This is not a bench rest competition!! No bench rest guns allowed. We're talking about a hunting rifle competition here. Bull barrels are OK since that's what a lot of us hunt with (me too), but no bench type forestocks (more than 3.5" wide) and lets keep it to 13.5lbs all up weight (rifle/scope/ammo).

No rests, no benches, no bags, no bi-pods or tri-pods. All shooting will be from unattached one or two legged shooting sticks, while either sitting on the ground or on your own stool. You can have a spotter with you to help you spot your misses. We'll probably shoot in relays (if there's enough participation), so trading off shooting/spotting shouldn't be a problem.

Normal range safety rules will be strictly adhered to. Eye and ear protection required at all times. Bolts open and guns unloaded until you are on the firing line and are given permission to load. Muzzles always pointed downrange. At the "cease fire" command, all shooting stops, and firearms are to be unloaded. All range officer commands followed immediately. We'll write up a list of specific range rules but you guys have all been to a range and know the drill. SAFETY FIRST!!

If anybody is not "range experienced", don't hesitate to let us know. We'll be happy to help you out, and it's more a reflection on your good intelligence than on your lack of range operations experience to let us know.

The San Carlos Wildlife and Recreation Department has generously agreed to make an exception to their normal policy, and allow us to hold the competition on the Rez, so that's probably where it will be. That means that you will have to get your Reservation hunting licenses before the shoot.

You will also need to be registered for the PM hunt, but I hope we'll be able to get you registered on site. Click here for hunt registration (1st step) and then go here for payment (2nd step).

A $40 entry fee includes 3 shots at each stage you qualify for, additional shots (up to 3) for $20 each are also good for each stage you qualify for.

The shoot will go something like this:

At each stage shooters will get set up with their shooting sticks etc., and will then be given permission to load their rifles. When everybody is loaded and ready, the rangemaster will give the "commence fire" order and you'll have 2 minutes to fire your string, when the range master will command "cease fire".

We'll start the shoot off at 200YDs unless there's a lot of wind. Everybody that "kills" their egg at that range will move on to the 300YD stage, if you hit at 300YDs you will qualify for the next stage at 400YDs, and so on. If it gets that far (doubtful), we'll probably stop the range increases at 500YDs ( because of range limitations), and shoot "eliminations" to get a winner.

Each shooter will get three shots included with their entry fee, and will be able to "buy" up to three additional shots before any stage. In other words, you could pay your entry and "buy" 3 extra shots before the match. You would then have 6 shots available at 200YDs and at each stage that you qualified for after that.

Or, you could shoot 3 shots at 200YDs and (if you killed your egg) buy the extra 3 shots (or 1 or 2) afterwards. That would make you a 6 round shooter for the 300YD stage and any subsequent stages you qualified for.

All you have to do at each stage is break your egg. It doesn't matter if it's with the 1st or the 6th shot (unless it goes into "elimination" which I doubt). If you accidentally shoot someone else's egg, lucky him, and I hope you have more shots left to try for yours.

Prizes will be awarded in the traditional shooting comp manner. The 1st place winner gets first choice from the prize table, 2nd place gets next choice, etc.

This should be a real hoot, and a chance to win some great prizes too!!

Leon

I have 3-legged Predator Sniper Styx. Are they permitted?

Can we use different rifles for the different ranges or do we use one rifle?

"No rests, no benches, no bags, no bi-pods or tri-pods. All shooting will be from shooting sticks while either sitting on the ground or on your own stool."

I agree, this needs to be explained in depth. Home made, over the counter only? Acceptable specifications for sticks.

No tripods Nasa, nothing with 3 legs, whether attached to the rifle or not.

One leg or two leg shooting sticks (not attached to the rifle), either homemade or store bought are OK. If I can manage to participate I'll probably use my homemade sticks.

I think just one rifle Weasel. In actual fact I don't think it would matter all that much, but let's keep it simple.

Requiring all shooting to be done from a relatively unstable platform (shooting sticks), takes away the advantage of having a bug hole shooting rifle.

