NRA (of America) 2016 World Shooting Championships
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2016 11:24 am
15-17 Sept 2016
Peacemaker National Training Center (PNTC), Glengary, WV.
Back in May this year, JSC posted on these forums asking if anyone was interested in going to the WSC, and I would have loved to go, but was put off by the cost.
Within 3 days of JSC posting, I’d received an email from Virgin Atlantic, telling me I had a load of airmiles that I’d lose if I didn’t use them soon, and I also heard from work that my 40 year long service award of £1k would be awarded soon.
... So that was it decided, I was going to West Virginia...!!
Bearing in mind that, apart from .22rf, I hadn’t fired a proper pistol or semi-auto rifle for at least 20 years, this was going to be for fun and the experience, rather than the chance of winning anything....
Jump forward 4 months, and the 2 of us, and Mrs JSC, fly into Dulles airport. The JSC’s headed to Washington for the night, and I headed to the Match hotel in Winchester VA.
Wednesday 14th Sept was the Registration and Match briefing, and Thursday to Saturday the competition days.
There were 131 Amateurs and 67 Stock Pros (all using the supplied guns), and 2 Open Pros, using their own guns, which made a nice round 200 competitors.
You were assigned into a squad of 8-10 people, and there was a timetable of when each squad would shoot each of the 12 stages. It was arranged so that you shot in a morning or afternoon session on each of the 3 days... the morning sessions were real “crack of sparrow fart” sessions, on range for 06:30, to start shooting at 07:00.... and the range was a good 30 min drive from the hotel...
Thursday morning session was mainly long range rifle stuff: (These are in the order we shot them)
Stage 10: DMR Challenge
JP Enterprises LRP-07 .308 Rifle, Nightforce ATACR 4-16x42 F1
Steel plate targets at 400-500 yds, shot resting on a stepped barricade and crossed wood “tank trap” with a 120 second limit, for 2 hits on each plate from each position
You had a 1 minute prep time to fire 2 sighters
Both JSC and I struggled to find a stable position with this... I hit the sighter with my first shot, and one of the scoring plates, but that was it and hit the time limit. JSC shot quicker, but again only hit one plate.
JSC was placed 47th amateur, I was placed 105th
Stage 9: 2 Gun
S&W M&P 9 Pro Series, S&W Model M&P 15T 5.6mm Tactical w/ 1-6x Scope
This was a “run and gun” stage, starting with the M&P 15T, engage 4 paper targets, (2 with “body armour” so head shots only) at 10-15 yds, then 4 steel targets at 150-200yds. When all hit, or out of ammo, dump the rifle and run down to a bench where your M&P 9mm pistol waited. Engage 3 paper targets, then 6 steel plates, all at 10-15 yds, then a larger steel plate at 60 yds to finish.
JSC had a steaming run, and hit everything he aimed at to end up 2nd amateur. I, on the other hand, just could not hit the steels with the rifle and eventually ran out of ammo. When I grabbed the pistol it all went well though, I cleaned the papers, and all 7 steels, although my time was almost double JSC’s. I ended up in 72nd place
Stage 12: NRA America's Rifle Challenge
Daniel Defense DDM4 V7 Pro 5.56 rifle with Lucid HD7 red dot; and Daniel Defense DD5v1 7.62 rifle with Lucid 1-6x scope
Starting seated with a carrier bag containing magazines for both rifles, at the beep run to the first bench, and load and ready the 7.62 rifle. take up position resting on plastic barrels and engage 4 steel targets, 2 at 400yds, 2 at 200yds, 2 shots at each, then pick up the bag, bin the rifle and move to the next bench, pick up the 5.56 rifle, load and ready, then move on and engage 3 paper targets, (avoiding the no-shoots), move on again and knock over a plate with hand or foot, which started a swinging target. Move to the edge of a barricade and engage the swinger and a static target. All paper targets were about 10 yds away.
This stage was a disaster for both of us..... Again, I couldn’t hit the steels for love nor money, but cleared the paper targets. JSC was in a similar situation, but as the steels should have been well within his capabilities, he decided to play his “Mulligan card”. Each amateur was given one card which allowed them to reshoot a stage, as long as they informed the RO before the next shooter started.
