourishing.

Most of our custom rifle builders in the UK appear to have full order books and long waiting lists. Last
month, Edgar Brothers held a media open day and just last week Riflecraft did the same. Brock &
Norris have also moved into new, larger premises and will also host their open day on July 7/8th.

Competition entries don’t appear to be suffering either - at club or national level. However, whereas
the gripe from shooters was usually the cost of entry fees or ammunition costs, it now invariably
comes down to the cost of travel – in other words, the price of fuel.

A couple of years ago in Target Shooter, we covered a multi-discipline competition which was shot
simultaneously in several countries around the world. Results were e-mailed in to a central point then
posted on the internet so that everyone could see them immediately. What a great idea.

Yes, differing conditions will affect scores but that can happen anyway as conditions (in the UK at
least) rarely stay the same throughout the day. Practical shooting - like Practical Shotgun and Pistol
- would be less affected and it could add an extra dimension to your club event if you knew you were
also competing against a team on the other side of the world. On-line forums would make it relatively
easy to set up such events.

Many years ago, I suggested a 1000 yard benchrest postal shoot to the Aussies -
“No probs mate – I reckon we could hit a postbox at 1000 yards...”

Vince, Yvonne & Steve

Vince Bottomley - vinceb@targetshooter.co.uk

Yvonne Wilcock - yvonne@targetshooter.co.uk
Steve Thornton - steve@stevethornton.co.uk

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 March SCOPES
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Plane, is the reticle scale value does not change over the entire zoom
range of the rifle scope. Also the POA does not change over the entire
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Editor - Vince Bottomley vinceb@targetshooter.co.uk

Advertising and Office Manager - Yvonne Wilcock. yvonne@targetshooter.co.uk
Compiled, Designed & Web Production by Steve Thornton. www.thorntonconnect.com
Contributors - Vince Bottomley - Laurie Holland - Ken Hall - Don Brooke - Chris Parkin
Tony Saunders - Rob Hunter- George Coleman - George Granycome
Ken Hall - Liz Woodhall - David Thompson - Mike Davenport
Cover & Back Page Photography by Steve Thornton - ThorntonConnect.com

Disclaimer
The website www.targetshooteronline.com is part of Target Shooter magazine with all contents of both electronic media copyrighted. No reproduction
is permitted unless written authorisation is provided. Information, prices and data is believed to be correct at the time of posting on the internet which
is on or around the 1st of each month. Advertisements that are firearm related are from companies or individuals that Target Shooter magazine
believes are licensed to hold such firearms and accepts no responsibility if companies or individuals are not so licensed. Letters and photographs
submitted by members of the public to Target Shooter magazine will be accepted on the basis that the writer has agreed to publication unless
otherwise stated. Target Shooter magazine has no control over the content or ownership of photographs submitted. The views expressed in this
magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers and relate to specific circumstances within each article. These are the opinions and
experiences of writers using specific equipment, firearms, components and data under controlled conditions. Information contained in the online
magazine or on the website is intended to be used as a guide only and in specific circumstances caution should be used. Target Shooter Magazine
does not except any responsibility for individuals attempting to recreate such testing using any information, data or other materials in its electronic
pages. Publishers of Target Shooter magazine.

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 Contents
Page 6

July 2012 Issue

TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS - AN UPDATE (Part 1)

by Laurie Holland. Almost unnoticed here in the UK,
a revolution in competition rifle design has been quietly
under way on the other side of the Atlantic – a move to
‘inline’ designs even in the most traditional of long-range
disciplines.

Nightforce NXS 8-32x56 NP 2DD Zero-Stop Scope Page 22

- by Chris Parkin. Among serious precision shooters,
Nightforce scopes are pretty much the benchmark and
Target Shooter has reviewed them many times. Chris Parkin
checks out how their latest model measures up.

The 11th Police & Military Sniper World Cup –

Budapest Hungary June 2012 by Rob Hunter.
After a couple of years away from shooting in the major
international sniper comps held throughout Europe, I was Page 76
fortunate to once again receive an invitation to attend
the premier shooting event in the military/police sniper
calendar - The Sniper World Cup.

THE HANDLOADING BENCH: POWDER UPDATE

- Pt 1 by Laurie Holland. I plan to spend an issue
or three on propellant developments, notably recent
budget TR140 and Elcho 17 introductions; look at long-
established Vihtavuori N150, which I increasingly see as
a ‘powder for all seasons’; cover a not too well known but Page 46
comprehensive range of European manufactured powders
that has just received a couple of potentially useful
additions. The last mentioned has actually been around
for many years but, recent name and nomenclature
changes haven’t helped increase what was already a rather
low profile.

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Contents Continued & More...
Page 62
Historic Arms - The 5.5mm Velo Dog.
“Dad, what is a Velo Dog cartridge, is it the one that Sherlock Holmes
shot the Hound of the Baskervilles with?”
“ No”, my long suffering father replied, “That would have probably
been a 44 Webley Bulldog.” - which is a far more appropriate cartridge
for that job, in more ways than one!

The SVI Infinity European Open Handgun Championship

Page 96
2012 by David Thompson.
As the IPSC European Handgun Championship and World Shoot
XVII take place in 2013 and 2014 respectively, the bigger matches
being held in the European IPSC area in 2012 gave European
competitors the opportunity to meet up and compete together.

THE LONG VIEW. GB F CLASS ROUND 3.

DIGGLE RANGES. Regulars
A Tale of Two Climates.
We were back at Diggle for the second
& more
Page 30
of the season’s three visits to this venue LATEST NEWS
but, unlike April’s short-range shoot, this Page 64
was an entirely long-range meeting and FROM THE BENCH
encompassed some significant and in my Page 20
view, beneficial changes from previous QUIGLEY NEWS
League rounds held at Diggle. Page 67
TARGET SHOTGUN
Page 92
Shooting the McQueen - By Chris Parkin. BROOKSIE
When I am asked what is my favourite Page 42
target shoot, my response is usually a quick IWA - Rifles
Page 82
one-word answer - McQueen. But what Page 68
is the McQueen? History- The McQueen DISABLED NEWS
competition has an interesting history which Page 72
I came upon by chance when reading an MYSTIC BIPOD
interesting sniper treatise, simply entitled Page 64
‘Sniping in France’ by one Major Hesketh
Pritchard, which documents the eventual
adoption of sniping by the British Army in
World War 1.

5
 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland

TUBE AND CHASSIS

STOCKS - AN UPDATE (Part 1)

by Laurie Holland

The ‘inline’ layout is a key

attribute of tube and chassis
stocks. Note the bore axis
is directly in line with the
buttplate mid-point.

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6
 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland

Almost unnoticed here in the UK, a

revolution in competition rifle design
has been quietly under way on the other
side of the Atlantic – a move to ‘inline’
designs even in the most traditional of
long-range disciplines.

7
7
 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland

The camera captures HPS-TR director John Carmichael’s 7mm magnum

rifle in full recoil at Blair Atholl. (Target Shooter’s photographer and
webmaster Steve Thornton is seen behind keeping score.)

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 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland

I’m told that half or more of the single-

shot prone rifles that appear on the
firing lines in Highpower/Palma rifle
competitions in the USA’s southern and
south-west states are now tubeguns
of one sort or other and, F-Class is
starting to follow. Similarly, demand
from American Match/Service Rifle
competitors for the ‘inline layout’
McMillan Rifles

The superbly ergonomic HPS-TR F Class rifle – an RPA action in the

company’s FC 704 ‘System Gemini’ chassis stock is popular in
GB F Class national matches.

9
9
 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS body, bolt-handle running in a slot in the main body
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland and buttstock tube) are still a rarity here, although we
at Target Shooter have done our best to change this.
After TS Editor Vince Bottomley and I wrote about the
manufactured Tubb 2000 repeater has outstripped building of my Barnard/Eliseo (CSS) tubegun a couple
supply since it was introduced over a decade ago of years ago and, more recently, my Savage PTA/
despite a cool $5,000 price tag. McRees Mod-MPSS long-range 223 Rem F/TR chassis-
stocked rifle, other British competitors have tried to go
British interest in the genre has been largely down this route using American stocks, but have found
orientated towards ‘tactical-style’ rifles, several of it a rocky road to date.
which have been reviewed in Target Shooter. So far
as prone single-shot disciplines go, we’ve been more Shortly after I bought the latter example for
conservative than our US cousins with HPS-Target instance, McRees Precision seems to have decided
Rifles Ltd’s superb but expensive ‘System Gemini’ to concentrate on military/tactical products and,
aluminium alloy chassis stocks virtually the sole having won some US government contracts, stopped
contender in the market and, until recently the only exporting. The US State Department’s hated ITAR
home-grown product. export licensing regime has become ever more
expensive and pervasive too and small volume
When I say ‘conservative’, I should exclude national
level smallbore rifle and GB F ‘Open’ league shooters,
System Gemini stocked rifles being popular with both. A McRees Precision stock shows there is more than one
way to skin a cat but shows no AR-15 compatibility or
True tubeguns (action totally enclosed in the stock `Black Rifle` tactical styling.

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 Top Photograph - The Eliseo B1 kit as it comes out of the box. TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
Inset - The Barnard Model P action is simply bolted into the central
chassis tube section.
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland

speciality items such as tube-stocks are particularly

badly affected by bureaucratic workloads and costs
that can’t be justified by, or spread over, large orders

CSS tactical and competition (US ‘Match Rifle’) repeaters

using short and long versions of the Remington 700
Gary Eliseo has been designing and making tube stock action.
designs in Anaheim, California for several years now
under the CSS (Competition Shooting Stuff) trading When I say ‘Remington’, that includes the product-
name. Having started with single-shot prone-rifle improved Model 700 clones from companies that
models designed around Remington 700 SA and include Pierce Engineering, Stiller and especially
Barnard Model ‘P’ actions, the stable has steadily Borden Rifles, which makes dedicated tubegun
grown to encompass the smallbore single-shot target versions of its action in long and short, single-shot
disciplines (Anschutz 18xx/19xx series), sporting,

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 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS Phoenix. To the surprise - shock even - of many in the
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland American High-Power prone shooting fraternity, he
finished third overall just behind Nancy Tompkins and
and repeater versions for both Eliseo and MAK Michelle Gallagher shooting 6.5-284s.
stock designs. I think, but can’t be sure, that this
encompasses our GBR and SYSS/Valkyrie Rifles R700 More impressive still, Gary only dropped one point
clones too. out of 400 on day one, posting 200.12x and 199.6x
for its matches, this with an untouched factory
These models, all true tubeguns, have attracted a action and AccuTrigger, no bedding except for a few
vast amount of favourable coverage, helped people minutes spent lapping the action body to the stock-
win a long list of major US competitions and, the chassis with valve grinding paste. The shock felt by
tactical models are receiving growing interest from his fellow competitors came from the use of a kit gun
competitors and professional law enforcement rifle built around a cheap Savage action in a discipline
users alike. that regards expensive custom actions and trigger
assemblies as essential parts of the mix.
They’re obviously selling very well too. Much of this
must be down to Gary’s expertise as a combined Since the S1 kit went into production shortly
‘blue-skies’ engineering solutions designer and state afterwards, rifles using it have produced some
of the art manufacturer, allied to his own involvement impressive results - in the USA anyway - as few
in competitive shooting sports. Unlike some shooting examples have escaped from the land of the free. I put
developments, a newly introduced CSS product works an early order in and after a lot of bureaucracy-induced
out of the box, whether single-shot or an RTM model delays have finally received it, probably the only
promising 100% reliable magazine feed – it does what example in the UK – for a little while anyway.
it says on the tin - to adopt the advertising slogan.
(See http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com and scroll Unlike the Barnard, Remington and Anschutz based
back to April 29th 2012 for a video of Gary shooting a stocks, the S1 is a chassis design – that is the action
McQueens Challenge course followed by a Mad Minute sits conventionally in the middle section of the stock,
using a .308 Win Borden/CSS RTM magazine rifle.) its top half and the bolt handle exposed, the (supplied)
‘scope/sights rail attached to the receiver. Unlike
A striking pointer as to how influential such designs conventional stocks, bedding work is optional, a bit
have become is how people name them. Almost of receiver tube-to-chassis lapping recommended to
any conventionally stocked rifle is referred to by its ensure a perfect fit, otherwise it’s simply action-screw
action – Remington, BAT, Barnard, RPA or whatever tension that keeps everything together and performing
– less often the gunsmith/manufacturer but, these consistently. Despite the design change, the inline
tubeguns almost invariably attract the moniker ‘Eliseo’ layout, AR-15 pistol-grip and the familiar Eliseo ‘look’
(or MAK for its similar looking but not so well known remain.
competitor).
I’d fancied the S1 because I know from personal
experience that the Savage PTA can work extremely

Savage S1 well in the long-range precision role and costs half

what I’d need to spend on another Barnard or similar
Back in early 2009, Gary built a 6BRX calibre prone action. Moreover, it’s about a pound lighter than the
rifle on a then prototype S1 stock (S1 for Savage PTA Barnard ‘P’ and, if my original Eliseo B1 rifle has a
action, single-shot) and took it to one of the bigger downside for F/TR, it’s weight – the combined stock kit
US national level events, the Arizona Long-Range and action heft requires something else to give – barrel
Championship meeting at the Ben Avery Range near profile, scope model or bi-pod weight.

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 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland

Shooting the Eliseo B1 in a Yorkshire Rifle Association open competition. Although the
rifle was built for F/TR, the YRA doesn’t distinguish between F Class and F/TR, so a
more stable front-rest was used with an Eliseo rider on this occasion.

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 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland B1 tubegun above the S1 chassis stock kit.

to build an F Class (Open) rifle on this stock and we

However, having said that, the S1 kit is no have a 10 Kg weight allowance to play with and no bi-
featherweight at around the five and a half pound pod weight to bother about either.
mark, so it won’t be possible to fit a really heavy-profile
barrel and reconcile that with a large F/TR bi-pod and Since the S1 uses a thick aluminium-alloy disc to
one of the heavier 30mm riflescopes. My usual ‘Heavy locate the action in the forend tube, (also replacing the
Palma’ profile barrel at 6½lbs for 30 inches and a Savage recoil lug) and is a simple bolt-into the chassis
Sightron SIII 8-32X56 ‘scope should just see everything job (bedding work optional), the S1 is particularly well
fit into the 8.25 Kg (18lb 2oz) envelope but this issue suited to DIY rifle building if the Savage barrel-nut
likely won’t arise anyway as my original intention was

F Class / BR accessories that fit all Eliseo

models – front-rest and rear bag riders.
CSS now supplies a choice of wooden
pistol grips made by master stockmaker
Doan Trevor in unfinished form as an extra
cost alternative to plastic AR-15 grips.

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 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland

B1 tubegun above the S1 chassis stock kit.

15
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 TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS The idea behind the shape is to allow the choice of a
AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland horizontal or sloped riding surface according to user
preference and is determined by how it’s bolted onto
barrel fitment and headspacing arrangements are the butt-plate. With the use of a Picatinny sight-rail
retained. Gary says that was one of the reasons he and two-minute swap job between hand-stop/swivel
decided to design a bespoke Savage kit. assembly and F bits, a shooter can use one rifle for
conventional prone shooting and F Class/Benchrest.

‘F’ Bits and Suppliers Top Arizona prone rifleman and gun-writer German
Salazar did just that after a shoulder injury required
All I need now is a Savage PTA to put in the stock, the
him to switch to F/TR for a season and infected him
action from the Savage 12 F Class rifle that I was going
with the F Class virus, so he now use the same suite of
to restock with the S1 having been pinched for an F/TR
rifles in both disciplines. The one missing accessory
rifle build. More on that next month in the conclusion
was a bi-pod but that has recently been rectified by
to this update which will look at the Dolphin Gun
the CSS HD (Heavy Duty) model that took a year of
Company’s chassis stock designs.
development work before Gary was satisfied he’d
got it right. This innovative ‘pod is attached to the

I’ve mentioned Eliseo rifles appearing in F Class and

they’ve even produced some amazing results in US
mid and long-range benchrest competition but, this
obviously requires some alteration or addition to what
started as a prone stock designed to be shot off the
elbows with a sling.
front of the forend tube by a triangular shape chassis/
Such is the flexibility of the inline format, nothing clamp with its leg pivot points above the bore-line
more than a front-rest riding-plate and rear bag to minimise recoil-torque effects. It incorporates a
rail are required. (Our own HPS-Target Rifles Ltd. number of interesting features and I hope to have an
demonstrated that some years ago, its System Gemini example soon to photograph and describe. It’s only
prone stock proving to be ideal for F Class with a minor available for Eliseo ‘R’ and B1 models, the S1 using a
redesign.) Gary supplies the requisite bits, the bag smaller diameter forend tube, but this will hopefully
riding rail now the Mk 2 version, a skeleton (weight follow soon.
reducing) triangular design.

