Jan 2000

THE 1999 NATIONAL MATCHES

CAMP PERRY, OHIO

By

Roy Baumgardner
Tactical Shooter 1999
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express written consent from Tactical Shooter Magazine

The 1999 Camp Perry Grand Strategy dictated that we would take only two rifles to Camp Perry for the long range matches, both AR-15s. One of these would have an Obermeyer barrel, and would fire only non-moly coated Sierra 80 grain bullets with AA 2520 powder. The other would be fitted with a Krieger barrel, and would fire only Sierra 80 grain bullets that were moly coated, and these would be propelled by VihtaVuori N-540 powder. Both of these rifles are of service rifle configuration, have match triggers and sights, and have sleeves over the barrel to attach the sling to.

In short, they are as interchangeable as we can make them, have all the latest accuracy tricks, and are extremely user friendly. The rifles are 1999 state of the art. Unfortunately the shooter is old, not a good wind reader, and is having a heck of a hard time keeping the front sight sharp. All of this usually results in a finish right about in the middle of the pack. This year it might even be lower yet. [Editor: Our writers are pretty evenly divided in their basic outlook on life... half are pessimists, and the other half are realists.]

In our ongoing testing we are getting close to finishing up our experimenting with the AR-15 (at least for the moment). We find ourselves looking with interest and curiosity at the newer VLD .30 caliber 175 grain and 185 grain bullets, and we may go back to the heavy barreled M1A for some 1000 yard testing, and try to use all of the information learned thus far. It would be nice to have that front sight out there where Heaven and Springfield Armory intended it should be once again.

For the average shooter the AR-15 is hard to beat for the National Match course; its recoil is so light that the front sight hardly moves off of the bull during rapid fire. Because of this nice little characteristic, shooters with a less-than-perfect sitting or prone position can often get away with aiming the rifle with muscle, instead of supporting it with your skeleton, like a heavy recoiling rifle demands, and Heaven and Randolph Constantines book said it should be done.

The AR-15/M16 has come a long way in the past few years, and now they outnumber the .30 caliber service rifles by a wide margin, all the way back to 600 yards on the firing line at Perry. The Army is doing well with the M16 at 1000 yards in the team matches, but the Marines are still tough to beat with their M14s when the conditions are bad at that distance. Some feel that this will never change, and some feel that it will. It depends on whom you talk to, and at what time of day.

The first three days were spent on the Rodriquez 600 yard range. In the first match, the Army Cup, I shot lousy. By the way, I found myself squadded with a former PS writer, Frank Doug Randall, so we know hes still alive. On the second day we shot the Air Force Cup match, and I did a bit better... but thats a-bit-better-than-lousy, so my name was not exactly on everybodys lips. The two AR-15s, with moly coated versus non-moly coated bullets, were fired on alternate days, and no difference at all could be found at 600 yards. This was to be the case at 1000 yards also; one was just easier to clean. It is of course possible that there would be a more discernible difference with a better shooter. [Editor: And where would we look for such a creature?]

My partner Brian expressed an interest in firing an AR-15 at 1000 yards, so I offered to loan him the Obermeyer with the non-moly rounds. On August 13th we fired the first 1000 yard match. This is the Leech Cup for bolt actions using metallic sights, and the Porter Match if you are using a service rifle. I used the remaining rifle, the Krieger barreled AR-15 with the moly coated bullets.

Back when we were first arriving at the correct sight sightings for the AR-15 at 1000 yards, we were using a machinists depth micrometer to measure from the top of the front sights guards, down to the tip of the post, and this worked very well. Today we have refined this a bit, and our new system goes like this. The A-2 rear sight is run all the way to the bottom of its travel, then raised two minutes. The rifle is then zeroed at 200 yards on a standard NRA 200 yard target, using a 6 oclock hold, and adjusting the front sight only, using 69 grain match ammo. At this point we usually remove the small set screw that holds the top and bottom of the sight dial together, and set the dial to where 200 yards should be. This is 2 to 3 minutes down from the 8/3 mark on the dial. We stamp the 200 yard place on the dial, using a 1/16" metal stamp, letter "O", then replace the set screw through its hole in front of the sights aperture. Lacking a stamp, a line can be inscribed on the dial.

Now the rifle is moved back to 600 yards, and if 80 grain Sierras are used at a muzzle velocity of about 2750 feet per second, the rifle should be very close to zero at that range, with the sight dial set on 6. To get a 1000 yard setting, the front sight is turned down two complete turns. This is 10 minutes, and rear sight 80 to 10 minutes, which puts the little "O" mark right in front of you again. The same ammo that was used at 600 yards is also used at 1000 yards. In our two rifles we seat the 80 grain Sierra .005 off of the lands, with a 2.500 overall length. Allow me to be very clear that this works fine with both of these rifles, but may not work as well in yours. Be careful.

