VMRS - Vintage Military Rifle Silhouette - Boulder City - Official Thread

[MAC702]

I'm going to start threads for the popular vintage rifle shooting matches we have in Clark County. If you want to regularly shoot your vintage rifles, this is a great way to do it with friendly people and fun competition.

There are three different local matches every month (two in the summer), each with its own character, and I'll start a thread for each one, starting with the next official announcements from the match directors. This thread will be for the Boulder City match, the "long range" one, held at the Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club. You will shoot from 200 to 900 meters with your as-issued rifle. This thread will be for the announcements of each match, the results, and all discussion of them.

Here is the official announcement for the next match, just received today from the match director:

Our next Match will be this coming Sunday, March 3, 2019. Any WWII or older Military Rifle
from any country, Bolt or Semi.

The "Flavor of The Month" special event will be the Swedish Mauser Model 96 Rifle 6.5 x 55.
Adopted by Sweden in 1896 for use as their Service Rifle, it is noted for its excellent accuracy
with light recoil and flat trajectory along with fine quality and workmanship.

The Model 94 Carbine and Model 38 Short Rifle in 6.5 x 55 may also be used.

You can shoot 2 rifles if you like, one in each event or one rifle in one event.

Sign in......8am
Shoot.......9am

 

[MAC702]

I'll try to head off a few questions with a few things off the top of my head.

The match fee is $10 per rifle.

This match requires a vintage military rifle in as-issued condition. This means the normal iron sights and original stock. No aftermarket, national match, diopter, or optical sights. Slings are not allowed to be used for the position shooting. For this match, the rifle must be WW2 issue or older. A 7.62 NATO version of an otherwise WW2 rifle is allowed. This allows US Navy Mk 2 rifles (AKA ".308 Garand"), Ishapore Enfields, and 7.62 NATO military-issued Mausers.

At this match, sometimes we shoot only 50 rounds, but 60 is much more common. Sometimes we do 70, and I remember once (I think) we did 80. In addition, you may want a few spares as this match has a sudden death tie-breaker (at 500m) if there is a tie for a prize: often a silver dollar in a nice labeled plaque, and sometimes something tied to the Flavor-of-the-Month.

We use the known-distance permanent silhouette range at the Boulder Club, usually the 900m circle, 200m chicken, 300m pig, 400m rectangle, 200m rectangle, and 500m ram. Sometimes the 800m rectangle.

You'd want to be signed up by at least 0845. Most get signed up by 0830 to avoid a late rush. Many are there by 0800 and enjoying socializing anyway. The match is very well organized and runs on a schedule. You have 5 minutes for each of your 10-shot strings. Your squad will always have someone on the spotting scope and everyone helps you get the best score you can. Your spotter is often the reason you do as well as you do.

You do not need a Swiss, Swede, Finn, Springfield, or Garand to win this match. These are some of the more popular choices by those who have them, but a skilled shooter with a Mosin-Nagant (and a hammer for opening the action by the end of the day) will be in the running as well as anyone.

An M1 carbine would be legal, but you will not have a fun day.

 

[MAC702]

The shooting positions you can expect, and all gear is provided:

800m and 900m targets will be benchrest.
200m chicken, 300m pig, and 500m ram will be prone-supported.
400m rectangle will be 5 shots standing-offhand, and 5 shots kneeling-supported.
200m rectangle will be sitting.

The main gate and member's gate will be open before the start of the match. Just take the left fork after entry and straight to the parking next to the big wind flag. You'll see the flag. It's ALWAYS a bit windy at this match!

 

[7.62]

I missed today, man what a great day too for the match. The son and I were out Friday tuning mine up (Garand) and then today I got stuck with the grandson until 10:30. I missed all of last year because of a failed back surgery.

I’m finally feeling good enough to get back out and try. This is a great event and anyone with a vintage rifle should give it a go.

 

[Janizary]

I'm usually there about civil twilight to get my time in before it gets busy and see folks arriving for this match about the time I'm leaving. I should stay late some time and take a gander.

 

[MAC702]

It was a great day; one of the best match days we've had in some time.

Tangent time. A few months ago, I finally realized my vision isn't what it used to be. Last month, I finally saw an eye doctor because it was at the February match that I convinced myself I really had a significant problem no longer being able to see targets. When the doc handed me his set-up frames with my new prescription and told me to go outside, I was astounded at the difference. I really had no idea how bad my eyes had gotten. I'd never worn corrective glasses my entire life so never paid attention to the gradual decline until I got behind the rifles one day and the targets just faded away. Now, I could read those street signs a mile away like I used to. So, long story short, my ordered glasses didn't arrive in time for the match.

I had a decent day for the Flavor match with my Swedish M96. This is perhaps my favorite rifle. I bought it from a friend when I came back from working overseas and decided to stop traveling. He had asked me about how to scope it because it was his only rifle. I talked him off that ledge, and bought it from him instead. I took it to one of the matches, with enough ammo to almost make it through a match, but that was enough and I was hooked. Plus, the great group of people out there, and now dozens of vintage rifles later, here I am.

Even with my targets mostly disappearing on me, I was still doing "okay" with the Swede, and then I got to the ram at 500m. I got behind the sights and this time it didn't disappear, but there were two of them, one on top of the other. I aimed at the darker one on top. Spotter tells me I hit the dirt at 12 o'clock, one ram high. So I aimed at the lighter one on the bottom and hit it 4 for 4. I finished that stage with 4/5 on the plate next to the ram, for 8/10 at 500m. Wow. That, and getting 5 on the 900m (5 of the last 6 shots) put me at 2nd overall for the Flavor match.

I have been so busy working, I did not have time to try anything else for the main match, so I grabbed what should normally be a ringer combo: my Swiss K31 and GP11 surplus ammo, as I hadn't had time to load anything, either. Well, I goose-egged the entire 300m stage to finish my day, finishing dead last in the Expert class. It felt like such a waste of the ammo, and I apologize to the fine Swiss Ruag factory.