16
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 So, how do you get a CSS kit if you like the concept? TUBE AND CHASSIS STOCKS
Until now that has been the big problem for shooters AN UPDATE (Part 1) by Laurie Holland
outside the USA. Several importers had previously
expressed an interest without managing to satisfy the
ITAR regulations but, it seems – I daren’t put a more
positive gloss on it – that Brian Fox of Fox Firearms Contacts
has found a way through the bureaucratic tangle
and will be able to supply stock kits to order and also Gary Eliseo / CSS;
for his own operation that supplies built-up rifles to www.competitionshootingstuff.com
customers’ specification.
Fox Firearms; www.foxfirearmsuk.com
Next month, I’ll look at the recently introduced at Telephone: 0161 430 8278; mobile: 07941 958 464
the UK’s Dolphin Gun Co. inline layout chassis stocks
available for a range of actions in F Class, F/TR and HPS-Target Rifles Limited; www.hps-tr.com
Tactical Rifle versions – or all three for one barrelled Telephone: 01452 729888
action such is the design’s versatility and the ease with
which stock parts are swapped.

Next month
NEW - Dolphin Gun Co. modular chassis
stocks. (Pictured above)

17
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and much more!
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FROM THE BENCH
VINCE’S REGULAR COLUMN WHEREBY ACCURACY NUTS CAN KEEP UP TO
DATE WITH THE ACTIVITIES OF THE UKBRA
AND ACCURACY RELATED ITEMS

Competitions
Our June/July 100 and 1000 yard benchrest shoots fall This is where the bedding-block system
right at the end/beginning of the month, so too late scores. Up until now, the bedding-block system has
for our July issue. A full report will appear next month. only been available to the talented engineer and the

New stuff - A Barrel Block Stock from True-Flite

Barrel-block stocks are not common and are most
likely to be seen on heavy, long-range bench guns.
The photos below were taken when I was fortunate
to visit the Hawks Ridge 1000 yard benchrest range in
North Carolina a few years ago.

The theory of the barrel block is two-fold – it offers

much better support to a long, heavy barrel rather
than simply relying on the action – usually held
in place by two 6mm screws - to support all that
weight. It also means that a heavy, stiff action is less This is the famous Bill Shehane with his barrel-block 1000
important, as it isn’t really doing anything so, a lighter yard Heavy Gun – the action is a BAT M and that stock is solid
– and maybe cheaper – action can be used. aluminium!
additional cost of having a block made and installed in
Although 1000 yard benchrest is popular in the UK, a stock would put off most of us – until now - enter the
the Heavy Gun Class isn’t, so we rarely see barrel- True-Flite!
block guns. However, could there be a use for the
barrel-block in F Class – particularly the Open Class? This is an awesome bit of kit. It’s beautifully
engineered and not too heavy. It would make a great
With a 22lb weight limit for an Open Class rifle, we platform for a benchgun or an Open F Class rifle.
have plenty of weight to play around with. Those
competitors who want to build their rifle up to the The block is bored to suit a 1.25inch profile barrel with
weight-limit will inevitably start adding lead to the a six-inch parallel section to grip the barrel. The action
butt-stock – what a waste, when this could be utilized simply hangs off the back – floating in free air! The
for a longer, heavier profile barrel. scope can either be conventionally mounted off the
action or off the barrel-block itself, though I notice
But, start swinging a thick 34 inch tube off the average from the pictures of the bench guns above that the
action and it could be counter-productive – placing guys have stuck with action scope-mounts so maybe
massive loading on the action, screws and bedding. this is the way to go.

20
FROM THE BENCH cont...

As you can see from the photograph, the stock is

beautifully finished and the underside of the butt is flat
to ride the rear bag. The pistol-grip is un-necessary but
looks quite nice. The stock is too heavy for an F/TR rifle
no problem with an Open gun.

Apart from the butt, the whole stock, including the

fore-end is aluminium and designed to suit a three-inch
wide front-rest bag as is required for F Class Open guns

As you might imagine, the stock is not cheap - £1430

but, before you dismiss it as too expensive remember,
any stock will cost around £400 upwards in its
unfinished, un-inletted state. Inletting, bedding and
painting could easily add another £500 so maybe the
cost isn’t too far away. If you currently have an action,
you could build an Open rifle for around £2100, which
isn’t bad for a full custom rifle.

Hopefully, in time for the August issue, we will have put

together a rifle which will be suitable for benchrest or
F Class and maybe we can see how it performs at 1000
yards off the bench.

Interested in a barrel-block stock? Contact Fox

Firearms www.foxfirearmsuk.com for more details.

Forthcoming events
Our next benchrest weekend at Diggle will be 28/29th
July and we hope to have a very special guest shooting
with us...

On August 26th it’s the Diggle Fly Shoot – not

a benchrest shoot but it always attracts the ‘accuracy
nuts’. Any rifle, rests, scope will do, so why not give it a
try. Who knows – it might even have stopped raining!

21
 Nightforce NXS 8-32x56 NP
2DD Zero-Stop Scope
by Chris Parkin

Nightforce NXS 8-32x56

NP 2DD Zero-Stop Scope.
by Chris Parkin

Nothing too cluttered, all adjustments were easily applied

and observed from the shooting position, note the extended
parallax drum showing the illumination turned on.

22
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 Nightforce NXS Nightforce NXS 8-32x56 NP
2DD Zero-Stop Scope
8-32x56 NP 2DD by Chris Parkin

Zero-Stop Scope.
By Chris Parkin

Among serious precision shooters,

Nightforce scopes are pretty much
the benchmark and Target Shooter
has reviewed them many times.
Chris Parkin checks out how their
latest model measures up.
You see them everywhere
When I first ventured into longer range
precision shooting and some competitive
tournaments, amongst the glut of equipment
my fellow competitors had on show, one
item always seemed to stand out as a very
Nothing too cluttered, all adjustments were easily applied
popular choice, the Nightforce scope. Up and observed from the shooting position, note the extended
until recently, their vast array of reticles and parallax drum showing the illumination turned on.

importantly, precision glass and mechanics,

offered long range/small target visibility 30mm used to be big!
On a large precision gun with a heavy barrel, you
combined with unprecedented magnification
will find the 56mm objective size scales nicely but
levels of up to 42X that no other manufacturer 50mm is available on the lower magnification models.
was offering. The brand offers an attractive An aluminium 30mm body tube is of two- piece
construction with the joint in front of the saddle. To
build, without unnecessary flourishes that
the left, we find the parallax control and with a pull,
simply does the job and, throughout the it clicks out to illuminate the reticle. There is no
range, the style and visual appearance remains brightness control as you must remove the cap and
alter a rheostat to change the setting, there is no auto
a constant, differing only in zoom-range and
shut off so don’t forget to click it back in!
objective bell size.

23
23
 Nightforce NXS 8-32x56 NP nipping them up, you carefully reset the turret cap
2DD Zero-Stop Scope back on top and set this at zero too. It’s a workshop
by Chris Parkin job rather than a field task and the instructions warn
you not to completely remove any bolts but, I like the
Parallax itself is easily set; there are no `hopefully fact that you can leave a little spare `negative` travel
correct` markings on the drum and thankfully no into the elevation yet still set your marker to `zero`. I
backlash to speak of. It will not adjust down to very like this design!
close range and about 50 yards was my reckoning of
its minimum. The windage turret is mounted opposite At the ocular end of the scope, plenty of knurling
and is again marked in ¼ MOA increments with solid allows grip to control magnification but one downside
clicks offering 10MOA right and left of centre but this is that the eyepiece not a fast focus (European style),
time without any rotation marker. it uses a lock-ring and the whole body of the ocular
rotates when zooming in or out - meaning if you have
The 8-32x56 model I have on test was one of the latest fitted a Butler creek cap or the like, it also rotates with
versions, featuring the zero-stop that was the one it and can block your non-shooting eye or obstruct the
Achilles heel of previous models. Combined with finger bolt travel. On a positive note, eye-relief dos not alter
sized exposed turrets, positively dialling in ¼ minute with the zoom setting, allowing you to maintain a solid
of angle (MOA) we can now utilise all of that 60 MOA head position and, with careful adjustment, the reticle
scope travel without getting `lost`. stays pin-sharp.

After mounting and zeroing the scope on a 20MOA

picatinny rail, I still had 41MOA left to play with which A personal choice
will get a fast 6.5mm bullet from 100 to approximately The reticle fitted here - the NP2DD - is one of 10
1200 yards. Adding a 30 or even 40 MOA rail will choices offered by Nightforce. Briefly, it is a tiny centre
extend this further. To set the zero-stop, you must dot, with 3, 6 and 9 o’clock arms leading towards it but
remove the elevation turret-cap completely and then not touching it. All reticles are 2nd focal plane and all
loosen four Allen screws to set the stop at zero. After the components illuminate. It is a superb reticle for

1 of 2, first slacken off and remove the rurret cap.

24
24
ultra long-range, small target shooting and unrushed
Nightforce NXS 8-32x56 NP
aiming but perhaps not as suited to a faster fire role 2DD Zero-Stop Scope
where I would personally choose something a little by Chris Parkin
heavier. As a varminter or F-Class competitor, it would
be excellent and illumination does help in lower light
of the glass’ Japanese origins. Comprehensive
but im not sure that I would choose this for use in
instructions are supplied with the scope and as
darkness with a lamp for example.
well as everyday mounting instructions, covering
reticle levelling and adjustment of the zero-stop and
Reticle choice is a very personal
illumination control which are
thing so well done Nightforce NP 2 DD reticle
unique to this model.
for allowing the customer a wide
range of choices. Rubberised
Dust to Dust at Dusk
lens caps are provided with the
I sat the scope atop my light
scope along with a battery for
tactical rifle and after bore-
the illumination. The matt black
sighting, zeroed easily at 100
anodised external finish is hard
yards with all click values
wearing and (thankfully) showed
corresponding precisely to
no sign of ring-marking.
intended correction. Due to
the fine reticle and ease of
Nightforce offer a limited,
adjustment, I set up a small
transferable lifetime warranty
field firing range of balloons
similar to their American
and clay pigeons at distances
competitors and are not ashamed
out to 500 yards.

2 of 2, then adjust the zero stop

and replace the turret cap, also
set to `mark` zero.

25
25
 Nightforce NXS 8-32x56 NP in the centre but the very outer edges did exhibit a tiny
amount of fringing but it did not affect my shooting as
2DD Zero-Stop Scope
precision is all about what is in the middle. A 75mm
by Chris Parkin
sunshade is supplied and this did help to cut out some
The targets remain fairly large at 2 and 300 nasty glare coming in from the low winter evening sun.
yards but a 90mm clay at 500 yards is I shot all the way up to dark and a few rabbits made a
getting quite tricky and I hadn’t chosen one way last walk into the field where they were easily
a still day. It is always good fun dusting spotted and dealt with. At very last light, the optics
clays and the wind tested me but did fade a little before I would have hoped maybe with
corrections dialled-in were as close as the best European glass but this scope is a lot less
I could hope for. I found the glass clear expensive and gave me fair usage.

Plenty of tube to grip when adjusting

magnification but if you fit a butler creek,
it will turn with it.

Tipani’s Rest

26
26
 Technical Specifications Nightforce NXS 8-32x56 NP
Reticle NP 2 DD 2DD Zero-Stop Scope
Click values ¼ MOA by Chris Parkin
Clicks per turn 80
Full rotation 20 MOA Nightforce mechanics are never a let-down and the
Parallax Yes – side adjust design of the turrets is one of the best in my opinion,
Tube diameter 30mm compact yet easily visible and neatly knurled for grip
Field of view 12.1-3.1 feet @ 100 even with gloved hands and, return to zero was always
yards dependable. Reticle subtension details are given at a
Eye relief 98mm marked 22X magnification level although in the case
Exit pupil 7.0-1.8mm of the NP 2 DD - extremely small amounts - the dot for
Weight 34 oz / 965g example is 0.3 MOA in diameter.
Length 15.9 inches / 404mm
Waterproof Yes, to 100 feet
Gas Filled Yes
Price £1943

For - Stylish design - Rugged build quality - Numerous Reticle choices

Against - Choose your reticle carefully to suit your needs

Verdict - The Nightforce NXS is the benchmark for a reason - it does everything
that is says on the tin and very well.

Contact RUAG - www.ruag.co.uk - Tel: 01579 362319

27
27
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 The long View
by Les Holgate

News from the GB F-Class Association

Photography -Laurie Holland
Photography by Steve Thornton

A monthly
column whereby
Les Holgate keeps
us up to date with the
activities of the GB F Class
Association – except that Les is
overwhelmed by other commitments
this month – like organising, running
and shooting in the Diggle competition but,
fortunately, we’ve got Laurie to do the report
and take the photos – in between shooting... Ed.

30
A Tale of Two Climates
GB F Class 3rd Round
Diggle Ranges
June 2012

We were back at Diggle for the second of the season’s three visits to this
venue but, unlike April’s short-range shoot, this was an entirely long-range
meeting and encompassed some significant and in my view, beneficial
changes from previous League rounds held at Diggle.

31
 GB F Class 3rd Round
Diggle Ranges
June 2012

Sunday morning - high cloud plus

good light and near still conditions

June
should be the most
salubrious time of the
year, so we’d maybe be
OK weather-wise too –
fat chance!

32
But first, a humble apology to Paul Sandie and GB F Class 3rd Round
correction to last month’s report on GBFCA Round 2 Diggle Ranges
at Blair Atholl. While reporting that Grant Taylor had June 2012
taken all three matches made for wonderful journalistic
copy, it wasn’t actually so. The reported Match 1
positions were the wrong way round, Paul getting the
stage on 72 and Grant with his 2 minutes 20 seconds Complimentary Drinks
barnstorming ‘string shoot’ one point behind on 71 – Anyway, onwards and upwards to the Diggle round
or something like that, the confusion arising because held over the second weekend of June and the match
the ‘stats computer’ crashed losing the data. Truly, structure changes. Gone were the 800 yard stages to
Blair was not a good round for electronic equipment! be replaced by two more 1000 yarders – making four in
Nevertheless, Grant’s two wins and a second place out all over the weekend, all 2+20s bar Match 3 which was
of three matches made for quite a performance. 2+15. Four details each of 14 shooters were planned
and unlike all previous rounds everybody would shoot
both his or her day’s matches in a single session and
the changeover with the butts crew would take place
only after half of the entrants had finished the day’s
shooting.

Two F/TR details got the Saturday morning on the

firing-points with those squadded on Detail 1 shooting
Match 1 first, having a 40 minute or so break while
their fellows on Detail 2 shot it, then straight back into
the firing line for Match 2. After a brief ‘physical needs’
break, those two details then went into the butts and
the ‘Open’ competitors walked back to the 1000yd
firing points to repeat the pattern.

Big Steve, a new vocation as the Diggle F-TR ‘Tea Lady’

33
 GB F Class 3rd Round
Diggle Ranges
Global Warming Strikes Again!
Well, that was the plan but this is Diggle - where
June 2012 standard advice to first-timers is to take full bad-
weather gear and sun-block! June should be the most
Sunday would be run the same way, only reversed with salubrious time of the year, so we’d maybe be OK
the two entirely ‘Open’ details shooting their matches weather-wise too – fat chance! Do you remember
first and the F/TR group now shot in the afternoon. those early ‘Global Warming’ forecasts that said
The benefits were a reduction in time spent in humping we should be well on the way to getting Southern
gear between the 800 and 1000yd firing points and France’s climate in England by now, assuming the
an even greater time saving through only having one predicted 5, or was it 10, metres sea-level rises hadn’t
butts changeover per day instead of the three or four in drowned us first? I never heard a prediction for the
previous Diggle rounds. upland Pennines’ new climate but, if Kent was to grow
peaches and take over from France’s Champagne
Once shooters got their mind around the system, I region to grow the grapes used in the world’s most
think it was seen as a big improvement. A downside famous fizzy drink as confidently forecast, even Diggle
was that people now spent a very long time in the should have moved onto something reasonable by the
butts and steps were taken to make this less onerous second decade in the 21st century – say approximating
in the form of portable gas stoves, kettles and copious to Lerwick’s or Stornoway’s weather.
quantities of paper cups, coffee and teabags for a
continuous supply of complimentary hot drinks. With Instead, we got 5 or 6-degree C temperatures (around
25 or 26 people in the butts and seven targets to be 40F for those who still think in this scale) a cold 20
manned, it was quite possible to have two ‘details’ mph wind and vertical sheets of heavy drizzle that
there too - one ‘off-duty’ and resting/eating/drinking. literally ‘walked’ up the range in the strong wind
Naturally, some wits wanted to know who’d snaffled after the Saturday morning range briefing, signing-
the free biscuits, and when were the dancing girls in and squadding. With the wind and rain coming in
arriving! from 5 o’clock, they were guaranteed to produce wet
ammunition and rifle chambers, so contingency plans

34
were made to shoot a single 20-round match off the GB F Class 3rd Round
concrete benches in the 1000yd covered benchrest Diggle Ranges
firing point... but only if the problem of mist was June 2012
resolved.
points. Let’s mention our competitors, a capacity entry

There must be a suitable split 31 Open shooters to 22 F/TR - the largest Open
bias in many a League round.
collective noun for F/TR As is often the case in early morning light to nil wind
shooters – a herd?, a conditions at Diggle, appearances were deceptive, or
the initial condition won’t last for the time it takes to
scrum?, or perhaps given get through a relay. I was hidden away doing Butts
Officer duty while the two main Open details were
their means of supporting shooting, so couldn’t see what the flags were saying
during the morning. Nevertheless, you get a good idea
the rifle, a pod? of conditions by looking along the line of targets and

(Boom! Boom!) watching trends develop.

