This is for the match held the weekend of the 6th of June, 2021. I'll start with stage descriptions (in numerical order rather than the order I shot them in) and then get into my takeaways at the end. It was pretty hot and I had very little sleep going into this match so my memory may be a bit foggy. If anyone else was there, feel free to chime in and correct me.
BLUF/TLDR: This was an excellent match. 16 stages, lots of shooting, moderate difficulty. Targets, for the most part fell between 500 and 900 yards. All stages were 6 minutes. Money well spent.
Gear Utilized: DesertTech SRS A2 (300WM), V7 Weapon Systems AR15 (.223), S&W 329PD (44RM), Beretta M9A1 (9mm), Sig Kilo3000 Binos, Leofoto 404C w/leveling head, Warhorse Development support bags, Mystery Ranch packs, Nosler and Black Hills factory ammo.
Stage 1 Love Boat: Start position was on a wobble platform. Teams were allowed to build a position on the platform prior to the start of the clock. One shooter took up a prone position, the other took up a standing position with support any way you liked. The only caveat there being that any shooting gear utilized had to be on the platform. On the go command, shooters engaged 3 targets near middle far middle near with 2 rounds each, with standing shooter shooting their 10 rounds first. I think the farthest target was around 650. After firing 10 rifle rounds hit or miss, both shooters moved to an adacent prop and alternated shooting 3 pistol targets at approximately 10, 12, and 15 yards. You had to hit the target in order for your partner to then be able to engage. Targets were engaged near to far. I'll start by saying I detest wobble platforms. They just feel a bit silly. I had my partner shoot prone and I attempted to run a barricade bag on front and use the tripod as rear support. It worked ok. It wasn't a complete flop but I didn't feel like I had cracked the code on how to beat this stage either. This pistol shooting wasn't difficult by itself but if you were running out of time, it could have been tough to hit them fast as they were fairly small (smallest maybe 6 inch plate)
Stage 2 Da Hide: Start position was at the side of a table about 15 yards from the start position. On the command go, team moved with table and all gear to a simulated roof apex. Shooters then took a position on the table and shot through the gable ends of the simulated roof through a net. The furthest target I can remember was at approximately 800. Targets could be engaged in any order. After both shooters engaged rifle targets, shooters would move next to the roof and engage 4 pistol targets in a square array and hit them with 2 shots each. The shooter who shot first on the table would engage pistol targets first and had to engage them clockwise. Pistol target ranges were about 15-20 yards. Then, after getting all 8 hits, the second shooter could engage them counter clockwise. This was a tricky one. We timed out partially because of the amount of time it took us to find the targets. I also had trouble with one of the pistol targets and as I only had 6 rounds in the cylinder, was forced to reload which ate up some time.
Stage 3 Chopper: Start position was seated in a helicopter fuselage with gear in the back seat. On the command go, team moved in front of the helicopter and engaged 4 pistol targets. After engaging the pistol targets, the team moved to the rear of the helicopter and engaged 5 rifle targets from the back seat. I can't remember the target distances. We timed out on this stage as well as our second shooter was engaging targets. There was a little difficulty getting a decent/stable position from the rear of the helicopter as the targets were sort of off to the side.
Stage 4 Gopher Box: Start position was in a 5x5x4 box on a stand with a hole at the top with all gear in the box with both shooters. On the go command, one previously designated team member would pop up out of the box and scan for targets fro 1 minute. No ranging at this point. Then after 1 minute, back in the box. On the next go command, that same team member would emerge for 45 seconds and was able to range the same 5 targets. After 45 seconds, back in the box. On the final go command, both shooters emerge and shooters took turns identifying targets to the spotter and engaging them with 2 rounds each. I and my teammate did not find all the targets. The furthest we identified was at approximately 990 yards. We also timed out even before engaging the targets we did find.
Stage 5 Spinner: At this stage, teams went head to head. One member of each team was designated as either "offense" or "defense". Then an offensive member from one team would set up next to a defensive member of another. On the command go, offense and defense would advance up a small hill to their respective shooting table and would set up to engage a spinner target at approximately 500 yards. The offensive team member would attempt to get the spinner to go end over end while the defensive member would attempt to keep it from going over. Shooters were allowed 12 rounds each and given 3 minutes. If the spinner spun, offfense was awarded points. If the spinner did not, the defense earned 10 points. This was my first stage of the day which was a shame as my match jitters got the best of me. I was the offensive shooter, found the target and set up to shoot it. I then realized I forgot to range it so I quickly grabbed the binos and lazed what I thought was the spinner berm. After firing the first couple shots, I realized my range must have been way off so I came off the gun to re-range. I ended up timing out after only firing a few rounds. I thought this was gonna be a shoe in stage for me as the 300WM would have flipped it with one impact but alas couldn't make it happen.
