Here is the lineup of the rifles I will be shooting, top to bottom:

1) Armalite National Match AR-15

2) 1943 Springfield Model 1903A3

3) 1942 Springfield M1 Garand

4) 1944 Long Branch No. 4 Mk I/3

5) 1944 BSA No. 4 Mk I (T)

I’m shooting the AR first in four different matches (all at 200, 300 and 600 yds). Then will shoot the M1, 1903 and Long Branch No. 4 at 200 yards (prone slow fire, prone rapid fire and standing slow fire). The last match is the Vintage Sniper match which I will shoot the BSA No. 4 (T) at 300 and 600 yards prone, single shot only. 

I’m expecting a good turnout for these matches. Weather looks fairly good, likely get some rain, but we fire from a covered shooting position. 

I will report my progress here on this thread. 

best of luck!

200 Yards Standing Slow Fire - 20 rounds in 20 minutes

200 Yards Sitting Rapid Fire - 2 strings of 10 rounds each in 60 seconds

300 Yards Prone Rapid Fire - 2 strings of 10 rounds each in 70 seconds

600 Yards Prone Slow Fire - 20 rounds in 20 minutes

Two sighters for each of the four stages above.

Yesterday did not go well, placed 11th out of 50 shooters in the civilian class.  My off hand (standing) stage went bad. Weather was about perfect, overcast but fairly bright, winds at about 5-7 mph from 10-11 O’Clock.

Today was better, placed 3rd out of 57 shooters. I did manage to hit the X ring 26 times in the 80 shots, tied for the most shots in the X ring (which means absolutely nothing!).  I missed 2nd place by one point (I scored 775 out of a possible 800).  The 1st place shooter kicked my butt with a score of 785.  Much darker today, gusty winds again from 10-11 O’Clock.  

Tomorrow is a light day, the Congressional 30 Service Rifle Match which I will provide a report on tomorrow. 

I had remembered you were shooting this weekend but events (Remembrance Sunday church parade followed by a large pub lunch) got in the way of me asking how it was going.

If you see anybody there that I might know (Bill?) please say he!!o to them for me. 

200 Yds Standing Slow Fire - 10 rounds in 10 minutes

300 Yds Prone Rapid Fire - 10 rounds in 70 seconds starting from standing

600 Yds Prone Slow Fire - 10 rounds in 10 minutes

No sighter shots.

My first shot in standing was darn near a miss, a 5 at 3 O’Clock. With that behind me, I recovered fairly well to finish with a 89/100.  At this point, I figure shooting the next two stages clean will give me a respectable aggregate score. Always think positive. 

Dropped only one point in prone rapid fire for a 99/100. OK, better. 

Prone slow fire was a disaster. I really don’t know what happened. Shots started out high in the 9 ring at the same scope settings used in the previous two days that were giving me 10’s and X’s.  I chased the shots all around the 9 ring ending up with just 93/100.  

Final score placed me 31/95 shooters, just missing the cut of the top 30 shooters getting the Congressional 30 medal by one X ring count.  The top shooter only dropped 5 points across the course of fire, I lost that many points on my first shot. If I shoot this poor tomorrow, I’m sunk. 

Gotta get this out of my head for tomorrow, the main event…

Yesterday is already history! Just enjoy your shoot can keep us updated.

I bombed the EIC Service Rifle Match.  My first shot in the sitting rapid fire was a solid X ring hit. Problem was it was on the wrong target! So scores as a miss. Prone rapid fire was good, a 99/100.  Prone slow fore at 600 yards was a repeat of yesterday’s poor performance, a 189/200.  That one miss in sitting rapid fire cost me the points I needed to complete the Distinguished Rifleman award. 

So now it’s on to the “wood guns”, plastic guns have been put aside. Shot the M1 and did reasonably well, made the gold score and completed the 40 points needed for the M1 Master Marksman award. 

Tomorrow I will shoot the No. 4 and the 1903A3 Springfield. 

The course of fire for the “wood guns” is all the same:

200 yards prone slow fire - 5 sighters and 10 shots for record in 15 minutes

200 yards prone rapid fire from standing - 10 shots in 80 seconds

200 yards standing slow fire - 10 shots in 10 minutes

Sheer bloody luxury as they say in these parts!

Geoff I really do hope it goes well for you tomorrow. 