Match 1, Detail 1 started off in great style with bulls

Low clouds were right down on the range sometimes
and Vs up and down the line. Elevations soon started
obscuring the targets and permanently hiding the
to wander on some frames however, giving leakers
danger area above the butts that has to be clearly
into the ‘four’. Then, a series of ‘left wind kicks’ saw
visible to shoot safely. While tantalisingly lifting
points lost out at the 3 o’clock position, occasionally
a bit every now and then, the clouds were in
no hurry to disperse and the day’s shooting
was finally cancelled in early afternoon. Very
frustrating! Actually, it’s not quite true that there
was no shooting. Diggle’s lower level 100 yard
benchrest range with its covered firing point saw
brisk business all afternoon with competitors
checking their ‘zero’. I reckon many just wanted
get outdoors and hear their rifles go bang, a not
unattractive alternative to being stuck in the range-
house all day.

Summer Arrives
Sunday was a complete contrast with good visibility, a
Altcar 101 RC members

even into the ’three’, sometimes on five or six of the

high and thin cloud layer that gradually broke up to let seven frames simultaneously. Then ... before the
the sun through, afternoon temperatures hitting the Match 1 was done, a complete direction change set in
high teens. Moreover, the day started out apparently with light breezes coming up the range from 5 o’clock
windless, despite the Met Office having forecast single- needing small, but variable amounts of right windage
figure mph sou’ westerlies. Competitors were shooed on ‘scopes.
out to the 1000yd firing point (Open) and butts (F/TR)
immediately after 08.00 and Match 3 was extended to Such uncertainties in the wind never make for easy
2+20 to give a total of 40 shots for a possible 200.40v shooting and while Match 1 scores were good, GBFCA

35
 displaying just enough variability to make things
GB F Class 3rd Round
difficult. Despite the very different conditions from
Diggle Ranges those experienced by the Open boys in their first
June 2012 match, we again had a large number getting the same
League records were in no danger. Paul Geelmuyden score and, not as good as first expected either, six
took the stage medal on 93.8v .... one of eight on that competitors shooting 87s in the first match.
score but winning on V-count, ahead of Paul Sandie,
Gary Costello and Michael Meyer all with six; Lee Jason Scrivens took the medal with his five Vs ahead
Tomlinson and David Kent on five. of Russell Simmonds and Steve Donaldson on four and
three respectively. Bill McIntyre and Adam Bagnall tied
With around half the field having broken 90 and on two Vs and Paul Crosbie down from East Lothian
therefore only covered by a 3-point spread, the result had one. Paul Harkins, another of the large group from
was still wide open with Match 2 offering a chance to Altcar’s 101 RC, was a single point behind on 86.2v
snatch the Class and overall win. It not only produced then there was bit of a gap to Steve Rigby and the
improved scores in a now slightly stronger but more remainder of the field. Usually top performers, Stuart
consistent right wind but a wider differential at the Anselm and John Cross had disappointing results, both
top of the class. David Kent read the conditions better on 79s, bad news with only two matches in this round.
than anybody else for an excellent 98.8v, Ian Boxall a Me? No, you really don’t want to know.
couple of points behind with same V-count.
Then, it was finally onto the last two details for the last
Hjorleifur Hilmarsson from Iceland, in his first ever F match of the day in mid afternoon. Ominous looking
Class match, shot an excellent 95.9v for third beating storm clouds were building above the far end of the
off Lee Tomlinson and local man John Campbell on range but the wind quite quickly dropped away to a
V-count. Since none of the remaining Open types who near calm and what movement there was looked fairly
were to shoot with the F/TR contingent later in the steady.
day were to equal or better these scores, the Open
match win went to David Kent on 191.13v, a nice Russell Simmonds stormed through his 20 shots while
gap of three points ahead of the very consistent Lee conditions held to score a fantastic 99.7v, a new GB F/
Tomlinson’s 188.11v. John Campbell and Grant Taylor TR 1,000yd record, taking the overall F/TR class win
both produced 187 aggregates, John getting the final too by a couple of points and massive V-count margin.
podium place with eleven Vs to Grant’s nine. Paul Harkins was only just behind in the match on
98.2v, also getting 2nd overall F/TR, and Paul Crosbie’s
93.6v was good enough for third F/TR and 18 league
World Record
The F/TR ‘mob’ plus a few remaining Open competitors
points on aggregate.

The heavy bullet shooters generally didn’t do as well

were let loose shortly after midday, suffering serious
as the 155gn users in these conditions, confirming the
caffeine highs from the free tea and coffee dished up
suspicions of many that while they hold wind changes
by that man of the people, Steve Donaldson, who’d
well, they just can’t group as tightly as a good 155,
discovered a new vocation – tea lady! Incidentally,
especially the 155.5gn Berger. So that was it for the
there must be a suitable collective noun for F/TR
weekend... a curate’s egg of a League round - being
shooters – a herd?, a scrum?, or perhaps given their
very, very good in parts, stinking bad in others, all
means of supporting the rifle, a pod? (Boom! Boom!)
down to the weather and not poor Les Holgate’s
Quite out of keeping with F/TR shooters’ usual
organisation. Cynics – me? Never! – might say that’s
fortunes, the weather continued to brighten and warm
just like the British summer despite the absolutely, yes
up. In fact, conditions were now near perfect with
absolutely certain, irrefutable even, fact that we’re
crystal clear air, no mirage and light 5 o’clock winds
‘enjoying’ a warming climate!

36
 GB F Class 3rd Round
Left to right - 1st place F/TR class Russell Simmonds Diggle Ranges
and 1st place Open class David Kent June 2012

37
 GB F Class 3rd Round
Diggle Ranges
June 2012

Results: (HPS=200.40v)
F Class - F/TR
1. Russell Simmonds 186.11v
2. Paul Harkins 184.4v
3. Paul Crosbie 180.7v
4. Adam Bagnall 179.6v
5. Ross Opperman 177.7v
38
 GB F Class 3rd Round
Diggle Ranges
June 2012

Results: (HPS=200.40v)
F Class - Open
1. David Kent 191.13v
2. Lee Tomlinson 188.11v
3. John Campbell 187.11v
4. Grant Taylor 187.9v
5. Paul Geelmuyden 186.14v
39
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 This
SMALLBORE
Business

This Smallbore Business

by Don Brooke
More work on shading the aim

Interesting stuff this, would you The illustrations for this article gives to you
say? In the previous articles yet another clock face where wind from
where I mentioned to learn any of the clock face directions produces

to shade the aim right around the shot result indicated, sometimes within

the clock face, I have had a the ten ring, and sometimes outside of the

ten, leading to points loss. (See fig 1 on page 43)

few inquiries about why this
is necessary. In fact I had one
guy doubt that any wind would
cause very low shots. There lies
a closed mind!

42
I take no credit for this diagram, as I first saw it in a This
great little book written by William (Bill) Krilling who SMALLBORE
was at the time the techniques coach of the United Business
States Advanced Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort
Benning in Georgia. With both of us watching the wind flags, David soon
got hold of the aiming techniques, as I knew he would.
Bill Krilling and I go back a very long way, as I had to This guy can shoot a bit! History has it that the very
contact Krilling when I ran out of coaches in Australia. next time we met on that range, it was his 598 that
We burned a lot of paper over the couple of years won! Funny how the good guys learn!
before the Munich Olympics and I finally met him when
I was selected for that Australian team. Range topography and the buildings constructed on
the range all affect the wind flow factors across it.
On my home range in Newcastle, NSW, that diagram Wind and weather are a fact of life for a small bore
came in very handy and really was the fore runner of
my aiming skills and why I recommend that you teach
yourself to aim at any point you choose.

The range at my home club is built in a quite deep

quarry and is subject to laminar flow wind conditions
over the entire range. The wind often comes from over
the top of the shooting bays, or from around the safety
fences, and has a tendency to swirl around the inner
confines of the range out there.

I desperately needed to know how to read that range,

and I even took the method of placing smoke pots in
strategic places just so I could see what was going on.
Boy, did I learn!

I taught myself to aim ‘around the clock face’ with

a high degree of precision. My skills levels on that This is the most helpful diagram in the study of wind effects.
range increased dramatically once I understood what I have based all my own wind reading knowledge on this
happened out there when the wind came from the remarkable illustration and have found it to be extremely
various directions it was capable of. accurate. If this diagram is used in concert with the plane of
wind effect and, the value clock (fig.3) you will accumulate a
better understanding
I have a really good Mate in Australia in David Hollister,
himself an Olympian and adept at shading the aim shooter, as I reiterate that wind reading is incredibly
as well. He came to me during a prone match being important to a small bore shooter. I have stated prior
fired, puzzled that his shading techniques were not to this that the wind effect for small bore is probably
adding up. I just smiled and went on to shoot a 598 the most difficult for any form of precision shooting.
which blitzed the field by a stack of points. David and I That 44 grain projectile is influenced sometimes
then discussed his shading techniques and when I told drastically somewhere between the muzzle and the
him I was consistently aiming my shots at 2 o’clock target face...
and 8 o’clock as a wind combat method on this range
he was more than surprised. I related the smoke pot
experiment for him and we went back down when
everything was finished that afternoon.
43
 accurate once more, it is not funny! Be aware that as
This the wind velocity increases, so the size of the stylised
SMALLBORE
Business ‘S’ increases, until you eventually lose the shot.

As I said, this helped me a lot when I was learning to

It will also affect a Free Pistol shooter, as I have noticed
shade the aim and why I thought I had to go ‘round
the similarity of results when the pistol shooters are
the clock’ as a form of combat with wind conditions.
training with the small bore shooters. The groups
What a fascinating study... Just another tool in my tool
are bigger with a Free Pistol but the shot loss when
box of stuff and methods I have learned. Study this
a mistake is made is so similar it is not funny. I saw
diagram intently, follow the effects, and learn to read
evidence of this in Thun Switzerland once, when our
the wind so accurately. I did, and so can you!
guys lost shots in exactly the same place as the rifle
guys! I told the pistol boys about this, but...
This method also applies to full bore shooters right
back past 1000 yards and is quite obvious that the
plane of wind effect is quite often much different than
just from 9 to 3 across the target as so many long range
shooters project and how I illustrated in last month’s
article. Remember I mentioned the wide flat range of
Connaught in Canada? Well that, my friends is a classic
example! I have only shot on Connaught once, and that
range reads as true as the bible!

In this day and age, where the rifles and equipment are
so state of the art stuff, why are not the groups round
instead of flat across the bull? You hear it every day
(quote) “You should have seen my elevation in that
shoot, beautiful and flat - right across the ten ring.”

Well, I am more impressed with a group that is round

and can be covered, in the case of full-bore, with a
50 cent piece! Some of the full-bore rifles these days
do shoot incredible groups. I once won a match in
Even with a group measuring 50.10 at 600 yards in full-bore, Australia at 600 yards with a 50.10 that would fit in a
you can still see the plane of wind effect existent. This group tea cup and would you believe that the main direction
was fired at an open prize meeting in NSW in a half-value wind of the shot placement in this tight group was still 10
from 10 o’clock. During the shoot, I did not move the rear sight
to 4? Think on that for a bit…..and study the group
at all, just trusting that I could hold the X ring.
that I have illustrated in (fig 2.) which is a reproduction
of that same 50.10. See what I mean? Look at the
formation of the group, as an example of the plane of
So have a look at the diagram (fig1) which explains
wind effect, even if it was ten Vee bulls...
the direction of the wind and the results the USAAMU
found in their experiments.
Now in (figure 3) attached to this article, there is yet
another clock to study. This is a wind value clock
The effects illustrated are results of the wind within
and shows the relative values of the wind direction
the 50m ten ring. It forms a stylised ‘S’ if you like,
according to displacement of the shot from the centre
according to the strength and I have found this so
of the target.

44
Starting from 12 o’clock (in yellow), winds from this
direction are called ‘nil’ value winds or those that This
displace the shot laterally the least amount. They SMALLBORE
Business
do however displace the shot affected vertically
somewhat as discussed in Krillings diagram above.
Then going to the 9 to 3 direction across the range (in
red), are the winds that displace the shot the furthest
laterally and these are obviously ‘full value’ winds.

Full value winds can be seriously dangerous and you

can very often get extremely wide results on your
target if you get one away in a strong gust, or increase,
across the range. Remember the incident were my
neighbour had one land on my plate discussed early in
this series? Well, that was one mother of a full value
wind! A full house howling gale of about 60 mph!

I also saw a small-bore shooter get one away in

extremely strong fishtailing wind. He had a handful of
adjustment on the sight to combat a heavy wind from
the left. He let one rip when the wind was suddenly of A diagram of the wind effects on a small-bore range. The
‘nil’ value winds from 12 and 6 have more effect on elevation
equal strength from the right and, combined with the
than laterally. The full value winds affect the displacement
wind alteration he had on the rear sight to combat the the most, whilst the half value winds approximately half the
wind from the left, he finished with a ‘2’ on his small- value. Obviously I regard these as the more ‘dangerous’ winds
bore target! That one hurt... simply because there are more of them! This diagram is easy to
read if used in conjunction with the ‘Krilling’ method promoted
by the USAAMU (fig 1)
Finally, with the other colour on the target (in blue)
we see the half value winds. These are equally as
dangerous as the full value stuff but not in terms of
the really wide results as they are known as winds that bore range without wind flags in view. How the hell
move approximately half the distance displaced. The can you tell if it was you, or the wind out there if you
big problem here is the actual area they cover over suddenly find a rough shot on your target? To shoot
the entire range, plus the elevation effects. Half value without flags up is just plain laziness...
winds are the ones that are fired into the most on a
small bore range, as you often see them blowing from There will be more in this series next
the blue direction indicated.
month where we learn to ‘aim off (larger
If you link the Krilling diagram (fig 1) with (fig 3) distances) as opposed to shading the aim.
you can easily see why they are dangerous, just by
the fact there is more area covered. Note the shot
Just remember... A faint heart never won a
displacement value relative to elevation on the target
in the Krilling diagram.
fair fight. It just takes a bit of guts to try it!

Brooksie.
This was why I put the smoke pots out on my home
range, as I really did need to see the effects, just so I
could learn where to aim my shots. It is also the reason
I get frustrated when I see shooters training on a small-

45
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH
POWDER UPDATE
Part 1
by Laurie Holland

THE HANDLOADING BENCH

POWDER UP-DATE Part 1 by Laurie Holland

46
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland

THE HANDLOADING BENCH: POWDER UPDATE

Part 1 by Laurie Holland
The 1500
I plan to spend an issue or three on propellant scales unit which
developments, can be removed
notably
from the dispenser.
recent budget TR140 and Elcho 17 introductions; look at long-
established Vihtavuori N150, which I increasingly see as a ‘powder for
all seasons’; cover a not too well known but comprehensive range of
European manufactured powders that has just received a couple of
potentially useful additions. The last mentioned has actually been
around for many years but, recent name and nomenclature changes
haven’t helped increase what was already a rather low profile.

We have more powders available to us than we can shake

a stick at. Just some of those suitable for .308 Winchester.