Stage 6 Pinzgauer: It's not a Unimog haha. On the command go, team advanced up a hill to an array of 4 pistol targets. Shooters engaged those targets with 2 rounds each, hit or miss. After both shooters finished firing at pistol targets the advanced to the back of a "Pinzgauer" which looks like some kind of old school troop carrier and engaged 3 targets near to far from the back of the vehicle with primary shooter going first and then secondary shooter engaging. I don't know what the ranges were because I later figured out we were shooting at the complete wrong set of targets due to our own color mixup. The truck was very cramped and it was tough to come up with a suitable shooting position to accomodate both shooters and gear in the small space.
Stage 7 Mil Rocks: On the command go, shooters moved up to separate positions on standing and one shooting from one of 5 rocks. Shooter from the rocks engaged an array of 2 targets with one round each. If the shooter on the rocks managed 2 hits, the standing shooter could engage their own separate target from the prone with 2 shots. If the shooter on the rocks missed one or both, standing shooter had to shoot their target standing. after both shooters fired their 2 rounds, the shooter on the rocks would move to another rock. Rock shooters targets were at approximately 350. Standing shooters target was around 200. The trick on this stage was that no electronic rangefinder was allowed to targets had to be milled by more primitive means, for lack of a better term. Some teams just guessed, some used reticle references, some used mil reference cards. I had custom mil range estimation bracelets made a while back and I always bring them just in case. They came in clutch on this stage.
Stage 8 Platform: On the command go, team members advanced approximately 50 yards to separate sides of a platform and engaged 2 pistol targets. These targets had to be hit and were engaged in an alternating sequence (left side hits close target, right side hits close target, left side hits far target, right side hits far target). After 4 pistol targets were successfully hit, both shooters moved to a platform and shot from the prone at 3 targets which were to be engaged in sequence near middle far middle near (this was a common engagement sequence throughout the match) with 2 shots each. IIRC the farthest target was at 850. My recollection of Day 1 is pretty fuzzy.
Stage 9 Ladder Drag: On the command go, team would move with a makeshift ladder approximately 25 yards to a barricade where they would take turns engaging a pistol target at approximately 50 yards (seemed a lot closer than that but thats what the stage brief said). As soon as a single hit was achieved team would move up to a platform and engage 3 targets near mid far mid near with 2 rounds each from each shooter. The furthest target was around 600 yards. This was a fairly simple stage. The targets for this stage were some of the easiest to find of the day.
BLUF/TLDR: This was an excellent match. 16 stages, lots of shooting, moderate difficulty. Targets, for the most part fell between 500 and 900 yards. All stages were 6 minutes. Money well spent.
Gear Utilized: DesertTech SRS A2 (300WM), V7 Weapon Systems AR15 (.223), S&W 329PD (44RM), Beretta M9A1 (9mm), Sig Kilo3000 Binos, Leofoto 404C w/leveling head, Warhorse Development support bags, Mystery Ranch packs, Nosler and Black Hills factory ammo.
Stage 1 Love Boat: Start position was on a wobble platform. Teams were allowed to build a position on the platform prior to the start of the clock. One shooter took up a prone position, the other took up a standing position with support any way you liked. The only caveat there being that any shooting gear utilized had to be on the platform. On the go command, shooters engaged 3 targets near middle far middle near with 2 rounds each, with standing shooter shooting their 10 rounds first. I think the farthest target was around 650. After firing 10 rifle rounds hit or miss, both shooters moved to an adacent prop and alternated shooting 3 pistol targets at approximately 10, 12, and 15 yards. You had to hit the target in order for your partner to then be able to engage. Targets were engaged near to far. I'll start by saying I detest wobble platforms. They just feel a bit silly. I had my partner shoot prone and I attempted to run a barricade bag on front and use the tripod as rear support. It worked ok. It wasn't a complete flop but I didn't feel like I had cracked the code on how to beat this stage either. This pistol shooting wasn't difficult by itself but if you were running out of time, it could have been tough to hit them fast as they were fairly small (smallest maybe 6 inch plate)
Stage 2 Da Hide: Start position was at the side of a table about 15 yards from the start position. On the command go, team moved with table and all gear to a simulated roof apex. Shooters then took a position on the table and shot through the gable ends of the simulated roof through a net. The furthest target I can remember was at approximately 800. Targets could be engaged in any order. After both shooters engaged rifle targets, shooters would move next to the roof and engage 4 pistol targets in a square array and hit them with 2 shots each. The shooter who shot first on the table would engage pistol targets first and had to engage them clockwise. Pistol target ranges were about 15-20 yards. Then, after getting all 8 hits, the second shooter could engage them counter clockwise. This was a tricky one. We timed out partially because of the amount of time it took us to find the targets. I also had trouble with one of the pistol targets and as I only had 6 rounds in the cylinder, was forced to reload which ate up some time.