Unfortunately his 2nd run was no better, and he ended up in 80th place, I was 94th.
This stage was controversial.... Brian Shanholtz, last year’s top amateur and now a Pro, also had a disaster with jam after jam with the 7.62 rifle, so he also played his Mulligan card and picked a different rifle. On his re-run it was clear he was hitting 10 ft low aiming at the 400yds steels and he stopped mid run to complain about the rifle. Eventually one of the RO’s took the rifle and tried it... he also was shooting 10ft low. Brian was allowed to pick another rifle and restart the stage, and he then cleared it.
The way some people were dumping the 7.62 rifles in the bins, I’m not really surprised if the scope had been knocked about... I certainly wouldn’t treat my guns like that.
I did wonder if they would offer a reshoot for everyone, as there was no telling who had used the duff rifle, (there were 3 or 4 to choose from) but they didn’t.
Stage 11: PRS Long Range Challenge
Surgeon Rifle - Surgeon .308 Rifle AI AX Chassis; Leupold optic
This was the long one... 3 steel targets, 700 - 780 yds to be engaged prone with 2 shots each and a 4th steel at 400yds, to be engaged with 4 shots, 2 each from 2 different positions on a stepped barricade all in a 120 second time limit.
You were given a 1 minute prep time to settle into the rifle and fire 2 sighters at a 650yd target.
JSC did hit 2 targets, and got his 8 shots off just within the time limit. I didn’t hit any, and ran out of time just as I got to the barricade I wasn’t far away, I could see the sand splashes near the targets, I just couldn’t connect. A slight breeze had got up by this time, which didn’t help anyone.
JSC ended up 44th Amateur, I was 100th
On all the long range stages, the rifles were (supposedly) zeroed at 100yds and the RO’s had the DOPE for the various target ranges, which you could either dial in on the scope, or hold off.
Most people found that the DOPE settings were not correct, and one shooter did say he had to add .5 MOA and then he started hitting the plates.
That was the end of that day’s session, so we all headed out to eat and rest.
Peacemaker National Training Center (PNTC), Glengary, WV.
Back in May this year, JSC posted on these forums asking if anyone was interested in going to the WSC, and I would have loved to go, but was put off by the cost.
Within 3 days of JSC posting, I’d received an email from Virgin Atlantic, telling me I had a load of airmiles that I’d lose if I didn’t use them soon, and I also heard from work that my 40 year long service award of £1k would be awarded soon.
... So that was it decided, I was going to West Virginia...!!
Bearing in mind that, apart from .22rf, I hadn’t fired a proper pistol or semi-auto rifle for at least 20 years, this was going to be for fun and the experience, rather than the chance of winning anything....
Jump forward 4 months, and the 2 of us, and Mrs JSC, fly into Dulles airport. The JSC’s headed to Washington for the night, and I headed to the Match hotel in Winchester VA.
Wednesday 14th Sept was the Registration and Match briefing, and Thursday to Saturday the competition days.
There were 131 Amateurs and 67 Stock Pros (all using the supplied guns), and 2 Open Pros, using their own guns, which made a nice round 200 competitors.
You were assigned into a squad of 8-10 people, and there was a timetable of when each squad would shoot each of the 12 stages. It was arranged so that you shot in a morning or afternoon session on each of the 3 days... the morning sessions were real “crack of sparrow fart” sessions, on range for 06:30, to start shooting at 07:00.... and the range was a good 30 min drive from the hotel...
Thursday morning session was mainly long range rifle stuff: (These are in the order we shot them)
Stage 10: DMR Challenge
JP Enterprises LRP-07 .308 Rifle, Nightforce ATACR 4-16x42 F1
Steel plate targets at 400-500 yds, shot resting on a stepped barricade and crossed wood “tank trap” with a 120 second limit, for 2 hits on each plate from each position
You had a 1 minute prep time to fire 2 sighters
Both JSC and I struggled to find a stable position with this... I hit the sighter with my first shot, and one of the scoring plates, but that was it and hit the time limit. JSC shot quicker, but again only hit one plate.