Making the objective to hit a target with one of 3-6 shots instead of trying to shoot tiny groups, gives the normal guy and rifle an even better chance.

It makes it more of a contest between riflemen than rifles (and allows for an element of luck).

Look at the test results closely. My 40X .308 is a custom blueprinted gun that's scary accurate. I've shot (a few) 1/4 MOA 10 shot groups at 600YDS with it. My plain jane .223 Savage with a POS scope did just as well as the 40X when shooting off of sticks.

This whole thing is designed to be more of a fun shoot than a really serious competition, even though it will have some very nice prizes.

Some of us have shot competition and many haven't, but we're all hunters and can shoot well enough to hit our prey. The idea is to encourage people who have never shot in a competition before to come out, have some fun, and have a serious chance of winning some great prizes too.

Dang, I don't even own a set of shooting sticks. I tell ya what, I realize it will be a dis advantage, but how about I just use a sling and no sticks. Of course I may have to go prone.

Randy, I'll pull one leg off my Sniper Styx and we can take turns using them, OK?

Some basic math.
Entry fee 40.00
+30 for the 200 = 70.00
+30 for the 300 = 100.00
+30 for the 400 = 130.00
+30 for the 500 = 160.00
Might be a little steep for some of the guys.

Sorry Dan, I guess I wasn't clear enough.

Your $40 entry fee makes you a 3 round shooter at each stage.

If you kill your egg at 200YDs, you will be a 3 round shooter for the 300YD stage. Kill your egg there and you are still a 3 round shooter for the 400YD stage, etc. You only pay your entry once, and it allows you 3 shots at each stage for as long as you can kill your eggs and stay in the game.

If you choose, you can buy 1, 2, or 3 additional shots (good for each stage). Same deal as the above paragraph except you would be a 4, 5, or 6 round shooter at each stage.

So,

$40 = you get 3 shots at each stage you qualify for
$60 = you get 4 shots at each stage you qualify for
$80 = you get 5 shots at each stage you qualify for
$100= you get 6 shots at each stage you qualify for

The maximum you could spend would be $100, but you can also shoot the whole match for $40. Don't forget the 2 minute time limit. It stays the same no matter if you are a 3 or 6 round shooter.

The only kicker (and maybe where I got confusing) is that you can change your status in between stages. Say you spent $40 and were a 3 round shooter. You killed your eggs at 200 and 300YDs but your upcoming stage at 400YDs was starting to make you a little nervous. You could choose to buy extra shots at that point, and change your status to a 4, 5, or 6 round shooter for the rest of the match.

OH yeah, no "rollovers". If you kill your egg with the first shot, good for you, but you don't get to carry over your unused shots to the next stage.

Wheeew! That's better. Thanks for the clarification.

(edit) The purchase of extra stage shots must be made before you start shooting that stage, right? Shooting three misses and then asking to buy three more shots to continue would not be allowed, I assume.

I'd rather shoot prone as well, much more stable than sitting and shooting ..... Leon what is the ruling on shooting prone?

My first impulse is to say no prone allowed just because it can be pretty stable with an experienced shooter. Same deal as with the tripod type shooting sticks. On the other hand shooting off of sticks can be fairly stable too with the right setup, and none of them comes anywhere close to the stability of shooting from a bench.

I suppose the real answer is that the rules aren't written in stone until we start accepting money for entries, and I'd be open to suggestions (as long as it doesn't get too wild and contentious).

If you do have suggestions, please bear in mind the underlying purposes of this little experiment though.

It's to encourage more people to actually attend the hunt, maybe generate some new membership, and encourage members who haven't ever been competition shooters to join in the fun, and give them a decent chance to win too.

I think that means introducing a handicap to level the playing field and take away the advantage of having a super accurate rifle. Given an inherently (relatively speaking) unstable platform to shoot from, the contest becomes more about ability than equipment.

Maybe we could allow shooting from prone but require that you be laying on an ant hill?

Leon