I’m writing this as much as a “review” for the community as a AAR for myself. To recap, Ragnarok Sniper Challenge is a 2-day 2-person team challenge that’s basically a Mini-Mammoth run in south-central MN. Participants must carry all their gear for the 2-day event at all times, no staging gear. We rucked approximately 15-17 miles over the two days. Rucks over 1 mile were timed for points, shorter rucks were not timed or pointed but would give you choice of shooting order; if you come in first, get first choice of shooting order. Rucks had a 16-min par time, unlike mammoth if you missed par you don’t go home you just don’t get points. Greg really just wants people to participate and have fun.
A big part of this event is the unknown so in the spirit of that I’ll refrain from specifics that give away the game, that weren't otherwise posted by the MD before the event. This is the second year the event has run and I would say the logistics of the event were excellent. Everything was set up waiting for us and as shooters I thought it was very professionally done. Honestly extremely impressed with the logistics and support of the match. I will comment that I think the point system needs work.
We stepped off at 0700 Saturday morning in two cohorts that would be our group for the weekend. This was a timed ruck of unknown distance “Follow the arrows, RO’s will be at the finish.” I had debated for weeks which boots or shoes I wanted to wear and I don’t know if I made the best decision I definitely didn’t make the wrong decision. My Solomon ankle boots were fantastic. My knockoff Crye G3 pants were great except the knee pad inserts rode pretty far down my shin and banged/rubbed my shin all weekend. Not a deal breaker but not ideal. The knee pads definitely came in handy often though everyone else seemed to get by fine without them.
My partner is a much better rucker than I am so my focus was to just go as fast as I could and not let him down. That first ruck sucked ass because I hadn’t figured out how to store/strap my rifle to my ruck so I carried it in hand/slung/across chest resting on my bino case for that first movement. After my buddy helped me get it stuffed into the side pouch and secured and subsequent movements were much more efficient. Lesson learned 1 – get that bitch strapped in. Lesson 2 – get a lighter rifle.
I was shooting the gun I had built for PRS, though I never got to a match this summer because life kept happening. 17lb pig of a rifle that is an absolute cheat code for shooting but an absolute bitch to carry. I’m definitely convincing myself to get a Proof Carbon barrel if we do this next year.
On the whole, a good AR would have been perfectly adequate for this event. I won’t discuss ranges but it’s well within the capabilities of heavy 223 even by my shooting ability let alone many on this sub.
That being said this is not a PRS match. All targets are unknown size, unknown color, unknown shape, unknown distance, unknown position with vague sector of fire. RO’s would not answer any questions about the targets except for how many there were. This is much closer to a NRL Hunter match than anything in terms of skills needed.
All stages followed a similar format – run some distance from the start line to a stressor event, shoot pistols, shoot rifles. Stages were 7-10 min and my partner and I ran out of time on 7 of the 10 stages. Very very few teams got all rounds fired on any given stage, I’d wager everyone timed out half the stages. All shooting was scripted in a specific order, this was something my teammate and I struggled with. We rarely found all the rifle targets so would drop points by engaging targets but they’d be out of order. We figured out how to get around this later but every stage we had to learn a lesson of lost points.
I bought the Bushnell MPED binos with the shotcaller reticle specifically for this event. It would have been perfect if I’d ever have been able to see trace. Given the targets and locations, there was never splash to read. I had no problem calling trace Friday during the zero range time but I didn’t get a good call for a single shot for my buddy, felt awful. Part of that was given the nature of the stages I wasn’t able to get perfect positions but the RO’s apparently could tell how we were missing, must just be a skill issue I guess. Either way, frustrating. We only brought 1 pair of binos, did not bring my Bushnell Forges, when we did our gear check Friday night it didn’t seem worth the weight. I don’t think we missed them. The range finding binos are probably more valuable if you’re on the fence and thinking about this kind of match.
Replaying the stages in my head I don’t feel like we weren’t incredibly inefficient in our process but we ran out of time most stages with barely getting through even one of us firing rifles. This was the first time we’ve shot anything like this. My partner used to get paid to fire a lot of rounds but hasn’t shot very much since he hung it up. I think he thought his skills would come back quicker than they did. Not his fault, he has other priorities in life now. Our “individual” scores were probably pretty split, I hit far more targets, he scored in other portions of the weekend. We made a great team and if we can each improve we’ll be a lot better.
Finding those targets was an absolute nightmare. I won’t say anything other than this part of the event definitely lived up to the name Sniper Challenge. My shitty tripod head was wobbly and kept loosening itself, I didn’t get an ARCA clip for the binos so I’d sack them onto a game changer. It would work if the system was stable but each piece had some shift so it wasn’t great. Plus my breathing was up by the time I got on glass each time so that didn’t help either.