47
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland An important driver behind an introduction is to
generate customer interest and sales, of course. For
Before we do any of that though, what is new in the some reason, this applies more to powders than to
marketplace and perhaps equally pertinent, do we bullets, despite the latter usually being more important
actually need any new powders? We have a choice to ‘precision’ (group size) and whose downrange
that would have astonished previous generations of performance characteristics are vital both to the field
handloaders, especially for propellants used in the mid- shooter (expansion/terminal ballistics) and the mid
sized, thermally efficient numbers that fall between to long-range target shooter (retained velocity/BC/
.223 Rem and .30-06. Manufacturers and those who holding elevation on the target/reducing wind drift).
package and distribute handloading powders (not
the same people in many cases) usually manage to I often reckon powders are today’s nearest equivalent
introduce two or three new lines each year nowadays to the Philosopher’s Stone, purchasers hoping to
such is the pace of development but, we rarely if ever, turn the base metal of an indifferent barrel allied
lose any older products. So the total number on the to mediocre bullets into the gold of a tack-driving
market inexorably rises. combination; or magically produce an extra 100 fps
MV without spoiling groups or reducing barrel life.
Sadly, the laws of thermodynamics invariably apply, so
ballistic gains are paid for in some way or other.

Nevertheless, whenever a new powder appears, the

shooting forums see steady business in new threads
asking if it works in such and such a cartridge, even
when the latter already has several well-known
foolproof recipes.

A good example is IMR-8208 XBR which has generated

great interest, even excitement, on many accuracy
orientated forums. It’s a recent Hodgdon introduction,
our American cousins getting supplies about three
years ago, limited quantities reaching the UK in early
2011 and probably only now fully available here. 8208
is classed as a fine-grained fast burner with similar
properties to Hodgdon’s existing H322 and Benchmark
products, made by the same people in fact – Thales/
ADI in Australia.

Its history is interesting, the original 8208 being a

DuPont Corporation stick powder used in some early
American manufactured 5.56mm military ammunition
and found to be ideally suited to the 6PPC with 65-
New IMR-8208 XBR, a fine-grained single-base stick 68gn bullets in bench rest competition. When surplus
powder for small to medium cartridges and allegedly totally
unaffected by temperature changes. supplies dried up, Hodgdon was persuaded to source
a modern substitute and the BR competition link has
been heavily promoted. Some burning-rate charts
show it as being similar to the benchresters’ favourite,
Viht N133, in this respect at least. In practice, it turns

48
out to be closer to H4895 than H322/N133 and a
THE HANDLOADING BENCH
compressed 6PPC load doesn’t deliver the velocities POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland
and pressures/groups that the benchresters expected.

Instead, shooters are trying it in 223 Rem, 308 Win,

6mm BR and similar applications. While very good
results are reported in the .308 with 155-175gn bullets,
this and the others mentioned are hardly cartridges
that suffer from a dearth of existing propellants
that give top performance. But .... 8208 has one
characteristic, a ‘unique selling point’ if you like, that
may be very important to some shooters as well as
being useful in specialised military sniper loadings – a
claimed total indifference to temperature changes,
even better that that of the existing benchmark
Hodgdon VarGet. Here’s what Hodgdon says about its
powder.

IMR 8208 XBR The latest in the versatile IMR line of

fine propellants, this accurate metering, super short
grained extruded rifle powder was designed expressly
for match, varmint, and AR sniper cartridges.  Ideally
suited for cartridges like the 223 Remington/5.56mm,
308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO and the 6mm PPC,
shooters will find IMR 8208 XBR totally insensitive to
changes in temperature, while yielding max velocities
and ‘tack driving’ accuracy.  Clearly, the competitor’s
‘choice’ and the Varmint Hunter’s ‘dream powder’.

Just for ARs?

The three powders tried in the tests.
Yet newer than 8208, we have AR-Comp from Alliant
and CFE™223 from Hodgdon. Here are the former’s
characteristics from the Alliant ATK website:
• Developed specifically for the AR-15 style rifles
• Ideal for heavy 223 and 308 match bullets
• Consistent pressures and velocities across
temperature extremes
• Suitable for all semi-auto rifles
• Made in Sweden for Alliant Powder
• Lot to Lot consistency

Note the reference again to consistency ‘across

temperature extremes’. In fact, tests involving the
powder in 223 Rem with 77gn bullets and 308 Win with Alliant’s new AR-Comp – it’s unlikely we’ll see it here.
175s claim the maximum MV variation was only 20 fps
across an ambient temperature range of -20° to 160°F.
49
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland

Components for side by side N/TR140 tests in .223 Rem.

50
The other driver for its introduction into the US THE HANDLOADING BENCH
market is almost certainly the recent boom in the
sales and use of cloned AR semi-auto rifles employing POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland
direct impingement gas operating systems. It turns
out that AR-Comp starts as well established Bofors
manufactured double-base Reloder 15 that then
undergoes treatment to make it less temperature
sensitive and this alters its basic performance slightly
making it a little faster burning.

A fair few shooters are

unhappy with this ‘similar
to...’ description when it’s
their faces that might get
hit by the rifle bolt...
It falls between Hodgdon VarGet and existing Rel 15
in this respect, so should be ideal for a large number
of cartridges, bullet weights and applications. I found
Rel 15 the ultimate powder for 90gn VLDs in 223 Rem
giving me over 2900 fps, small spreads and tiny groups.
But ... as soon as temperatures got into the 70s, Hodgdon’s 2012 ‘Annual Manual’ features the company’s
new CFE™223 ball powder on the cover that stops copper
pressures rose and there was a risk of pierced primers. fouling in its tracks.

AR-Comp looks a great substitute but I doubt if we’ll

see it here. Unlike Hodgdon Powder which undertakes
European ‘CE’ certification for its entire range, Alliant Copper Eraser
ATK is much more selective, and will likely feel that CFE™223 is another recently introduced powder
European sales opportunities won’t justify the work but we’re now back with Hodgdon. It’s a double-
and expense given that the propellant’s use is seen as base ball, or ‘Spherical™’ in Hodgdon-speak, type so
heavily skewed towards US semi-auto rifle cartridges. meters well, provides a high loading density and a lot
If so, that’ll be a shame as Re15 has a lot going for of energy in small to mid-size case cartridge designs.
it – small grain formulation which meters well; high- In burning rate terms, it’s considerably ‘slower’ than
energy; high density that offers larger charge weights IMR-8208 XBR and a little more so than AR-Comp
in capacity constrained cases; proven performance being somewhere between Viht N140/VarGet/Rel 15
with heavy, long-range bullets in many small to mid- and Viht N150/the 4350s/Rel 17. It’s listed alongside
sized cartridges – so an improved temperature tolerant Hodgdon’s existing BL-C(2) spherical product and is
version would be very valuable. also presumably sourced from the same manufacturer,

51
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH by Hornady in its 204 Ruger factory ammunition since
the cartridge’s inception and was a key element in
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland producing very high velocities with light bullets in this
‘sub-calibre’ design without incurring serious barrel
the St. Marks Powder Co. in Florida. This is the fouling.
former Olin Corp/Winchester plant that still supplies
Those interested in the history of small calibre, high-
nearly all of the propellants loaded into US military
velocity cartridges will know that such problems
smallarms ammunition. It was introduced to American
handloaders last year, although supplies weren’t
shipped to retailers until this January, and we’ve yet to
see it in the UK.

Its unique selling point is the inclusion of a CFE or

‘copper fouling eraser’ in its chemical formulation.
The word ‘erase’ is slightly misleading, as my
understanding is that it doesn’t work by erasing or
wiping out any copper fouling already deposited in
the bore, rather stops it being laid down in the first
place. There is something in the powder that puts a
protective coating onto the bore surface and seals the
micro-pores and toolmarks that rub the tiny amounts
of copper off bullets as they travel down the barrel
and which builds up as fouling to the detriment of
accuracy, and can even increase pressures substantially
in extreme cases.

As such, CFE™223 is proving to be particularly effective

in barrels that ‘foul’ quickly and badly. The benefits are
enhanced rifle performance over a larger number of
shots and noticeably less effort needed after shooting
to return to a clean copper-free condition. It’s also
ideal for applications that involve rapid fire producing
high barrel temperatures.
Alliant Reloder 17 that can give large increases in velocities
Rough mass-produced barrels allied to rapid fire/heat and reductions in barrel accuracy life.
suggests military use and this is what the powder was
designed for, but it’s a potential boon for anybody with
badly afflicted the 220 Swift and more recently the
a rough barrel. This applies too to American prairie dog
17 Remington, doing a great deal of damage to their
hunters whose shooting is often fast and furious in high
reputations and sales. Unsurprisingly, the 204 Ruger
ambient temperatures.
is one of the cartridges specifically recommended in
Again, looking at Hodgdon’s marketing material, the Hodgdon’s information and marketing blurb as being
AR-15 link is visible as with AR-Comp. Interestingly, its an ideal recipient for the powder, likewise 17 Rem,
first, and very successful, civilian shooting application 223 Rem, 22-250 Rem, and 308 Win are specially
had little or nothing to do with ARs or similar rifles. recommended recipients, although loading data have
The bulk commercial version of CFE 223 has been used been provided for a total of 27 cartridges to date.

52
If you’re one of the many handloaders who like ball THE HANDLOADING BENCH
powders, this may be the one for you in a large range
of small to medium size cartridges including 243 POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland
Win, 260 Rem, 6.5X47L, 6.5mm Hornady Creedmoor
and 7mm-08 Rem and similar in addition to those
mentioned. It must be a no-brainer ‘try-out number’
too for anybody shooting the various 17 and 20 calibre
cartridges. N140 and TR140 kernels on millimetre graph paper.

Being a ball powder - which can mean ‘dirty burning’ also links into the final powder introduction of note in
and, as with all such propellants is double-base (nitro recent years.
glycerine in the mix with the nitrocellulose), successful
use in long-range precision match shooting is more After the widespread adoption of double-base powders
debatable but who knows? Manufacturers’ sample in F and similar three or so seasons ago, all about
loads data for 223 Rem and 308 Win are provided in getting very high velocities, there has been a marked
Table 1. return to single-base types. The reason is simply one
of reduced barrel life – as I hinted earlier, there are no
Unique Formulation ‘free lunches’ in this game. If you get another 50 or
100 fps, never mind 150, out of a particular bullet in a
Reference to double-base powders for very long-range
particular barrel at the extreme top end performance
shooting brings up an interesting trend on the UK
F-Class/F-TR scene and other similar disciplines and
53
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH so on the tin. I refer to Alliant Reloader 17, a uniquely
formulated Swiss (Nitro-Chemie AG) manufactured
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland powder in the 4350 burn-rate class. It was introduced
to American handloaders sometime around 2007 and
margin, you’ll almost certainly see the chamber throat caused great excitement thanks to some impressive
erode faster and ultimately fail at a significantly lower MV improvements in various mid-size cartridges.
round-count. So, there are a lot fewer F/TR shooters
loading 155s above Viht N540 and 175-200s above German Salazar and Robert Whitley reported on
N550 in their 308s than there were a couple of seasons results in the Tubb 6XC, 6.5-284 and ‘straight 284’ in
back. Most ‘Open’ competitors use slow burning the Accurate Shooter online Daily Bulletin with some
single-base powders, H4831, Viht N165 and suchlike, in staggering increases allied to excellent accuracy. For
their high performance sevens. instance, German’s 6XC MVs for 107gn Sierra MKs

That’s despite the introduction of a double-base type

promoted heavily to short magnum users – it even says The 100 year old 7.5X55mm Swiss in a range of guises. The
ball versions on left use the powder marketed as Reloder 17 in
handloaders’ canister form.

54
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH

How does
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland

rose from 3,038 fps over H4831sc to 3,311 with Rel

£55/kilo (c.
17 and 115s from the 2,980-3,000 fps mark with
H4350/4831sc to 3,211 fps without over-pressure
signs. Robert Whitley confirmed this in his use of the

£25/lb) sound?
6XC and also got an extra 150 fps out of Berger 180s in
the 284 Win, hitting a full 3000 fps.

Velocities aren’t increased nearly as much in the 6.5-

284 however and that’s a pointer as to how some
of the improvement is obtained – through the use

The 100 year old 7.5X55mm Swiss in a range of guises. The ball versions on left use the powder marketed as Reloder 17 in
handloaders’ canister form.

55
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH of a denser, smaller-grained powder that allows a
larger charge weight to be squeezed into a space-
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland constrained case. The 6.5-284 has loads of room even
for conventional single-base stick propellants; the XC
and short magnums are on their uppers capacity-wise
with many powders. The other and revolutionary
.223R Savage 12 LRPV on the bench being cleaned between powder difference is that conventional non-combustible’
testing sessions. deterrent’ chemicals that slow the initial burning of the
powder kernel down are surface coated onto nearly all
powders, while Nitro-Chemie has developed a process
that sees a different variety mixed throughout the
nitro-cellulose material and flattens the power curve.

One might imagine that this is a recent wonder-

breakthrough but I understand that it was developed
for RUAG manufactured GP11 7.5X55mm cartridges
supplied to the Swiss government and, since the
5.5mm SturmGewehr 90 replaced the old 7.5mm
StG57 around 20 years ago in Swiss frontline service,
that doesn’t suggest this powder is exactly new.

Alliant promised a whole new ‘family’ of rifle powders

using this technology in various grades/burning rates
but Rel 17 still lacks siblings some three to four years
after its commercial launch in the handloading market.
.308W Barnard / Eliseo tubegun on the bench with CED Millennium
chronograph.

56
My experience is very limited with this powder, almost THE HANDLOADING BENCH
entirely to 308 Win with heavy bullets, I tried it with
mid-weight (185-200gn) numbers and got fantastic POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland
MVs in standard large-primer Lapua or Norma brass
but with very unimpressive groups.

This is not uncommon it seems, in other cartridges too,

where the powder isn’t 100% suited to the application.
Put it under 210-215gn bullets in 308 Win in the Lapua
‘Palma’ (small-primer) case and it’s a different matter:
high MVs, reasonable spreads and groups – better
than Viht N550 in my opinion in this rather specialised
application. I tried it with 90s in 223 Rem – no great
luck there, although the MVs were again good. Note
that we’re talking very long throated chambers in such
heavy bullet applications in both cartridges.

Things have gone rather quiet about this powder

in forums, partly because the novelty has worn off,
partly because others have had similar results to my
less successful ventures. The other reason is that it’s Elcho/Reloder 17 are identical.
quickly acquired a reputation as a ‘barrel burner’. Well,
it will do if you push 180s from a 284 Win at WSM
velocities, or 115s out of the 6XC at over 3,200 fps!

Now, remember this is a propellant used over many

years in many trillions of Swiss military rifle cartridges
and still used in that country’s 7.5mm belt-fed
machine-guns. My impression of Swiss government
officials is that they make the average Highland Scot
look like a spendthrift when it comes to spending
money needlessly, so I don’t buy the idea that Rel 17 is
Long-range shooters are returning to single-base powders such as
inherently linked to short barrel life. Keep pressures /
N140 and N150 having found that high-energy double-base types
velocities sensible and barrel life is probably similar to like N550 reduce barrel life if their performance is fully used.
that of any other double base powder, possibly much
better thanks to the throughout the material deterrent
formulation.

For information, the Swiss rate the 7.5X55mm at

around 45,500 psi PMax but use 150% proof pressures;
the EC’s CIP agency rates it at 38,000 bar/55,114
psi using the Piezo crystal measuring system, so
around 6000 psi below .308 Win and 3000 psi below
7.62X51mm NATO. Despite these low pressures, Coming soon – a report on Czech Explosia ‘Lovex’ propellants,
this 100 year old 308 Win lookalike is an impressive formerly marketed here under the ‘Accurate’ name. SO62 is
performer giving a 174gn FMJBT bullet 2560 fps MV similar to the famous IMR-4064 and SO65 is a new single-base
stick type that is claimed to give very similar performance to
from 600mm barrels in its modern military loading. Hodgdon VarGet.

