New Game LR Varmint

DFOOSKING

SoDak Cat
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Jan 31, 2009
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    Iceshack Village, Buttfuck Nowhere
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    Last year I found a small match held in a nearby town. They shot a game they called Long Range .22 Varmint if I recall.

    Was fairly simple. They shoot 10rnds per relay in 5min relays.

    Each shooter gets one steel target per relay at a single distance. The distances are 140yds, 160yds, 185yds and 205yds.
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    The target is approximately 12" square with an engraved 8" circle and a flapper plate in the shape of a gopher.

    The target(s) is scored and painted in between relays.

    Gophers - 5pts
    8" Circle - 3pts
    12" Plate - 1pt

    8 of the 10 shots are scored. So your best 8 for score. Reason being the novice level shooters get basically two chances to shoot sighters for wind and boy do we have wind here typically.

    So 8 hits all on gopher means a perfect score is 160 points (40pts x 4 relays).

    Obviously, you can always ramp up the difficulty. Either giving no points outside of the 8" ring or all shots are scored or reducing the time to shoot the relay.

    They shot from benches but it could be done prone. Was pretty laid back. And the scoring was very easy looking at impacts on fresh paint. Line breakers were scored best line scoring and nobody scored their own plates.
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    They charged a very nominal fee to come play. And it was for bragging rights. I was happily surprised with how well it ran. The whole event took 1hr 45min.

    No classes or divisions that I recall. Just come and shoot. These pics were taken last year in April. I had a job that made it impossible to make the late afternoon weekday matches so I don't have anymore pics sadly.

    Thought maybe you guys would like to try the format out yourselves with your own steel.
     
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    That sounds like fun. Be something to get people shooting a competition that don't want to do the nrl thing.

    Those are 12" plates? Look larger than that, but should be doable to make some. Do you know where they got the targets?
     
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    Last year I found a small match held in a nearby town. They shot a game they called Long Range .22 Varmint if I recall.

    Was fairly simple. They shoot 10rnds per relay in 5min relays.

    Each shooter gets one steel target per relay at a single distance. The distances are 140yds, 160yds, 185yds and 205yds.
    View attachment 8083087
    The target is a 12" square with an engraved 8" circle and a flapper plate in the shape of a gopher.

    The target(s) is scored and painted in between relays.

    Gophers - 5pts
    8" Circle - 3pts
    12" Plate - 1pt

    8 of the 10 shots are scored. So your best 8 for score. Reason being the novice level shooters get basically two chances to shoot sighters for wind and boy do we have wind here typically.

    So 8 hits all on gopher means a perfect score is 160 points (40pts x 4 relays).

    Obviously, you can always ramp up the difficulty. Either giving no points outside of the 8" ring or all shots are scored or reducing the time to shoot the relay.

    They shot from benches but it could be done prone. Was pretty laid back. And the scoring was very easy looking at impacts on fresh paint. Line breakers were scored best line scoring and nobody scored their own plates.
    View attachment 8083097
    They charged a very nominal fee to come play. And it was for bragging rights. I was happily surprised with how well it ran. The whole event took 1hr 45min.

    No classes or divisions that I recall. Just come and shoot. These pics were taken last year in April. I had a job that made it impossible to make the late afternoon weekday matches so I don't have anymore pics sadly.

    Thought maybe you guys would like to try the format out yourselves with your own steel.
    I'm just north of you about 150mi, I'd sure like to find out if this match is held again this coming summer!
     
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    Those are 12" plates? Look larger than that, but should be doable to make some. Do you know where they got the targets?
    They said they had them made a local area machine shop. They are quite well made. The gopher flaps inward on a hinge and the gopher plate itself is perfectly flush with the outer plate. And there is hardly any gap whatsoever. The maker has my respect.

    We have like two very predominant steel target makers in our area....Target Hanging Solutions and Atlas Target Works. And I can say for a fact they didn't use them.

    You may be right. The target plate might be bigger like 14" maybe. Definitely was not wider than my shoulders.
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    I'm just north of you about 150mi, I'd sure like to find out if this match is held again this coming summer!
    I have the MD's contact info. Last year I tried calling him multiple times to get info but he didn't answer. So I texted him and a couple days later he got back to me.

    I can PM you his info. They're NW of Volga, SD which is about 15min off the interstate if you drive to Brookings.

    I found out about his match while at a gun show. They had a table set up and were handing out pamphlets. They also do a unsupported prone type rimfire match on a different day.

    Holding matches on weeknights is kinda a pain. It took me 40min hauling balls on backroads leaving work to barely make it in time. Then work kept getting longer and longer so I just couldn't make it afterwards.
     
    Should ask if they would make some more, always looking for quality targets. And it would make a good reason to head down to Brookings as well.

    I would like the maker’s info too. PM me if you want, or post it here. I’m looking for some metal reactive and auto-reset targets.

    I wanna say the MD said it was a machine shop in Brandt or Bryant, SD....I honestly don't remember. It's been almost a year now. I think they did it as a one off job. Wasn't Brookings which is immediately nearby.

    I probably would have heard of other outfits making targets. A steel supplier in Huron was taking all their scrap turning them into targets. They had like 3 aisles worth steel targets of every size and shape you could imagine.

    So I doubt this a shop was doing it as a regular thing or I probably would have heard about it given my connections and former employment.
     
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    I kinda wonder if a guy can just make a NRL22 double hook type stand and hang a 12" or 14" plate on the lower hook and then have the upper hook kick out forward an inch. Then simply lengthen this gopher target's eye a smidge to get it to hang down in the middle of the plate.
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    Then you'd have big plate and swinging/reactive gopher without the hassle of making a hinge setup. Would be easier to paint as well.