Saturday night dipped close to 40, I definitely got chilly and woke up to put on the rest of my clothes. My REI Helix mattress was worth every penny and ounce. I’d carry that twice. My gamechanger with spex lite is my new favorite pillow. Now sure I’d take it camping but I already had it so hell yes. Jungle bag was probably getting its limits pushed with the temps but really with layers I was fine. We got to camp about 1700 Saturday night. I was asleep by 1930.
No way I packed enough food. I didn’t actually count the calories I packed but I probably needed twice as much as I did. Buddy said he ate 4300 each day. He’s a much higher performance machine than I am but I only ate about 2000. This was a massive oversight as I know my TDEE is about 2600. Given the significant increase in activity I should have aimed for minimum 3500. Do your math folks. TBF to myself, I have GI issues and I know problems can occur when I eat too much and exert too hard. I gambled being under-fed vs feeling like ass. I still felt like ass, or at least didn’t perform at peak, so who knows what the best decision would have been. Also I suck at snacking, I just don’t do it so its hard for me to think about eating something all the time. My buddy ate something during every chunk of non-shooting time. You’ll have plenty of time to eat and prep through the day.
I needed more electrolyte packets, its what the plants crave. The weather was gorgeous but I was sweating like crazy. They provided water at each stage and while not cold they stayed cool in the shade all day. I cramped by the end of the day both days. Definitely needed salts.
Saturday morning we had a timed ruck from camp to the start point for the day. Then! Lucky us! we had a timed ruck from the start point at 0630 to start Sunday. Yes, two back to back. Day 2 followed the same format as Day 1. Cohorts switched and shot the 5 stages they didn’t shoot Day 1.
One guy in my cohort lost control of his pistol moving from the start line to the firing line on stage 10, the last stage. He was using his concealed carry holster and the whole thing came off his belt and hit the ground, the entire holster, gun stayed in. It was cleared/safe not yet loaded but they needed to DQ him and his partner. Really unfortunate but rules are rules and dude don’t run a CC holster. “Run what you brung” is mostly fine but that’s pushing the limit. So they had to pack it in.
My pack was 32lb when I stepped off, plus 3 for binos/harness, plus 17lb for rifle. So all in I was over 50#. A 10lb rifle would be just as good for 90% of the shooting, and since I didn’t fire anywhere close to 90% of rounds allocated that seems good enough to me.
My advice: Be much more fit than you expect. The cumulative effects will wear on you through the day. I’m active, I lift, I can run a 21 min 5k and I would say I under-trained for the rucking. I’m also going to set a goal of losing 5lb before I spend money buying gear that totals 5 fewer pounds. The stressors will make the shooting harder than it already is. But hopefully none of you come next year so I have a better chance of placing higher.
A big part of this event is the unknown so in the spirit of that I’ll refrain from specifics that give away the game, that weren't otherwise posted by the MD before the event. This is the second year the event has run and I would say the logistics of the event were excellent. Everything was set up waiting for us and as shooters I thought it was very professionally done. Honestly extremely impressed with the logistics and support of the match. I will comment that I think the point system needs work.
We stepped off at 0700 Saturday morning in two cohorts that would be our group for the weekend. This was a timed ruck of unknown distance “Follow the arrows, RO’s will be at the finish.” I had debated for weeks which boots or shoes I wanted to wear and I don’t know if I made the best decision I definitely didn’t make the wrong decision. My Solomon ankle boots were fantastic. My knockoff Crye G3 pants were great except the knee pad inserts rode pretty far down my shin and banged/rubbed my shin all weekend. Not a deal breaker but not ideal. The knee pads definitely came in handy often though everyone else seemed to get by fine without them.
My partner is a much better rucker than I am so my focus was to just go as fast as I could and not let him down. That first ruck sucked ass because I hadn’t figured out how to store/strap my rifle to my ruck so I carried it in hand/slung/across chest resting on my bino case for that first movement. After my buddy helped me get it stuffed into the side pouch and secured and subsequent movements were much more efficient. Lesson learned 1 – get that bitch strapped in. Lesson 2 – get a lighter rifle.
I was shooting the gun I had built for PRS, though I never got to a match this summer because life kept happening. 17lb pig of a rifle that is an absolute cheat code for shooting but an absolute bitch to carry. I’m definitely convincing myself to get a Proof Carbon barrel if we do this next year.
On the whole, a good AR would have been perfectly adequate for this event. I won’t discuss ranges but it’s well within the capabilities of heavy 223 even by my shooting ability let alone many on this sub.
That being said this is not a PRS match. All targets are unknown size, unknown color, unknown shape, unknown distance, unknown position with vague sector of fire. RO’s would not answer any questions about the targets except for how many there were. This is much closer to a NRL Hunter match than anything in terms of skills needed.