57
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH A fair few shooters are unhappy with this ‘similar to...’
description when it’s their faces that might get hit by
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland the rifle bolt if it turns out to be faster burning and a lot
of shooters – alright, alright, three or four – asked me
to do a side by side test.
So far as many short magnum sporting users are
concerned, Rel 17 is probably the finest thing since I loaded up 15 rounds each of 223 Rem with 77gn
sliced bread was introduced: ‘reasonable’ rather than Berger BTs with the two powders and 308 Win likewise
one-hole groups good enough; barrel life not an issue with a stiff load under 155gn HPBT Sierra Matchings,
given small annual ammunition expenditure; MVs 100 the original p/n 2155 type chronographing them over
fps up on any other powder on the market. What more a CED Millennium M2. Powders aside, everything was
could you want? I’ll try the powder in 6XC with 105/107 identical, components and charges used; the cases
and 115gn bullets at MVs rather lower than those were from the same batches with the same number of
quoted above before next winter’s 600 yard bench rest loading and firing cycles under their belts; were loaded
season starts and see how it performs compared to together using the same scales and tools; tested in the
H4350 and Viht N550 which I’ve used until now. same range session starting with a clean barrel in each
case.
Here’s how Alliant ATKL summarises its
characteristics: The 223 rounds were tried in my Savage 12 LRPV
• Designed for short magnum case capacity ‘affordable’ F/TR rifle with its 26” 1-7.5” twist Bartlein
barrel; the 308 rounds in my Barnard F/TR rifle with
• Similar burn speed to IMR 4350
a 32” 1-10” twist True-Flite. Note that both rifles
• Meters easily and consistently have VERY long-throated chambers (for 90 and
• Consistent maximum velocity in extreme 210gn bullets respectively) and the charge weights
weather conditions used may well be excessive with standard chamber
forms. Group sizes were similar (good throughout)
Bargain Hunters Queue Here
and going by the MVs produced, I’m satisfied that
I’ll finish this month’s powder update with two budget in these two cartridges at any rate TR140 and N140
propellants, TR 140 and Elcho 17 provided by Nigel perform similarly, are very close in fact. This doesn’t
Cole-Hawkins of the North London Rifle Club who guarantee that they’ll perform nearly identically in
trades as Commonside Firearms, Surrey RFD No. 591. other applications of course but, using TR140 with
I’m told he’s based on Bisley Camp, so you should Vihtavuori’s maximum loads for N140 reduced by 10%
find them for sale somewhere in the vicinity if you’re to give a starting load value should be reasonably safe
shooting at the NSC. For those of us located further in normal applications. The loads and MVs are shown
north, the Dolphin Gun Company in Louth, Lincs stocks in Table 2.
them as does Brian Fox (Fox Firearms) in his shop on
Next month: changes in global powder
Diggle Ranges.
manufacturers’ ownership and practices and how
Budget? How does £55/kilo (c. £25/lb) sound? So what that might affect us as small volume niche customers;
are they? They’re both manufactured in Switzerland, Vihtavuori N150 profile and uses.
and Elcho (after the annual Match Rifle teams match
See comments in the text re chamber throats. These
held at Bisley) is the double-base Alliant Reloader 17
loads may not be safe in other, shorter-throated rifles.
I’ve just been rambling on about – simply no change,
The long throats in the test rifles also depress MVs
so just use Alliant’s data. TR140 is described as being a
substantially. ES = extreme velocity spread; SD =
short-cut single-base propellant ‘similar to Viht N140’
Standard Deviation.
and suggesting that the latter’s loads data are used as
starting points.

58
 THE HANDLOADING BENCH
POWDER UPDATE - Pt 1 by Laurie Holland

Table 1 - AR-Comp, CFE™223, and IMR-8208 XBR

Sample Loads Data

223 Remington

Bullet Powder Max Charge Weight MV COAL Case Primer

55gn SMK AR-Comp 23.2gn 3,310 fps 2.24” Fed F205M
53gn SMK CFE 223 28.5gn 3,415 fps 2.20” Win Win SR
53gn SMK 8208 XBR 25.4gn 3,310 fps 2,20” Win Win SR
69gn SMK AR-Comp 23.2gn 2,969 fps 2.26” Win F205M
69gn SMK CFE 223 25.8gn 3,029 fps 2.235” Win Win SR
69gn SMK 8208 XBR 23.8gn 2,959 fps 2.235” Win Win SR
80gn SMK AR-Comp 22.7gn 2,726 fps 2.55” Fed F205M
80gn SMK CFE 223 24.4gn 2,785 fps 2.55” Win Win SR
80gn SMK 8208 XBR 21.0gn 2,628 fps 2.55” Win Win SR
90gn SMK AR-Comp 21.6gn 2,530 fps 2.55” Fed F205M
90gn SMK CFE 223 22.8gn 2,554 fps 2.38” Win Win SR
90gn SMK 8208 XBR 19.6gn 2,419 fps 2.38” Win Win SR
308 Winchester
155gn SMK AR-Comp 43.2gn 2,920 fps 2.775” Fed F210
155gn SMK CFE 223 51.0gn 2,966 fps 2.775” Win F210M
155gn SMK 8208 XBR 45.3gn 2,854 fps 2.775” Win F210M
168gn SMK AR-Comp 42.2gn 2,782 fps 2.800” Fed F210
168gn SMK CFE 223 49.0gn 2,828 fps 2.800” Win F210M
168gn SMK 8208 XBR 43.3gn 2,707 fps 2.800” Win F210M
175gn SMK AR-Comp 41.4gn 2,719 fps 2.800” Fed F210
175gn SMK CFE 223 47.5gn 2,752 fps 2.800” Win F210M
175gn SMK 8208 XBR 42.5gn 2,664 fps 2.800” Win F210M
180gn SMK AR-Comp 40.5gn 2,657 fps 2.800” Fed F210
180gn SPR SP CFE 223 45.1gn 2,615 fps 2.800” Win F210M

Sources: manufacturers’ data. SMK = Sierra MatchKing; SPR SP = Speer Pointed Soft Point.
NB Maximum loads quoted. See manufacturers’ printed or online data sources for recommended starting loads.
24” length test barrels used quoted in both cartridges and all loads.

Table 2 - Viht N140 v TR140 Tests in 223 Rem and 308 Win
223 Rem (Lapua brass; CCI-450 primer; 77gn Berger HPBT) 3-round batches

Charge Wt (gn) N140 MV N140 ES N140 SD TR140 MV TR140 ES TR140 SD

23.4gn 2,596 fps n/a n/a 2,587 fps 31 n/a
23.7gn 2,633 38 fps n/a 2,627 fps n/a n/a
24.0gn 2,699 fps 41 fps n/a n/r n/a n/a
24.3gn 2,720 fps 41 fps n/a 2,713 fps 39 fps n/a
24.5gn 2,741 fps 52 fps n/a 2,750 fps 29 fps n/a
308 Win (Norma brass; CCI-200 primer; 155gn Sierra MK #2155) 5-round batches
46.9gn 2,843 fps 61 fps 21 fps 2,871 fps 14 fps 4 fps
47.2gn 2,877 fps 17 fps 7 fps 2,898 fps 18 fps 6 fps
47.5gn 2,892 fps 14 fps 6 fps 2,908 fps 16 fps 5 fps

See comments in the text re chamber throats. These loads may not be safe in other, shorter-throated
rifles. The long throats in the test rifles also depress MVs substantially. ES = extreme velocity spread; SD = Standard
Deviation.
Testing at Diggle in March 2012 – cool conditions.

59
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61
 Historic Arms
The 5.5mm Velo Dog by Mike Davenport FCA

Historic Arms
The 5.5mm Velo Dog
“Dad, what is a Velo Dog
by Mike Davenport FCA

cartridge, is it the one that

Sherlock Holmes shot the
Hound of the Baskervilles
with?”
“ No”, my long suffering
father replied, “That would
have probably been a 44
Webley Bulldog.” - which
is a far more appropriate
cartridge for that job, in Left, the 22LR, centre the Velo Dog and right 38 Special.

more ways than one!

Indeed the 5.5 mm Velo Dog cartridge has
roughly the same ballistics as a 22 Long
Rifle cartridge. In fact, the cartridge was
designed for a gun made by Galand of
Paris to help cyclists ward off dogs which
attacked them in the countryside!

62
62
 The word ‘velo’ is of course short for velocipede - the
old-fashioned word for bicycle. Shooting dogs may
seem an unacceptable thing to do today - certainly not
Historic Arms
The 5.5mm Velo Dog by Mike Davenport FCA
PC! But, one has to remember that Louis Pasteur had
only just invented an antidote for rabies a few years
earlier - a disease carried by dogs which is virtually fatal
and is still rampant in many parts of the world even
today. I remember a builder in the early 1950’s telling
me that during his trip through Italy in WW2 he saw a
cyclist attacked by a dog. He promptly jumped off his
bike and shot the dog with a small pistol.

The Velo Dog cartridge is now on the Home Office

exempt list and, together with the gun, does not
require an FAC. The cartridge is much longer than a
22 Long Rifle and certainly would not chamber in that
gun. It is also centre-fire. In Cartridges of the World by
Frank C Barnes, the CF 5.5mm Velo Dog cartridge is
shown as giving a muzzle velocity of 750 fps and an ME
of 55 ft.lbs.

The picture top right clearly shows the difference

in size between the Velo Dog gun and a Smith and
Wesson M 60-3 J frame pocket revolver with a 1 7/8
inch barrel. The cartridges are a 38 Special CF , the
copper jacketed 5.5mm CF for the Velo dog and a 22
Long Rifle RF. The Velo Dog is a fixed frame revolver,
loaded through a flip-down loading gate and uses a
rod extractor, which swings out to punch out the fired
The 44 Webley and the Irish Constabulary revolver
cases. It further reduces its size by having a drop down
cartridge had rather better ballistics with a muzzle
trigger and has a hammer shroud to stop it snagging
velocity of 700 fps and an ME of 239 ft.lbs. These were
when removing it from the pocket or the little bag
popular revolvers at the time being double action and
shown on the top of the picture. The small catch on
capable of a quicker rate of fire. It is thought that
the top of the grip is a safety catch to lock the enclosed
Colonel Custer had a pair and John Tunstall (Billy the
hammer.
Kid’s mentor) had one - which turned up in New Mexico
recently. However, in neither case did they afford
With something like a large mastiff dog, stopping
complete protection against the forces they were
power would have been a problem for the Velo Dog.
faced with at the time!
Holmes would have had more success with the 44
Webley Bulldog, which gave a muzzle velocity of 460
Photographs of the Velo Dog by courtesy of Derek
fps and an ME of 80 ft.lbs. (See photo bottom right).
Bernard.
Although in the book, Holmes, Watson and Inspector
Photograph of the Webley Bulldog from Wikipedia
Lestrade all fired an initial fusillade at the dog, it was
common.
only killed when Holmes sprinted after it firing more
shots.

63
63
 LATEST
s . . . But why are we ‘effers so obsessed with

NEWS...

N e w weight? The Open Class guys have a massive

22lbs – or 10kg. to play with. It’s almost impossible

est
to build a rifle up to this weight without adding lead to

La t the butt – who thought that one up? The F/TR shooter
on the other hand has four pounds less for his rifle and
that must include the weight of the bi-pod!

Mystic Precision FTR MPOD from Canada Some of the first commercially available F/TR bi-
pods were quite heavy – like the Sinclair and the
In last month’s Target Shooter we briefly featured two Spanish Fito – weighing in excess of two pounds.
brand-new bi-pods specifically aimed at the serious F/ However, they set the trend for F/TR and most of us
TR competitor. quickly realized that stability-wise they were a great
improvement over the ubiquitous Harris.
Unfortunately, bi-pods weighing in excess
of two pounds meant that heavy scopes like
the Nightforce had to go – to be replaced by
something much lighter. I used a Leupold
36BR for a couple of years – a great scope
weighing just a pound. It meant I could use my
3lb. BAT action and 30 inch heavy barrel.
I did manage to build a one-pound bi-pod – a
sort of lighter version of the Fito but I certainly
wouldn’t have bothered if the Mystic Precision
bi-pod had been available. Let’s have a closer
look at what makes it special.
An ultra-light bi-pod is no use to the ‘effer
unless it is also rigid, easily adjustable and
offers a stable shooting platform. The
Mystic MPOD scores on all these points and
I particularly like the way the rifle fore-end sits down
The UK Bi-pod from Evo Leisure/Osprey rifles recently
into the bi-pod, rather than pivoting on top of it.
received an excellent write-up from Irish F/TR shooter
Alan De Lacy on the excellent 6mmBR.com website – if It might look flimsy but, the Mystic is very well
you missed it, here’s the link. http://www.ospreyrifles. designed, made from aircraft quality aluminium and
com/index.php/shop-at-osprey-rifles/evo-leisure- is very rigid. Most shooters who had a look at it were
products/product/view/13/183 Ordering details at surprised how solid it felt. The one-lever QD fixing
www.ospreyrifles.com locked-up solid on my Anschutz type accessory-rail
and its ski-feet tracked beautifully on a grassy firing-
We also received a few e-mails about the Mystic
point with no tendency to flex.
Precision bi-pod above – weighing an amazing 13
ounces, it was bound to grab the attention of F/TR A sling-swivel attachment, or even a Picatinny rail
shooters who always have to make ‘compromises’ to fixing, is an option if you don’t have a slotted rail and
make weight and, over the last couple of years, some a version to suit a three-inch wide fore-end is also
weird and wonderful home-made ultra-light bi-pods available as an alternative to the standard 2.55 inch
have appeared – in fact, I’ve built a few myself but wide one – which should fit most F/TR stocks.
never as light as the Mystic Precision. Disadvantages? To adjust the height, you must
come out of the shooting position – as you must with

64
Mystic Precision Continued...
LATEST
NEWS...

a Savage F/TR rifle and Fito Big-foot bi-pod. Steve’s

verdict – “Great bi-pod, every bit as good as the Fito –
tracked well and no-problem with adjustment”.
Fox Firearms www.foxfirearmsuk.com are the UK
importer for the MPOD and the price will be under
£200. It comes as a kit of parts but assembly is simple
and takes but a few minutes and an Allen key and,
there is a certain satisfaction in ‘doing it yourself’.

There are of course plenty of adjustable, rigid bi-pods

Steve Hodge puts the MPOD through its paces in a available that will do exactly the same job as the Mystic
600 yard F/TR competition. – but none weigh as little as 13 ounces and if weight is
your problem then this could be the solution!
a Harris, Sinclair etc., whereas bi-pods like the Evo/ Take a look at the Mystic Precision website
Osprey or Censhot can easily be adjusted with one www.mysticprecision.com
finger from the prone position. If
you use a ‘bunny-ear’ benchrest-type
back-bag, frequent adjustment of
the bi-pod height is often necessary
as the feet ‘bed’ into the firing-
point but, I get around this by using
a softer, squashy sand-bag which
easily takes care of minor height
adjustments.
Whilst we are on the subject of
height, the Mystic has a good range
of adjustment from a ‘low’ of 4.5
inches (underside of fore-end to
ground) to a max. of 7.75 inches
which should cover most normal
shooting situations but it is possible
to order longer legs. In addition to
F Class, I really liked the Mystic on
my tactical rifle. OK, it doesn’t fold like a Harris but it’s
very quick to fit and remove and less fiddly than the
Harris to adjust.
I wanted to try the Mystic in an actual competition but
I didn’t get the chance as I loaned the bi-pod to Fox
Firearms to take to the Bisley Phoenix Meeting but, as
one of the shooters at my local range was setting-up to
shoot an F/TR competition at 600 yards, I asked him if
Self-assembly takes about five minutes – and of
he would mind trying the Mystic and he readily agreed
course, you can always take it apart if travelling
to give it a go. Steve is an experienced ‘effer and uses overseas.

65
 LATEST
s . . . Lyman Case Prep. Express: The Lyman
NEWS...

N e w offering features five spindles where you can

est
mount the various supplied case-prep. tools and you

t
can very quickly chamfer inside/outside necks, uniform

La or clean primer pockets and clean or lube the inside of

the neck.

I like to use an old Pro Shot bronze bore cleaning brush

Case-prep. gadgets from for cleaning the inside of used case-necks and you can
mount one of these on the Lyman if you like. Lyman
Hannam’s Reloading
also give you a little container of inside-neck lube (in
With the possible exception of our Laurie, I don’t the form of a powder) which you can use with the
think I’ve met anyone who actually likes reloading! nylon-bristle brushes.
I don’t mind it – it’s a ‘necessary evil’ but I don’t love
The Lyman is a substantial heavyweight bit of kit and
it and if I can find anything to make it easier – or
hopefully this means it will be robust and give years of
quicker – then why not?
service. From Hannam’s Reloading.
Most reloaders will regard prepping their brass as www.hannamsreloading.com
(Left) Hornady
one of the most important aspects of the reloading Case Prep.
process. With a brand-new unfired brass case – even Assistant. (below)
beautiful Lapua ones – we need to fettle ‘em a little. Lyman Case Prep.
Express:
Lube and run through re-size die (Optional) - Trim to
length - Chamfer inside of case-mouth - Chamfer outside
of case-mouth - De-burr flash hole - Uniform primer
pocket .

Once our brass has been fired, we can skip most the
above but we need to add a couple more:

Clean the inside (and outside) of the neck - Clean the

primer pocket - Lube and re-size.

These processes require specialist tools and dies and

most of us will have a box-full. Most can be hand-
operated but some benefit from using with a power
screw-driver to make the job easier and quicker.
However, if you are new to reloading, it’s worth
considering one of these powered devices.

The first one is from Hornady and it’s simply an electric

motor (that you can permanently mount on your
reloading bench if you like) which takes the inside/
outside neck chamfer tools. It works very well and
does the job exactly how it should. It comes with the
two tools and it may be possible to use other prep. or
case cleaning tools with it. It’s good value too.