JSC was placed 47th amateur, I was placed 105th
Stage 9: 2 Gun
S&W M&P 9 Pro Series, S&W Model M&P 15T 5.6mm Tactical w/ 1-6x Scope
This was a “run and gun” stage, starting with the M&P 15T, engage 4 paper targets, (2 with “body armour” so head shots only) at 10-15 yds, then 4 steel targets at 150-200yds. When all hit, or out of ammo, dump the rifle and run down to a bench where your M&P 9mm pistol waited. Engage 3 paper targets, then 6 steel plates, all at 10-15 yds, then a larger steel plate at 60 yds to finish.
JSC had a steaming run, and hit everything he aimed at to end up 2nd amateur. I, on the other hand, just could not hit the steels with the rifle and eventually ran out of ammo. When I grabbed the pistol it all went well though, I cleaned the papers, and all 7 steels, although my time was almost double JSC’s. I ended up in 72nd place
Stage 12: NRA America's Rifle Challenge
Daniel Defense DDM4 V7 Pro 5.56 rifle with Lucid HD7 red dot; and Daniel Defense DD5v1 7.62 rifle with Lucid 1-6x scope
Starting seated with a carrier bag containing magazines for both rifles, at the beep run to the first bench, and load and ready the 7.62 rifle. take up position resting on plastic barrels and engage 4 steel targets, 2 at 400yds, 2 at 200yds, 2 shots at each, then pick up the bag, bin the rifle and move to the next bench, pick up the 5.56 rifle, load and ready, then move on and engage 3 paper targets, (avoiding the no-shoots), move on again and knock over a plate with hand or foot, which started a swinging target. Move to the edge of a barricade and engage the swinger and a static target. All paper targets were about 10 yds away.
This stage was a disaster for both of us..... Again, I couldn’t hit the steels for love nor money, but cleared the paper targets. JSC was in a similar situation, but as the steels should have been well within his capabilities, he decided to play his “Mulligan card”. Each amateur was given one card which allowed them to reshoot a stage, as long as they informed the RO before the next shooter started.
Unfortunately his 2nd run was no better, and he ended up in 80th place, I was 94th.
This stage was controversial.... Brian Shanholtz, last year’s top amateur and now a Pro, also had a disaster with jam after jam with the 7.62 rifle, so he also played his Mulligan card and picked a different rifle. On his re-run it was clear he was hitting 10 ft low aiming at the 400yds steels and he stopped mid run to complain about the rifle. Eventually one of the RO’s took the rifle and tried it... he also was shooting 10ft low. Brian was allowed to pick another rifle and restart the stage, and he then cleared it.
The way some people were dumping the 7.62 rifles in the bins, I’m not really surprised if the scope had been knocked about... I certainly wouldn’t treat my guns like that.
I did wonder if they would offer a reshoot for everyone, as there was no telling who had used the duff rifle, (there were 3 or 4 to choose from) but they didn’t.
Stage 11: PRS Long Range Challenge
Surgeon Rifle - Surgeon .308 Rifle AI AX Chassis; Leupold optic
This was the long one... 3 steel targets, 700 - 780 yds to be engaged prone with 2 shots each and a 4th steel at 400yds, to be engaged with 4 shots, 2 each from 2 different positions on a stepped barricade all in a 120 second time limit.
You were given a 1 minute prep time to settle into the rifle and fire 2 sighters at a 650yd target.
JSC did hit 2 targets, and got his 8 shots off just within the time limit. I didn’t hit any, and ran out of time just as I got to the barricade I wasn’t far away, I could see the sand splashes near the targets, I just couldn’t connect. A slight breeze had got up by this time, which didn’t help anyone.
JSC ended up 44th Amateur, I was 100th
On all the long range stages, the rifles were (supposedly) zeroed at 100yds and the RO’s had the DOPE for the various target ranges, which you could either dial in on the scope, or hold off.
Most people found that the DOPE settings were not correct, and one shooter did say he had to add .5 MOA and then he started hitting the plates.
That was the end of that day’s session, so we all headed out to eat and rest.
