National Championships at Camp Perry Start July 13th

The 2009 NRA National Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio kick off tomorrow, July 13th.13th with the First Shot Ceremony. This week, pistol competitors vie for top honors, and then smallbore matches begin on July 22. Our Daily Bulletin will report on highlights of the rifle matches. In addition, the NRA Blog has sent reporters to Ohio to provide regular, day-by-day Blog coverage of the National Matches, from start to finish. Here is a schedule of major events:

• July 13: First Shot Ceremony
• July 14-18: NRA Pistol Matches
• July 22-25: NRA Smallbore 3-Position Matches
• July 26-30: NRA Prone Smallbore Matches
• August 9: Whistler Boy High Power Rifle Match & NRA/Springfield M1A Match
• August 10-14: NRA National High Power Rifle Matches
• August 15-19: NRA Long Range Matches

The National Matches, considered America’s “World Series of the Shooting Sports”, have been a tradition at Camp Perry, Ohio since 1907. Each summer, the nation’s finest civilian and military marksmen and women square off for five weeks of rifle and handgun competition in a variety of formats and events. For complete match results, visit the NRA National Championships webpage. You’ll also find lots of helpful information on the CMP National Match Index Page. This includes a detailed calendar, Match Rules, and Online Event Registration.

Front Sleds Stabilize Rifles with Narrow Forearms

Whidden Gunworks has created a new product that will enhance the bench-rested accuracy of any rifle with an accessory rail on the forearm.

The new Whidden Track Plate fits securely in the forearm accessory rail on prone, cross-the-course, and Palma rifles. These guns typically have a narrow and/or rounded fore-end so they rock and wobble when used with a front pedestal rest. The TrackPlate cures that. Once installed it provides a rock-solid, 2.9″-wide platform that mates perfectly with a benchrest-type front sandbag. This gives sling-shooters maximum stability when testing loads or zeroing their sights or scope. Plus you can now shoot F-Class competitively with a prone gun.

The Track Plate is light-weight, has catamaran-style runners to aid tracking and prevent rocking, and can be easily stowed in a range bag. The Track Plate fits BOTH Anschutz and American style forends and is made in the USA of machined aluminum. The Track Plate is available from Whidden Gunworks for $34.95 or from Champion’s Choice for $35.00 (item W29P).

Plate designer (and National LR Rifle Champion) John Whidden says: “The Plate is great for any rifle with a rail whether it ís smallbore, centerfire, or an air gun. Now you can try F-Class with your favorite prone rifle: the Plate has a perfect low-drag finish for riding a rest or sandbags and is competition legal in all dimensions.”

Front Bag-Rider for AR-15s from EGW
Similar to the Whidden Track Plate is a 3″-wide Delrin bag-rider from Evolution Gun Works (EGW). This was developed expressly to fit the fore-ends of AR15-type rifles with round float tubes. The EGW front bag-rider attaches to a front sling swivel stud anchor. That allows it to mount as easily as a Harris bipod — no rail needed! Just unscrew the swivel stud, put the front bag-rider in place and attach one hex-head machine screw. The front bag-rider is contoured to match the handguard profile so it fits securely with no wobble. (There is also a rear bag-rider that attaches via the sling swivel anchor). Overall, it is a slick system. Front and rear bag-riders can be attached in a couple of minutes. The Delrin blocks slide easily in the bags and make the gun ultra-stable. The gun tracks straight back. Front and rear EGW Bag-rider blocks are sold as a set for $74.99. Front or rear pieces can be purchased individually for $40.00 each.

Set Up Your Own 10 meter Air Rifle Range

The great thing about shooting a precision air rifle is that you can practice indoors, for example in your garage or basement. All you need is a lighted room with an uninterrupted run of 10 meters (32.8 feet) and a secure backstop. Champion’s Choice, www.champchoice.com, has a neat, turn-key solution for Airgun shooters. The Gehmann 10 meter Target Set (item 180LP) offers everything you need for your own 10 meter shooting station. The set includes:

- Target holder (attaches to transport lines)
- Pellet trap with transporter wheel
- Transporter drive and cables
- Crank Drive wheel, v-belt, and mount

You can place the pellet trap against any solid backstop, and mount the drive wheel to a secure bench or platform at a convenient height. The entire system costs $185.00. Note, Gehmann also makes a motorized 10m airgun target changer (model 182). It’s made for 230v only, and to get one in the states, you’d probably have to special order it. Still, it’s pretty slick as you can see:

Better Targets for Better Airgun Scores
Champion’s Choice and PilkGuns.com also sell German-made Edelmann 10m air rifle and air pistol targets, the best available. These high-grade targets are printed on the finest cross-grain card stock so pellets punch clean, clear holes. This allows easier, more reliable scoring.

CLICK HERE for Specifications of Edelmann Targets