66
 Quigley
LATEST
Shooting NEWS...

Association
by Ken Hall
JUNE QUIGLEY
COMPETITION
Sandwiched between two weeks of awful rainy
weather - which caused the cancellation of the first
With the snaking wind, most managed scores in the
Quigley of the season - we were suddenly blessed
20 – 30 region and higher scores were proving difficult
with a windy but dull and dry day for the second
to achieve. Going in to lunch, Ian Hull was leading with
competition.
47 points against nearest rival Dennis Richardson with
The firers assembled at 400 yards for stage 1, which
35 points.
as usual consisted of two sighters and fifteen shots
After lunch, Stage 2 was the buffalo silhouette at 600
to score at the Quigley bucket, scoring 5 points for a
yds and this stage saw many a turn-around, with Ian
hit on the bucket but only one point for the nearest of
unable to maintain his standard and Colin Buck, after
misses.
a lengthy lay-off due to health problems, getting the
This season, the scoring zones on the target have been
best score of 48 points, followed by Dave Malpas with
reduced in size, the ‘bucket’ now being around one
47 points and Richard Healey with 45 points.
third of its previous size and some peripheral zones
reduced to zero scoring. The buffalo now faces to the
The final scores were as follows;
right and, as the wind at Diggle is predominantly from
1st Colin Buck 79
left to right, this makes chasing the 5-zone a much
2nd Dave Malpas 73
trickier proposition.
3rd Richard Healey 72

Hearty commiserations to Paul Seymour for running

out of ammunition for his new and yet untried Shiloh
Sharps when he was making excellent progress at 600
yards and could well have been up with the leaders.For
further details of the QSA e-mail
khall6548@aol.com

Colin Buck and Dave Malpas

67
 LATEST
s . . .
NEWS...

t N ew
a t e s
L
IWA 2012
What’s new-
Rifles? Sauer ‘Gladiator’.

We’ve had a look at scopes and pistols –

what about rifles?

When you visit the German IWA Show,

you begin realize just how important
hunting is to the Germans. It’s every
Sauer ‘Gladiator’.
bit as important as football and the
really big companies – like Mauser
and Sauer are held in the same high
esteem as BMW and Mercedes.

Look at this rifle in the pictures – the Sauer ‘Gladiator’.

Produced as a ‘show’ rifle, it was totally over the top
but someone actually bought it – I think the price was
around €350,000!

When you think that we don’t have anyone in the UK

even producing hunting rifles or do we?

No one was more surprised than me to see a Webley

& Scott rifle on show. Could it be true? Well yes – and
no. A closer look revealed that is was a thinly disguised
Howa. It looked OK though – nicely stocked and blued
and hopefully reasonably priced.

The new tactical offerings from Rangemaster

68
 IWA 2012. What’s new - Rifles ? Continued...
LATEST
NEWS...

One genuine British made rifle is however the

Rangemaster – born of the recently defunct RPA. Their
new tactical rifles looked very tasty and hopefully we
will get to review on for Target Shooter soon.
Nice kit from Russia
But look at this from Russia – built from the ground
up – action, barrel – the lot! They are learning fast! It
ticked all the ‘tactical’ boxes and the young guys on
the stand really knew their stuff and spoke excellent
English. I think we might see more of this rifle though
whether I accept their invitation to the factory is
another matter!

When is a rifle not a rifle? When it’s a shotgun! With

Practical Shotgun currently on a roll in the UK – how
will these 12g AR clones be received?

Aluminium rifle chassis are currently all the rage

on both sides of the Atlantic and in addition to the
Rangemaster and the Russian one, IWA had a few
more on show – like this German one. (See photograph
at bottom).

If you don’t like aluminium or wood, how about carbon-

fibre? It’s light, it’s strong but it is very labour-intensive
– which means that it will be expensive and it’s not
easy to cater for different actions and disciplines.

Unfortunately, the website is still ‘under

On the factory rifle front – anything new from the ‘big
construction’ but keep looking...
five’? Well, Savage had this very capable looking rifle
on show. Good synthetic stock, Accu-trigger, heavy
fluted barrel – bit like their version of the Remmy PSS –
I look forward to trying one.

I can see little use for the Ruger Scout in the UK –

except as an expensive ‘plinker’ but clearly it has its
fans and is now offered with a Picatinny rail, iron sights
and military-style flash-hider. (See photograph on page
73. Top right)
More CNC stocks...

69
 LATEST
s . . .
ew
IWA 2012. What’s new - Rifles ? Continued...
NEWS...

e s t N
La t
Before we close, a couple of air-rifles. Here’s the full-
auto one I saw in America – great fun but unfortunately
NOT legal in the UK. Very nice bit of kit though. (Photo
page 78 middle right) .

This one (page 73 bottom right) is UK legal – the

Crossman ‘upper’ converts your AR15 to an air-rifle for
indoor practice – sounds a good idea to me.

Finally, nice to see a British company flourishing – Air

Arms, one of our loyal advertisers. Here’s another from Styer. That bipod looks really nice...

...and another CNC stock.

And yet more - CNC has a lot to answer for!

Air Arms, one of our loyal advertisers at the IWA. But there was stil plenty of wood in evidance. This was
one of the Henke custom rifles using their own action –
but is it for F Class or benchrest?
70
IWA 2012. What’s new - Rifles ? Continued... LATEST
NEWS...

I can see little use for the Ruger Scout in

the UK – except as an expensive ‘plinker’
but clearly it has its fans...

Fully auto airrifle.

Nice, but for what discipline?

Pete Lincoln has finally got his chassis into production –

similar to the AI – aluminium with polymer side-plates, it’s
a nice bit of kit

This one is UK legal – the Crossman ‘upper’ converts your

AR15 to an air-rifle for indoor practice – sounds a
Savage’s version of the PSS good idea to me.
71
 LATEST
s . . .
ew
NEWS...
How does it work?

e s t N The target is white in the middle and black at the

edges, with progressively darker shades of grey in

La t between (photograph 1). It has to be very brightly lit.

Mounted on the gun is a sensor that looks very much
like a ‘scope sight (photograph 2). It detects how dark/
light the target is at the point of aim and converts that
information into an audible signal that the shooter
hears through headphones. As the point of aim moves
Disabled Shooting around the target the pitch of the signal varies - the
International Developments higher the pitch, the nearer the POA is to the centre.
By Liz Woodall, Co-ordinator, Disabled Shooting
Project. Shooting positions and equipment
Able-bodied participants shoot standing; those that
need to sit (including wheelchair users) can do so.
Our piece in last month’s issue mentioned Everyone will use a spring stand to begin with and
take part in ‘supported’ classes. When sufficiently
blind/visually impaired (VI) shooting,
competent, a shooter can shoot ‘free-standing’,
which may have been a bit of a surprise exactly as a sighted shooter would. Many people
use the minimum of shooting equipment and wear
to some readers. This seems to be a good casual clothes, whilst others have the full kit of jacket,
trousers, boots, etc.
opportunity to tell the world about it all.

What’s on offer? Competitions

A blind/VI air-rifle league is run under the auspices
Until recently, the only discipline available to blind or
of the National Small-bore Rifle Association and
visually-impaired shooters was air-rifle. In the last 12
administered by Tony Taylor, manager of the West
months, the raised profile of disabled target shooting
Midlands Regional Shooting Centre at Aldersley,
has led to development of some exciting new options.
Wolverhampton. The WMRSC is also the venue for
Chris Aston has been working on an acoustic version
the annual British Blind/VI Championships and a
of the proposed new easy-access Sport Crossbow
Scottish Championship is hosted by Bon Accord RC.
discipline. The large blind/VI section of Blackburn Rifle
At the moment, rules for Acoustic Crossbow are being
& Pistol Club is experimenting with air-pistol and, I
drawn up and we are waiting for news of progress on
believe, 22 rifle. The NRA has expressed interest in
the pistol/22 front. No doubt national competitions
a fullbore version, so Olaf Jones is exploring possible
for those will be introduced as soon as possible.
formats for that. Last month we were delighted to
Meanwhile, Blackburn R&PC has hosted a couple of
hear of a blind clay target shooter, as reported by
regional championships and hopefully other clubs will
Richard Worthington on the CPSA website. I’m longing
follow their lead.
to find out how it’s done!
In the rest of this article I will cover the air-rifle and
crossbow disciplines, as they are very similar and fairly County Of Lancaster Smallbore
widely available. When we have enough information Target Shooting Association.
about the other options mentioned above, there will
be a follow-up article about those. 12th September 2012 Lancashire Air & Free Pistol
Championships, including 10m Air Pistol & Rifle, 50m
Free Pistol, 20 yd Air Pistol www.clstsa.org or email
neil@clstsa.org for further details.
72
Disabled Shooting continued... LATEST
NEWS...
Where to take part
There are currently 25 clubs in Britain that have blind/
VI shooting facilities and more are in the pipeline. A
few of them are exclusively or primarily for blind/VI
shooters. A full list, with contact information, is on
the ‘Blind & visually impaired’ page of the Disabled
Shooting Project website. Any club that is interested
in setting up such a facility should contact Ken Nash via
the N.S.R.A.

If anyone has any news of other development

in blind/VI shooting, I would be most grateful if VI air rifle shooter at Blackburn R&PC.
they could pass it on to me via Contacts on the
DSP website.

Acoustic ‘sight’ mounted on air rifle.

Air rifle target in a ‘tactile grouping gauge’ invented at

Holwell Rifle Club.

More information: Seated class in British Blind Championships.

Disabled Shooting Project: www.disabledshooting.org.uk

International Paralympic Committee, Shooting: www.ipc-shooting.org
International Blind Sport Federation, Shooting: www.ibsa.es/eng/deportes/shooting/presentacion
International Shooting Competition, Hannover: www.i-s-c-h.de
Clay Target Grand Prix, Lonato: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFKzJ7ZfQzM
British Blind Sport: www.britishblindsport.org.uk
International Blind Sport Association (Shooting): NSRA: www.nsra.co.uk

73
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 The 11th Police & Military Sniper World Cup
Budapest Hungary June 2012 by Rob Hunter

The 11th
Police & Military
Sniper World Cup
Budapest Hungary June 2012
by Rob Hunter
76
 The 11th Police & Military Sniper World Cup
Budapest Hungary June 2012 by Rob Hunter

The 11th Police & Military Sniper World Cup –

Budapest Hungary June 2012 The range itself is split into three sections and the
competitors are divided into three groups and rotated
After a couple of years away from shooting in the throughout the three ranges so basically, if you’re
major international sniper comps held throughout not shooting you’re moving and, if you’re not moving
Europe, I was fortunate to once again receive an you’re shooting! This adds to the constant pressure
invitation to attend the premier shooting event in of the competition and ensures that you only see the
the military/police sniper calendar - The Sniper World target when you’re about to engage it.
Cup. The competition is billed as a gathering of the
top police, military and invited guests from around the
world to slug it out over three days of intense shooting Day one
for the highly coveted title of ‘Top gun, best of the For once, the weather was kind to us. Budapest seems
best’. to have its own micro-climate with huge swings in
temperature and humidity but, this morning was
As in previous years, the venue for the competition was overcast and cool.
a military training facility just outside of Budapest. The
range offers a wide selection of shooting scenarios and There would be no gentle start to the proceedings
training possibilities , including moving targets, long- that could help check your rifle’s zero on a nice easy
range, down hill angles, obstacle course, desert area inward scoring target - the first target was an empty 50
and moving vehicle driving area. BMG case fixed to a wood post 150 meters away. The
course of fire (CoF) was to shoot one round through the
I’ve attended the event twice in the past and I can case in a 30 second time-frame. A clean hit scored top
honestly say that the Hungarian organisers constantly points, a glancing hit less points a complete miss was
surpass themselves in trying to find more and more zero and a round in the ‘no shoot’ area was minus 25
challenging ways to perform the most difficult shots points.
and I’m pleased to say this year was no different – it
was the toughest competition I’ve ever competed in. This year there were teams from 20 countries ranging from
as far afield a USA and China with 140 competitors from both
regular and irregular units.

77
 The 11th Police & Military Sniper World Cup
Budapest Hungary June 2012 by Rob Hunter “The target was
a black and white
photo of an x-ray of a
life-sized human skull
which was lit by two
First day nerves obviously got the better of me and I Cylume night sticks”.
was awarded the minus 25 for a badly pulled shot - on
the first event...not a good position to start from.

But, with that out of the way, we were sent to the

‘desert area’ - a large sandy area for a series of exercise
ranging from 40 to 150 metres, mostly shot on a very
short time-scales at targets with some scoring areas We didn’t have the luxury of an illuminated reticle on
not much larger than the calibre of your bullet and our S&B scopes so, some rapid measuring of the target
from various changing positions. using the PM11 reticule and then holding over where
we thought the ‘T’ zone-scoring box was. Once again
Sand and rifles are not good friends and a great deal of thanks to the reticle, we both score good points.
attention has to be paid to keeping your action free of
debris and sand kicked-up by rapid handling, moving The second CoF was slightly easier. At 240m, each
and unfriendly muzzle-brakes. This section finished team was presented with two three-inch orange clays
with a moving (mechanically swinging) hostage target. fixed to a board and a pass from a powerful green
With the knowledge that a hit on the hostage would searchlight passed along the line of targets illuminating
mean more minus points we decided on ‘trapping’ each one for a few seconds. We only managed one
(holding on the area were we thought it would be) and, hit on this one but at least we still scored. That ended
on its third exposure, my shooting partner Paul and I the first day at 11.30pm and with a next day start of
shot ‘simulated’ on the final exposure for some solid 8.00am, there was just time for rifle cleaning and then
‘plus’ points. to bed.

As I expected, the temp rocketed and after spending

the afternoon in the ‘desert’ we broke off for the Day two
evening meal - served on range and then prepared for The day started with lots of targets ranging in size from
the night shoot. This was to be a double CoF so, as the 8mm dots to down-sized hostage and dazzle targets,
boiling hot day gave way to a very cold clear night, we shot from prone, sitting, kneeling and even using your
prepped for the two shoots. partner’s body as a support... but there were two new
ones that were thrown at us.
The first shoot was a new one on me - the target was a
black and white photo of an x-ray of a life-sized human The first CoF was a short run up a 12 foot high berm.
skull which was lit by two Cylume night sticks. Being Reaching the top revealed a two-inch clay to the left
all black and white, this looked fine at close range but and right of the firing position at 45 degrees to the
when we moved back 280m, the face ‘disappeared’ and shooter and the same for your partner. Against the
only the faint glow of the cylumes gave and indication clock, this was a rush to complete in 30 seconds but it
of where the target was. went well.

78
 The 11th Police & Military Sniper World Cup
Budapest Hungary June 2012 by Rob Hunter
The second CoF was a ‘real world’ situation, where a
sniper was surprised by an ‘unfriendly’ whilst moving
into a firing position. So, carrying your rifle in both
hands at waist level, two ‘bad guy’ targets were
engaged shooting from the hip at close range. The Day three
scenario being that if you were caught out, you may Just when I thought we were getting the hang of
have no time to bring your gun up In order to engage. things and thinking that there not much else they
Once again, we got some good points on both. could surprise us with, we were marched to the driver-
training area of the complex and split in to groups of
In the late of the afternoon, with the range radiating three teams.
heat from the worst of the day, we moved out for
a 475m shot into a downsized fig. 11 target which The three teams mounted the back of a flatbed
constantly moved in the heat haze. This was all about articulated truck and, at 15 kph, drove past two sets of
knowing your come-ups, trusting in your ‘dope’ book targets 100m out, each requiring double taps by both
and shooting blind but our faith was rewarded with top shooters in the team. This was a new one for me and,
scores. with a minimum power of x12 dialed on our Schmidt
& Bender scopes and the bouncing truck, it was not
We finished of the day with what has become the any way an easy shot. Plus there was the added
staple event for this complication of working out the amount of lead to give
competition. SOG the target. Luckily, Paul being the brains of our team,
Knives are event came up with a solution and it was proved correct with
sponsors and the five solid hits on a ‘bad guy’ target.
favourite exercise
is a combat knife (If you like challenges, try and work out the required lead
driven into a block of – in other words, what lead would you dial-in on your
wood with a piece of scope’s windage. Answer at the end of the article).
paper behind it. The
object of the exercise is to fire a single bullet at the Next was another standard CoF for this competition - a
sharp edge of the blade and cut the bullet in half and steep-angled downhill shot. A 30 second window to
show two holes on the paper behind! This seemingly shoot a quail’s egg at 80m with a 20 degree angle and a
impossible shot is possible but, at 85m, require nerves hen’s egg at 170m on a 12 degree angle. Again some
of steel - particular when you have 40 other shooters
around you all shooting at once in a 30 second window
of opportunity.

