Frost, Texas Dec. 3-4th 2012
61 shooters shot their way through wind and rain, testing themselves and their gear in the mud and cold.
As the weather rolled in shooters faced some of toughest winds we have seen in a precision rifle competition in quite sometime. Saturday brought us tough gusting winds that varied from 10-25mph at any given second. Sunday added rain and colder temperatures to the mix.
The Lone Star Challenge hosted by Kevin Elpers Rifle Ranch and co-match director Rich Emmons gave shooters a test unlike many have seen before. All shots taken were on reactive steel targets with very few shots inside 300 yards and reaching distances out to 1100 yards. A truly unique format allowed shooters to battle it out with only their rifle making every shot consistently valuable. The scoring system valued every shooter's trigger pull at 1 point for the majority of the stages with a few stages valued at 2 points per hit because of increased difficulty due to target size, range or position.
Kevin provided a course of fire (COF) booklet which contained the stage description, known target ranges and scoring breakdown for the stage. This was invaluable for simplifying the stage briefings, helping the competitors prepare their equipment and keeping track of their scores. Additionally, it provided a place to recognize the sponsors for their continued contribution to the amazing prize tables that we see match after match. I really like this concept and hope to see it at future matches.
This shoot attracted shooters not just from Texas but Washington, Nebraska, Tennessee, Indiana, Florida, Oklahoma Louisiana and many other states.
Fast par times and tough shooting positions forced shooters to find a solid position and take fewer shots or run the risk of missing too fast.
Despite poor conditions, attitudes were great and everybody enjoyed the challenge. To make it even better, major match sponsors Predator Tactical, Vortex Optics, Third Generation Shooting Supply, U.S. Optics, KMW, Surgeon Rifles, G.A. Precision, DSG ARMS, Stiller Precision, Rock Solid Stocks, Seekins Precision, Spin Drift Tactical contributed to an outstanding first year prize table.