    One problem would be positioning the gopher perfectly so a guy could get a ring engraved on the plate. But suppose you could just say screw it and simply have the plate and gopher and be as simple as 5pts for hits on gopher. And 1pt for the plate.
     
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    I kinda wonder I'd a guy can just make a NRL22 double hook type stand and hang a 12" or 14" plate on the lower hook and then have the upper hook kick out forward an inch. Then simply lengthen this gopher target's eye a smidge to get it to hang down in the middle of the plate.
    View attachment 8084430

    Then you'd have big plate and swinging/reactive gopher without the hassle of making a hinge setup. Would be easier to paint as well.

    One problem would be positioning the gopher perfectly so a guy could get a ring engraved on the plate. But suppose you could just say screw it and simply have the plate and gopher and be as simple as 5pts for hits on gopher. And 1pt for the plate.
    I was going to offer an improvise earlier today, I'd pick whatever target wanted, drill a hole in backer, bolt target to the backer with a spacer, washer and a spring.
    Off this: https://www.xsteeltargets.com/collections/stands/products/2x4-static-target-holder
     
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    Can't wait for the weather to warm up to get the rifles out and shooting. Need to zero the new toys and get out and play.

    Keep mentioning that I need to make it down to SD and shoot with you guys. Just haven't gotten around to it. Hopefully this year will be able to figure something out.
     
    Keep mentioning that I need to make it down to SD and shoot with you guys. Just haven't gotten around to it. Hopefully this year will be able to figure something out.

    Watertown is every 2nd Sunday. They called off January and February due to shit weather. Then Huron, Pierre, and the extreme west river Boys schedule around it or on it. These Volga guys will probably start their stuff in like April if I had to guess. You call the guy...he'll tell you.
     
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    Thanks doof!! Just ordered a few targets from Atlas. Looks like a quick drive straight up 29 to get to me. Will have to practice and get a few guys to start practicing for some comps.
     
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    Got after it again tonight after work. Brought a new guy out to try it. They did a second round shooting since we finished at 7pm.
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    Help ya see the scale of the targets...


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    12 shooters shot the first round. Tricky winds changing direction often going 4-13mph at half value from one way to half value the other.
     
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    Very cool. Those look like some really fun targets.

    Local range here used to do a "Mini-Palma" match. It was on an NRA Highpower range with pits, scored on 5v paper targets at 150, 175, and 200 yards. I miss that match.
     

    This was our long range varmint match before our range was closed...this match could easily be modified a little and turned into a 22LR match by changing the distances and if the targets are set up so they moved freely when hit that eliminates the need to paint targets ever string...old conveyor belt works very well...so does old fire hose but will need replaced more often...I am hoping now that they are slowly starting to reopen our range they will get this match running again.
     

    This was our long range varmint match before our range was closed...this match could easily be modified a little and turned into a 22LR match by changing the distances and if the targets are set up so they moved freely when hit that eliminates the need to paint targets ever string...old conveyor belt works very well...so does old fire hose but will need replaced more often...I am hoping now that they are slowly starting to reopen our range they will get this match running again.
    I have no control over the targetry. They have already invested in the plates. The painting isn't really an issue. You have 3 shooters per target line. One is running the clipboard and the other two are calling out their scores and spraying the paint. They spend more time walking down to the 205yd line and back then they do scoring/painting.
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    They already do a traditional silhouette match there (or their own version of such) on a 100m and in type format on a seperate night. Unsupported position type shooting. I doubt many would be interested to drive a ways and pay to do it. So they probably could do what your talking already if they chose since they have the steel.

    We shot an entire round (all 4 firing lines) in an hour last Tuesday with 12 shooters (max number of benches). They even did another round but we left due to our driving time and it being a Tuesday night.

    I personally think they could reduce the time to 2min 30 sec or even 3min from the stated 5min. Practically everyone was done at 3min mark every round.

    Yeah, guys who shoot single shots would feel the pinch a bit. But that's life in the competition world.
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    Also, if they could get a atv pulling a small trailer or even pickup to haul scorer's to reduce the walking time....that would reduce the total running time by a fair bit. Then they could then shoot multiple rounds a lot more easier a night. Double the match participation to 24 shooters.

    But I hear what your saying. I'm just not sure if they are interested in changing their ways. I could be totally wrong though.
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    Every time I see this thread it makes me want to go spend a couple grand on few sheets of steel and make it happen.
    After shooting NRL22 for years.....this is a nice change of pace. Not having to manage a ton of gear or looking for efficient techniques for time management. And actually having wind flags present unlike our local NRL22 type events.

    I actually load my mags on the clock after I finish my 10 shots. I had two failures to fire since I swapped out the AICS to a KRG Bravo. At first, my brain was like rush rush rush. But then I realized I got like 3 min left still to fix this. So it's been nice to throttle down.

    And the old guys can still womp your ass if you get lazy. 40 rounds (technically 32 rounds for score) doesn't leave much wiggle room for many misses if the conditions are light. I shot a 144/160 this last week in lighter but switchy conditions compared to the 154/160 I did prior.
     
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    This year's schedule (2024)....all the purple indicators are for LR Varmint. Matches are on Tuesdays and start at 6pm sharp. Be there ideally by 5:30 or so to sign up and pay your $10 entry. They have a cheaper rate for members if I recall.

    Also using this to bump this thread so maybe more people will get eyeballs on this and maybe ideas to try this for themselves on their ranges.
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