Originally Posted By: obaro Were precision rifle contests even in existence? Yeah, there were a few guys shooting and practicing over 500 yards, but nowhere near the numbers as there are now.
Oh yeah, long range competition is not new; been around for umpteen years.
Quote:Britain’s NRA was formed before the end of the year. Lord Spencer solved the problem of where matches would be held by inviting the NRA to use his front yard, Wimbledon Common. On July 2, 1860, the opening shot of the first match was fired by Queen Victoria herself, and the winner of the long-range competition would be awarded the Queen’s Prize.
http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2012/10/31/the-rigby-match-rifle-creedmoor-more/
I started shooting NRA competition in 1960 on an army AMU. That was back when money was available in the budget for such things and it was not unusual for 50% of the shooters registered for a state match to be military & have up to 250 competitors.
Took a "20 year leave of absence" upon separation as it was just too expensive to pursue w/young family. In '83 shot a state match and got hooked all over again. The civilian matches (still NRA sanctioned) shot 200,300,600 yd. national match course and some ranges offered the 800,900,1000 yard matches. The NM rules call for iron sights, no artificial rest, much the same as the army qualification course (before trainfire) except army only shot to 500 yds. Various rules applied to the long range matches; some were irons only, others were any-any sights (scopes allowed), but all prohibited artificial rests.
Originally Posted By: sandy hicksGood shooting hm. We were shooting iron sights that far long before the sniper craze caught on.
I used to practice with a 15meter air rifle target set at 50. A redfeild Palma rear sight and globe front with various inserts. I used a circle most of the time.
F class came about by the Palma guys getting older and using glass to stay shooting. We owe those guys for alot of new tech gadgets.
Yeah, Sandy, I had an engineer friend that took a photo of the 200 yd. (SR_1??) target and reduced it proportionally to shoot at 10 meters (lenth of my garage) and practiced a lot with an RWS rifle w/front and rear aperatures. I then had a bunch printed. Man that low velocity stuff sure teaches you the value of follow through, don't it?
In the early 80's we (a bunch of us "getting older" guys) successfully petitioned several of the members of the rules committee that were shooting a state match to change the rules to allow one lens be attached to iron sights(either front or rear, shooter's choice). Our argument was that lots of old codgers could hold their own if they could just see the sights. Since most of the rules committee were "of an age" also, they agreed and that kept a lot of us shooting for many more years.
Fond memories.
Regards,
hm