A recent email from RivrDog contained the following:
The Rivrdog/Rockett Boomershoot camp (camped at #75/76) issues the following Challenge to those coming to this year’s Boomershoot, INSTRUCTORS INCLUDED!
- Pick any off-the-shelf HUNTING rifle out of your safe (or buy one, except no Fifties at this end of the range). Custom rifles OK, if they are custom HUNTING rifles. I’ll have a scale, your rifle needs to weigh less than 10# to qualify, or you need to prove you actually tote that 17# monstrosity in the field and not just shoot it off a bench (photo of you with the elk and heavy rifle will do). I’ll be firing a WIN70, myself.
- Put any glass on it you desire.
- Load/buy any ammo for it you desire (that doesn’t conflict with Joe’s rulz).
- On Field Fire days/hours (Friday and Saturday), come on down to the Rivrdog/Rockett camp and use MY shooting table & rifle rests. The rests are elevation adjustable front and sandbag rear. Coordinate your rifle -moving to be legal during cease-fires.
- Bring your spotter or go solo.
- Fire 10 rounds, slow fire, at the right-end steel ON THE 380-YARD BERM. Number of hits on it is your score.
Winner receives a (new, sealed!) bottle of 12-year old Scotch, my choice (which guarantees it’s quality!). As in war, no second place prizes. My guess is that it will take no less than a 9 to win, so put in some practice time. You likely will be shooting against some professionals. The steel will be about 2 MOA, if it’s like last year. I may bring a 1 MOA steel for tiebreakers. Award ceremony after Field Fire/Cleanup on Saturday. I will take photos during the contest.
If I had the time that day I would show up with my 17.5 pound Spud Gun that I used the one and only season I went hunting (and got a deer). It can do this at 200 yards and hitting 2 MOA (about 8″) at 375 yards is pretty easy if the wind isn’t bad. I’d do it just to be pushing the envelope on the rules and winning, not because I’m interested in a bottle of Scotch. I’ve never tasted the stuff and am not particularly interested in trying. Besides I have two bottles of the stuff on the shelves (Xenia, you still have that one bottle, right?) given to me by friends that I haven’t touched.
If you happen to think of some nifty addition to the proposal suggest it to RivrDog. This is his baby.
I’ll probably get around to emailing this to all the participants sometime this weekend.
Hmm. Alex and I have always used off-the-shelf hunting rifles at Boomershoot. Mine a stock Rem 700 “Varmint” in .308 Win. using BH factory ammo and his a stock Ruger M77 Mk II in 280 Rem. with custom VLD loads. Both are decidedly sub MOA (as tested at 200 yards) but the lighter Ruger will fatigue a shooter much faster. Does the shooter get any sighters (test shots to determine windage)? That’s key, ’cause once you’re dialed in, you should be able to smack that target with regularity. Or is it first shot counts?
Your first roundd counts. No sighters. Last year, I shot the WIN70 and ht a 1-MOA boomer first round, cold barrel, and I’m no professional. Warm up at your own position would be my suggestion. DO bring your spotter to “talk” that first shot in. You could take a chance and use me as your spotter if you lack one.
I’m in, and so is my son.
If it won’t screw things up, I’ll up the ante with an additional prize, but mine requires a contribution to the Soldiers Angels.
I’m still working on the prize, but it will be more than worth the required contribution to SA.
Same rules, and your score from Riverdogs contest will count towards the SA prize. Whatever tie breaker he decides on will be fine with me as well.
Is that OK with you and Riverdog, Joe?
Bill
Nice little addition of competition, RD & Joe.
However, I’ll be abstaining as my .22-250 Ruger M77 MKI (aka: The Pool Cue Chalk Killer) weighs in at 9.7lbs and is absolute murder on Boomers at 385. Also, I have 3 bottles of scotch I have no time to drink.
Fine with me. Nobler, indeed.