It’s a testament to the quality of participant that over

75% did complete the task to the judge’s satisfaction.
Unfortunately this year, I hit the knife a glancing hit
down one side of the blade meaning the required two
holes on the paper were not there so, no points. Again
after evening meals on the range, cleaning of rifles and
debriefing of the day’s events left most - except the
youngest - heading off to bed.

79
 The 11th Police & Military Sniper World Cup
Budapest Hungary June 2012 by Rob Hunter
Sadly the UK did not have official military
representation but two members of Humberside police
did attend using personal kit and gave a good account
basic trigonometry backed up by a ballistic program
of their skills. Myself and Paul, through a good deal of
gave us the required elevation but then, shooting
hard graft and number crunching, had a good result in
downhill in a crosswind added another factor and
joint 4th in the individual and 6th in the team section.
meant that we only scored half points.

The final event was another new one and tough one
too. Shooter A runs up a 15 foot ladder, fastens
himself onto safety points and shoots over a concrete
barricade at three decreasing sizes of clays. Once
completed, unclip, back down the ladder and run back
to the start line to tag the other team member who
then runs forward to a waiting car and, resting his rifle
on the car bonnet, engages another 3 clays - all in 90
seconds!
The stress induced screw-up factor here is huge and On the podium - I’m (Rob) second
short-cycling my action meant a case jamming in the from the left on the front row.
action meant only
one clay hit from the
Official results
Police individual 1st Russia
ladder. Fortunately, 2nd Russia
Paul managed to 3rd China
pick up the other
Police team 1st Russia
three clays in a very
2nd Hungary
impressive display of
3rd China
speed shooting. That
gave us some much-needed points. Military individual 1st Ukraine
2nd Czechoslovakia
That ended the three days with 26 courses of fire 3rd China
and I can definitely confirm that it was the toughest Military team 1st Ukraine
competition yet - what will they come up with for next 2nd Czechoslovakia
year... ? 3rd China

The competition is split into Police and Military As I’ve said in the past, safety is paramount so
sections and is scored as an individual and a combined please don’t try to replicate any of the courses of fire
score as a team. mentioned here as it could result in injury or death.

This year there were teams from 20 countries The answer to the lead question for the moving vehicle
ranging from as far afield a USA and China with 140 shot: 15 MOA
competitors from both regular and irregular units. As
in the past, Russia, Ukraine, China and Belarus fielded As always, a fascinating read and very well done to Rob
some outstanding Special Forces teams and this and Paul in what is undoubtedly ‘the best of the best’ –
showed in the scores at the end of the day. Ed. You can visit Rob’s website at;
www.freewebs.com/uktactical

80
 

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e-mail: stuart@ospreyrifles.com

Tel : 0161 408 3555

Mob: 07861 399066

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 Shooting the McQueen - By Chris Parkin

Chris Parkin

Shooting the
McQueen
When I am asked what is my favourite target
shoot, my response is usually a quick one-word
answer - McQueen. But what is the McQueen?

82
History Shooting the McQueen - By Chris Parkin
The McQueen competition has an interesting history
which I came upon by chance when reading an
interesting sniper treatise, simply entitled ‘Sniping plate with his hunting rifles. He quickly found that the
in France’ by one Major Hesketh Pritchard, which formidable 333 Jeffreys - a popular African big-game
documents the eventual adoption of sniping by the round capable of pushing a 250 grain bullet at around
British Army in World War 1. 2500 fps - would scythe through the steel plates ‘like
butter’ and so he took one, equipped with a telescopic
The British were slow to adopt sniping – it wasn’t sight, to the front.
considered to be ‘unsportsmanlike’ – not cricket old
boy’ but, following the devastating and demoralising One can only imagine the look on the faces of the
carnage caused by German snipers, the British enemy when that first round zipped through their
Army issued ‘selected’ versions of the Enfield P14 ‘impenetrable’ loopholes, which were now about as
(.303 version of the Model of 1917) for so-called protective as wet cardboard! But Major Hesketh-
sniping. Although the rear ‘peep’ sight was a great Pritchard was only just beginning. As well as copying
improvement over the standard issue Mk 3 Short the Germans and rounding-up as many civilian
Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE), it was no match for the telescopic sights as he could, he also began to teach
German sniper – who’s rifles were now well equipped the would-be snipers not just to shoot but how to set-
with telescopic sights, some 20,000 donated via the up and adjust their new sights. He was quick to analyse
German hunting fraternity from their cherished rifles! sniping as not just ‘hitting your mark’ but also ‘finding
and defining the mark’ and he thus developed the
In Britain, at the beginning of the century, hunting with two-man observer/shooter sniper team – still favoured
the fullbore rifle was rather limited, though there were today the by military sniper.
a few Scottish deerstalkers and of course the odd big-
game hunter. One of these was the aforementioned Eventually, the results of the Major’s endeavours
Major Hesketh-Pritchard who, as well as being a began to filter through to the ‘top-brass’ and, a British
knowledgeable exponent with telescopic-sighted rifles, Army ‘field’ sniper-school was established at the village
also had some first-hand experience of trench warfare. of Bethune in France. Always on the look-out for
talented shooters, the Major soon enlisted the help of
The Major was not slow to notice the moral-sapping a young soldier by the name of Gray, who appeared to
effect of the enemy snipers on his troops: “The be a little more knowledgeable than the average, when
hardiest soldier turned sick when he saw the effect of it came to long-range shooting. Again, if the reader is
the pointed German bullet, which was apt to key-hole ever fortunate enough to visit Bisley Ranges, you may
so that the little hole in the forehead where it entered see a picture of Lieutenant Gray in the NRA pavilion,
often became a huge tear the size of a man’s fist on the alongside all the other previous winners of the coveted
other side of the stricken man’s head”. Queen’s Prize.

At that time most of the German sniping was carried Hesketh-Pritchard recalls that, as a school training
out by shooting through a ‘loophole’ - usually a small aid, brick walls with several random holes were
elongated hole cut in a thick steel plate, which in constructed. The would-be snipers practiced by
turn was mounted on top of the trench and heavily shooting at a life-size papier-mache Hun’s head
protected by sand-bags and earth. This effectively mounted on a stick, which would randomly appear
made the sniper immune from return fire, for the iron- in any of the holes for a two to four second exposure
sighted P14s could not hope to hit the tiny loophole or - from a distance of two-hundred yards - remember
pierce the steel-plate. Immune that is until Hesketh- that.
Pritchard began carrying out penetration tests on steel

83
 Shooting the McQueen - By Chris Parkin
winner – the McQueen trophy – a magnificant silver
eagle - giving the competition its name. The NRA
Readers may like to think that modern sniping has
McQueen competition continues to this day during
taken on a different role in the intervening 100 years
Imperial fortnight at Bisley and shooters may try their
but Major Hesketh-Pritchard’s methods soon made
hand, using the Accuracy International rifle if you don’t
the steel-plate loopholes too dangerous to use and
have your own.
the art of concealment became the new game. He did
not of course have the ghillie-suit as we know it but
he developed the sniper’s ‘robe’ and relates the tale
of a sniper crawling into no-man’s land under cover
Course of fire
Although different clubs use varying courses of fire,
of darkness and concealing himself inside the rotting the fundamental point of the McQueen is that a
carcass of a dead horse before making his shot in target appears briefly at any one of several openings
day-light, remaining concealed until darkness fell once in a `wall` or `castle` and the shooter has only a
again and then returning to his trench! It was a steep few seconds to shoot it – exactly as Major Hesketh
learning curve in those days, even to the realisation Pritchard did with his sniper training school. Any type
that rifles could become shot-out with too much of target can be used and the original targets are still
practice! available from McQeen although ‘political correctness’
means that most will choose a similar size but less
Yes, it’s easy to see the link between the Major’s sniper humanoid version.
training and our modern day competition but why, I
wondered, is it called the McQueen? There exists in The PC version of the original Hun’s head target (page
Galashields, Scotland, the famous target printing firm 89) The original – designated fig 14 is still available
of that name. Surely the two must be associated? The from McQueen of Galashields
firm was founded in 1840 as a simple printing works
but in 1890, John Stirling McQueen, the founder’s The reason I like this type of shoot so much is that it
son, was asked by the sergeant-at-arms of the local was my first competition and is still one of the most
volunteer force, to print some ‘penetrable’ targets for accessible competitions to enter. My club shoot once
a forthcoming competition. Prior to that, all shooting a month at 200 and 300 yards and at these ranges,
practice was done on steel plates, which were painted coupled with a relatively large target, neither high
in whitewash so that the shot-impact could easily be magnification scopes, or custom rifles are needed.
seen. The target was then simply whitewashed ready Shooter-skill can far outweigh even the very best
for the next firer (which is incidentally how the term equipment and if shooters want to give it a go, virtually
‘whitewash’ entered our sporting vocabulary). any foxing or deer-stalking rifle with a bipod can be
used and often is!
In the early days of the NRA, the Association was
more closely linked with the Military than it is
today. Firing practices were the same and civilians FUNdamentals!
competed alongside the military as they still do in The `wall` is a large timber and Corex structure
many countries. Soldiers returning to competition showing 8 `windows` amongst its various disruptive
shooting after the War demanded a competition based decorations. Each window is 30 cm tall by 60 cm wide
on their sniper training and the NRA asked McQueen and down in the butts below it, two targets fastened
if they would print some suitable targets. McQueen onto long poles are raised up randomly behind the
were happy to do so and even offered a trophy for the windows and exposed for 3 seconds at a time. The wall
is approximately 5 metres wide by 1.8m tall so you
have a fair arc of fire to both observe and shoot within.

84
 Shooting the McQueen - By Chris Parkin
Two indicated sighting shots are allowed at each
distance prior to a ‘trial exposure’ and the starting
command, “Watch and shoot”. We then get to see ten
exposures with a random gap of five to fifteen seconds
between each exposure to allow the shooter to reload.
Single-loading is more than adequate – magazines are
not required though many use them.

Usually, to speed things up with a large entry, two

competitors shoot simultaneously and both are
assigned a target colour so when the targets appear,
you need to make sure you aim and shoot at the one
with your (red or green) marker attached. The target
itself is 270mm high and 200mm wide. Hits anywhere
on the target score four points but a strike in the
central 100mm circle scores five.

After 10 exposures, taking around three minutes, you

hope to have at least 10 bullet holes in the target, if not
in the central zone itself. Everything is repeated after
lunch at 300 yards for a total competition of 20 shots
for a 100 point maximum. Hitting a four-inch circle
isn’t that hard even at 300 yards but, doing it in three
seconds, across the arc of the wall is the tricky bit.
Oh and keep one eye on the wind flags - the smallest
twitch can drift you out of the five-ring.

Tips, Tricks and Technicalities

Entry to this shoot is so accessible, due mainly to
utilising gear that is appropriate for general hunting
needs. Although some shooters use expensive and
very specific custom built tactical gear to compete, any
rifle that can accurately place shots at 300 yards is fine. move the rifle to scan the windows, I prefer to see the
Although a magazine can be helpful it isn’t mandatory whole wall so when a head pops up, I move straight to
and any mis-feed will inevitably result in a missed it. Three seconds does not sound long and don’t forget
exposure. My average score has not really changed your bullet has to travel 300 yards within that time but
since going to a 10 round mag. as five seconds is a once you have a few goes under your belt, time does
deceptively long time. seem to elongate and the need to rush diminishes.
Good shooters use the whole three seconds rather
As for scope-magnification, well even though I have than snatching-off the shot in the first second as soon
a 50X Schmidt & Bender fitted to my`McQueen as the target appears.
machine`, it never goes above 18x mag at 200 yards
and 25x at 300 because as you wind on the power, field
of view diminishes and although you can constantly

85
 Shooting the McQueen - By Chris Parkin

I have quite happily shot at 15x magnification at

300 yards and it is not uncommon to find that
magnification on many hunting scopes these days and
you are sure to have enough elevation to dial in the
extra few inches of drop when we dress back to 300
yards but if needs be, you can always aim at the top ThorntonConnect.com have been recently
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Don’t settle
So go on, have a go
The McQueen is great fun, doesn’t demand expensive
for less
equipment and certainly provides a great challenge Competitively
with that little bit of induced stress. Every shooter has priced with
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 Four Islands Practical
Shotgun Match
Rossendale 20 May 2012 by George Granycome

James Harris and the shotgun stages

88
 Four Islands Practical Shotgun PRACTICAL Shotgun

Match - Rossendale 20 May 2012

by George Granycome For shotgun matches, Rossendale’s hilltop quarries are
superb. Rock cliffs surround the area and the shotgun
Being a creature of the South Coast, I have seldom bays have high sidewalls of bulldozed sandstone rubble
ever been to Manchester, yet Rossendale Fusiliers which accepts the full impact of lead shot and then
rifle and shotgun ranges are even further north, near kills it stone (an appropriate word here) dead with no
towns whose names I have only ever heard years backsplash or sidesplash whatsoever. Not only are
ago when I was a boy and had to keep quiet because the capacious shotgun bays just the job for birdshot
dad was listening to the wireless writing down the but close around the corner is one of the rifle ranges,
football results on his pools duplicate coupon. You so that Rossendale matches can include slug. The
would also sometimes hear of them on election night: match had a genuine 50m metre slug stage – which is
“Farnorthofwatfordchester - Labour hold, majority the first I have ever seen at a Practical Shotgun match
75,000”. Not only that, but the range is in an old quarry in this country. It was very demanding shooting and
at the very top of a Manchester moors mini-mountain very pleasing for those of us who got all our shots on
and the lowland weather forecast does not apply - you the paper targets. (Even if some of those paper targets
always need a warm coat and strong boots! were painted red and were the wrong paper targets!)

Getting to the range is good fun in itself. Practical As for the birdshot stages, they were built with an
Shotgun has actually benefited from all those couch- element of devilment and fun that so many venues
potatoes who have bought massive 4x4 Chelsea struggle to include. This was a match held, in essence,
Tractors and then go looking for a country pursuit as to the rules of the International Practical Shooting
an excuse for having bought their otherwise useless Association (IPSC) but without the demands and
monster planet-polluter. With ranges and venues interference of busy-bodies who have inserted
so often at the end of cart tracks, Practical Shotgun themselves between this country’s practical shooters
serves the purpose admirably and the sport has and IPSC.
gained. For Rossendale a 4x4 is in order for the long,
steep, bumpy and exhilarating track. Nevertheless The match was run under the auspices of Four4Islands,
the getting there, even with the additional 210 miles an organisation set up to promote practical shooting
that James Harris and I drove from the South-East that run by clubs under their own control with the results
early morning, is well worth it. going towards a national championship. Four4islands
has become popular because it is prepared to work
The area is the home of Rossendale Fusiliers who have with affiliated clubs so that they can provide safe
two rifle ranges of 100 yards and 200 yards, and who quality matches while still remaining within their own
are very friendly and welcoming. When they saw me safety and insurance constraints and within the host
shaking with the cold they invited me into their cosy club’s own range rules. (The current series of PSG
clubhouse where there was a roaring fire (it was, after matches is likely to expand in the near future to include
all, the end of May) and would have plied me with tea other practical disciplines.)
and coffee and I dare say something stronger later, .
plus there were a couple of ex-matelots with whom I Mick Flatley is a superb course designer and an artist
could have swapped salty yarns all day. But, my loyalty in steel. He takes delight in steel and things fashioned
to shotgun kicked in and went out to face the cold, the from steel. In consequence, his shotgun stages are
wind and the match – although it was actually more replete with action props. There was a Texas Star
sheltered down by the shotgun area and the day did of course but this one had the top three-quarters
warm up nicely later on. screened by a steel plate so that the shooter could

89
89
 PRACTICAL Shotgun

only get a fleeting shot at the plates as they came

into view below the screen. There was a second Texas
Star with only two plates but which bobbed behind
hard cover. I RO’d a shooter who doubled his time and
ammo shooting them and was very pleased for him
when he finally shot the last one. (When it came to my
turn to shoot, I was gamey and left one, the penalty for
missing it being so much less than the time penalty for
several extra shots).
Mick Flatley on his knees praying, Iain Corrigan the vicar.

Of wobbly platforms there were two. One was a

wobbly bridge which some shooters actually chose to
shoot from and the other a wobbly platform were you
had no choice but to shoot from it. That sorted out the
men from the boys and I become a boy! There was a
plate-rack of six hinged targets about eight yards in
front of the shooting position. Everyone enjoyed it as
a fine old-fashioned blag. There were targets which
disappeared when you pulled on a piece of rope in a
mind-screwing stage with so many ways of shooting it
and so many ways of getting it utterly wrong. Just for
me, just for the oldies, just for the traditionalists, there
was one ordinary stage - of 16 plates which you could George Granycome ROs James Harris
easily shoot from a few sweet-spots as you moved on 50m slug stage.
downrange. Thank you Mick for taking pity.