To kind of sum all this up, when we arrive on the 200 yard line for a match, we use 69 grain match ammo or its clone, and set the sight dial on 200. At 300 yards, set the dial on 3, and use the same ammo. At 600 yards, set the dial on 6 and switch to the long range ammunition. For 1000 yards, set as above. For 900 yards come down 7 minutes from your 1000 yard setting, and for 800 yards, come down 6 minutes from your 900 yard setting. This system has been in use for three seasons now, and is remarkably easy to work with. But again, use caution; your rifle may be different.

Along with this, we have firmly embraced the wet coat process, which works like this... If the temperature is 80 or above, a cloth shooting coat is used (I employ an old 10-X). About five minutes before going on the firing line, the coat is laid on the ground and about three quarters of a GI canteen of water is poured over it. 

This is rubbed in well, to saturate the coat as much as possible. More water is better. The wet coat is put on over your bare skin; females use a bathing suit top. As the water evaporates during the match, the wearer stays cooler than normal, and this makes quite a difference on a very hot day. I feel that being (relatively) cool, as opposed to sweating buckets, has to improve my score. The coat is usually dry right about at the end of a 20 shot match.

In the Porter Match I found myself blown off the target twice after going for record, and ended up with a 140-2. Someday, so help me, Im going to ignore the targets completely, and just concentrate on shooting all those lying wind flags! (Editor: We have no respect for unemotional writers here at PS.) There were two M14s and two M16s in the shoot-off. An interesting aspect was that the two M14 shooters were Christopher Stark, Sr. and Jr. Although Pa was no late comer to the shooting scene, the kid beat him to become the Porter Trophy winner. Youth must be served, it seems. Nancy Tompkins-Gallagher edged out her two daughters (hold that "Youth must be served" idea... maybe not...) and the rest of the world to win the Leech Cup. Robert Mango USMC-REG won the Andrus 1000 yard match for Palma-type rifles.

On Friday night, Bob Robey and I met our friends from Atlanta, the Confederate "Bubba Brigade" and we all went to the Oak Harbor Hotel for their seafood buffet. PS staffer Randolph Constantine joined us for the repast, and another PS staffer, Ian Cheeseman was there as well. We got a lot of mileage out of the fact that he got his lip too close to the charging handle of his rifle, and the recoil broke the front off of his crowned tooth, exposing the metal. We told him that it only shined when he smiled. Its like Ive always said... shooting can be very expensive.

Saturday was the second day for 1000 yard matches... The Wimbledon for scoped rifles, The Farr Trophy for service rifles, and The Doc Aitken for Palma type rifles. It was colder than heck, extremely dark, and the wind was coming straight off the lake, at about 25 MPH. It was not a nice day to be outside. Unfortunately I could not find any indoor gallery matches scheduled for this date.

I was seriously considering not firing the Krieger AR-15, as the conditions were so dark that you could not see the black bull on the white target, and there was not enough light to be had between the bottom of the target and the top of the pit wall for a frame hold. My shooting partner, Steve Knutson, shooting a 7mm Mag, went on first, and he soon noticed that although the wind was very strong, it was blowing almost straight at us. There was one wind flag that spent a lot of its time just left of straight-on. He fired only when it was in this position and did quite well.

I put my windbreaker on under my shooting coat and was able to get warm enough to give it a try. I had figured out that when the target on either side of ours was down, I could make out the top of the pit wall. By keeping the top of the black front sight post even with the top of the pit wall when we could see it, then moving quickly under our target, I was able to hit the very top of our target on the first try. Steves windage guess was right on.

My second sighter was an X, and the third a 9. Drunk with power, I decided to go for record now. My first shot for record was not on the target, as I had spent too much time trying to put the front sight on while the wind changed. Ditto for the second. I didnt think that crying would help much... otherwise Id have tried it. I then (finally) realized that I could see the wind flag while looking through the rear sight instead of over it. This made all the difference, and by paying attention (well, most of the time) I got all the rest of my shots on target (my target, as a matter of fact), and I finished with a 144. This was better than some, but still pretty far down the standings. But it proved, to me at least, that the AR could still compete at 1000 yards, even under terrible conditions. All it needs is a better shooter than I am behind it.

There were three M14s in the shoot off, and only one M16. Jamie Mordarski, NAVY-REG, won the Farr Trophy with an M14. G. Sutton took the Wimbledon, and US Palma team member Bob Gustin won the Doc Aiken match for Palma-type rifles.

On the final day we shot the Palma individual match. Palma .308 type rifles and service rifles only. 15 shots for record at 800, 900, and 1000 yards. At 800 yards you now get unlimited sighters, but at 900 and 1000 yards you only get two. This can be a real challenge in the 22 minutes that you are allowed for each stage.

I started off with a 134-3X at 800 yards, followed by a 129-1X at 900 yards, and a 106-0X at 1000 yards. All in all, the Nationals were a lot of fun for me, even if I did shoot lousy at times (read: Just about all the time). I am convinced that the AR-15 can compete at 1000 yards, but not as well as it does at 600 yards. You must, however, be an excellent wind reader, which certainly is nothing new.

Mitch Maxberry won the Palma individual, while Gysgt. Jerry McGraw USMC won the service rifle category. And our new NRA National Highpower champ is Ssgt. Julia Watson, USMC.

The search for accuracy never stops.