Stage 3 Chopper: Start position was seated in a helicopter fuselage with gear in the back seat. On the command go, team moved in front of the helicopter and engaged 4 pistol targets. After engaging the pistol targets, the team moved to the rear of the helicopter and engaged 5 rifle targets from the back seat. I can't remember the target distances. We timed out on this stage as well as our second shooter was engaging targets. There was a little difficulty getting a decent/stable position from the rear of the helicopter as the targets were sort of off to the side.
Stage 4 Gopher Box: Start position was in a 5x5x4 box on a stand with a hole at the top with all gear in the box with both shooters. On the go command, one previously designated team member would pop up out of the box and scan for targets fro 1 minute. No ranging at this point. Then after 1 minute, back in the box. On the next go command, that same team member would emerge for 45 seconds and was able to range the same 5 targets. After 45 seconds, back in the box. On the final go command, both shooters emerge and shooters took turns identifying targets to the spotter and engaging them with 2 rounds each. I and my teammate did not find all the targets. The furthest we identified was at approximately 990 yards. We also timed out even before engaging the targets we did find.
Stage 5 Spinner: At this stage, teams went head to head. One member of each team was designated as either "offense" or "defense". Then an offensive member from one team would set up next to a defensive member of another. On the command go, offense and defense would advance up a small hill to their respective shooting table and would set up to engage a spinner target at approximately 500 yards. The offensive team member would attempt to get the spinner to go end over end while the defensive member would attempt to keep it from going over. Shooters were allowed 12 rounds each and given 3 minutes. If the spinner spun, offfense was awarded points. If the spinner did not, the defense earned 10 points. This was my first stage of the day which was a shame as my match jitters got the best of me. I was the offensive shooter, found the target and set up to shoot it. I then realized I forgot to range it so I quickly grabbed the binos and lazed what I thought was the spinner berm. After firing the first couple shots, I realized my range must have been way off so I came off the gun to re-range. I ended up timing out after only firing a few rounds. I thought this was gonna be a shoe in stage for me as the 300WM would have flipped it with one impact but alas couldn't make it happen.
Stage 6 Pinzgauer: It's not a Unimog haha. On the command go, team advanced up a hill to an array of 4 pistol targets. Shooters engaged those targets with 2 rounds each, hit or miss. After both shooters finished firing at pistol targets the advanced to the back of a "Pinzgauer" which looks like some kind of old school troop carrier and engaged 3 targets near to far from the back of the vehicle with primary shooter going first and then secondary shooter engaging. I don't know what the ranges were because I later figured out we were shooting at the complete wrong set of targets due to our own color mixup. The truck was very cramped and it was tough to come up with a suitable shooting position to accomodate both shooters and gear in the small space.
Stage 7 Mil Rocks: On the command go, shooters moved up to separate positions on standing and one shooting from one of 5 rocks. Shooter from the rocks engaged an array of 2 targets with one round each. If the shooter on the rocks managed 2 hits, the standing shooter could engage their own separate target from the prone with 2 shots. If the shooter on the rocks missed one or both, standing shooter had to shoot their target standing. after both shooters fired their 2 rounds, the shooter on the rocks would move to another rock. Rock shooters targets were at approximately 350. Standing shooters target was around 200. The trick on this stage was that no electronic rangefinder was allowed to targets had to be milled by more primitive means, for lack of a better term. Some teams just guessed, some used reticle references, some used mil reference cards. I had custom mil range estimation bracelets made a while back and I always bring them just in case. They came in clutch on this stage.
Stage 8 Platform: On the command go, team members advanced approximately 50 yards to separate sides of a platform and engaged 2 pistol targets. These targets had to be hit and were engaged in an alternating sequence (left side hits close target, right side hits close target, left side hits far target, right side hits far target). After 4 pistol targets were successfully hit, both shooters moved to a platform and shot from the prone at 3 targets which were to be engaged in sequence near middle far middle near (this was a common engagement sequence throughout the match) with 2 shots each. IIRC the farthest target was at 850. My recollection of Day 1 is pretty fuzzy.
Stage 9 Ladder Drag: On the command go, team would move with a makeshift ladder approximately 25 yards to a barricade where they would take turns engaging a pistol target at approximately 50 yards (seemed a lot closer than that but thats what the stage brief said). As soon as a single hit was achieved team would move up to a platform and engage 3 targets near mid far mid near with 2 rounds each from each shooter. The furthest target was around 600 yards. This was a fairly simple stage. The targets for this stage were some of the easiest to find of the day.