Mick had produced some very impressive laser-cut

steel trophies. James Harris won one for Modified
Division and Iain Corrigan won another for Standard
Division. But Mick, the sod, went on to win the one for
Pump-Action – and it was one of the very few trophies
which I really wanted to win because it was such a good
trophy in itself - even my wife would have agreed to
display it in our sitting-room. There are so very few
venues that actually award trophies which you wish to
win and Mick snatched this one from my hands by only
a few percentage points.

Seriously, this was an exhilarating but hard and

demanding competition. On the basis of this match
Rossendale must now be considered the very top
for practical shooting, certainly in this country and Iain Corrigan, wobbly bridge in background.

90
90
 PRACTICAL Shotgun

probably in Europe. Thank you, Mick Flatley, your

helpers Neil Evans and Iain Corrigan, and Rossendale
Fusiliers shooting club.

Rossendale elderly car park attendant.

Rossendale Fusiliers entrance plaque .

Mick Flatley with

Benelli Super-Nova
Pump
Rossendale tropy.

91
91
 Target Shotgun in the UK
Huge demand for UKPSA Basic Safety Course
by Tony Saunders

2012 has seen a huge rise in the demand for the Run by UKPSA instructors, club coaches and helpers,
UKPSA’s Basic Safety Course (BSC) in both Long all of whom give their time for free and are keen
Barrelled Pistol / Long Barrelled Revolver (LBP/LBR) to ensure everyone has a fun, safe and memorable
and IPSC Practical Shotgun and this last weekend saw weekend shooting with like-minded people.
over twenty aspiring shot-gunners attend the BSC at The Instructors will often split the attendees into
Border Gun PSG Club, on the Welsh border, at Valley groups and aim to pitch the course content according
View Farm near Bishops Castle. to the group members’ experience to ensure that
everyone gets as much from the course as they can.

Team photo at Border Guns after the UKPSA Basic Safety Course

The BSC is a fun and demanding two day course whose The safety aspect is, of course, key to the whole
attendees range from absolute beginners to seasoned course. However, it is not just general firearm safety
and experienced shooters. After a brief classroom awareness that the course aims to address but rather
session, attendees are out on the range as we believe the specific demands of the shooting discipline that
the best place to learn is by actually doing it. Day One requires movement around a freestyle course of fire
usually consists of getting everyone to a similar level and the need to be constantly aware of the changing
through the use of standard shooting exercises and angles with respect to the range backstops – all while
gun handling techniques so that the more intensive shooting at both static and moving targets, avoiding
Day Two allows us to bring this all together on various penalty targets and doing all this against the clock.
stages used in actual matches.

92
Border Guns PSG club is a shooting TARGET
SHOTGUN
club formed and aimed specifically
for IPSC Practical Shotgun and is
the home of Martin Davies and
his wife Jo. Martin is a UKPSA
instructor and has the added
advantage of being the current
British Manual (Pump) Champion –
a title he has also held in previous
years. An avid fan of the Benelli
SuperNova, his relaxed style and
humour usually add to the warm
atmosphere of the course and
Adrian Coppin shooting his SuperNova through aperture, RO’d by George Granycome
regular club shoots held at the
farm. Ammunition is all birdshot
with fibre wad cartridges as it is
a working sheep farm high in the
beautiful Shropshire hills.

Border Guns is famous for its ‘Wood

Run’ stage – a long and testing
stage held in a nearby pine wood
that has up to 32 targets, multiple
shooting-points and often moving
or disappearing targets triggered by
a falling metal target. It is rare that Sam Taylor “Loads and makes Ready” under the watchful eye of the RO.
newcomers to the sport don’t finish
this stage without a big smile and
feeling of exhilaration!!

For once, the weather was kind

to us... although the constant 25
degree heat was hard going on all
as Britain is currently bathed in
some welcome sunshine! Suffice
to say, we hope everyone had an Keith Wilson shooting through the tyre framework. Note the other frame in the
enjoyable and worthwhile two background
days with us and congratulations
to all the successful shooters who
earned their safety and competition
certificates and we hope to see
many of you at future matches and
club shoots.

For more info on Border Guns

and club shoot / safety course
dates; Newcomer Josh Kenney with his Section 2 (three–shot) Benelli SuperNova on Stage 1
www.bordergunspsg.co.uk
93
 TARGET
SHOTGUN

Ken Brown Memorial IPSC Practical

Shotgun Match
Tyre Framework concealing targets on Stage 6
Fantastic weather on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th
May saw competitors from all over the UK descend
once again on Harlow Town RPC’s range in the woods A very well earned 3rd place went to George Granycome,
near Harlow, Essex for the Ken Brown Memorial Level who pulled off a very well placed 3rd in Standard Manual
3 PSG match. division and who also won Super Senior!

Run by the hard working guys n’ gals at HTRPC, this Winners

year’s match again saw some new and interesting
shooting challenges, not least of which was the long Open Division
and (for some) troublesome Tunnel Stage. This stage 1st : Mike Scarlett 100%
actually hosted two separate stages but the main 2nd: Nick Hockley 91.93%
challenge involved 20 or so targets shot through a 3rd: Gavin Rose 73.80%
series of apertures in the walls of this dark and dusty
tunnel that ran for maybe thirty feet. Thrown in for Modified Division
fiendish good measure was a high static clay target 1st: James Harris 100%
only visible through a roof skylight at one particular 2nd: Rupert Stanley 96.52%
point – very easy to forget as the competitor moved 3rd Colin Alden 93.95%
through the stage.
Standard Division (semi-auto)
Tyres often play their part in stage design, and Stage 6 1st: Mike Darby 100%
saw them employed with gusto with two frameworks 2nd: James Starley 87.94%
set with tyres acting as shooting apertures that 3rd: Dave Dowding 83.40%
restricted the view of a series of metal targets. Fig 3
shows competitor Keith Wilson shooting this two-part Standard Manual Division (pump)
stage with his Benelli M2 configured with a Nordic 1st: Martin Davies 100%
Components +8 extension tube on his magazine. Keith 2nd: Iain Guy 92.86%
has been shooting Modified Division this year with 3rd: George Granycome 77.17%
success. Modified Division allows you to load more
rounds at the start than the Standard Divisions and A special mention to the shooters who devoted both
therefore favours guns adapted to hold more in the days to running the competition and therefore sacrificed
magazine. Maximum overall gun/magazine size is their chance to shoot.
1320mm.
Thanks to HTRPC for putting on yet another excellent
match from all who attended.

94
Contact us today to see
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 UKPSA
NEWS

The SVI Infinity

European Open Handgun
Championship 2012
By David Thompson
Lenka Horejsi, one of Europe’s
top Open Division women
competitors reloads her STI
competition pistol on the run.

96
The SVI Infinity UKPSA
NEWS

European Open Handgun

Championship 2012 range complex, which became surplus to military
requirements at the end of the Cold War. You have
by David Thompson
overhead protection from the elements and the semi
open range construction, with 180 degree backstops
As the IPSC European Handgun Championship
and multiple portable bullet traps allow designers
and World Shoot XVII take place in 2013 and 2014
to build and shoot any stage imaginable. There are
respectively, the bigger matches being held in
numerous wide 25 meter ranges and two huge 50
the European IPSC area in 2012 gave European
meter ranges give the space needed to build any
competitors the opportunity to meet up and compete
number of stages. This facility can handle a match of
together. The match organisers took on the big task
this size. The pistol ranges surround a 300 metre rifle
of allowing 305 shooters in 21 squads to participate.
range. Such is the design of this complex that rifle
There were also many competitors from outside
shooting is able to continue over the same weekend
European countries, such as Canada, Israel, Russia,
that the SVI Open was taking place.
South Africa and the USA. These competitors can
see how European matches are organised and to
Held over the 25th – 27th May, this year’s Infinity
participate in such a match as part of their training in
European Open offered 18 stages (plus chronograph),
preparation for future events, such as the European
to shooters from 20 IPSC Regions. The range officers
Championship.
and match organisation staff shot the pre match on
the Friday, which allows them to run the competitors
Over the past 11 years, the event in Philippsburg,
through the match on the Saturday and Sunday. The
Germany has established itself as one of the premier
IPSC European Championship was held at this facility
IPSC matches in Europe. This year’s event was
in 2001. As building and range development work is
organised by Jurgen Ofner and Patrick Kummer and
continuing, in the future this range complex will be
their team of helpers. Patrick designed all 18 stages
capable of holding another European Championship, or
and did a very good job, as all the stages proved to be
even a World Shoot.
very testing on each competitor’s abilities.

18 Stage Match
The ranges at Philippsburg are probably among the
This year the round count was an impressive 361
best club ranges in Europe. They have been
rounds for 18 stages, with each competitor shooting
constructed on a former Bundeswehr military firing
ten stages on the Saturday and eight stages on the
Sunday. There were eight 12 round stages, seven
medium stages of 20 to 24 rounds and three 32 round
long stages. Most of the stages offered 20 rounds or
more, so there were points to be had (and lost!) on
most stages. This match attracted many of the top
European Practical Pistol shooters across all IPSC
Divisions. The competition was tough across the
board.

Match organiser Patrick Kummer, STI European Team members

Fabrizio Pesce and Irene Canetta and Frank Garcia from the
USA are regular competitors at the SVI Infinity Match.
97
 UKPSA
NEWS
SVI IPSC German Team
As well as sponsoring this match, SVI also has formed
a German IPSC Shooting Team that participates in the
top level IPSC matches around Europe. A big plus this
year was the number of top competitors from outside
Analysing the 299 competitors who completed Europe. We had Bill Drummond, Brandon Strayer and
the match shows trends which are taking place in Frank Garcia from the USA and Nikitas and Tommy
IPSC matches Europe. Production Division was the Markessinis and Mike Burell from Canada. Paul Keaney
most popular with 103 (34.5 %) shooters. Open came all the way from South Africa. Slightly closer
and Standard Divisions had 91 and 90 competitors were David Ram, Dotan Toibis, Evgeny Monastirsky
respectively (30.4 %). Revolver Division and the new and Yael Dagan from Israel.
Classic Division have their devotees with 10 (3.3 %) and
five (1.7 %) shooters respectively in each division. Stages
This is always a demanding and technical match with
Production Division Rule Changes the need for accurate shooting. There were targets
The new 15 round maximum magazine capacity in out to 25 meters, lots of five to 15 meter targets,
Production Division (PD) came into effect on 1st many of these were partial targets or with no shoots
January 2010 and is now well bedded in. Although targets obscuring much of the shoot targets. The stage
there was much debate about this rule change late designers cleverly allowed the shooters the tactical
last year on the IPSC Global Village Forum, it has not choice of whether to shoot long distance or run up
dented the popularity of this division. Designed to closer to the targets. So there were stages designed to
stop manufacturers coming out with factory supplied suit all levels of competitors. Lots of stages had 15cm
magazines of 20 rounds plus capacity, love or hate the circular and square steel plates and partial targets,
rule change, PD continues to be popular. The ability to which added to the need for accuracy even on the
compete with the minimal financial outlay is the reason shorter distances. There were also several stages of
for PD’s expanding popularity and not as a stampede close up high speed running and gunning type stages.
in support of any rule changes. Although a 15 round
maximum magazine capacity creates a level playing As well as shooting targets downrange, there were also
field with the amount of ammunition available, looking many to the left and right. With 180 degree back stops
at what types of pistol are being used in PD, the CZ and portable bullets stops the stage designs could
SP01 Shadow continues to dominate. Pistols made by easily vary the direction of fire. Cleverly positioned
Sig were also being used. barricades and windows forced the shooter to move
quickly and adopt different shooting positions while
The number of Sphinx 3000 Production pistols in use shooting the stage. Lots of moving targets added
continues to increase. The CZ Shadow holds one sophistication and a degree of difficulty to many of the
or two more rounds in the magazine but, with the stages. There were swingers, bobbers and drop and
magazine capacity rule this advantage has gone. The turn targets. This match has among the most activated
Sphinx has all the advantages of the Shadow, so I targets as any Level III IPSC Match in Europe.
suspect that we will continue to see a lot more of this
high quality pistol manufactured in Switzerland. The stage designs were very good. The high accuracy
requirements also added a lot to the match as well.
In Stage Four, there were drop and raise no-shoot (or
bear trap) targets. This type of arrangement has a
no-shoot target placed in front of a shoot target and,

98
 UKPSA
NEWS

From France STI European Team member Emile Obriot

finished in third place in Open Division.

Russia’s Svetlana Nikolaeva was the first placed Lady in Rodger Zobrist from Switzerland used his .45 ACP
Production Division with her CZ Shadow. Smith and Wesson 625 revolver to finish in sixth place in
Revolver Division.

99
 UKPSA when activated, the no-shoot drops allowing a brief full view of the shoot target and then
NEWS
raises back up to obscure the shoot target. Stage Four had two of these type of targets.
When in the raised position a small portion of each shoot target was still visible, so miss
penalties still apply. This created many choices and options for the competitor.

Stage 12 was a 32 round field match in which six steel poppers opened and closed a series of windows. This
either exposed on concealed a series of paper shoot targets. Obviously there was the capacity for a major
brain fade in this stage! In Stage Nine, as the competitor advanced down the range, they broke an optical

From Sweden STI European Team member Ralf Jensen

finished in eight place in Standard Division.

100
sensor which released four 15 cm square steel plates
UKPSA
which appeared and disappeared from behind hard
In Production Division, Eric Grauffel took NEWS
cover. In stages were optical and electronic sensors
the top place, using his Tanfoglio pistol.
are used, there is always the worry that they will break
Eric Grauffel has dominated Open Division
down but, in these two stages, this equipment worked
for many years and this year he has moved
properly throughout the match.
to Production Division and won. Spain’s Eduardo De
Results
Cobos (96.60 %) was second and CZ Team Member
Robin Sebo (93.12 %) took third place.
Open Division winner of the match, with just over a
one percent margin, was STI European Team member
In Revolver, first place went to Germany’s Sascha Back,
Saul Kirsch. Martin Kamenicek (98.92 %) of the CZ
who is the current European Revolver Champion.
Shooting Team and STI Team member Emile Obriot
Germany’s Marcus Schneider ( 98.33 % ) and
(98.51 %) came in second and third.
Switzerland’s Marwan Itani ( 89.37 % ) were in second
and third place.
In Standard Division, STI European Team member
Gregory Midgley from Germany took the top spot, with
French competitors Julien Boit (97.13 %) and Jerome
Poiret (96.96 %) in second and third place.

Yael Dagan was one of the contingent of competitors from Current Ladies Production Division World Champion Maria
IPSC Israel and finished in fourth place in Ladies Open Gushchina from Russia finished in second place in Ladies
Division. Production Division.

101
 UKPSA
NEWS

Current Open Division World

Champion Eric Grauffel has
moved to Production Division
in 2012. Eric has dominated
Open Division for many years
and looks like he will also
be at the top of Production
Division as well.

Top Spanish Production Division

competitor Eduardo de Cobos
finished the match in second place.

Lenka Horejsi from the Czech Republic finished in second place in Ladies Open
Division with her STI competition pistol.

102
Ladies Category
UKPSA
In the Ladies Open Division, 0.3 % separated NEWS
Holland’s Desiree Van Noord from the Czech
Republic’s Lenka Horejsi in first and second place
respectively. Katerina Sustrova from the Czech Divisions. The match ran smoothly thanks to the hard

Republic was in third place. work of the range crew. The standard of the ROing
was very positive and the match was supported by an

In Standard Division Germany’s Petra Tutschke, Anja excellent web site.

Schuetz and Rita Burkhart took the first, second and

third place. The organisers of the 2012 SVI Infinity European
Open ran an excellent competition and here’s

In Production Division 0.8 % separated Russia’s looking forward to the next one. To see the full set of

Svetlana Nikolaeva, in first place from current results and information about the match, visit the

Production World Champion Maria Gushchina. competition web site;

Germanys Loni Kuhn was in third place. www.ipscmatch.de www.infinity-open.de

Events like this one do not happen by themselves;

they require a lot of effort from dedicated individuals
to make them happen. Most of the top IPSC
competitors in Europe were present, across all the

Jurgen Ofner and his band of helpers process the

score sheets. The organisation and running of this
event always runs smoothly.

On the Saturday
evening after the
first day of the
competition, the
match organisers
treated all the
range staff and
match sponsors to a
barbeque.

103
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