Yes, 5 sighters is indeed a luxury.  But, this is only for the “Games” vintage military service rifle matches, not in the modern Service Rifle EIC Matches which allow NO sighter shots at any of the stages (200, 300 and 600 yds). 

Yes, I will actually shoot in three of the vintage events: the M1, the M1903 and the Vintage Military Rifle. 

I shoot the No. 4 in the “Vintage Military Rifle” (VMR) match, which is any Vintage Military bolt action rifle (except the 1903, which has its own class). In VMR, we see quite an array of WWI and WWII bolt action rifles. The most common is the M1917, and they shoot very well. Usually a few No. 4 rifles on the line, more rare to see a No. 1 rifle. 

good luck and have fun , 

This morning I shot the No. 4 in the Vintage Military Rifle Match. This is my favorite rifle to shoot, for somewhat obvious reasons. Not many shooters on the line with Lee Enfields. The M1917 is usually the favored rifle to win.  And indeed, it took first place this year, in the able hands of my good shooting friend, Keith.  As to my own performance, started out fine with a clean prone slow fire stage, then dropped three points during the prone rapid stage. Still in the game at that point, but my standing stage was probably one of the lowest scores I’ve posted in many years, just 80/100 points. Quite disappointing. I just could not hold steady, way too much movement and twitching, could not settle in.  Despite this, I know the rifle can shoot, I’m very pleased with the new Criterion barrel. 

The second match was with the 1903A3 which I managed to somewhat redeem myself. Thought I was going to shoot a clean prone slow stage after shooting five consecutive shots in the X ring, but then started loosing focus on the sight, eyes watering. Dropped 2 shots low into the 9 ring. Dropped another 3 points in prone rapid from rushing, but somehow managed to shoot a 94 in standing. Went from one of my worst standing scores with the No. 4 this AM to one of my best with the Springfield in the PM. And that rifle has a sewer pipe for a barrel, the original 1943 two groove Remington barrel, and a spongy trigger. My score for the three stage of fire Springfield match was a 289 and enough for a first place win. 

I ended up in 4th place out of 110 shooters in the 3 gun aggregate (M1, Springfield and VMR matches). It was the standing stage with the No. 4 that cost me the overall win (I was 9 points behind the winner in the 900 point Aggregate). 

Winning the Garand Collectors Association Master Marksmanship award was a nice touch, I completed the necessary 40 points yesterday in the M1 match. 

The other surprise was two of us received a CMP certificate for having entered in all 10 of the CMP Talladega 600 annual matches since they opened the range. I guess it just shows we persevere even if we don’t win!  I heard at the awards ceremony tonight that this annual event is the third largest in the nation in terms of total match entries. 

Tomorrow, Day 6, is the Vintage Sniper Match where I will be shooting my Dad’s 1944 No. 4 T.  It’s all original except for the barrel, a Long Branch made CMk4 six groove RH twist.  Hoping to post a good score. If I don’t, I know it will be my fault and not the rifle or load. 

i think you have done well , i would have loved to be there to see it , 

Congratulations and best of luck for the Sniper challenge.

  A very enjoyable day. I think the Vintage Sniper Match is my favorite, it’s the last match of the week and a fun match to shoot with little stress. This is a two shooter team event. The course of fire is:

i dont envy you that cleanup but i know how that can reduce the pain of the winter by providing indoor activity .....with a satisfaction factor at the end , ive already hgotten thru my 45colt , still have some 38spcl and a lot of 4570 to go yet , 

 My motive here is the hope that this might spark interest in shooting these interesting old military rifles.  Most here are collectors, perhaps spend a few days a year at the range or a few hunting trips a year. The friendships that result from competitive shooting are priceless. I met a new friend today in the vintage sniper match, hope we form a long lasting partnership for future sniper matches.  No doubt he is an outstanding shooter. 

This! 

The very first dedicated SMLE shoot I did was in 1998, these started in 1995 long before I had a computer so the information about them was passed via gun magazines...remember them?

The friendships made on that day in 1998 are still strong and even if we miss each other for a few years we pick up like it was yesterday. 

One of my UK shooting friends makes the trip to shoot alongside Geoff at the Talladega matches and at Camp Perry because the matches are so good your side of the pond! 

I think you acquitted your self very well.

Gold aint bad at all!