Talladega 600 Matches

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

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. 

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. 

Congratulations and best of luck for the Sniper challenge.

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 ,