All stages followed a similar format – run some distance from the start line to a stressor event, shoot pistols, shoot rifles. Stages were 7-10 min and my partner and I ran out of time on 7 of the 10 stages. Very very few teams got all rounds fired on any given stage, I’d wager everyone timed out half the stages. All shooting was scripted in a specific order, this was something my teammate and I struggled with. We rarely found all the rifle targets so would drop points by engaging targets but they’d be out of order. We figured out how to get around this later but every stage we had to learn a lesson of lost points.
I bought the Bushnell MPED binos with the shotcaller reticle specifically for this event. It would have been perfect if I’d ever have been able to see trace. Given the targets and locations, there was never splash to read. I had no problem calling trace Friday during the zero range time but I didn’t get a good call for a single shot for my buddy, felt awful. Part of that was given the nature of the stages I wasn’t able to get perfect positions but the RO’s apparently could tell how we were missing, must just be a skill issue I guess. Either way, frustrating. We only brought 1 pair of binos, did not bring my Bushnell Forges, when we did our gear check Friday night it didn’t seem worth the weight. I don’t think we missed them. The range finding binos are probably more valuable if you’re on the fence and thinking about this kind of match.
Replaying the stages in my head I don’t feel like we weren’t incredibly inefficient in our process but we ran out of time most stages with barely getting through even one of us firing rifles. This was the first time we’ve shot anything like this. My partner used to get paid to fire a lot of rounds but hasn’t shot very much since he hung it up. I think he thought his skills would come back quicker than they did. Not his fault, he has other priorities in life now. Our “individual” scores were probably pretty split, I hit far more targets, he scored in other portions of the weekend. We made a great team and if we can each improve we’ll be a lot better.
Finding those targets was an absolute nightmare. I won’t say anything other than this part of the event definitely lived up to the name Sniper Challenge. My shitty tripod head was wobbly and kept loosening itself, I didn’t get an ARCA clip for the binos so I’d sack them onto a game changer. It would work if the system was stable but each piece had some shift so it wasn’t great. Plus my breathing was up by the time I got on glass each time so that didn’t help either.
Saturday night dipped close to 40, I definitely got chilly and woke up to put on the rest of my clothes. My REI Helix mattress was worth every penny and ounce. I’d carry that twice. My gamechanger with spex lite is my new favorite pillow. Now sure I’d take it camping but I already had it so hell yes. Jungle bag was probably getting its limits pushed with the temps but really with layers I was fine. We got to camp about 1700 Saturday night. I was asleep by 1930.
No way I packed enough food. I didn’t actually count the calories I packed but I probably needed twice as much as I did. Buddy said he ate 4300 each day. He’s a much higher performance machine than I am but I only ate about 2000. This was a massive oversight as I know my TDEE is about 2600. Given the significant increase in activity I should have aimed for minimum 3500. Do your math folks. TBF to myself, I have GI issues and I know problems can occur when I eat too much and exert too hard. I gambled being under-fed vs feeling like ass. I still felt like ass, or at least didn’t perform at peak, so who knows what the best decision would have been. Also I suck at snacking, I just don’t do it so its hard for me to think about eating something all the time. My buddy ate something during every chunk of non-shooting time. You’ll have plenty of time to eat and prep through the day.
I needed more electrolyte packets, its what the plants crave. The weather was gorgeous but I was sweating like crazy. They provided water at each stage and while not cold they stayed cool in the shade all day. I cramped by the end of the day both days. Definitely needed salts.
Saturday morning we had a timed ruck from camp to the start point for the day. Then! Lucky us! we had a timed ruck from the start point at 0630 to start Sunday. Yes, two back to back. Day 2 followed the same format as Day 1. Cohorts switched and shot the 5 stages they didn’t shoot Day 1.
One guy in my cohort lost control of his pistol moving from the start line to the firing line on stage 10, the last stage. He was using his concealed carry holster and the whole thing came off his belt and hit the ground, the entire holster, gun stayed in. It was cleared/safe not yet loaded but they needed to DQ him and his partner. Really unfortunate but rules are rules and dude don’t run a CC holster. “Run what you brung” is mostly fine but that’s pushing the limit. So they had to pack it in.
My pack was 32lb when I stepped off, plus 3 for binos/harness, plus 17lb for rifle. So all in I was over 50#. A 10lb rifle would be just as good for 90% of the shooting, and since I didn’t fire anywhere close to 90% of rounds allocated that seems good enough to me.
My advice: Be much more fit than you expect. The cumulative effects will wear on you through the day. I’m active, I lift, I can run a 21 min 5k and I would say I under-trained for the rucking. I’m also going to set a goal of losing 5lb before I spend money buying gear that totals 5 fewer pounds. The stressors will make the shooting harder than it already is. But hopefully none of you come next year so I have a better chance of placing higher.
